Zen Mindfulness - Sei Ki HeartTouch - Tai Chi Qi Gong

It is ideal for people experiencing stress and for those with anxiety difficulties. It might look like a simple practice, but the effects are profound and I recommend it before doing any other practices.

The practice can be done either indoors or outdoors. They feel different and both are interesting to do. Indoors, it often becomes a more introvert practice for me and more of a mindfulness practice. Outdoors I tend to expand out to fill the space I occupy, I feel big and part of the nature. There is a strong resonance with the earth and more of a deep Qi Gong feeling with vitality coming into my body.

As described in the video, you can adapt the practice, with your hands either on the body near your stomach if you need a more inward nurturing session or out in front at shoulder height for a more powerful qi gong experience which helps release tensions in the neck and shoulders and front of the chest.

This is a practice to do regularly, ideally daily. You are training your body to connect with the ground more deeply and as this becomes second nature, you become able to do it naturally all the time without effort.

This a practice you can take out into daily life with you: in the street, office, shopping. You move naturally, but maintain awareness of how your feet connect with the ground under you and how your abdominal centre is. From this 'embodied' state you look out into the world. less...

It is often practised in a patterned way in Chinese Qi Gong. Here we explore it as a spontaneous practice, working deeply to fill the body with energy then release it. It works well to clear energy blockages from the body and is a good foundation before moving on to other practices.

This is a practice to work with every day, at least for a while. The more you practice, the easier it is to connect with the 'feeling'. At the beginning you feel it in your hands perhaps, later it comes through more and more of the body like a streaming flow of aliveness. You turn your attention to your hands, let go through the body, (going empty) and it starts. less...

Ideally over time the practitioner will start to feel urges to move in different circles and so it naturally takes you towards spontaneous practice. less...

The practice is superbly healthy for us. It very gently works to strengthen your relationship between the conscious / intentional mind and the unconscious hara / body mind.

As we deepen this relationship between the two minds, we grow as human beings and many of the psychological and psychosomatic difficulties which haunt us may reduce and disappear even.

At the beginning it may seem difficult to let go and just allow the movement to happen, although in my experience in 'physical classes' I have only met a few people who couldn't let go at all. If you are one of these people don't worry about it! What it means is you need to be more patient, perhaps exploring Wave Hands Like Clouds form based movement more first but quietly be open to any urges to break out of the pattern and move in a free way. Relax and enjoy the journey... less...

When one has anxiety and trauma issues, in my own experience, the breath may not be reliable as a way to anchor the mind in a relaxing way (quite the opposite, in extreme it can take you up into mania) and the mind may too easily enter a self-conscious controlling pattern.

In this guided practice we make use of the stability of the ground as the primary anchor, allowing energy to come into the body. A natural breath rhythmn may then arise. And then by using the blowing air practice, the body shifts gently into a deeper healing state in which tensions release and the breath deepens.

When one has deep tensions inside, assuming a 'sitting' position can feel like a straitjacket at times which creates pressure. We do not want pressure, so instead I have brought in aspects of Katsugen Undo, Spontaneous Hara Movement.

At any time, if you notice the urge to assume a different position, you recognise this and either decide to continue as you are, or follow the urge and move into a dynamic position.

There is a subtle balance to be found within this practice, between focusing on the ground, focusing on the natural breath, blowing air and either sitting still or allowing dynamic movement or other positions.

Who is guiding this balance? This is for you to research...

It is easy, you just follow your natural feeling. There is no head answer for how a session 'should' evolve. There is nothing for the mind to do, other than rest as a conscious witness to the process.

Strong emotional release and movement can come with this work as we progress but we are not seeking it, especially in Stage 1 & Stage 2 and we need to be more familiar with ourselves and the practice before going there.

What we are aiming at here is a gentle practice. A quiet titration of emotion in which we release a little of the trauma inside with the stimulation of the vagus nerve, a few stretches or yawns and then back to the meditative sitting to calm everything down.

And then perhaps you may feel to start the process again. We are not looking for anything dramatic or seeking it.

Thank you for your wisdom in taking care of yourselves!

As with any practice I share, anyone following this, does so with their own responsibility for themselves. This is a healthy natural process, but for some people anything that brings you to a state of relaxation and connection to oneself will bring up emotions which you then have to face. If you follow the instructions here and start small, you should be able to create a smooth, gentle path for yourself. If there is a need to talk to a therapist though about what may come up, please do so. less...

What we are aiming at here is a gentle practice. A quiet titration of emotion in which we release a little of the trauma inside with the stimulation of the vagus nerve, a few stretches or yawns and then back to the meditative sitting to calm everything down.

Thank you for your wisdom in taking care of yourselves!

As with any practice I share, anyone following this, does so with their own responsibility for themselves. This is a healthy natural process, but for some people anything that brings you to a state of relaxation and connection to oneself will bring up emotions which you then have to face. If you follow the instructions here and start small, you should be able to create a smooth, gentle path for yourself. If there is a need to talk to a therapist though about what may come up, please do so. less...