EnerQiHealing.com Blog

When we are in transition in life, evolving from one state of being to another (and when aren’t we, really?), we are given a great gift—an opportunity to release old patterns and open up to new possibilities. Changes come in many forms—shifts in seasons, career, relationships, and such. We operate daily under the illusion of stability. Sometimes the illusion of stability is so strong, it feels like being stuck. But just like the undercurrent beneath the surface of a frozen lake in winter, change is brewing and waiting for the thaw.

We are now enjoying the height of the spring season, with aliveness bursting forth in sunshine, flowers, and renewed hope. So I’d like to share with you the spring-like message from a tarot card I drew today (from the Osho Zen Tarot cards/book set). In my reading, I drew the card called “Understanding,” and I will paraphrase the message. The image on the card depicts “a bird looking out from what seems to be a cage. There is no door, and actually the bars are disappearing. The bars were an illusion, and this small bird is being summoned by the grace and freedom and encouragement of the other birds outside. It is spreading its wings, ready to take flight for the very first time. This is the dawn of a new understanding—that the cage has always been open, and the sky has always been there for us to explore. Just drop clinging to this cage. You are out of jail, out of the cage; you can open your wings and the whole sky is yours. Move with the sweetness and gentleness of this time. Feel the fluttering within. Spread your wings and be free. All the stars and the moon and the sun belong to you. There are thousands of flowers, uncountable, but they all become possible in the climate of freedom.”

Have you been living life from inside a cage, with bars built of thought patterns, habits, and delusions? The door is open. The cage is dissolving. And all possibilities await.

Wishing you springtime joy and boundless freedom.

I’ve just returned home from our Qigong retreat in Bhutan. I don’t even know where to begin to share with you the wonders of this journey. But perhaps my testimonial for Spirit Tours, our amazing tour leaders, is a start:

“Visiting Bhutan is a life-changing experience. Spirit Tours offers a personalized, insider’s view of this country that remains virtually untouched by the Western world. Nestled in the Himalayas, Bhutan is rich with joyful and friendly people, colorful festivals, quiet temples and monasteries, and breathtaking views around every corner. You can feel the deep contentment of this simple, spiritual kingdom, and it follows you home.”

Across the country, people are turning prayer wheels and chanting mantras–praying not for themselves but for the enlightenment of all sentient beings. No matter how little they have, they beckon you to sit and share their food and their joy. Sweet young nuns in saffron robes giggle with shyness, covering their mouths with their hands, as you speak with them. Countless prayer flags flutter, scattering sacred intentions for loving-kindness to the winds. Contentment seems to hang in the air. Each of us already carries this peace within. We sometimes have to travel across the globe to rediscover what we already had, underneath the layers of illusion.

Since a picture says a thousand words, I have posted a few photos on Facebook.

Although I’ve jumped back into my full teaching schedule, I am still in a state of quiet bliss. I was so “in the moment” on this trip that it seemed like we were there for weeks and weeks, though we were only in the country for eight days. I am planning a return tour for the fall of 2013, incorporating more time for practice, stillness, and contemplation. You may want to save your pennies.

Om mani padme hum.

It happens every year. January brings many fresh faces into already-full classes and veterans return after weeks or months of letting their practice lag, inspired by the promise of a fresh start. Actually, since November, my calendar has been booked for weeks in advance, with client sessions wedged in between teaching 14 classes per week. I love the fervent energy and am humbly grateful for the blessing of abundance! Yet I also love (and need) quiet and stillness. So one of my favorite stories from the Daoist sage Zhuangzi is on my mind today:

“Once there was a man who was so troubled by the sight of his own shadow and so disturbed by his footsteps that he decided to get rid of both. His method of escape was to run away from them, so he got up and ran. But each time he put his foot down, there was another step, and his shadow had no difficulty at all in keeping up. He blamed his failure on not running away fast enough. So he ran quicker and quicker until finally he dropped dead. The man did not realize that if only he found some shade, his shadow would vanish, and that if he sat down quietly, there would be no footsteps.”

We all lead busy lives. And when we are not busy, we create busy-ness anyway–perhaps out of habit from decades of living in a society that values doing and being MORE. Or perhaps the ego fears being lost in the emptiness of stillness. Which reminds me of a quote from my other favorite Daoist sage Laozi:

“Do you have the patience to wait till your mud settles and the water is clear?”

Even just five minutes of patient stillness can bring us such clarity, and helps us feel even more productive for the other 1435 minutes of the day. I’m going to take five minutes and clear the water right now. Care to join me?

In my classes last week, we focused our practice on the word “recalibrate.” The human mind is so powerful, that we can calibrate or change our energy vibration simply by tuning our mind like a radio to different vibrations. As quantum theory suggests, everything in the universe is vibrating, like a plucked string on a musical instrument. And as Daoist theory and modern research suggest, we can guide and adjust that vibration using the power of attention and intention. I can’t say that I understand logically how we are able to move and change energy with our minds. But I can say that, after years of experience in the healing arts, I know it to be true.

It has been found that a healthy human body vibrates at a frequency of 62-78 MHz, and the immune system becomes compromised when frequency drops to 58 MHz and below. Are you experiencing physical or mental/emotional fatigue, tension, pain, or illness? Time to tune your mind to a different radio station–higher up on the dial. There are many ways to raise your frequency, including:

• Get out in nature. The outdoors is alive with good vibrations.
• Sit near or in fresh running water or take a shower.
• Move mindfully with yoga, qigong, or tai chi.
• Listen to music that speaks to you. Sing! Dance!
• Breathe slowly and deeply.
• Gaze at the vast night sky; the soft light of the moon and stars.
• Receive a Reiki energy healing treatment.
• Eat fresh foods filled with energy and life.
• Listen to vibrational bowl sounds.
• Enjoy time with high vibration people.
• Think happy thoughts. Go beyond thinking. See and feel them.
• Sit in gratitude. Feel it in your bones.
• Smile – through your face and your eyes.
• Focus on what you want as if you already have it.
• Imagine you are pure, radiant light. Darkness cannot live in the brilliance of light.

As we recalibrate ourselves, we recalibrate each other and our planet. Wishing you good vibrations.

Happy New Year, and an early Happy Chinese New Year! On January 23, we leave behind the Year of the Rabbit–a calm, quiet year laced with cautious optimism–and soar together into the Year of the Dragon. In the West, the mythical figure of the dragon is sometimes portrayed as evil and terrifying. But in Chinese lore, the dragon is highly revered as an intense yet benevolent creature, embodying the ultimate in fortune, abundance, power, and radiant vitality. The Chinese Dragon can easily fly through the air, swim in water, and walk on land. He is often depicted chasing or guarding a ball known by Daoists as the “pearl of immortality”–a reminder that we each carry the power to cultivate the eternal within ourselves.

The coming year promises excitement, enthusiasm, and unpredictability. As you fly with Dragon’s passion toward new horizons, be sure not to throw all of Rabbit’s caution to the wind, or you may invite drama and chaos into your life. The good news is that this is a Water Dragon year, and the water element will calm Dragon’s fiery nature. Water produces Wood, signifying great potential for growth and inspiration, particularly in the Wood season of spring when Dragon truly comes alive.

If you were born in 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, or 2000, you were born in a year of the Dragon and will enjoy strutting your stuff in colorful ways this year. You are likely to be innovative, enterprising, flexible, self-assured, brave, and passionate (and perhaps a bit conceited and quick-tempered!). If you were born in 1952, the last year of the Water Dragon, this is your year to rule!

As 2011 comes to a close and you contemplate your New Year’s resolutions, know that Dragon energy is working with you, empowering you to fly at great heights and swim effortlessly toward your goals. And don’t forget to cultivate your pearl. Look within and know that eternal bliss can only be found there. You are powerful beyond words.

Let’s revel together and dance into this auspicious Dragon year!

Having just completed a fabulous year-long training program with my latest qigong teacher, I’m experiencing the mixed emotions of the joy of graduation and the sadness of a chapter in my journey having come to an end. Of course, endings open up space for new beginnings to sprout. In between, there is usually a time of transition–time to digest what we have just been through, preparing the ground for what is to come.

Lately, I’ve become aware that I feel uncomfortable in these transitional periods. I like having a goal and working toward it. It gives me a sense of purpose and accomplishment. But I’ve also become aware that continually doing more and reaching for more draws our attention to the future, leaving us less and less connected with the present.

So I’m learning to surf through times of transition, seizing the opportunity to maintain awareness of the present. I watch myself marinate in that rich soup of not knowing where I’m going next. Sometimes, you just have to sit with the questions.

We all go through many transitions in life, experiencing loss and gain and change in so many ways. Perhaps you’re there now. Our natural reaction is to fear the unknown and feel lost in confusion. Rather than pushing the river, trying to find answers, you may find that time really does heal all. Give yourself the gift of time. Linger in the spaces in between–watching, noticing, percolating. Every moment is a moment of transition, as we die to the past and awaken to the future.

Breathe now. Feel where you are. And simply notice.

In a recent issue of The Empty Vessel magazine, I read an enlightening article by qigong teacher Francesco Garripolli simply entitled “Conduit or Container?”, and I’d like to share a bit of it with you. The article states that many of us hold certain beliefs that can influence our development and ability to heal, not only when practicing qigong or yoga, but also as we walk though life. In both a physical and energetic sense, do you consider yourself a conduit (channel) or a container (vessel)? Answer the following questions with the first answer that has the strongest pull for you:

When practicing qigong, tai chi, yoga, Reiki, or any energy art, I feel…
1. I am gathering energy and storing it.
2. I am channeling energy and being recycled by it.

When I breathe,…
1. I fill up with air and absorb it.
2. I fill up with air and simultaneously let it go.

When my body feels sick or uncomfortable…
1. I feel my energy (qi) is low.
2. I feel my energy (qi) is blocked.

When I am feeling tired or exhausted…
1. I feel I have run out of qi.
2. I feel my qi is stagnant.

If you chose even one “1.” answer, you may be living with the belief system that you are a container. If you chose more “2.” answers, you probably align more with the notion that you are a conduit.

If we see ourselves as a container, we are limiting our capacity. In fear of not having enough, we will forever strive to feel full (of food, money, employment, relationships, etc.). We feel terrific when we feel full and feel lacking when we are empty, riding a roller coaster through life.

If we see ourselves as a conduit, we live in abundance. Embracing the cyclical nature of the universe, we allow everything to flow through us without grasping. We realize that an exhale can be as fulfilling as an inhale. We can let go of a relationship, a job, or a material item, knowing that we are creating space for something new and inspiring to flow in.

A conduit does not need to grasp for money, situations, people, or things. A conduit knows that the universe is a boundless sea of energy. A conduit simply holds a clear space for the abundant possibilities to flow through.

Autumn is the season of letting go, clearing, and restructuring. I invite you to walk through the next few weeks with both freedom to release and freedom to receive, knowing that there will always be enough.

Embracing the continual winds of change.

Delicious autumn is here in Sonoma County. The air is fresh and soft. Sunlight wraps you in its warm glow. Leaves are wafting to the ground. On September 23, we celebrate the Autumnal Equinox.

To a Daoist, autumn represents the Metal phase of the year. After the Fire of summer exploded with activity and heat, culminating in the abundance of harvest, we settle back down with the cooling, contracting quality of Metal. We can only grow and produce so long before we need to pause and re-organize. It is the perfect time to cleanse and let go, creating clarity and space for new inspiration. The mantra for autumn is “Let Go.”

This season, I am letting go of practical things–weeding out unnecessary possessions that have piled up in my closets. And I am also letting go of deeper things. Like an old shirt that no longer fits, I am tossing the word “should” from my vocabulary. When we do something because we think we should, it feels effortful–like we’d really rather be doing something else. Long ago, I learned to say “no” to events and invitations that infringed on my “me” time. I know how to draw boundaries in my schedule. But I realize that I never learned to say “no” to that inner voice that tells me I should be working on my latest project, or I should be washing the dishes, or I should be crossing off more items from my To Do List today.

So I’ve decided to replace the word “should” with the word “choose.” With clarity, I will look at my list of tasks and choose what to do next. I may choose to work on a project, because I feel inspired in the moment. Or I may choose to wash the dishes because I enjoy a clean kitchen. Or I may choose to put the list aside, sit in my backyard, and be with my trees awhile until I choose to do something else. It is a small shift in awareness–doing something because you choose it and not because you should–but it makes a world of difference. I am seeing the world in brilliant, clear 3-D and feeling much more in tune with the flow of energy around me, rather than kowtowing to the drill sergeant in my head.

This autumn, I encourage you to cleanse and clear your life, both in practical ways and in deeper ways. Not because I’m saying you should, of course! But because you choose to release the weight of the past and the anxiety of the future and feel ready to co-create your life with the universe as it’s happening now.

Let go. Let go. Let go.

It is hard to believe that it has been ten years since I taught my first yoga class on September 20, 2001. It was such a tumultuous year. Between July and December, I experienced one stressful event after another. First, I had to put my 17-year-old cat to sleep. Then, my Mom discovered she had breast cancer, and together we battled through surgery and recovery. Just a month later, my Dad was hospitalized (the first of many times) to treat complications from alcoholism. And of course, our country was reeling from the attacks of 9/11.

Through the confusion, I somehow accidentally took over a yoga class that I had been attending as a student. I didn’t have a lick of training, but they needed a replacement teacher, and so began my new career. I shudder to think how I giggled my way through that first class, both excited and terrified. Within a week, however, I was given three classes per week. With reminders of death and illness all around me, I was quite aware that life is short and precious. So within three months of teaching, I quit my corporate job and began teaching full-time. At the time, I didn’t really know what I was doing nor why. But I now see that my calling found me. And out of the onslaught of pain, this lovely jewel–a new career in the healing arts–was my saving grace. Perhaps I would never have re-invented myself if not for the challenges that knocked me back, one after the other.

I tell you this story because I am reminded that we must experience pain and suffering in order to learn, grow, and rise from the ashes. I tell you this story to remind you that, when times are the darkest, you never know what bright opportunity is waiting just around the corner. And I tell you this story to let you know that I am deeply indebted to each of you for having shared some part of this journey with me. I have learned so much more from all of you than you have ever learned from me. I humbly thank you.

I just returned from a week-long Tai Chi training intensive with my teacher and mentor, Dr. Roger Jahnke. As always, I am astounded at the depth of training I have received, on so many levels. Dr. Jahnke is an amazing teacher whose mission and vision so closely match my own, that I am continually inspired and empowered by my ongoing training sessions with him. Not only did I learn a Tai Chi modified short form in just a few days, but I also soaked up so much richness regarding teaching and just living and being.

Having been through a week-long training last year with many of the same people in this group, it was quite interesting to see how we all grew and evolved over the past year, largely in part because of our training and practice. And what is most remarkable to me is that this evolution seemed to dissolve barriers of ego and judgment of ourselves and of each other. This time around, we formed a near-Utopian society, supporting and upholding each other and nourishing ourselves. How does this happen? Because we are held in a space of loving acceptance and empowering freedom. We are solidly taught the forms and concepts inherent to the system, yet we are given full permission to find our own way – adding to or subtracting from anything we learn to make it fit.

So my suggestion this month is to celebrate diversity and quiet judgment. Notice when your inner critic jumps to a conclusion about someone’s behavior. Can you be aware of the behavior but still love the person? Can you empower them to find their own way? Do you feel accepted and empowered? Can you find that from within?

It is my wish that you find your solid roots and powerful wings.