Archive
The 5-Elements of the Tao
I love the way the Universe works. When I can take a breath, step back and observe, I am in awe that everything works! From the micro to the macro, from above to below, there is such beauty and bliss. And I am particularly inspired by the synchronicity of it all!
I just finished my Svaroopa Yoga class with a good and long-time friend, Dharma. As always it was gentle, he is so calm and peaceful, the asanas were relatively “easy”, and I came away stretched and balanced. And I believe it felt good and easy because I’ve been practicing Qigong pretty seriously all week. Overall I feel stronger and my balance has improved! Tomorrow I am back in my long-term Qigong class where we learn about “spontaneous healing” and practice 5-Element Qigong. And to top off the week I am on my way to Baltimore on Saturday for more Level 1 Qigong Form training with Jeff Primack, founder of the Qi Revolution!
And the beauty, the synchronicity continues! I have been developing a workshop after some excellent coaching with another friend, Ken Ellis. I have been questioning for years what to present to a group of men to help us all through development of “emotional maturity”. I have been motivated by many of my teachers from Robert Bly to Martín Prechtel to Robert Moore, to name a few. An idea began to form through my 5-Element Qigong practice. Ken urged me on and drew out of me a fascinating outline for a workshop. And there my concept languished since last summer.
Very recently the true beauty of the Universe unfolded another lotus petal and synchronicity struck again. This blog, Men and The Goddess, attracted the attention of a fellow blogger, Ellis Nelson. Of course, I checked out her blog: EllisNelson.com, and there it was, her review of a book that fits my scheme beautifully: Power of the Five Elements by Charles A. Moss, MD. I read a few additional reviews, ordered it immediately and have been pouring through it since it arrived. It is a perfect fit, a companion piece to exactly what I have in mind for my workshop.
I will write my own review of Dr. Moss’ book when I’ve finished reading it thoroughly. In short this work is not only confirming my own thinking about the 5 elements, it is expanding on the material I have already gathered. Beyond helping with my workshop development, it is helping me, directly impacting on how I perceive the world and how the world perceives me! Not only has this book confirmed my element, it has pegged me in every way; it has identified my strengths and weakness, my blessings and my faults, my motivations, outlook and fears. It has had quite an impact on me.
For me this confirms the ancient wisdom embodied in the Tao. As I work with material like Dr. Moss presents, practice 5-element qigong, work with the I Ching, continue my reading of Taoist literature it all comes together to form a beautiful whole. This is becoming a true Way for me. The signs are unmistakable!
And the Way flows on and the Universe unfolds a petal at a time. My qigong practice intensifies as I begin training for certification to become a qigong teacher. All of the 5 Elements are coming together to show me the Way of all the individuals in my life. And the workshop I am developing for presentation this summer is flowering into reality.
We have entered the month of March. Here in the Northern Hemisphere signs of spring are popping up everywhere. It’s a beautiful Universe and we are all alive at an amazing time!
Blessings!
It’s a Sign!!! – Richard’s Commentary
Inside-outside; optimism-pessimism; half-full-half-empty. There’s a spiral of thoughts here in Rosemary’s Exploration to digest. And somehow the article this week points directly at me!
I’ve been an optimist all my life. And I live a reasonably healthy internal life and do look for confirming signs all around me. And then I went to the doctor last week.
It’s funny Rosemary should use the example: “You might have been given a medical diagnosis that you don’t like.” My doctor visit, the first in several years, was just routine; I thought I should get a new base-line of all the numbers western medicine is so fond of analyzing. I feel in excellent health, eating well on a pretty strict regimen of raw nut, seed, fruit and vegetable smoothies for breakfast and lunch, exercising with yoga and qigong, meditating, working for myself and a pretty gentle boss (Rosemary); all good things right? So, the nurse took my blood pressure and seemed pretty alarmed; “all the celery in your smoothies doesn’t seem to be working” she remarked.
OK, I’ve had an issue with high blood pressure before; it’s a genetic condition. I have taken medication in the past but then controlled it reasonably well with Chinese herbs, acupuncture, etc. I thought I was good to go for life! Not so! The external sign here is a warning that things need to change even more.
And I am resisting this change; my resistance is not improving my blood pressure a bit! I am ignoring the external signs, but struggling to change the internal perspective in order to see the external signs change. While I remain an optimist my glass seems to be closer to empty than full! Am I fooling myself?
Since my experience at Qi Revolution with Jeff Primack I have been practicing his Level 1 Qigong Form every day. I am getting prepared for Level 1 training this Saturday. And I am planning to go for certification to teach Level 1 a week later on March 9th. I am optimistic that I can achieve this goal. I am changing my diet to include many of Jeff’s recommendations in his Conquering Any Disease book, following many of his suggestions for reducing high blood pressure (yep, more celery!) and curing heart disease. More internal changes.
Now, I realize this is a life-change and not an over-night change that I’m working on here. It’s only been a week since that doctor visit. But the optimist in me is looking for the external signs to support my internal changes. And my blood pressure remains high; that half-full glass is looking even more empty!
And the spiral continues, but in a downward spin. What is this about? All signs, whether they are inward or outward, point to lessons. There’s something karmic here; something much deeper than qigong practice and meditation. And I need to dig down where that spiral is drilling to wedge out this darkness that is shadowing my optimism. And no matter how deeply we dig for the lead or the gold, there is always another layer to dredge up, examine and alchemically transform. The signs point the way; they are critical signs to follow.
I am reading those signs carefully; I am taking my blood pressure multiple times a day. I am asking many questions and looking deeply in the dark mirror, working to clear it of dust. I am watching but not expecting new external signs any time soon. And that’s OK; I have time.
And I’m taking a newly prescribed drug (two, actually, in one pill). Yes, I have at least temporarily resorted to western medicine’s approach to my condition. I am hopeful this will improve my pressure and give me more time for the natural approach to kick in.
Yes, I read the sign, and while I didn’t like the direction it pointed, I realize there are many more lessons for this western man to learn, many more internal adjustments to make and many more years to practice!
MONDAY’S POEM: Qi
I am still in that flow from Qi Revolution! Read this poem slowly; breathe with it; feel the qi!
Qi
Breathe in,
Expand.
Breath out,
Let go.
Slow moves
Outward.
Slow down
Inward.
Flame builds,
Brightness.
Flame dies,
Darkness.
Moon fills,
Grows large.
Moon wanes,
Release.
Wind moves,
Blows strong.
Wind drops,
Relax.
Creek flows,
Running.
Creek slows,
Pooling.
Tree boughs
Nodding.
Tree stands,
Stilling.
Feel qi,
Fill space.
Feel qi,
Empty.
©2013 Richard W. Bredeson. All rights reserved.
PS: Happy Full Moon; today, Monday at 3:26 pm Eastern time.
Qi Revolution
This is what I experienced this past week; four days emersion in an energy bubble, a total “qi-field” created by Jeff Primack and 300 of my fellow qigong practitioners! And I have to tell you it was transformative! 32 hours of qi is something everyone has to experience. I believe this is why Jeff is calling this event a revolution; it truly does revolutionize one’s thinking about life, health, food, energy, the “field of all possibilities”, Source, Light, Love…the list goes on and on.
As some of you know I’ve been practicing qigong for about a year now. I have been working primarily with a brilliant acupuncturist and qigong instructor who trained with Jeff Primack and other masters. I have learned a “Five-Element” form that is truly life changing because it addresses all of the vital organs associated with the five elements in the Chinese system of health; these are wood, fire, earth, metal and water. The five elements form a complete philosophy of life, health, mental and emotional well-being and longevity. And now I am adding at least the first level of Jeff’s form to take my practice into another dimension of the qi-field.
What is qi? I think of it as “life force.” It’s vitality, the feeling of energy, like an electric current that flows through everything. It seems to make the air around us and that we breathe into us alive with power. There are different names for this energetic field in many languages; this is Prana in Sanskrit, Mana in Hawaiian spirituality as examples. And through specialized practices we can begin to sense this vital force that animates the entire Universe. In this sense it is the creative force that manifests the All.
Qigong is a masterful way to get in tune with this force. It is a way to sense it externally to our bodies and a way to build it up and focus it within our bodies. Qigong is a combination of movement and coordinated breath work. Movement is subtle, slow, meditative and focused. It is an excellent way to cultivate “no-mind” – to quiet the chattering “monkey-mind.” Breathing is regulated, deepened, another focus for the quiet mind; it oxygenates the entire body with a renewed sense of aliveness. Coordinating the movements with the focused breathing leaves no room for other thoughts; worries are left behind, endless loops of future plans and past review are pushed away; there is only room for now, the moment of the next move and the next breath!
Beyond Level 1 practice there are two additional levels, two other forms to work toward. Then there is Jeff’s approach to healthy food: “The Ultimate High-Phytochemical Food Healing System.” We also practiced a Strength Building form of Qigong, a tough routine for me to get through; I’ll have to build up to this practice!
And to give us breaks Jeff interspersed practice with several informative and always entertaining keynote talks on all the fascinating subjects I love to explore, from “near death experience” to life elsewhere in the Universe to the destiny of the human race!
Watching Jeff in action is a study in itself. He is virtually bursting with qi. He practices everything he teaches. Even when he has a senior student lead a Level 1 practice he is right there on stage going through the practice with us. This is one teacher who clearly practices what he preaches!
Jeff Primack takes the Qi Revolution on the road each year. His first stop this past weekend was Baltimore. If you are in this area and missed him, try to catch his event next year; you won’t be disappointed. And check out his website: qigong.com for a future event near you. I’ll be seeing him again soon in Baltimore for Level 1 Qigong Training. I can hardly wait to be back in that powerful field of qi!
Here’s to your Qi-Health!
Where Are You Headed? – Richard’s Commentary
Permission, Dreams, Plans. Yes, these are the steps to answer the question of heading.
Permission is a big first step! Many of us find ourselves in situations that are stressful, unfulfilling, and far from the dreams we may have had as kids or younger adults. And nearly as many find themselves with the sense they are locked in to a life “not of their choosing.” Well, I don’t like to be the bearer of bad news, but humans are all about “choice.” We do choose everything that leads to every moment whether we want to believe this or not.
Staying in a situation that is stressful, unfulfilling and far from our dreams is a choice. We may feel like we can’t make a change. But we must give ourselves permission to make the changes that will lead to more satisfying lives. This is the time, right now, when we must begin to live into our purpose. And there is no external authority to give us this permission, this choice. This can only come from within. Yes, sometimes it takes courage to give ourselves this permission, to choose to change. But there is little chance of improvement without change.
Dreams are the second step in determining your heading. I am not suggesting a change in heading without careful examination of what you want in life. Perhaps security is more important to you than living the life of your dreams. In this case remaining in a secure but stressful environment may be the better choice. Do a gut check. Do a values check. What is most important? If your answer is greater fulfillment then go back to your dreams. Imagine the life you want. Fill in the details, begin to feel that life, breathe it, taste it, hear it, see the way it unfolds. This is creating the detailed vision of that dream. Dare to dream big. Let your imagination soar. This is the creative and fun part of this process.
Plans are the details of the dreams. Without plans dreams will remain idle, the hazy, cloud-like sketches of fantasy. Plans are an extension to the details of the vision, another layer to continue to build the dreams toward reality, the blueprints for the transformation. Plans generate the actions you need to take to make the changes. They identify the resources you need and outline the schedule and sequence of those actions.
And plans require attention too. Measure and assess the work toward the desired changes to track progress and to adjust the process as you gain additional information. As you implement your plans you will get continuous feedback; use this to make any needed adjustments. One of Rosemary’s mentor’s, James Roché refers to this process as kaizen: making small adjustments to improve a process based on continuous feedback and assessment. Even after your dream comes true kaizen can be applied to make the dream even better!
I just finished a four-day workshop with Jeff Primack, his Qi Revolution program. And it was awesome. I’ve been doing qigong for about a year now and have embraced the concepts, worked through a couple of forms and have incorporated it into both my health regimen. I also plan to blend some qigong concepts into a workshop of my own I am planning for this summer. Qi Revolution changed this vision I have, not only for my workshop but for my entire life! This is an excellent example of kaizen. I am making adjustments to my workshop plan and my vision for my future based on the feedback, in this case from the Universe, which brought me to Jeff’s workshop. It’s not a total change in direction, but a significant refinement in heading, a course correction that will get me to my dream more effectively and maybe even more rapidly.
(I’ll write more about Qi Revolution in tomorrow’s post.)
Have you given yourself permission to dream big, beyond your current situation? It’s a big step! Dare to dream!
MONDAY’S POEM: Merkaba
This past Friday I wrote about my experiences with the Merkaba. Several of you liked it; thank you! I also wrote the following shortly after that experience. (I’m being bold again!)
Merkaba
Spinning wonder grounding deep,
Drill to Mother’s heart and weep.
Spinning wonder lifting high,
Reach for Father’s heart, Sun’s sky.
Spinning arms of three cast out,
Spread to all directions, past doubt.
Spinning arms of three time-mind,
Then, when, ego, id so blind.
Spinning top, counter-revolving,
Balance on point, search for solving.
Spinning wheel, follow the clock,
Don’t stop now, avoid the shock.
Axis Mundi and far beyond,
Offer yourself as the magic wand.
Tilt and turn, point and learn,
Spiral through evolution’s burn.
©2013 Richard W. Bredeson. All rights reserved.
The Merkaba in My Life
OK, so here I am being bold, even audacious! What in the world is a Merkaba? I first encountered the Merkaba as a focal object for meditation at Rosemary’s seminary 20 years ago. At that time I could visualize it but it didn’t call to me. I was recently reminded of the Merkaba when I read Drunvalo Melchizedek’s latest book: The Mayan Ouroboros. The Merkaba is mentioned briefly, almost in passing, but it struck a chord with me me this time. So, I looked more deeply into this geometric form that some say holds the shape of the Human Lightbody. I’ve pictured it here but it is difficult to capture the dynamics of the crystalline model.
In essence the Merkaba is a pair of interlocked and spinning tetrahedrons. That part of this picture is more or less how I visualize this object within me. As I “see” it the lower tetrahedron spins counter-clockwise and the upper clockwise. There is incredible speed involved; some say they spin at the speed of light. There is tremendous energy with beams shooting below and above the pyramids.
With practice I can now visualize this Merkaba (my Merkaba) at will. It offers me a quick way to balance, to catch myself and reframe a moment or a situation. It is a grounding force as well as an uplifting one. I can especially tap into this spinning form when I am practicing qigong. It seems to fit particularly well with the movement for the wood element, the so-called “standing at stake” position or what I prefer to think of as hugging a tree. Recently, as I was finishing my 6th repetition of the 5-Element Form when I face in the direction of the Sun or Heaven, I was visualizing holding a Buddhic Column rather than a tree. It was a powerful meditation; here’s the description I wrote in my journal:
While I was holding the Buddhic Column, the Merkaba became prominent in my meditation. I seemed to merge with the Buddhic Column; I was no longer holding it but standing within it. It seemed to have expanded to engulf me. I felt light, lifted and I could both feel and see the light all around me. As the Merkaba spun I seemed to drill myself – my energy core – right down into the Earth. I felt her pain. I sent healing energy through my core. It was like I was an energy rod bringing light from above down into the heart of Mother Earth. The continuing trend was this downward spiral. There was a gravitational pull on me that felt more like a loving embrace than anything of a grabbing or greedy nature.
Toward the end of my meditation I was also lifted upward. The Sun’s gravity lifted me; I felt taller and my arms, still holding on to a part of the column, were lifted. This felt like a freeing force and my arms flew upward in a gesture of surrender and release.
And I popped out of my meditation. The Merkaba spun on, a constant light energy that animates. But my conscious awareness of it slipped to the background, merging with my unconscious, but only just beneath the surface. I have a sense I can call up to consciousness this energy pattern anytime I need to emphasize my lightbody in the physical plane. There is a magic power here that I need to protect and also practice for the good of all.
Well, there you have it. Audacious, right?
How are you being audacious in your transformation? This is the year, this is the time! We are all Lightbodies, called to be Light-Workers!
Be Bold. Step Out. Take Action – Richard’s Commentary
I too like the word “audacious” as Rosemary said in her Exploration of this week’s theme. It sounds like the word audition and reminds me of our daughter-in-law, an actor in Hollywood who goes on a huge number of auditions working hard to break in to the big-time. She is one of the hardest working people I know, dedicated to her craft, keeping her talents sharp with classes, all the while working a full-time job in an important position at Sony in LA! Yes, she is my idea of the audacious auditioning actress! She is bold, she steps out to audition for many roles and she takes action to pursue her passion, her career in acting! Keep up the hard work, Angie; you’ll make it!
If we were all living our passions I am convinced this world would be a happy place for everyone. Our passions are fired by living our purpose. I have heard Rosemary say, many times, that we are all here on purpose. This life on Planet Earth at this time is no accident of birth, no random combination of genes and DNA that just sprang to life out of nowhere. We are here, now at this juncture of time, space, star configurations and expansion for very particular reasons. And it is individual Purpose that is the foundation for our “bold stepping out and taking action.”
Angie knows her purpose. She is fired up. And when she is on stage, acting the roles she wins she comes alive and puts herself into those roles. She is living her purpose, boldly, out there, in action.
I struggled with my purpose for a long time. I’ve done many things. All of them have been wonderful experiences. I often laugh and claim to have led many lives already in this one life-time. But I also know that those lives, those experiences have all come together to create the person I am today. Nothing random here either. And when I got my hands read using Scientific Hand Analysis with Baeth Davis, one of Rosemary’s mentors, all those lives came together in a well formulated Purpose for me. No, I didn’t learn something brand-new about myself. What I got through the process was confirmation that I’m OK, that I’m doing and being exactly what I am here to do and be. I am living my purpose.
So, why bother? It is great to get the kind of confirmation we all seek that we are on the right path. It means we can stop looking, stop wondering…and we can be bold, audacious even, in the pursuit of our purpose. We can get passionate about that purpose because we know it is our purpose! It’s written in our hands!
No, this is not about “palmistry” although the science of “Scientific Hand Analysis” did get its start in Palmistry (or did Palmistry emerge from the science of hand analysis?). There are patterns in our fingerprints and in the markings of our palms that can be categorized, analyzed, measured and compared that become the signposts and mile-markers for our journey. The fingerprints never change. They are formed well before birth, at about 16 weeks! And we have them for life. These are the basic pointers to our Way. The hand prints, the lines, the crosses and stars and various marks on our palms do change. They develop as our brains develop. Changes in our palms can be mapped to changes in our neural pathways and developing neural networks as our brains develop and expand with new knowledge, new beliefs, transformations of mind and spirit!
How cool is this? I can get pretty bold in writing on this subject! Why? Because I think if we all knew our purpose, like Angie, and lived our passion the planet would be a pretty cool place! We would all be bold, we would all step out into our purpose and take action to live the life of our dreams!
Here’s a link to learn even more: Scientific Hand Analysis
PS: Happy Valentine’s day! And you can still get that special gift for your Valentine! Here’s one action you can take: get them a Compass Call with Rosemary; that’s 15 for 50, her special offer available only through February 14. Act Now Here
MONDAY’S POEM: Hindrance
Yesterday, Sunday, at 2:20 am, Eastern time, the moon was new and brought in the Chinese New Year, the year of the Water Snake. And as I always practice, I cast an I Ching Gua to check the energies for the upcoming four weeks, until the next new moon. I cast this 6-line diagram:
This Gua pictures Heaven (the top three solid lines) over Earth (the bottom three broken lines). It is one of the key Gua and at first sight seems auspicious. But it comes with a warning; its name, Pi means “hindrance.” At first I was disappointed. But as I read about this diagram further I took heart. The Chinese have a saying about this Gua and its opposite, Earth over Heaven, or Tai in Chinese, which means “advance.” The saying, poem really, is “Pi ji Tai lai” which means: “Out of the depths of misfortune comes bliss. At the end of hindrance appears advance.”
So, the meaning I take for this divination is to remain patient in all situations. And maybe this month is still about introspection. We are still in winter, afterall, a time for rest and rejuvenation, waiting for the return of the Sun and new birth!
And to further explore my understanding of this I Ching reading for this next “moonth” I wrote the following:
Hindrance
Heaven departs
Leaving Spirit distant
And still.
Earth recedes
Falling away to be
Alone.
But watch, be still.
Extremes reach their ends,
Hindrance yields to advance.
And the Earth turns.
Heaven returns.
Spirit remains unchanged.
©2013 Richard W. Bredeson. All rights reserved.
Monkey-Mind (What Is This? – An Example) Deep Peace
OK, so I referred to this Korean Koan in my post yesterday, February 7, and as things go I had the opportunity to use it today. As it always does, it worked out very well; so, I thought it would be a good thing to share, to let you know how to apply it in a real situation and how it turns out.
I was writing my pages this morning, my “Morning Pages” – one of my practices taken from The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. And I found myself completely awash, all over the place. Now, this is OK; these Morning Pages are suppose to be a “dumping ground” – a way to clear the mind of all the clutter so there is room for creative insights, so we can hear the muse, right? Well, today I seemed much more scattered than usual. I drifted around and wrote about fragments of thoughts that crossed my mind. This does happen to me from time to time. I even get blocked and then just write nonsense to get through the three pages. But today I didn’t like the feeling I was getting, and then I asked:
What is this? And so it began:
What is this?
It is monkey-mind that chatters away on endless loops of to-dos, to-worries, with no to-bes.
What is this?
The complexities of modern life.
What is this?
Life in the 21st Century.
What is this?
Now.
What is this?
Breath, Singing Bowls, Sleeping Dog, Rest.
What is this?
Deep settling.
What is this?
No-thing. Stillness
And this is deep peace.
Ahhh… And from there I was able to get back to my pages and wrote a very nice final third page. It was a deep exploration of our “spinning Universe” in all of its wonder and extraordinary quantum behavior.
And then, I asked: What is this?
Life.
What is this?
Consciousness.
What is this?
Love.
What is this?
The only “thing” left at the end, at the beginning.
What is this?
Love is the Alpha and the Omega. It transcends consciousness. It births consciousness so it can reflect on Love.
What is this, this it?
Call it what you will: God/Goddess, Mother/Father, Source, Alpha/Omega, All/No-thing, Tao.
I like Tao.
Next time you get stuck give this koan a try. See what answer you get!
Men and The Goddess 