Meditation is medically proven and can improve your overall health,
increase energy levels and transform your entire life. More and more
people would really benefit from it if they take time to do a simple
method to calm their mind, reduce stress, increase energy level, clear
up physical and mental blocks. Here are 5 simple steps to help you
choose which technique would suit you best:
1. Chose a technique that you really enjoy
There are lots of different meditation technique to choose from, from
a very highly secretive and spiritual technique to a very popular
urban style. What ever technique you choose, make sure that you really
enjoy that technique. The fact of the matter is not everybody can and
enjoy sitting in a lotus or half lotus position. Once you find a
technique that suits you, stick with it. You will get the maximum
result if you meditate routinely.
2. Choose an easy to understand and simple technique
I'm a true believer that the simpler one technique, the better it is.
In the past, meditation was taught secretively and passed from
generation to generation with no written instruction manuals. Since
late 1990s, through numerous channeling from Light Masters, few
techniques have been introduced to those who are ready. The common
characteristic of these techniques are: simple, non ritual and non
controlling.
3. Choose to learn meditation from a fellow traveler - not from a Guru
A true Guru will always be humble and does not have ego as big as
Mount Everest. He or she will tell you that the true Guru is The
Source. He or she is only your fellow traveler. We have seen lots of
"big name" Gurus found themselves in big troubles with the law. After
all, they're only human, once his surrounding is corrupted, it would
be difficult for him to serve others in Love and Lights.
4. Make sure the teaching is based on Pure Unconditional Love
No matter what they name the method is, make sure it's based on Pure
Unconditional Love - which comes directly from The Source. Follow your
instinct, and trust your intuition. If you pray to The Source and
affirm that you would like to always be in Pure Unconditional Love,
you would know if the teaching is not accordance to Divine's Will.
5. Put your ego aside, be one with The Source
Now that you've found a meditation technique that you really feel
comfortable with, don't waste your time, do exercise regularly. Affirm
that you always be in Pure Unconditional Love. Make yourself a pure
conduit of Divine Love and Lights. Let yourself be one with Creator,
feel and enjoy the energy of Creation flows through you as it heals
and brightens you. At the end of each meditation, ground the excess
Divine Energy to Mother Earth and all existence. Bless them with Pure
Unconditional Love.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Buddhist Meditation At Home
Meditation has become a contemporary, trendy topic in today's society.
Most people have a definite view on meditation. For Buddhists,
meditation is a system of delving into the true spiritual meaning on
life a way of keeping oneself pure in mind and spirit. According to
their teachings and beliefs, meditation is a way of achieving the
status of enlightenment and nirvana.
At the core of Buddhist practice is meditation. Buddhist meditation is
a system where the practitioner subjects themselves to mental
concentration for liberating the mind while associating importance to
the virtue of knowledge, wisdom and enlightenment. The final goal of
Buddhist meditation is to achieve the highest level of nirvana or
total enlightenment. The main objective of Buddhist meditation is to
realize for oneself life's supreme mission.
The Buddhist philosophy focuses on sacrifice. While in a few aspects
sacrifice is believed to be accepted aspect of life, Buddhists
encourage people to free themselves from it, and it is here that
meditation takes its crucial role. Hence when people undertake to
practice Buddhist meditation they do so to liberate themselves from
all pain and suffering.
The first step towards understanding sacrifice is to discover how the
concept of one's sacrifice is generated. In the tenets of Buddhism it
is said that sacrafice or as a parallel of the word, 'suffering' is
caused due to mankind's desire overreaching expectation everything
material. To free yourself from materilistic things you should prevent
yourself from desiring these objects and use meditation as a method to
purification and focus.
When we meditate, we can find a new perspective on life and everything
that's going on around us. Accordingly, day by day you find yourself
becoming enlightened to the world around you as it truly is.
Samatha or tranquility meditation calls forth breathing and
development of loving kindness. It bestows the knowledge of how to
lead your life through the four jhanas or knowledge, corresponding to
four levels of tranquility. This form of meditation teaches the
lessons of detachment, concentration, happiness and equanimity. It
focuses the mind to concentrate on a single thing so as to produce
tranquil states of mind. Samatha meditation can be categorized into
forty types.
Practicing spirituality allows us to discover routes to show us how to
see through the relative to the absolute. Vipassana; insight
meditation develops understanding of the self through deciphering
feelings, mind and dhamma, that is the reaching of mental objects.
This is a kind of meditation practice that gives us a better
opportunity to understand the nature of what is known as "relative
reality". Relative reality trains one's mind to explore and understand
the value of all things that we perceive through all six senses of the
human being. When we practice insight meditation we get in touch with
our wiser self to eliminate all ignorance and suffering from our
lives. It's considered by all as one of the finest and most pure ways
to enhance ones capacity to live to the fullest each and every day.
This is a powerful method to release stress and enable you to discover
inner peace to elevate the life you live to a whole new level.
Nowadays, Buddhist meditation is widely acknowledged as a way of
achieving a number of goals like blissfulness of the spirit and
relaxation of the physical self.
Meditation isn't solely for the people of Thailand, Cambodia, or
Tibet. We can all use the main principles to enrich our daily lives
and discover a whole new perspective and source of spiritual energy.
Whether you wish to join a meditaton class once a week, or simply
setup your own quiet, tranquil space in your home, you will soon find
the benefits of meditating coming into play in your daily life.
Most people have a definite view on meditation. For Buddhists,
meditation is a system of delving into the true spiritual meaning on
life a way of keeping oneself pure in mind and spirit. According to
their teachings and beliefs, meditation is a way of achieving the
status of enlightenment and nirvana.
At the core of Buddhist practice is meditation. Buddhist meditation is
a system where the practitioner subjects themselves to mental
concentration for liberating the mind while associating importance to
the virtue of knowledge, wisdom and enlightenment. The final goal of
Buddhist meditation is to achieve the highest level of nirvana or
total enlightenment. The main objective of Buddhist meditation is to
realize for oneself life's supreme mission.
The Buddhist philosophy focuses on sacrifice. While in a few aspects
sacrifice is believed to be accepted aspect of life, Buddhists
encourage people to free themselves from it, and it is here that
meditation takes its crucial role. Hence when people undertake to
practice Buddhist meditation they do so to liberate themselves from
all pain and suffering.
The first step towards understanding sacrifice is to discover how the
concept of one's sacrifice is generated. In the tenets of Buddhism it
is said that sacrafice or as a parallel of the word, 'suffering' is
caused due to mankind's desire overreaching expectation everything
material. To free yourself from materilistic things you should prevent
yourself from desiring these objects and use meditation as a method to
purification and focus.
When we meditate, we can find a new perspective on life and everything
that's going on around us. Accordingly, day by day you find yourself
becoming enlightened to the world around you as it truly is.
Samatha or tranquility meditation calls forth breathing and
development of loving kindness. It bestows the knowledge of how to
lead your life through the four jhanas or knowledge, corresponding to
four levels of tranquility. This form of meditation teaches the
lessons of detachment, concentration, happiness and equanimity. It
focuses the mind to concentrate on a single thing so as to produce
tranquil states of mind. Samatha meditation can be categorized into
forty types.
Practicing spirituality allows us to discover routes to show us how to
see through the relative to the absolute. Vipassana; insight
meditation develops understanding of the self through deciphering
feelings, mind and dhamma, that is the reaching of mental objects.
This is a kind of meditation practice that gives us a better
opportunity to understand the nature of what is known as "relative
reality". Relative reality trains one's mind to explore and understand
the value of all things that we perceive through all six senses of the
human being. When we practice insight meditation we get in touch with
our wiser self to eliminate all ignorance and suffering from our
lives. It's considered by all as one of the finest and most pure ways
to enhance ones capacity to live to the fullest each and every day.
This is a powerful method to release stress and enable you to discover
inner peace to elevate the life you live to a whole new level.
Nowadays, Buddhist meditation is widely acknowledged as a way of
achieving a number of goals like blissfulness of the spirit and
relaxation of the physical self.
Meditation isn't solely for the people of Thailand, Cambodia, or
Tibet. We can all use the main principles to enrich our daily lives
and discover a whole new perspective and source of spiritual energy.
Whether you wish to join a meditaton class once a week, or simply
setup your own quiet, tranquil space in your home, you will soon find
the benefits of meditating coming into play in your daily life.
What is Meditation?
Meditation is simply the art of focusing on any given subject with
total concentration. There are many systems and styles of meditation,
approached with varying degrees of formality. All are useful for
various folks for various reasons, and discovering which one is right
for you can be an interesting journey.
Meditation has been used universally around the world for the entirety
of human existence. Evidence from writings, paintings and folklore
show that humans of every culture have been able to clear their minds,
focus their intent and touch and use the energy around them since the
dawn of our species.
While many of the modern meditation techniques are attributed to
Eastern influences and teachings, the practice of meditation in
shamanism, pagan rites and modern religions is well documented.
Intimidated by meditation
It's been my experience that many people are intimidated by
meditation. They tend to see meditation as difficult, or as a chore
that should be done simply because it's good for you.
One of the goals in this book is to show that meditation can be easy,
fun and exciting. It can done anywhere and at any time. With practice
the student can begin to manifest a wide variety of health, financial
and spiritual effects in their life, and also influence the lives of
those around them.
That's not to give the impression that this is an easy path to follow.
As one begins to open up to these energies and experiences they begin
a process which changes the way they look at the world around them.
The diligent seeker will experience cleansings of the body, mind and
spirit and find themselves facing challenges that many non-meditators
never have to deal with, or even believe in.
With great challenges come great rewards, however. Those drawn to this
path will achieve greater connectivity to the energies, people and
events that happen around them. They'll develop new insights,
abilities and a more balanced stance through which to view the
universe and it's myriad inhabitants. Increased health and longevity,
increased sexual energies and a vastly more relaxed mind and body are
just some of the easily measurable advantages of a good meditation
practice.
total concentration. There are many systems and styles of meditation,
approached with varying degrees of formality. All are useful for
various folks for various reasons, and discovering which one is right
for you can be an interesting journey.
Meditation has been used universally around the world for the entirety
of human existence. Evidence from writings, paintings and folklore
show that humans of every culture have been able to clear their minds,
focus their intent and touch and use the energy around them since the
dawn of our species.
While many of the modern meditation techniques are attributed to
Eastern influences and teachings, the practice of meditation in
shamanism, pagan rites and modern religions is well documented.
Intimidated by meditation
It's been my experience that many people are intimidated by
meditation. They tend to see meditation as difficult, or as a chore
that should be done simply because it's good for you.
One of the goals in this book is to show that meditation can be easy,
fun and exciting. It can done anywhere and at any time. With practice
the student can begin to manifest a wide variety of health, financial
and spiritual effects in their life, and also influence the lives of
those around them.
That's not to give the impression that this is an easy path to follow.
As one begins to open up to these energies and experiences they begin
a process which changes the way they look at the world around them.
The diligent seeker will experience cleansings of the body, mind and
spirit and find themselves facing challenges that many non-meditators
never have to deal with, or even believe in.
With great challenges come great rewards, however. Those drawn to this
path will achieve greater connectivity to the energies, people and
events that happen around them. They'll develop new insights,
abilities and a more balanced stance through which to view the
universe and it's myriad inhabitants. Increased health and longevity,
increased sexual energies and a vastly more relaxed mind and body are
just some of the easily measurable advantages of a good meditation
practice.
The Benefits of Meditation
These days our homes and places of work are filled with every
conceivable labour-saving device. Our washing machines can wash and
dry our clothes for us while we are out and about doing out own thing,
our meals can be micro waved in minutes, and cleaning our homes is not
the chore is used to be a few decades ago. Even with such things to
help us though, let's face it, modern day living can still be pretty
stressful and people need to find ways to relive the stress and
tension that has built up inside them. One way, strange to say, is a
very old way: meditation.
Meditation is not only good for the mind and spirit, the practice of
correct meditation techniques can also benefit the body. One organ of
the body to benefit from meditation is the heart (and what an
important organ it is)because when someone meditates they reach a
state of tranquility that decreases both their heart rate and their
metabolic rate. Other physical benefits of meditation include the
reduction of free radicals in the body by the elimination of unstable
oxygen molecules, lowering of high blood pressure, lowering of
cholesterol levels and an improved airflow to the lungs. Meditation is
also believed to delay the aging process by increasing the levels of
DHEAS in older people.
That's just some of the physical benefits, but what of the
psychological benefits of meditation?
Meditation can aid in increasing a person's brain wave coherence. This
can lead to decreased anxiety levels and make a person less irritable
and prone to deep-set depression and mood swings. Meditation can also
improve the memory and aid learning ability. People who meditate often
feel younger, more vital and have a more positive and joyful outlook
in life.
Other noted benefits that can be gained from meditation include:
Relaxation of the mind, body and soul.
Rejuvenation (more energy to face the heavy challenges and stresses of
the day ahead).
Healing (mind and body).
Emotional stability.
Enhanced mind function.
Helps a person discover his or her inner self and releases their
creativity.
Can help people free themselves from vices and addictions such as
alcohol and cigarettes etc.
Can help people gain a higher self-confidence and stronger will power.
These are just a few of the positive benefits that can be gained from
meditation, but there are many, many more. Like many things, though,
mediation needs to be performed correctly. If it is not there may be
side effects and so anyone who is planning on learning the art of
meditation should always consult a professional first who can instruct
them in the correct techniques.
conceivable labour-saving device. Our washing machines can wash and
dry our clothes for us while we are out and about doing out own thing,
our meals can be micro waved in minutes, and cleaning our homes is not
the chore is used to be a few decades ago. Even with such things to
help us though, let's face it, modern day living can still be pretty
stressful and people need to find ways to relive the stress and
tension that has built up inside them. One way, strange to say, is a
very old way: meditation.
Meditation is not only good for the mind and spirit, the practice of
correct meditation techniques can also benefit the body. One organ of
the body to benefit from meditation is the heart (and what an
important organ it is)because when someone meditates they reach a
state of tranquility that decreases both their heart rate and their
metabolic rate. Other physical benefits of meditation include the
reduction of free radicals in the body by the elimination of unstable
oxygen molecules, lowering of high blood pressure, lowering of
cholesterol levels and an improved airflow to the lungs. Meditation is
also believed to delay the aging process by increasing the levels of
DHEAS in older people.
That's just some of the physical benefits, but what of the
psychological benefits of meditation?
Meditation can aid in increasing a person's brain wave coherence. This
can lead to decreased anxiety levels and make a person less irritable
and prone to deep-set depression and mood swings. Meditation can also
improve the memory and aid learning ability. People who meditate often
feel younger, more vital and have a more positive and joyful outlook
in life.
Other noted benefits that can be gained from meditation include:
Relaxation of the mind, body and soul.
Rejuvenation (more energy to face the heavy challenges and stresses of
the day ahead).
Healing (mind and body).
Emotional stability.
Enhanced mind function.
Helps a person discover his or her inner self and releases their
creativity.
Can help people free themselves from vices and addictions such as
alcohol and cigarettes etc.
Can help people gain a higher self-confidence and stronger will power.
These are just a few of the positive benefits that can be gained from
meditation, but there are many, many more. Like many things, though,
mediation needs to be performed correctly. If it is not there may be
side effects and so anyone who is planning on learning the art of
meditation should always consult a professional first who can instruct
them in the correct techniques.
meditation -stillness style
The Stillness Style Meditation technique is one of the simplest
techniques to actually master. It is also a fantastic meditation style
that can be used with or without meditation music. The Stillness Style
Meditation is one of the first meditation techniques taught when you
learn the Buddhist way of life.
Stillness meditation is the technique used to help you get control of
your thoughts when you are starting out to learn how to meditate. What
most people find the first time they try to meditate is that they
cannot stop thinking? This is one of the greatest challenges you face
in meditation, trying to clear your mind and keep it clear.
However, one point to note, the more you meditate, the easier it
becomes to control the thoughts in your mind. I can tell you that from
experience.
The first step in the Stillness meditation style is to find a
comfortable place to meditate, ensuring that it is relatively quiet,
safe and comfortable. Before you start the meditation simply do a few
stretching exercises.
Sit down on the floor or on a chair, which ever is more comfortable.
Now close your eyes and as you inhale a breath, tense all the muscles
in your body including your feet, legs, arms, face, neck, hands and
fingers and then release them with an exhaling breath.
During this exercise do not in any way control your breath or withhold
it, simply let it flow naturally as you inhale and then exhale. As you
are following these exercises and breathing out, simply clear your
mind of all your thought. Imagine the clearing of the thoughts in your
mind as water going down the drain.
Each time you tense up and then release focus on stillness. Do not
make any rapid movements; simply release the tension of your muscles
under your skin with no movement of your body at all.
During each exhalation, make sure you take a moment to pause and feel
the energy as it rushes out of your body and you feel that sense of
calm. If as you are doing this, you have a tendency to let thoughts
from the day, past or of the future into your mind, simply let them
float away and bring your mind back to the moment.
When you are first starting out, only do this exercise for 10 minutes
per day. Generally, work on the basis of one cycle each minute but
most people will do two per minute till they become more experienced.
The core reason for doing this exercise is to help you break the cycle
of stress or the buzz that most people have when they are first trying
to learn to meditation. The more you practice this exercise the sooner
you will be able to achieve a sense of calm and move onto other more
complex and fulfilling meditation techniques.
This technique is usually the first one people start off with during a
meditation session and then they move to a deep breathing meditation
session as their core meditation technique. However it is totally up
to you as to whether you want to use this as the starting meditation
technique for all your meditation sessions.
techniques to actually master. It is also a fantastic meditation style
that can be used with or without meditation music. The Stillness Style
Meditation is one of the first meditation techniques taught when you
learn the Buddhist way of life.
Stillness meditation is the technique used to help you get control of
your thoughts when you are starting out to learn how to meditate. What
most people find the first time they try to meditate is that they
cannot stop thinking? This is one of the greatest challenges you face
in meditation, trying to clear your mind and keep it clear.
However, one point to note, the more you meditate, the easier it
becomes to control the thoughts in your mind. I can tell you that from
experience.
The first step in the Stillness meditation style is to find a
comfortable place to meditate, ensuring that it is relatively quiet,
safe and comfortable. Before you start the meditation simply do a few
stretching exercises.
Sit down on the floor or on a chair, which ever is more comfortable.
Now close your eyes and as you inhale a breath, tense all the muscles
in your body including your feet, legs, arms, face, neck, hands and
fingers and then release them with an exhaling breath.
During this exercise do not in any way control your breath or withhold
it, simply let it flow naturally as you inhale and then exhale. As you
are following these exercises and breathing out, simply clear your
mind of all your thought. Imagine the clearing of the thoughts in your
mind as water going down the drain.
Each time you tense up and then release focus on stillness. Do not
make any rapid movements; simply release the tension of your muscles
under your skin with no movement of your body at all.
During each exhalation, make sure you take a moment to pause and feel
the energy as it rushes out of your body and you feel that sense of
calm. If as you are doing this, you have a tendency to let thoughts
from the day, past or of the future into your mind, simply let them
float away and bring your mind back to the moment.
When you are first starting out, only do this exercise for 10 minutes
per day. Generally, work on the basis of one cycle each minute but
most people will do two per minute till they become more experienced.
The core reason for doing this exercise is to help you break the cycle
of stress or the buzz that most people have when they are first trying
to learn to meditation. The more you practice this exercise the sooner
you will be able to achieve a sense of calm and move onto other more
complex and fulfilling meditation techniques.
This technique is usually the first one people start off with during a
meditation session and then they move to a deep breathing meditation
session as their core meditation technique. However it is totally up
to you as to whether you want to use this as the starting meditation
technique for all your meditation sessions.
TAI CHI
T'ai Chi is many things to many people. It's important to have a sense
for why you come to T'ai Chi so that you can focus your efforts and
get what you need. You'll get out of T'ai Chi what you put into it.
I teach the Yang Style Short Form as adapted and taught by Professor
Cheng Man-Ch'ing. Professor Cheng brought this form to the United
States in the 1960s. He condensed this form from the Yang Style Long
Form by eliminating some repetition and a few postures in order to
make it more accessible to the lifestyle of the Western world. As
anyone knows who has studied this form, it is challenging enough in
its length and complexity.
T'ai Chi Ch'uan is an "internal" art which seeks to develop and
harmonize the human energy system in the context of a martial arts
form. In my teaching, I emphasize the energetic or health and self-
development aspects of T'ai Chi.
As a beginning, T'ai Chi enables us to recognize and actively release
tension. This opens the way for us to develop balanced, free-flowing
energy which creates the conditions for optimum health and well-being.
T'ai Chi has been called moving meditation since its practice quiets
the mind by centering us into body awareness (and, later, energetic
awareness). The deepening of awareness integrates body, emotions,
mind, and spirit.
Ultimately, T'ai Chi can be practiced as a comprehensive system of
self-development. When you are proficient at T'ai Chi you can use it
as a tool to shift your state of being. During T'ai Chi practice you
become relaxed, present, energized, and aware. You shift into what I
call a Core Energy State in which you experience yourself as a part of
the Oneness of life and you feel the flow of universal qi ("chee":life
energy) throughout your body.
In addition to these profound effects, T'ai Chi just plain feels good.
We often lose this sense when we try too hard to excel or to get
something out of it. Practice T'ai Chi with awareness and pure
enjoyment and the rest will take care of itself. Of course, to enjoy
T'ai Chi you've got to do it. The good feeling one gets in T'ai Chi is
developed through daily practice.
To guide you on the path towards embodying the essence of T'ai Chi,
focus on five principles:
THE FIVE PRINCIPLES:
1) RELAX DOWN: release tension around all joints so they become open
and free moving. Drop your shoulders; let your elbows hang heavily;
release tension in the low back and hips so the buttocks and hip
flexors are soft. Sink your energy. Feel as if your lower body is
filled with water or as if there is a heavy weight attached to your
tailbone. This is balanced by
2) STAND UPRIGHT: raise the crown point of your head (Bai Hui point)
as if it's suspended on a string from above; let your spine rises
straight from the coccyx to this point. Tuck your chin slightly and
raise your back. Feel as if your upper body is filled with helium.
Allow your elbows and wrists to rise slightly.
3) BREATHE FROM THE LOWER DANTIAN: focus your awareness inward and
downward to the center of your body, the lower dantian ("dahn-tee-en":
an energy center approximately three finger-widths below the navel and
one third of the way from the front to the back of the body). Imagine
this energy center as a heavy sphere in your lower abdomen. Its weight
spirals down into your legs and feet. All movement is guided by the
waist around this center.
In T'ai Chi, we keep awareness "centered" in the lower dantian.
Whenever your mind wanders to any other thoughts, feelings, or
sensations, let those go and gently return your attention to breathing
from the lower dantian. As you inhale, feel as if the lower dantian
expands and fills up. When you exhale, feel as if the lower dantian
relaxes inward and empties out.
Awareness expands from the lower dantian to fill the body as a whole.
Feel the connection from the lower dantian to the top of your head
(Bai Hui point). Feel the connection from the lower dantian to the
soles of your feet (Bubbling Well points in the center of your feet).
Besides unifying body movement, the lower dantian is the storehouse
for universal energy or "qi." By focusing on this energy center we
accumulate qi. The movements of T'ai Chi help to circulate qi
throughout the body.
4) SOFTEN YOUR HANDS: release tension from your hands: they are soft,
light, flexible, and sensitive. Don't curl your fingers or overextend
them. Maintain a neutral wrist position. "Soft hands" relaxes tension,
enhances the flow of qi, and opens the way for sensing life-energy.
Feel the connection of your hands to your lower dantian. The rotation
of the lower dantian spirals out through the arms. Allow your hands to
be like cotton which can feel the air like thick clouds around you.
5) SINK INTO YOUR ROOT & SEPARATE YOUR WEIGHT: feel your feet
contacting the ground; your weight distributes evenly across the
entire surface of each foot. Maintain a slight knee bend. Sink your
weight into the Bubbling Well points, your roots (in the middle of
your feet, just behind the balls of your feet). Except at the start
and finish of the form (when your weight is 50% in each leg), separate
your weight distribution between your feet, either 70%/30% or 100%/0%.
Being rooted comes from the weighted rotation of the dantian that
"screws" your legs into the ground. Another sensory image for "root
and separate" is to feel as if your lower body is full of water.
Gradually pour the water 100% into one leg while emptying the other
leg, then vice-versa.
At first, practice the five principles as a checklist. In time, they
will blend into one feeling that you can shift into with a moment's
attention.
Beyond the five principles, the following cues are also essential to
T'ai Chi practice:
*Roll the tip of your tongue up to touch the roof of your mouth.
*Center your chin with the center line of your body.
*Square your shoulders and hips to one of the eight directions.
*Movement is slow, continuous, flowing, soft, and circular.
*Movements initiate from the ground, move up through the legs, are
directed by the lower dantian, and released at the fingertips.
*Sense inwardly: the eyes maintain a "soft focus" to the outer
environment.
*Find balance by harmonizing opposites: sinking with rising, forward
with backward, left with right, expansion with relaxation.
To progress in T'ai Chi, practice daily. Even ten minutes a day will
grow your ability. If you become frustrated in what seems complex,
remember the five principles; these are the heart of T'ai Chi.
After going through the five principles at the beginning of each
session, a fruitful method for practice is to focus on one principle
at a time. In the first stages of learning T'ai Chi, focus on the
fifth principle, root & separate, and on feeling solid contact
with the ground. This principle forms a solid base for the other four.
In time, the five principles become one sensation, a feeling of
rooted, relaxed, upright, soft, centered, energetic presence which is
maintained by focusing on the lower dantian.
At the finish of your daily practice, stay in the last posture and
hold it. Breathe into your body as a whole. Go through the five
posture principles. Take a few moments to record the feeling of
relaxation and energy in every cell. This experience then becomes a
reference point that you can return to when you feel rushed, tense, or
overwhelmed, at other times of the day.
BEYOND THE MOVEMENTS:
After learning the movements of the form, become aware of how your
breathing is coordinated with the postures. Breathing further
integrates, informs, and energizes the movements while giving them a
natural ebb and flow.
You may also want to work with Push Hands, or two person T'ai Chi.
Push Hands develops your ability to follow T'ai Chi principles while
interacting with another. We increase our internal and external
sensitivity and learn to feel and respond to another's energy while
maintaining our own energetic core. In Push Hands the connection
between T'ai Chi and everyday interactions becomes apparent.
As you see in this brief summary, there are many levels to T'ai Chi
practice. One of my T'ai Chi teachers says: "T'ai Chi is simple, but
it isn't easy." In China, to learn T'ai Chi is considered a life-long
study. To maintain such a study, remember the desire that brought you
to T'ai Chi. Find the pleasure in practice. Enjoy.
Copyright 2006 by Kevin Schoeninger
for why you come to T'ai Chi so that you can focus your efforts and
get what you need. You'll get out of T'ai Chi what you put into it.
I teach the Yang Style Short Form as adapted and taught by Professor
Cheng Man-Ch'ing. Professor Cheng brought this form to the United
States in the 1960s. He condensed this form from the Yang Style Long
Form by eliminating some repetition and a few postures in order to
make it more accessible to the lifestyle of the Western world. As
anyone knows who has studied this form, it is challenging enough in
its length and complexity.
T'ai Chi Ch'uan is an "internal" art which seeks to develop and
harmonize the human energy system in the context of a martial arts
form. In my teaching, I emphasize the energetic or health and self-
development aspects of T'ai Chi.
As a beginning, T'ai Chi enables us to recognize and actively release
tension. This opens the way for us to develop balanced, free-flowing
energy which creates the conditions for optimum health and well-being.
T'ai Chi has been called moving meditation since its practice quiets
the mind by centering us into body awareness (and, later, energetic
awareness). The deepening of awareness integrates body, emotions,
mind, and spirit.
Ultimately, T'ai Chi can be practiced as a comprehensive system of
self-development. When you are proficient at T'ai Chi you can use it
as a tool to shift your state of being. During T'ai Chi practice you
become relaxed, present, energized, and aware. You shift into what I
call a Core Energy State in which you experience yourself as a part of
the Oneness of life and you feel the flow of universal qi ("chee":life
energy) throughout your body.
In addition to these profound effects, T'ai Chi just plain feels good.
We often lose this sense when we try too hard to excel or to get
something out of it. Practice T'ai Chi with awareness and pure
enjoyment and the rest will take care of itself. Of course, to enjoy
T'ai Chi you've got to do it. The good feeling one gets in T'ai Chi is
developed through daily practice.
To guide you on the path towards embodying the essence of T'ai Chi,
focus on five principles:
THE FIVE PRINCIPLES:
1) RELAX DOWN: release tension around all joints so they become open
and free moving. Drop your shoulders; let your elbows hang heavily;
release tension in the low back and hips so the buttocks and hip
flexors are soft. Sink your energy. Feel as if your lower body is
filled with water or as if there is a heavy weight attached to your
tailbone. This is balanced by
2) STAND UPRIGHT: raise the crown point of your head (Bai Hui point)
as if it's suspended on a string from above; let your spine rises
straight from the coccyx to this point. Tuck your chin slightly and
raise your back. Feel as if your upper body is filled with helium.
Allow your elbows and wrists to rise slightly.
3) BREATHE FROM THE LOWER DANTIAN: focus your awareness inward and
downward to the center of your body, the lower dantian ("dahn-tee-en":
an energy center approximately three finger-widths below the navel and
one third of the way from the front to the back of the body). Imagine
this energy center as a heavy sphere in your lower abdomen. Its weight
spirals down into your legs and feet. All movement is guided by the
waist around this center.
In T'ai Chi, we keep awareness "centered" in the lower dantian.
Whenever your mind wanders to any other thoughts, feelings, or
sensations, let those go and gently return your attention to breathing
from the lower dantian. As you inhale, feel as if the lower dantian
expands and fills up. When you exhale, feel as if the lower dantian
relaxes inward and empties out.
Awareness expands from the lower dantian to fill the body as a whole.
Feel the connection from the lower dantian to the top of your head
(Bai Hui point). Feel the connection from the lower dantian to the
soles of your feet (Bubbling Well points in the center of your feet).
Besides unifying body movement, the lower dantian is the storehouse
for universal energy or "qi." By focusing on this energy center we
accumulate qi. The movements of T'ai Chi help to circulate qi
throughout the body.
4) SOFTEN YOUR HANDS: release tension from your hands: they are soft,
light, flexible, and sensitive. Don't curl your fingers or overextend
them. Maintain a neutral wrist position. "Soft hands" relaxes tension,
enhances the flow of qi, and opens the way for sensing life-energy.
Feel the connection of your hands to your lower dantian. The rotation
of the lower dantian spirals out through the arms. Allow your hands to
be like cotton which can feel the air like thick clouds around you.
5) SINK INTO YOUR ROOT & SEPARATE YOUR WEIGHT: feel your feet
contacting the ground; your weight distributes evenly across the
entire surface of each foot. Maintain a slight knee bend. Sink your
weight into the Bubbling Well points, your roots (in the middle of
your feet, just behind the balls of your feet). Except at the start
and finish of the form (when your weight is 50% in each leg), separate
your weight distribution between your feet, either 70%/30% or 100%/0%.
Being rooted comes from the weighted rotation of the dantian that
"screws" your legs into the ground. Another sensory image for "root
and separate" is to feel as if your lower body is full of water.
Gradually pour the water 100% into one leg while emptying the other
leg, then vice-versa.
At first, practice the five principles as a checklist. In time, they
will blend into one feeling that you can shift into with a moment's
attention.
Beyond the five principles, the following cues are also essential to
T'ai Chi practice:
*Roll the tip of your tongue up to touch the roof of your mouth.
*Center your chin with the center line of your body.
*Square your shoulders and hips to one of the eight directions.
*Movement is slow, continuous, flowing, soft, and circular.
*Movements initiate from the ground, move up through the legs, are
directed by the lower dantian, and released at the fingertips.
*Sense inwardly: the eyes maintain a "soft focus" to the outer
environment.
*Find balance by harmonizing opposites: sinking with rising, forward
with backward, left with right, expansion with relaxation.
To progress in T'ai Chi, practice daily. Even ten minutes a day will
grow your ability. If you become frustrated in what seems complex,
remember the five principles; these are the heart of T'ai Chi.
After going through the five principles at the beginning of each
session, a fruitful method for practice is to focus on one principle
at a time. In the first stages of learning T'ai Chi, focus on the
fifth principle, root & separate, and on feeling solid contact
with the ground. This principle forms a solid base for the other four.
In time, the five principles become one sensation, a feeling of
rooted, relaxed, upright, soft, centered, energetic presence which is
maintained by focusing on the lower dantian.
At the finish of your daily practice, stay in the last posture and
hold it. Breathe into your body as a whole. Go through the five
posture principles. Take a few moments to record the feeling of
relaxation and energy in every cell. This experience then becomes a
reference point that you can return to when you feel rushed, tense, or
overwhelmed, at other times of the day.
BEYOND THE MOVEMENTS:
After learning the movements of the form, become aware of how your
breathing is coordinated with the postures. Breathing further
integrates, informs, and energizes the movements while giving them a
natural ebb and flow.
You may also want to work with Push Hands, or two person T'ai Chi.
Push Hands develops your ability to follow T'ai Chi principles while
interacting with another. We increase our internal and external
sensitivity and learn to feel and respond to another's energy while
maintaining our own energetic core. In Push Hands the connection
between T'ai Chi and everyday interactions becomes apparent.
As you see in this brief summary, there are many levels to T'ai Chi
practice. One of my T'ai Chi teachers says: "T'ai Chi is simple, but
it isn't easy." In China, to learn T'ai Chi is considered a life-long
study. To maintain such a study, remember the desire that brought you
to T'ai Chi. Find the pleasure in practice. Enjoy.
Copyright 2006 by Kevin Schoeninger
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