I’d like to occasionally share little snippets of what comes to mind while practicing in hopes that it might inspire others.
When doing energetic practices such as Qigong, I want to emphasize how important it is to feel the Qi. We must find our own way to engage with this energy. It is not enough to go through the motions. At a certain point, one has to feel it, become it, allow it to change us. This sounds obvious, but I think it is good to emphasize it.
We find a speed, a momentum to use and engage with this Qi, knowing it in our cells, and gradually through this engagement allow it to transform us. Moving too fast and we’ll pass Qi by, like grinding the gears on a bike. We’ve got to find the sweet spot and zero in on it. Zeroing in and we’ll feel the sea of Qi which we live in. It takes creativity, thinking outside of the box, leaning in and yielding.
We’ve got to be willing to venture into unknown ways of experiencing our bodies, the space we inhabit, our relationship with other. The movements are a laboratory for doing this.
We think the opening up or the Qi flow will be one way but it often is something different all together. This can be a wild ride and is unique to everyone. It is sometimes shocking how the body will open up. I find myself thinking, “I never expected that part to open while doing this movement!”
And at some point, we’ve got to be still and allow the ki flow to open up our stuck places. It’s the Qi momentum which does the work and the alchemy. We get it flowing, and then it is does its thing.
We’ve got to find a way to stay fascinated with this process and transformation will occur gradually, or sometimes in sudden leaps. Lots of love!
Zen Embodiment 