AUTUMN

MY FAVORITE SEASON! 

The colors, the light, the temperature, cool nights, warm days, the sounds of my feet rustling through the leaves, the aromas, the tastes of food being harvested from my garden; what's not to love?

I'm in the Autumn season of my life; a time of slowing down, noticing, feeling, pondering, allowing myself to feel all the "feels." Moments of melancholy, introspection, awe, honoring my instincts, inspiration and yes, grief; these all cycle through my day. 

Autumn is a time of contraction. Metal contracts as it cools. Our bodies contract as the weather cools and we move our outdoor activities inside. The leaves on trees contract as they dry and fall to the ground. Grief is an emotion that can cause us to contract and compress. We create balance by expanding and opening; while we honor a natural contraction of our bodies and a compression of our emotions. Relish in the polarity. 

I had the pleasure of talking about aspects of the season and practicing Autumnal Qigong forms yesterday with friends. Of course, I tried to pack too much into two hours. I'll let the experience settle, just like the leaves falling from the ash tree in my backyard. And I'll help us all reflect on some images from our time together. 

We began by looking at all four seasons. I subscribe to the notion of the seasons being dictated by the Winter and Summer Solstice and the Spring and Autumn Equinox. Call me a rebel. 

Some models include a fifth season: Late Summer which I call Harvest. I place this season in the middle. It's the in-between time. The time roughly 18 days before each Solstice or Equinox. Consider the Winter Solstice, December 21st in the northern hemisphere. How does it feel in early or mid December. Like Fall? Probably not. 

Weather forecasters have come on board by talking about the "astronomical seasons" and the
"meteorological seasons." The latter model is based on temperature cycles. I like it. These in-between times are called "Doyo" in Japan.

We assign to each season an element, a color, a sound, an organ of the body, a direction, an emotion, even a celestial being. Delving a little deeper, we connect a level of our psyche with each season; a spirit, Autumn, the PO Shen. More about that in a bit. 

Yin and Yang, polarity, transformation; the seasons cycle, ascending, descending, balancing, complimenting each other. The transitions are smooth. Summer energy beings to wane as the world seemingly begins to let go, Autumn colors emerge. Notice the placement of the Winter and Summer Solstices. Winter Solstice, the days become second by second longer. Summer Solstice, even as the temperatures rise, the light of the day decreases. 

This cyclical pattern takes place in life. Conception of life transitions into a youthful Spring energy; transitioning to the vibrancy of young adulthood, summer energy; to the responsibilities and drives of adulthood, to our Autumnal senior years when we slow down a bit, transitioning to a completion, the end of life, Winter. 

Our Qigong practices revolved around our meridians and also specific acupressure points. 

Physical and social-emotional benefits of activating specific points, moving in ways that encourages circulation of Qi along the meridians, using our intuition to pinpoint points; all of these were employed as we explored pathways of energy movement. 

 

And, why not? Let's talk tigers. We learned to make the noise tigers make, we chuffed. 

The Tiger is the celestial being of the West. As tigers we climbed mountains, we pounced, we inhaled a tiger's breath and then let it go with a chuff, exhaling and releasing. Wel use sounds to help us purge, to let go. 

I would remiss if I only showed the elements as they relate to the seasons. We explored the elements in their generating cycle. I posed questions with each element, introducing the effect that the elements have on our psyche. 

Metal: What do I feel or sense at my deepest levels? How can I best honor my instincts? 

Water: How do I best continue? What's around the next bend? Can we even know? 

Wood: Where am I going? I'm certainly reaching for the clouds and out towards the horizons. 

Fire: How do I connect? I feel expansive. I need room. What are my boundaries? 

Earth: What seeds have I planted? What are my intentions? 

I love the Chinese character for Metal. JIN. 

A furnace containing nuggets of gold metal. The furnace is covered with a roof. The PO psyche feels best in a space: a cave, a labyrinth, a deep canyon. Forour purpuses, a simple roof will do. 

Another inspiring symbol, WUJI. 

Throughout the practice, we went to the state of WUJI, emptiness, a place of potential. From there we would begin our next set of forms, our next movements. 

Grief is the emotion associated with Autumn. Grief is something we don't often talk about. Grief is something we sometimes don't let ourselves feel. We need to honor grief. To create a broader perspective I presented attributes of the PO realm of our psyche. Th PO teaches us about appreciating the preciousness of each moment. The PO realm is tethered to our lungs which are balanced with our large intestine. Drawing in, letting go. Being inspired, letting go of what no longer serves us. 

The PO psyche thrives when we honor our animalistic wit and intuition. We are motivated by an embodied knowing and buy sensations. 

Grief is not a loud emotion. It can feel like a heavy veil, weighing us down. In Chinese medicine, grief and mourning are related, but they are not identical. 

• Mourning is strong. It is an acute emotion that can block lung qi. 
• Grief is quiet, persistent, heavy. Grief will weaken the lung Qi in a more subtle way. 

We may experience Anticipatory Grief before an expected loss. Cancer patients for example may feel symptoms of anticipatory grief. Treatments will most likely create a new normal: diminished energy, aches and pains, unpredictable mood swings. "I used to be able to..." can be an expression of grief. 

Care-givers are not only "allowed" to feel grief, it's to be expected. While they may be depended on for their strength, they too will most certainly feel depleted. As the person with illness has to discover their "new normal," the care-giver needs to be included in the picture of "OUR new normal." Long term or terminal illness is hard. Talk about a heavy weight. The care-giver must also carry that weight. It can feel like a burden. "Is this what I signed up for?" The answer is, "this is what is."

Grief that is not openly acknowledged or socially supported is considered to be Disenfranchised Grief. You lose a beloved pet. Others may not respect the weight this grief carries. You lose your job, a friendly neighbor, your sense of taste. Others may not realize the depth of that loss. 

A timeline for grief? No. First off, the experience will most likely be non-linear. It will move in waves. It may be prolonged, intense, disabling, creating functional impairment. 

Honoring grief

• We can carry loss forward rather than trying to solve the "problem" or "get over it." Ouch. 
• Breathe. Inhale, exhale. Every moment is a new moment, know that your emotions will ebb and flow. 
• Stop, look, listen, taste, smell, feel your present moment even as you sit with your loss. 
• Move.

                                                                                        

We began wrapping up our time together by practicing a form called "Drawing the Bow." There are many subtle variations to this form. We drew the bow and let ourselves create some tension in the bow string hand and the arrow hand. Then we let it go. I didn't have to coach people to make a noise when they let go. It just happened. Relief. 

I will include with this post a video of the forms we practiced and another video of a meditation I intended to offer. Sigh. We ran out of time. 

During the meditation we face west, towards the setting sun. We are joined by a white tiger who escorts us down a hill to a white small house. The door is wide open with a sign saying welcome, it includes your name.  Inside, precious metals of various colors. Each gem offers memories of our childhood, our young adulthood, our adulthood. After a while, we climb back up the hill with the tiger ("chuff") to relish in the colors of the sky, we see the colors of our lives, we watch our sun set. We end our day in a state of awe. 

Two more videos to come: Meditation and Stick Qigong

Love to you all.

I wish for you good health, and permission to let yourselves slow down a bit as we travel through Autumn. 

Brian
  

QIGONG PRACTICE VIDEOS

There are so many incredible videos of various teachers demonstrating and teaching Qigong sets and forms. My Friday morning fellow practitioners occasionally receive videos that I recommend.

The first two videos are of a form that I TRIED to teach today and totally botched it up. 

It happens, right? 

I'm human! 

So, we laugh and carry on. 

I'll continue adding videos to this page. Enjoy! 

Immortal Points the Way

Immortal Points the Way 

 

Shibashi 18 Forms Set One

Shibashi 18 Forms Set 3

Shibashi 18 Forms Set 3

If you would like to create a YouTube "playlist" (folder) of your favorite videos:

Find the "Save" icon. It might be below the video or you may need to click on the three dots. 

Once you click on "save" you will see a "new playlist" link. Click on this and name your playlist, you'll see my named playlists below. 

Click on the "playlist" and boom, you're done. 

When you go back to YouTube, you will find your saved playlists. 

Shibashi

Nature. From the early times, Taoist principles and Qigong practices have been inspired by observations of nature. Shamanistic forms drew inspiration from animals, from the stars and astrology, from the elements.





Great, what is this Shibashi? It literally translates as “18 movements or forms”. How do you say it? It’s pronounced “sher bah sher”.

Shibashi is a set of individual Qigong exercises, encouraging us to stop and observe the qualities of nature. Shibashi combines elements from Yang style Tai Chi with breathing and movement exercises from Qigong. During and after a session, the body, mind and spirit undergo a “reboot.” Specific benefits are listed below.

Shibashi was created in Shanghai, China. To this day, all students of Traditional Chinese Medicine in China are required by the Government to study Shibashi. The exercises are medicinal and used to complement treatment of a number of common ailments, including cancer.

First off, many Qigong forms have cool names conjuring poetic images. For example: “painting a rainbow”, “Separating Clouds”, “Turning to Gaze at the Moon”, “Playing with Waves”…

Here are the 18 forms. I’ll note a couple benefits of each form. These are not promises. They’re not meant to replace other medical treatments, they are instead suggested as complimentary exercises.


1. Commencing Move – "Getting hooked up.” As the arms raise, we inhale earth energy, calming the emotions. As the arms lower, tensions are cleared and returned to the earth, where they are composted. We slow down. We move as though we’re painting, maybe we’re getting our canvas ready.

2. Broadening the Chest – Now, we hook up to nature, to our surroundings. This form is helpful for those suffering from depression, insomnia and hypertension and relieving mental fatigue. We unblock Qi energy of the heart and lungs. We open our chest and declutter our heart.

3. Dancing with a Rainbow – We turn upward and connect two important acupressure points: Laogong in the palms and the Bai Hui at the crown of the head. (Words in italics are defined in a previous blog post “Qigong and TCM terms”.) By connecting these points we strengthen the Heart and Triple Heater Meridians. Dancing with a Rainbow, or some call it Painting a Rainbow, relieves back pain and some say it may help to reduce fatty deposits around the waist. No promises though.








4. Separating the Clouds – We reach down to the earth and then up to the clouds strengthening the legs while activating the kidneys. Those who suffer from dizziness, palpitations, anxiety, or shortness of breath may find relief. We also connect two points at the wrists, the Inner and Outer Gates, the Waiguan and Neiguan.


5. Twisting Waist and Swinging Arms – This form moves congested energy from the liver and gall bladder, compressing these organs and lengthening the meridians. It relieves shoulder, elbow and wrist pain. The iliopsoas muscles, a troublesome couple of muscles, are lengthened.




6. Rowing a Boat to the Center of a Lake - A great shoulder opener. This form moves Qi along meridians of the arms (Lung, Heart, Pericardium, Triple Heater…)





7. Lifting a Qi Ball, Reaching for the Sun – Particularly good for relieving stress, it stimulates blood circulation and calms the spirit. The lifting and twisting motion activates the Spleen Meridian.



8. Turning to gaze at the Moon – By twisting the torso, this form improves conditions related to the stomach and spleen and improves digestion and may help reduce fatty deposits around the waist. And then there’s the moon. The earliest Taoists turned to the moon as a window of intuition. By turning to gaze at the moon, might we be seeking hunches from our unconscious mind?

9. Twisting Waist and Pushing Hands – Twisting the torso strengthens the function of and treats ailments of the spleen and stomach, aiding digestion. This form calms the mind, and treats pains in the waist and legs. The pushing motion encourages me to feel: “I’m finished with old, unnecessary thoughts and patterns, bring on the new.”

10. Wave hands like clouds – This has been a favorite form of mine since learning it from a Taiji teacher long ago. The hands focus our attention on the Heart center, and also the lower Dan Tian, the elixir field of our Qi. We connect these two centers with our hands and our breath. The two hemispheres of the brain are exercised with the movement of the hands.




11. Scooping from the Sea and Searching the Sky – Once again we cross our wrists at the Neiguan and Waiguan points, the Inner and Outer Gates. These points remind me that I do not need to absorb other peoples’ energies. On a physical level Neiguan is a point used for treating nausea and motion sickness. The action of reaching down and then extending up and back nurtures the low back and kidneys while allowing us to feel expansive as we reach for the sky.




12. Playing with Waves – While we are learning and practicing new movements, it’s important to smile, to play, to enjoy. Once again we are rocking on our feet, stimulating both Kidney and Bladder points. This movement calms the mind and alleviates anxiety and insomnia by pushing unneeded energy away and pulling in good, healthful Qi. The pulling of the waves directs Qi to the lower Dan Tian.

Practicing this form and the next, we rock on the feet, massaging the point on the bottom of the foot called Bubbling Well, Yongquan, the point where we root to the earth. We also reach upwards from our Bai Hui, our crown.

13. Flying Dove Spreads its Wings – Once again we open the chest by spreading our wings. In doing so, we release blocked Qi and nurture the heart and lungs. Like many other forms, this action helps with depression, especially if done with a smile.





14. Punching – What do you think of when you think of punching? Anger, which can be destructive but can be channeled into productive action. By punching in this form we relieve mental stress and tension (particularly work related stress). But, we focus on keeping our fists relaxed and soft. A dichotomy which can teach us to react with strength and confidence, but with softness. It also strengthens Liver Qi.

15. Flying Like a Goose – I’d like to call this “Acting Like a Silly Goose.” We’re reaching upwards, getting on our tip toes. This form is very grand and ballet-like. We lift away from depression and expand to new heights. This is a wonderful shoulder opener, activating the heart and lung meridians. By getting on our tip toes we exercise the kidney and bladder meridians.

16. Turning the Wheel – This form used to make me dizzy. If we turn “the wheel” focusing on moving the rib cage rather than the arms, we won’t get dizzy. We also follow our arms with our eyes using peripheral vision rather than rotating our neck. Moving the rib cage moves Qi along the Gall Bladder and Spleen meridians. By compressing and then opening the abdomen and chest we aid bowel, liver and kidney function.





17. Bouncing a Ball – This is a balancing of left and right brain hemispheres, improving coordination. The bouncing takes place in our arms, legs and feet, once again moving briefly onto our tip-toes. And like these kids, we smile! Remember the song “Skip to my Lou?” It goes well with this form.




18. Pressing the palms – Regulates and settles internal Qi through the meridians and settles the vital energy in the Dan Tian. We connect heaven and earth. The ascending and descending movements absorb the Yin quality of Earth Qi and the Yang quality of Heaven Qi.


And there you have it. Shibashi 101, a step towards your better understanding of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Practice these gentle yet effective moves with Karen Soo, and with me “in a park.”

I've included two videos: and informative set my Mimi Kuo Deemer, and a shorter, flowing set my Vivian Chao. You will notice variations in some of the forms. But you know me, I like that. 

RECLAIMING MY CRANE

“I don’t know what you’re doing but keep doing it.” My oncologist knows that I attribute my ability to subdue the effects of cancer to the practice of Qigong. He’s mystified by my practices, and in awe. 

“…keep doing it.” 

When I was diagnosed first with Leukemia and then Merkel Cell Carcinoma he asked me if I wanted to know my prognosis, how long do I have to live? 

No, I’m good. That’s up to me.

Lymphocytes have mutated, multiplying irregularly. Cancer cells, bad guys, are creating tumors and harassing my lymph nodes. I’m faced with bullies. 

Being bullied is not new to me. As a kid I was not like the other boys. I drew attention to myself by pretending to be a bird flying across the playground. Ecstasy! 

The other boys called me names; they threatened me verbally and physically. I was branded. I disconnected and was afraid. I built a wall. I hid. I was lonely, but safe. I hid my dreams of flying. 

And now as a grown man another bully has moved onto the playground. Cancer.

My response? I spread my wings and fly like a bird. I unabashedly flap my wings with friends in parks, contentedly drawing the attention of people passing by. They stare, we smile. 

I’m empowered. I’ve reclaimed my crane. 

My oncologist is curious and in awe. What AM I doing? I am pouncing like a tiger and grabbing fruit like a cheeky monkey. I’m standing like a tree and moving like water. I’m dropping on my heels to create vibration and reaching upwards to feel expansiveness. I’m dancing with rainbows and moving my hands like clouds. I’m scooping water from the sea and reaching for the heavens. I’m creating space in my body, mind, and spirit.

I’m living. 

I am balancing Eastern and Western modalities as I fight this disease. I attribute my physical and mental state of well being to Qigong and acupuncture; but I also rely on immunotherapy, surgery, radiation, all the things. 

During our Friday morning Qigong practices we will be flapping wings, practicing Crane forms.

I’ve chosen to start with forms as taught by Kseny as we focus on expansion, and compression. We begin curled up, asleep. And then we rise, we fly. 

I hope that you will spread your wings and fly!

I love you all.

Brian

EXPANSION, CONTRACTION, COMPRESSION

BECOMING UNSTUCK: Expand, Contract, Compress, Repeat

One of the first Qigong forms I learned, and one that I practice with friends regularly is "Compress Pearl." 

Palms face each other, okay, the Laogong points on the palms face each other, as though we're holding a ball, or a pearl in front of the lower Dan Tian. As we inhale, the arms lift to the sides creating more space. The arms lower on an exhalation, letting the palms organically draw back to the pearl. Open, close, open, close. 

Eventually one might feel some sort of sensation between the palms, energy, electricity... Sometimes I feel as though two magnets are being pushed towards each other, they create some sort of a energetic resistance. 

Compression = Reduced volume created by external pressure or squeezing. An object is made smaller due to an external force or applied pressure. Compression also comes in the form of a hug. 

Perhaps we're embracing or caressing that Qi ball at our Lower Dan Tian. It's a good thing. 

Contraction = Becoming smaller, shorter, or tighter. This action generates force and causes movement. Contraction is an inward expression, due to internal changes rather than an outside squeeze.

Expansion = We make room for inspiration. We open our eyes. We connect to the vastness of the universe. We experience a sense of awe. 

We've also been practicing "Shake the Back Seven Times to Eliminate the 100 Illnesses" or "Drop the Heels" or "Drop the Post."

Brace yourselves. As we contract, squeezing our muscles, lifting onto our tiptoes, we inhale. As we release, we drop our heels and exhale. Contract on the inhale, expand on the exhale; the opposite of "Compress Pearl."  

I teach a variation of "Drop the Heels" as it is practiced by the Shaolin Monks. We raise up onto the balls of our feet, onto our tiptoes, lifting the heels, inhale, and then drop onto the heels exhaling as we create a vibration throughout the body. 

The variation I teach also involves raising the shoulder up to the ears, making fists, bending the wrists so that our fists are behind us, even the eyebrows instinctively rise, we've inhaled, we hold the breath for a moment, squeeze, squeeze, squeeze. And then we drop onto our heels with a mighty exhalation. We release. Our arms swings out in front of our bodies. It's as though a spring has been released.  

What have we done here? We've contracted our muscles, drawing inwards, compressing. We've created an isometric compression by holding for even just one second. The real lesson comes with the release. 

Release = Relief 

"Six Directional Breathing" is an excellent practice focusing on breath, expansion and contraction. 

Begin by focusing on the lower abdomen and the lower back, the Dan Tian and the Ming Men. Place one palm just below the belly button, the other hand, palm facing out at your lower back. Breathe. See if you can feel your hand at the lower Dan Tian gently move forward on the inhalation. The back hand? I feel as though I’m creating space between my rib cage and my sacrum. 

Now we grow wings. Bring your arms to your sides. We are going to breathe into the sides of the body, expanding the rib cage. Feel space in the arm pits. The inhalation encourages a gentle lift of the arms. The exhalation allows the "wings" (yes, you've grown wings) to settle back down towards the sides. Your wings are attached to your spine. Feel that connection. After a while, the lift of the arms feels effortless. The breath is creating the lift. Wu wei, effortless action. 

I introduce the next direction, UP, by imagining that as you lower your wings, you are gracefully generating lift, like a bird. On the downstroke, wings compress air beneath them. This generates the upward lift needed to raise the bird’s body against gravity. 

Breathe and feel a lift at the crown, the Bai Hui. Feel space all the way down the torso, down to the perineum, the Huiyin point. Maybe we can imagine the breath traveling all the way down to the feet. 

Another application: next time you practice "Compress Pearl," see if you can feel the expansion in six directions. 

All together now: front and back, side to side, top to bottom. 

Space, expansiveness, lightness; fly like a bird. 

I spend a great deal of time thinking about Qigong's effect on the psyche. 

Expansion creates feelings of openness, receptivity, growth, and connection. We may feel aligned with our desires and values. We feel energized, inspired, and ready to reach beyond our current limitations. Think like a tree. 

We feel drawn to the ethereal realms, Shen and Hun; being in awe while being inspired by dreams. The expansiveness of heaven creates the sense of awe. Shen spirits are tethered to the heart, fire element: expansion, the draw to move upwards.

Contraction in contrast signals a need to pause, reflect, ground ourselves, sometimes emerging from fear or uncertainty. How does your body feel when you're nervous, anxious, frightened, sad? While contraction may feel restrictive, it serves as a necessary process for introspection, focus, or recalibration before we can expand again. 

This compressed state is common in the realm of the Po Soul of the corporeal realm. The Po Soul is connected to the lungs. The lungs express shades of grief. How does your body express grief? 

Visit FAQ about the Wu Shen, the Five Spirits to learn more about the Shen, Hun, Po, Yi, and Zhi Spirits; metaphors of the human psyche. 

Both expansion and contraction contribute to a well-rounded psyche.

Is one good, the other bad? No. 

Compression is sometimes given a bad rap. It’s paired with suppression, or repression. Play with this idea: think of compression as a zip-drive, creating space. Rather than storing raw memories, we can compress “data” into images, archetypes, and dreams. The expansion may help us retrieve "data," let go, move on. Or, perhaps we'll keep the "data" safe until we're ready to process. Read my blogpost: Descending Into Awareness

Expansion and compression are two halves of a single whole. These expressions are present in the natural world, the seasons, day and night, growth and decay... All living things express expansion and contraction. The universe is thought to be expanding. 

Yin and Yang.

Expansion comes with great relief. While it may feel like the grand finale, it’s not the penultimate since the process repeats and repeats in our daily lives, in our practices. I end my sessions by practicing expansion. Then we ground ourselves. And then we bow three times, expressing gratitude. The bows feel like a compressed hug. 

Qigong forms you'll see in this video expressing expansion, compression, and contraction:

• Six Directional Breathing
• Green Dragon from the East
• Compress Pearl
• Wise Owl Turns Its Head
• Dragon Transforms Qi
• Drop the Heels
• Monkey Lifts Paws

May you experience expansiveness, safety and balance.

One more thought, life begins with an inhalation. 

Expansion. 

Life ends with an exhalation. 

Contraction. 

In the meantime? BREATHE! 

I love you all. 

Brian

A hug, compressed love