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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!
ROSEMARY’S EXPLORATION: Where Are You Headed?
Are you headed in the direction of your dreams or do you feel as if you are spinning your wheels and staying in one place? Or are you marching forward but NOT in the direction of your dreams, hoping to change course eventually and get back on track?
One thing I know about the 21st Century is that Time is speeding up. The clock still ticks away 24 hours every day but they seem to be passing more quickly than those same 24 hours used to pass. There is a sense of urgency about doing our work in the World, living our Purpose. Do you feel it, too?
I think this is why so many people are feeling frustrated with jobs, with situations, with politics, with anything that seems to be stuck in old patterns that are not moving forward. We are all feeling a drive to manifest our dreams NOW.
This isn’t to advocate impatience but to urge you to examine yourself and your life and to be brutally honest with yourself. Are you on the path to the realization of your heart’s desires? Or are you waiting for something to happen to push you along? Sweet One, the ‘something’ has happened! It’s time to move!
Some people have pooh-poohed the Big Shift of 2012 because the world didn’t end on December 21, 2012. Others believe there was a shift of something but they aren’t sure what that ‘something’ is. Still others are waiting for something else to happen that might take several years to complete.
There’s a bit of truth in each of these beliefs, but here is what’s going on. The Shift wasn’t about a comet hitting Planet Earth and causing the demise of our physical world and it also wasn’t about some chosen group [everyone thinks that they are in the chosen group and all others are outsiders] didn’t get swept away into some kind of heaven or nirvana. The Big Shift was a shift in Consciousness, a part of the evolution of human awareness, and it really is a BIG Shift.
As each individual is given the choice of expanding or contracting, of participating in the evolution of Consciousness or ignoring it, then each individual also has a responsibility to move into living their own Life Purpose, the very reason that their Soul incarnated in this lifetime on this planet. No more excuses. No more delays. No more waiting. The Time is NOW.
Do you know your Purpose? Are you poised and ready to live it but unsure of the direction you must take?
Look into your heart. FEEL your heart’s desires. Learn the direction of your dreams.
Most of our lives are spent answering to others’ expectations of us. Most of us have not been taught to listen to our inner voice and determine our heart’s desires. How, then, do we do this?
The first step is to give yourself permission to live your dreams. You might think that this is easy but there seems to be a little voice that will pop up and undermine your determination to live your dreams. Have you ever heard it? ‘Who do you think you are to dream that big?’ ‘You’re not good enough, smart enough, beautiful enough, slim enough, strong enough, etc. to accomplish that.’ ‘Nobody in the family has ever _________ so what makes you think you can do it?’ And on and on.
Do the work to still this voice. You do have permission to live your dreams. Your heart’s desires are the messages from your Soul about the direction this lifetime is to take. Fulfilling your Life Purpose should feel like the realization of a nagging desire to move in a certain direction. Allow yourself to pursue it.
The second step is to identify your dreams. Figure it out. Energize the vision of you stepping into those dreams.
Next, create a plan. Notice what works to support you and what doesn’t and then adjust your life circumstances to allow the possibility of realizing the dreams you identify.
Take these steps and you’ll have the compass pointed in the right direction. Let your heart’s desire be True North for your compass and set your course. Then enjoy the ride!
PS: It’s not too late to get your “15 for 50″ call. Rosemary has extended the special offer for a few more days. So, if your plans are not shaping up as easily or quickly as you’d like, consider a special Compass Call: that’s a quick dive with Rosemary into Dimensional Exploration to confirm your direction or choose your next step. But hurry, this offer expires soon!
Buy it here:
INSPIRATION FROM ROSEMARY: Where Are You Headed?
Rosemary’s video for the week: Where Are You Headed?
PS: Rosemary has had such a good time with her “15 for 50″ calls she’s extended the offer for a few more days. So, if your plans are not shaping up as easily or quickly as you’d like, consider a special Compass Call: that’s a quick dive with Rosemary into Dimensional Exploration to confirm your direction or choose your next step. But hurry, this offer expires soon!
Buy it here:
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
ROSEMARY’S EXPLORATION: Be Bold. Step Out. Take Action.
Be Brave, Daring, Intrepid, Audacious, Unflinching. Pick one of these synonyms for ‘bold’ and use it as your mantra. (I like ‘Audacious’!)
How can you show up in your life, your work, your relationships as ‘bold’? Have you ever thought about using that word to describe yourself? What would you do today if you were really bold? What would you dare to do, who would you dare to be if there were no end to your courage? What if you knew you could not fail? Would you make a different choice?
It might be a conversation that needs to take place. You might have an idea that has been teasing at the edges of your consciousness but you haven’t given it energy because you’re waiting for the perfect time or circumstances. Do you have a project that is half finished because you’re afraid of what others might think or say when they see it? Is there someone’s approval that you are hoping for and the lack of that approval is keeping you stuck?
These are the situations in which we find ourselves when we forget to be bold. And it is about ‘forgetting.’ You ARE bold! You have taken many courageous steps in your life. Do you disagree with me? I’ll be you can think of at least one time in which you were bold. Take a moment to remind yourself of how it felt. Run that feeling in your body for awhile. Look at the effort it took to be bold in that moment and then reassure yourself that you survived, you’re here today. Sometimes our stress mechanisms go a little haywire and try to convince us that being bold will get us hurt but, I assure you, there are no sabre-toothed tigers waiting to jump on you! Your stress mechanisms might not believe me, though, so you must act despite their illusions.
Step Out.
Once you have decided to Be Bold, it’s time to move forward, step out of the box of your own beliefs and limiting thinking. What is holding you in place? Who is telling you what the limits are?
Sometimes the voice in your head can be from the distance past, like a first-grade teacher or a parent, and sometimes it comes from a belief structure that you developed later in your life, all on your own. Determining where the limits live is the first step in expanding your horizon.
You must be brutally honest with yourself here. The field of all possibilities is right in front of you but you can talk yourself into believing that there is only a narrow path available to you to pursue. Step outside the box of this thinking. Step outside your comfort zone and stretch yourself into the greater space of possibilities. It’s okay. There are no sabre-toothed tigers here, either!
Take Action.
Choose a path and step onto it. Move yourself forward with confidence. When you ask the Universe to support your efforts and you visualize your dreams you must also put some energy into the forward motion toward those dreams. Raise your consciousness and move your feet.
If you feel you aren’t sure which action to take, then do some inner work. Get in touch with your inner guidance. Ask your coach or mentor or counselor to help you work through the blocks. Choose one step you can take and do it. Very few choices are irrevocable. If you get feedback that this choice isn’t taking you in the direction you desire then take another action in a different direction. There’s nothing wrong with trying something. Ask Edison about all the tries before he got the light bulb working. Ask anyone in a research lab and they will tell you that there is good information in the paths that don’t work. Look at the story of Post-It Notes that came about because the glue wasn’t perfect. Just take action.
Be Bold. Step Out. Take Action. You are ready!
PS: It ‘s not too late to 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
INSPIRATION FROM ROSEMARY: “Be Bold, Step Out, Take Action!”
Rosemary’s video for the week: Be Bold, Step Out, Take Action!
PS: Are you stuck for 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
Men and The Goddess 