Prosperity "Flourishing Energy"

 

The wisdom of many close teachers over the years echo a same message about prosperity to me. The real meaning of prosperity is to "flourish"; to increase the well being of oneself and others. This is not limited to "money", but rather to skills and qualities that can increase flourishing energy within others as well.

 Flourishing energy (Prosperity) comes with responsibility to respect  it as a valuable energy source and to utilize it wisely. Often time it can change people to become shallow, greedy and trapped in their own prosperity hell cause they don't truly understand the power of flourishing energy they behold. Many ultimately become polarized in their own "money hell" or relationship to it as well.

Prosperity can increase the well being of others, when it is shared, not hoarded and used powerfully to help humanity. People can recognize the radiance of one who has the flourishing energy around them, it has a radiance that is attractive in multiple ways. It can be nourishing, supportive, and wise. One whom has prosperity is a support for meeting many deepest aspirations. Prosperity is a means to a goal/end, which is potent and empowering.

If prosperity shines onto you in the year of the Ram, utilize youre gifts to uplift the many whom are down and trodden. This year for many will be a off year, where a "loss of faith" will be exhibited by many. The most negative of emotions will come out for some and they will do many rash decisions in their life which could have many consequences and sever long lasting relationships.

In the complete opposite although, flourishing energy will also attract others whom are also devoted and their directives are in alignment with youre world view. Practice as always is key to flourishing, always clear yourself of emotions of greed, egoism, jealousy and envy. For those who connect to flourishing energy, be ready many will come into youre life and great strides will be manifested. Many will also disappear as well, for they are not in alignment with youre flourishing energy; many are not willing to flourish/share with others as well.

The Taoist Way of Healing comes into many lives and gives prosperity. As you embark on shinning the light into people and teaching them how to flourish; there will be discouraging people along the way. Do-not let them distract you from the energy you put in motion. You will be spiritually tested to see what you are made of this is the moment to shine and water everyone with "prosperity flourishing energy". Remember hard work and self discipline will bring flourishing energy all around you. Remember we all come into this world  with nothing and we will leave this world with nothing. So better to create the experience you want and to flow and flourish to others. Enjoy and share youre flourishing energy in the year of the Ram!         


               
         

Last Saturday I taught a group of students a practice just for World Taiji & Qigong Day. One of my students sent this image and asked if I could expand upon it. I think its pretty good for anyone on a reminder to not fall astray from the path. Every system or approach has beliefs and these five or good for any level.

The insider notes for this could be:

• A Mentor is key: A good mentor/teacher will enlighten you how to practice and follow best practices in Qigong. Having a guide is key to getting results in practice. It will be ultimately rest within you to make them actualize or not. Practice rests with the practitioner; you will have to muster the desire to perfect youre practice. Take youre practice seriously and beware of times of when you get undisciplined and too content.

• Practice daily if possible; even 5 minutes a day is better than no minutes. Doing something is always better than nothing. Even at 5 minutes daily it will keep you engaged and wont cause get emotional guilt from not following through on youre practice obligations to yourself. 

•  Do a early morning (3am-9am) routine for gathering the daily positive energy for nurturing and balancing deficient conditions and stress. The quality of your health will change dramatically once you make the shift to a more balanced cycle that coincides with nature of the universe.  

•  Do a night time practice after a long day to bring you into tranquility, peacefulness and contentment. The nigh time practice should begin prior to sundown and end at the onset of nightfall. This will help balance youre body/mind and help you to sleep on a regular times. Avoid staying up to late and minimize computer and TV use prior to bed as well. Night time sleep is crucial for proper health and wellness.

•  Practice Weekly within a group it will take you further than on youre own. People are stronger in numbers; you will most likely get further faster and a better understanding within a group. Another benefit is the collective consciousness of the energy field of the group aids as well. 

•  Personal participation is a core requirement in learning. You can relate to this to even in high school and college; most of the best successful students were involved in groups and many activities. They usually turn out to be the leaders in their fields. It enriches youre experiences so you connect with practice and many times - many questions and answers in the moment can be asked and answered by a teacher.

 I think if these are the above are most important based from teaching countless classes and students since the mid 1990's. They illustrate some basics to follow and to assist in one not becoming lost and astray, in Qigong.

GWA  

Free Will and Avoiding Being Blindly Led

Something to Consider

I can remember a time when I received advice from my friends and neighbors within the community I lived in. Many of my best learned lessons in life have been in person, which took personal effort to have. The truth is you have to live in the real world and get experience there is no way around it. The computer is not the answer. It seems that personal conversations & mentoring are becoming a thing of the past. This is a real scary thing for the younger generation, which is not getting nurtured properly by real life experiences.

People are opting out for superficial and artificial experiences. Each and everyday I see people I know that were once healthy, now getting sick with colds and are burned out from the technology addiction. Many do-not even realize that they are hooked. The technology is the culprit; but you still have free will to be a normal person in life. Ask yourself are you truly having more real person fulfilled experiences or are you chained to you're devices for the next rush? If you're life is surrounded by you're silly phone and computer, there's a problem Houston :)..do you ever detach it for a few days?... see if you can then you will know if you're hooked or not.     

For the record I have computers and  utilize the speed of sharing class notes and communication via online. It works well and many people are accustomed to it. When possible although I still use my phone and call people. I purposely keep my website basic and easy so people don't sit on it for hours at a time. Its just basic and informational. I am from the era of come and learn in person era. Those who come to classes regularly are truly learning.     

The impact of So-called " Social Media"

Our dialogues have shifted to these websites. We no longer call a person, go to classes, a business, we are instead searching the internet and even more often we are seeking them online through social media. It doesn’t stop there, the majority of shoppers are consulting the rankings and reviews found on social sites before making a purchase. Customers now expect businesses not only be present but also active on social media.

Like I have said in previous writings were becoming a culture of general information and no wisdom, human interaction serves a purpose..and has for thousands of years.  Its how we connect and have a real fulfilled life.
    
The above video is done by a friend of mind, and is real good - although it suggest deleting facebook account. Thats for anyone to decide, again free will. I personally have no need to be on social media, I have email and a phone that's more than enough for me to stay connected. I network in person and never had met anyone interested in what I teach from these websites-hence I am not on there.  The graphic below illustrates the ill affect of what social media, computers and smart phones are doing to ones body/mind. I think this is something to consider, at least monitor you're technology use and cut it down, would not hurt.

        

The Path of Balance and Longevity

Balance & Longevity

When teaching students I encounter many questions regarding marketed practices such as Iron Shirt Qigong, Sexual Energy Practices and even the Qigong demonstrations that seem "to true to be true". People being thrown with energy, paranormal experiences etc. It's true there are teachers I have studied with whom had mastered the techniques. Some of the traditions I have learned and practice privately; others I have never bothered with due to the extreme side road nature of it. Also there are many dubious claims by all kinds of people these days.

Buyer Beware: A large red flag is the nature of the teaching being surrounded by a high dollar price tag associated with it. Most traditional teachers that know the trainings, will teach this to their students within a inner student relationship, which almost never is based of financial recompense. A genuine teacher will accept you once you have proved yourself as someone that will do something with their art. Beginning and intermediate practice should be learned first, which focus on safe positive practices.

What Should One Follow: Qigong is a large sea of practice's with many small lakes and rivers. One will accumulate a large eclectic and integrated tradition in a short time. You have to be a good organizer of youre practices. One cannot practice everything they know, the day is not long enough and one needs to also do other things in life outside of body/mind healing. Many practices are seasonal and specific for even different times of day as well. In general the morning will be more dynamic and seeking to nourish the body with the new energy of the day. The night time practice should focus on recovery and entering into peacefulness and contentment. On another day I will suggest what a good routine could be; if you need answers faster email me....taozahnchi@gmail.com

In closing like to leave you with Chapter One of the Yellow Emperors Classic of Internal Medicine. Once you read this think about how are you harmonizing in youre life. Interesting to note that even in Ancient time there was much disharmony in human life.      

Flowing in the Tao Way of Life

 In ancient times the Yellow Emperor, Huang Di, was known to have been a child prodigy. As
he grew he showed himself to be sincere, wise, honest and compassionate.  He became very learned and developed keen powers for observing nature. His people recognized him as a natural leader and chose him as their emperor.

During his reign, Huang Di had discussions concerning medicine, health, lifestyle, nutrition, Taoist cosmology with his ministers, including the Taoist Qi Bo, and many others. 

Their first conversation began with Huang Di asking:

“I’ve heard that in the days of old everyone lived one hundred years without showing the usual signs of aging. In our time, however, people age prematurely, living only fifty years. Is this due to a change in the environment, or is it because people have lost the correct way of life?”

 The Taoist Qi Bo replied:

 “In the past, people practiced the Tao, the Way of Life. They understood the
principle of balance as represented by the transformations of the energies of the universe. They formulated exercises to promote energy flow to harmonize themselves with the universe. They ate a balanced diet at regular times, arose and retired at regular hours, avoided over-stressing their bodies and minds, and refrained from overindulgence of all kinds. 

They maintained well-being of  body and mind; thus, it is not surprising that they lived over one hundred years.” “These days, people have changed their way of life. They drink wine as though it were water, indulge excessively in destructive activities, drain their jing - the body’s essence that is stored in the Kidneys - and deplete their qi. They do not know the secret of conserving their energy and vitality. Seeking emotional excitement and momentary pleasures, people disregard the natural rhythm of the universe. They fail to regulate their lifestyle and diet, and sleep improperly. So it is not surprising that they look old at fifty and die soon after.”

 “The accomplished ones, of ancient times, advised people how to guard themselves against
disease-causing factors. On the mental level, one should remain calm and avoid excessive desires and fantasies, recognizing and maintaining the natural purity and clarity of the mind. When internal energies are able to circulate smoothly and freely, and the energy of the mind is not scattered, but is focused and concentrated, illness and disease can be avoided.”

“Previously, people led a calm and honest existence, detached from undue desire and
ambition; they lived with an untainted conscience and without fear. They were active, but never depleted themselves. Because they lived simply, they knew contentment, as reflected in their diet of basic but nourishing foods, and clothing that was appropriate to the season but never luxurious. Since they were happy in their position in life, they did not feel jealousy or greed. They had compassion for others and were helpful and honest, free from destructive habits. They remained unshakable and unswayed by temptations, and they were able to stay centered even when adversity arose. They treated others justly, regardless of their level of intelligence or position.”

 Huang Di asked:

 “I’ve heard of people in ancient times, spoken of as the immortals, who
knew the secrets of the universe and held the world in the palm of their hands. They extracted essence from nature and practiced Yang Sheng Fa (Qigong) and various stretching and breathing exercises, and visualizations, to integrate body, mind and spirit. They remained undisturbed and thus attained extraordinary levels of accomplishment. Can you tell me about them?”
 

The Taoist Qi Bo responded:

“The immortals kept their mental energies focused and refined, and harmonized their bodies with the environment. So they did not show typical signs of aging and were able to live beyond their biological limitations. “Not so long ago there were people known as achieved beings who had true virtue, understood the Way of Life, and were able to adapt to and harmonize with the universe and the seasons. They too were able to keep their mental energy through proper concentration.

“These achieved beings did not live like ordinary humans, who tended to be hard on themselves. They were able to travel freely to different times and places since they were not governed by conventional views of time and space. Their sense of perceptions were supernormal, going far beyond the sight and hearing of ordinary humans. They were also able to preserve their life spans and live in full health, just as the immortals did.

“There were people, also known as the sage. The sages lived peacefully under Heaven and Earth, following the rhythms of the planet and the universe. They adapted to society without being swayed by fashions and trends. They were free from emotional extremes and lived a balanced, contented existence. Their outward appearance, behavior and thinking did not reflect the conflicting norms of society. the sages appeared busy but were never depleted. Internally they did not overburden themselves. they abided in calmness, recognizing the empty nature of existence. The sages lived over one hundred years because they did not scatter or disperse their energies.

“There men and women of the Way; they were the natural people who followed the Tao, the Way of Life, and were called naturalists. They lived in accordance with the rhythmic patters of the seasons: Heaven and Earth, moon, sun and stars. They aspired to follow the way of the ancient times, choosing not to lead excessive lifestyles. They, too, lived plainly and and enjoyed long life.”