We have added more Qigong to the video on demand. This month will be 3 levels of Ba Duan Jin, the 8 Piece Brocade.  Here are 3 vital, and important things to remember to never forget when studying Qigong, yoga, or any art form or wellness practice. I promise you that you have, and will, encounter these wellness "no no's" a lot on your path. 

THINK CHINESE SPAGHETTI SAUCE

My mind works in metaphor and I think laterally. Everything is art, and I wish more people saw it that way. So how is wellness, martial arts, music, yoga, or qigong, like spaghetti sauce?

When you practice this work, you will meet people that learned it differently than you. If they are wise they will be interested in new ways, however, if they're ignorant slaves to their traditions. Then, they will assume their way is correct and your's is wrong. 

This reminds me of my time in New York and New Jersey. At that time, I was working as a musician and chef. I remember meeting my friend's little Italian moms and they would talk about their "sauce," (Literal passionate conversations about spaghetti sauce) and how their's was the best. Then I would go somewhere else, and there's was the best, as they would mention how their neighbor's sauce was crap. Chefs would have their way, and their way was the best. Ask them about the restaurant across the street? Their sauce was wrong, they had no idea how to make it right. They never knew that they all were using the same 6-8 ingredients and they were all certain that their was was the right, and only way. These people were like 80's rappers calling everyone "sucker mc's."

Traditional artists are this way too. "My teacher taught me this way..." "Mine this way..." Blah blah.

It's just spaghetti sauce. We are all using the same ingredients. Open up to new ways, learn from new lenses and just smile and nod when they think they're right, because they are. The key is using high quality ingredients. Make those ingredients strong, make your fundamentals strong. When we all have good fundamentals, then it's just a matter of taste, and learn to taste when they're using ketchup instead of good tomatoes, or just adding mushrooms to premade sauce. Many great wellness practices are already made, so are we adding something of value to the "sauce," or are we just like this old chef I used to work with that would add gingerale syrup because he wanted to share the gift of diabetes with our beloved customers. Know when you have s sweet tooth all you blissed out escapists.

JAZZERCISE OR HIGH IMPACT STEP AEROBICS?

You will notice that I have many versions of the Ba Duan Jin. In the 32 piece course there are 4 different ways, thats why I call it the 32 piece. It's the 8 Piece Brocade 4 different ways. MATH!

Why? 

Because, some people do Jazzercise, and some do High Impact Step Aerobics. Just like the sauce, it's the same ingredients, just different attitudes and intentions. Imagine the energy of a child, then imagine the energy of a teenager, then an adult, then the elderly. We all need exercise, vital energy, balance, flow, and wellness. The problem is, that most of us have never had the privilege of carrying these arts through our entire life. I fortunately have had that privilege, and love sharing the many ways we can adapt the same sauce to our entire life's story. Seek wellness before you think you're sick. Seek wisdom before it finds you first.

FUN FACT: THERE ARE NO QIGONG FUN FACTS

Don't take this work too serious. If you google qigong fun facts, nothing comes up. This is a metaphor for how we often approach this work. We often seek it as a healing art, which often assumes you think you're broken and need to "heal." Or we seek it for reasons of power or advantage. Either way. Lighten up and get over that ego crap. Bring a light and joyful heart to good and often deep, heavy work. 

Don't forget to remember these things as you practice.

This is an invitation to really focus on the fundamentals. This is a reminder to find the joy in the simplicity, and the humor in our intense and uptight search for meaning. It's inside you btw. You're making up the meaning all the time. Journal about it or something. 

Matt