Recap on my two qi gong classes

Yes, so am still continuing to teach qi gong twice a week and it’s going very well, thank you very much!

Slow movement combined with slow breath and intention, can shift us very quickly and easily into a deeply meditative state. I’m applying all I’ve learned over the course of my life, including my own short lived but life changing awakening experiences. (perhaps more on those later! )

Settling into relaxation, brings us back to our calm centres, thus easing stress, anxiety, fear and pain. At the same time we are attuning to our bodies we are becoming more present to everything in our lives.

I’m observing noticeable, at times big positive shifts in participants’ well being.

I’m so  happy to be sharing these easily learned, effective techniques to help people feel better.

Yeah!!

Meeting Mak. Aug. 29, 2018

Canary yellow shirts!

Several weeks ago, an elderly man named Mak, attended one of my Monday qi gong classes. After speaking briefly with him, I realized he is an esteemed qi gong teacher. So I offered my Saturday classes to him, until he returns to Singapore Sept 17th.  Hubby and I’ve been attending his classes, enjoying them and learning some new things.

 Last week after class, Mak invited everyone to his place for “special tea”–special, because it’s grown at the retreat in China of his master teacher Sim Pooh Ho, where he goes once a year.  After tea, Mak presented me with a canary yellow, (so not my colour!), shirt from his school, Wu Tu Nan Taijigong. The gift of the shirt carried significance, though I wasn’t entirely sure what!
After this week’s class Mak demonstrated the 108 tai chi form for us. Captivating to watch the form performed so beautifully and fluidly by a master.
And he once more invited the class for tea where we’ve met his warmly engaging wife.
Mak and I shared a brief conversation that went something like this: me “I don’t feel comfortable, wearing the (school’s) shirt and teaching as a representative of your school.  I don’t know anything about it”. Mak,”What would it take for you to feel comfortable?” me, “I’m not sure”, Later I asked, ” why me?” Mak, ” you have heart”… hmmm?
And this morning he wrote:”During my absence, I feel very safe that spreading of
Master Wu Tu Nan’s art will be carried on with your dedication and dependability.” … hmmm? What exactly is Master Wu Tu Nan’s art?
He did explain over tea that the root teachings/principles of his school, lie in the I Ching and Book of Tao.  Possibly a partial answer??
No idea what if anything will unfold but will remain open, see what comes and carry on as usual.

Meeting Bob Molavi. June 13, 2018

Recently met Bob M. at a neighbourhood lunch. We shared an instant  connection, so we may continue meeting for lunch once a week.
His backstory is fascinating, as 4 years ago 1/2 his brain was removed because of a brain tumour, leaving him with memory loss and 1/2 blind.
Despite this he was some how able to write a self help book called , Pure Happiness. Your guide to inner freedom.
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Yeah, it’s working #2! May, 2018

Teaching qi gong’s been a transformative process.

First feeling prepared and ready to teach in the first place and now, while still continuing to learn, observing the immediate, at times major benefits folks are experiencing thru simple movement/breath/intention.

One dealing with incredible stress, called it “qi gong magic”, after one class, as she began sleeping soundly for the first time in months.

It makes me happy to share these healing practices and to observe positive changes in others.

Yeah- it’s working!

Amazing potential. May 5, 2018

We all have amazing untapped potential. I’m just beginning to discover this in the real world.

There are steps we can take to discover our true, limitless selves:
– tuning into our bodies , by slowing and deepening our breath (qi gong  for example, is an easy way to do this)
– learning to sense and work with energetic blockages (this is what we do in qi gong)
Every experience and every thought we’ve had forms an energetic imprint in our body.
Ages 0-7, especially, we’re sponges, and all we are told and experience is imprinted and becomes the personality we know.
When we learn to sense energy blockages/heaviness/pain/ tension, we can begin to release them.
To do this we use deep breathing and our mind’s intention and imagination.
In this way we can begin to discover who we truly are, beneath all the dense layers of conditioning.
The profoundly powerful teacher, Jean Houston, ( look her up), I was listening to yesterday, says we all have an optimum blueprint.
So, if we want to heal ourselves and thus heal the planet, this should be the most important task for each one of us- clear out our deeply embedded  negative patterns and thoughts and get back to our optimum blueprint.

Meeting Holly Dec. 15, 2017

So now, I’m going to flip back to a chance meeting, Dec. 15, 2017. I include it because to me it’s an example of a connection with another that was meant to be. I believe there is an organically occuring pattern to things. We may not always see the big picture, but it exists and we can’t help but be a part of it.
 
Dec. 15, 2017     Meeting Holly
I had a wondrous and meaningful personal connection today.
So I’ve been attending a Tai Chi class for seniors, the past while. Most in the class are a bit standoffish and won’t even make eye contact, except for one woman, Holly.
We’d smiled at one another coming and going but had never spoken. I knew she’d suffered a concussion, because she’d asked for the lights to be turned down, but knew nothing more about her.

She was dressed in plaid shirt, sneakers and perpetual ball cap to shade her eyes.

 Today, leaving class, she admired my coat and then said she’s having a hard time remembering the Tai Chi moves. I told her she’s still getting benefits and then told her about Jacob’s Qigong class, I was attending and its simplicity to learn and from there we kept talking.
 I inquired about her concussion and she filled me in on how and when it happened.  Ten months ago a simple fall, completely altered her life.
She mentioned she’s a musician (singer, pianist, flutist), who now is highly sensitive to sounds or light. It means there’s  a long list of things she’s not able to do, like read, watch tv, be on a computer, and sadly, play music.

I asked if she had any links to her music, that I’d love to hear her. She found a slip of paper and wrote down    HollyBurke.com

 I was dumbfounded. “Holly Burke! You’re The Holly Burke? I’ve heard you. You’re amazing!”
 At that, she started crying and we fell into a very long hug.
 “The start of healing”, she said, and, “I’ve found a new friend today”.
Me too.
p.s. after 2 1/2 yrs, Holly’s now playing kozmic keyboards for Jacob’s Qi gong class!! And here’s Holly’s blog:

Power of healing touch. April 29, 2018

Yesterday, while making popcorn on the stove, very hot oil splashed from the pot and landed on my fingers. Immediately ran my hand under cold water for several minutes but the area was still burning and red. Continued running it under cold water, several times over the next hour but by the end of the hour, was still red and burning. Oh oh, this wasn’t good. Was thinking it might even blister.

As I’d been listening to podcasts all week on energy healing, ( the Energy Healing Summit/Shift Network), decided, “now’s a good time to try energy healing and see if it works”.

So closed my eyes and with the palm of my right hand, began sensing the energy emanating from the burned area on my left hand. Kept a singular focus, imagining and feeling the heat and pain being drawn out and then released. Continued with this concentrated intention for several minutes. When the burning feeling seemed to be lessening, shifted my intent and visualization to sending healing light into the area.

After 15 mins or so, (wasn’t watching the time), I was amazed to find the burning sensation and redness were gone! My hand felt good and continues to do so! No damage or any sign of injury today.

I was so happy and amazed, that when hubby came home, I was excited to share my experience with him. I asked if he’d like me to work on any areas of pain in his body. All this week, since returning from his long overseas flight, he’d been complaining about lower back pain and stiffness, lingering on and off through the day and worst first thing in the morning right after getting out of bed, when his back would go into spasms.

Spent 20 or 30 minutes moving my hands over his lower back, with complete focus on sensing the energy, feeling any areas of heat, pressure or movement. Used the same visualizations I’d used on my hand, of first removing pain, followed by sending light.

When done, I asked him how his back felt. He said, “feels good, no pain, very relaxed but I won’t call it amazing til I see how it feels in the morning”.

So this morning, soon as he got out of bed, I asked him how his back was, “excellent!”, he said. And just now, at 9 pm, he texted from his conference, “back’s still feeling good!”.

All I can say is, “wow”! It worked!

Look up! April 29, 2018

Lately, I’ve been spending time with several friends and acquaintances, going through difficulties. Am learning more about how to be simply present and supportive without words. But also learning more each day, about the powerful healing potential of mindful breath and attention.

So many of us are seriously struggling, but breath and attention are simple tools we can use to help ourselves.

We  get caught in repetitive loops of negative thinking,  or  in our ever present hypnotic electronic devices. We are harried, distracted and distressed with sensory overload and the burdens of daily life. Life can be so overwhelming.

Listened to a podcast by Caroline Myss this morning. She shared a revelation she had while walking the Camino trail. “We can choose to look at the stones beneath our feet, or we can look up and take in all that’s round us”.  She said, since then she’s been much more attentive and appreciative of each moment.

My thought of the day #2. April 21, 2018

Thought of the Day #2 April 21, 2018

Walking my dog Jordie this morning, through our beautiful tree lined neighbourhood, I happened to glance up at a tree whose leaves were rippling in the wind­ and at that moment, the awareness came– If the breath is sacred, so too is the wind!!

And carrying on with that thought- if wind is sacred, so too are the trees and leaves through which air flows and is received–permeating the trees, the flowers, the grasses, the smallest micro plankton.

Permeating the birds that soar and nest in these trees, the creatures that roam, the insects that crawl. Permeating the smallest raindrop, the placid or surging rivers, the immense oceans…

and of course, with each breath we take, permeating our bodies.

Flowing through all living things, this sacred breath, our precious life force energy.

And as I continued walking Jordie, I breathed deeply and with fresh enjoyment, appreciating the sublime beauty around me and, (unlike me;-) ), savouring, even, the sharp cold briskness of the wind against my skin.

Christine Allen @>—-

My thought of the day. April 19, 2018

April 19, 2018   My thought of the day

We may think of our breath as merely molecules of oxygen, but here’s a thought–

Bringing calm awareness to our breath, we sense with every inhale and with every exhale, its preciousness and spaciousness.

It IS life force energy animating us, coursing through our blood, fueling our essence, filling us with its infinite and Divine nature.

Our bodies are the vessels through which it flows- this life giving, vibrant, sacred energy.

Flowing through us and flowing around us with each heartbeat.

Through us and around us.

Inhaling, allowing Timelessness… allowing Infinity.

Exhaling…surrendering.

Returning to the ground beneath our feet.

Returning to the ocean of oneness

We are alive!

Joyfully we celebrate our living presence…
with every breath we take!

Christine Allen