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How to balance our inner fire

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Fire and WaterFire, one of the five elements in Qigong, is particularly strong this year, and even more so in the summer months. Fire governs the heart and circulatory system in our bodies. When it is in balance, the body functions well, but when it is too strong our health can suffer. When we are feeling agitated, irritable or angry, it is often because our inner fire is burning too vigorously. There is too much heat in our system, which can easily damage our heart and circulation.

Fire on the world stage

This year, we have seen many examples of anger and hatred in our towns and cities. On the world stage also, violence in the Middle East conflict has flared out of control. Untold suffering is being created by the thoughts and actions of supposedly intelligent people, but when Fire is too strong, it unbalances minds. Hatred ignites far too easily and intelligence becomes charred remains. But all is not lost.

The antidote to excess fire

The strongest healing power in the universe is love, unconditional love. That is what the world needs and that is what a balanced heart will give out. Fire element is not bad – it helps us to think clearly and to radiate love and joy, healing and nurturing – but it needs to be in balance.

Balancing with water

We cannot change the world directly, but we can help ourselves to find balance. In the summer months, it can be helpful to balance our inner fire by being near water and greenery. We can meditate near water or simply visualise a lake or a waterfall – whatever appeals. Fire can make us overthink or become anxious. Sipping water often can help. Breathe slowly and calmly, then smile. That way, our contribution to world consciousness will be more balanced and soothing, and that is no small thing.

Do less to accomplish more: The Art of Not Doing

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Tune in – the Magic of Spring Energy is here

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Spring is well and truly with us now. Just as the energy in Nature is changing, so is that within our own bodies. In Qigong practice, we understand this as the time of year when the Wood element* predominates. This is the energy that gives rise to growth and activity, and is closely associated with the liver. The body is seeking to cleanse itself of the stale energy left over from the colder months, so the liver will be working hard. There is a touch of excitement about this season, too, because Fire is also strengthening as we begin the trek towards the heat of summer.

Tune in outside

What does this mean for us? Cocooned in our modern homes and workplaces, we may forget that the body is intelligent and is informed by its surroundings. Getting outside into the fresh air more helps us to stay in tune with our environment. Having a little more physical activity is important, too. Nature prompts us, quite literally, to spring into action.

But don’t overdo it

That doesn’t mean trotting off to the gym, necessarily. Having just passed the Spring Equinox, we are at the halfway point between the maximum Yin energy of winter and the Yang energy of the summer. The balance is actually a little delicate, like a seesaw balancing on its fulcrum. If we do too much, it is easy to put the body out of balance. Moderation in all things is the key if we want to keep our immune system strong.

Be happy!

The emotion of happiness is very supportive for the liver, so it is very good to keep smiling, even if life is throwing a few curved balls at us. Smile to yourself when you wake up in the morning and send a smile out from your heart into the world. “I am happy and grateful for being right here. Thank you.” Words like that – there is no formula, so use whatever phrase you feel comfortable with – immediately begin to change our energy for the rest of the day. It works like magic, so perhaps it is!

*The Five Elements are Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water

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Qi power – secrets of internal energy for health and stability

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Qi power vitality Qi power, the product of cultivating internal energy, is the stuff of martial arts fantasy films. Flying onto and across rooftops, walking up walls and performing endless miraculous feats are as normal as a stroll down the road. It could be fun, couldn’t it? As wildly imaginative as such stories may be, tales of fiction are often inspired by something that has its basis in reality. Qi power is one such example, or rather catalogue of examples, of the extraordinary having its roots in truth. Sadly, it is extremely unlikely that we will fly through the air without props of some kind. However, we can learn to harness this amazing energy to better our health.

Qi power for health – it’s free!

Qi is vital energy. It pervades the universe, our bodies and the environment. Qi power is what comes from optimising the flow of qi. Just as diffused light can be focused, and water can be channelled or allowed to dissipate, it is possible to cultivate this marvellous energy for our own health. Wonderfully, it costs nothing, just a little time. There are three key things to its cultivation: posture, breath and, most importantly, mental focus. There are many qigong practices – sets of exercises (or stances) with co-ordinated breathing to develop qi power – but we may not be able or willing to commit to those. Even so, we can do something that is quite simple and very effective.

Qi power mountain

Standing like a mountain

With just a little practice, this simple exercise can build up a feeling of both inner and outer strength. Qi or vital energy becomes more stable and stronger in the lower part of the body. It connects us mentally and energetically to the Earth and our surroundings, calming the mind and pacifying the nervous system. This is the amazing effect of qi power.

The posture
  1. Stand with the feet shoulder width apart or even a couple of inches wider. Adjust the feet so that the toes point straight ahead of you and the feet are parallel to each other. Relax the knees so they are not “locked” straight. The weight should be evenly balanced.
  2. Straighten the back and then relax the shoulders so that they drop. Tuck the chin in a little so that the neck is straight and feel as though you are suspended by a thread from the top of the head. Turn the hands so that the palms face backwards and are slightly out from the side of the body. Bring them forwards an inch or two.
The technique
  1. Now for the inner position. Place the tip of the tongue just behind the front teeth. Relax the abdomen. The gaze should be horizontal, as if you were looking out to a distant horizon.
  2. Breathe so that as you inhale the diaphragm comes down and pushes the abdomen out slightly and when you exhale the abdomen relaxes inwards a little.
  3. Allow the energy in the body to settle, rooting you to the Earth. Let the mind empty.
  4. Sometimes feel the feet or the hands, but always come back to the lower abdomen as it moves with the breath.
  5. Feel as though you are very tall, very strong, and unshakeable. Remain standing in this way for 2, 3 or even 4 minutes.

You can find more on this in The Great Little Book of Happiness, available in paperback and ebook.

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Energy circulation: why it is better for health than jogging

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Colourful energy circulation Energy circulation in the body is probably the most important factor in maintaining good health. When illness strikes, it is usually the result of an imbalance in the body that has been going on for some time. Inflammation and congestion are known causes of many modern ailments and are the result of poor energy circulation. Cardiovascular health is a top priority in fitness regimens, as is body mass index, but the slimmest, fittest person I know was recently found dead in a ditch, following a massive coronary attack whilst on a bicycle ride. Intense aerobic exercise is not always the best option and often ignores body types and constitutions. Energy circulation acknowledges the importance of overall health and fitness but approaches it with a different emphasis – nurturing the body rather than seeing it as a challenge to be overcome.

How can I use energy circulation?

There are many techniques and practices that help to circulate energy through the body. Most involve physical movement of some kind and, essentially, all employ the mind. There is a very close correlation between mind and energy. Borrowing from Taoist thought, yi (mind) leads the qi (energy). If the mind is tense, so too is the body. The natural state of the mind is openness but past conditioning and innumerable emotions create tension in most of us. Letting go of these is a gradual process and is a key component in allowing qi to flow through us, so promoting health and vitality. Meditation is one very useful practice; qigong is another. Tai chi (taiji) can be thought of as combining the two in a system of slow martial arts moves.

Energy circulation focus

A simple qigong exercise

  • Stand with the feet apart and back straight. (Alternatively, sit upright.) Lift the head slightly, as though you are lengthening the neck. Place the tip of the tongue lightly on the hard palate, just behind the teeth. Breathe slowly.
  • Bring the hands to a few inches in front of the chest, as though holding an orb of light, with the fingers pointing upwards.
  • Breathe in and imagine the orb expanding, pushing the hands apart a little. As you exhale, close the hands, shrinking the orb to its original size.
  • Continue doing this for at least a couple of minutes and then lower the hands and rest them on the lower abdomen, just below the navel, for about half a minute.

This is a wonderful start to the practice of energy circulation.

For a free guided meditation on circulating energy, go here.

Other free meditations.

More information on health and energy in my book on happiness.

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Be rooted again: how a simple trick enhances life and wellbeing

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Be rooted treeBe rooted and you can become almost unshakeable. This is a common principle in martial arts, especially taiji (tai chi), where we can become so firmly grounded through the legs and feet that another person finds it impossible to push or pull us over. It gives an illusion of enormous strength but there is little muscular force in it, in fact quite the opposite. To be rooted, we have to learn to become centred and to relax. Although this technique, if we call it that, we express through the body, it is a mental approach that we can apply throughout life.

Be rooted: find your centre

When we are anxious – and we are living in an age where there is much anxiety – whatever we think or do plays out on a background of instability. Our energy is unsettled and our minds are too active, too yang. As a result, events in life and even what people say can pull us this way and that. Our stress responses go up and quality of life goes down. We have forgotten how to be rooted.

The first step in coming back is to find our own centre. Instead of letting our energy go up through the chest and into our head, creating chaos on the way, we bring it to the centre of the body and down into the belly. Just focus. Let the energy build. Focus at the navel or slightly below and slow the breath down. The energy will come home to its centre. It’s a good feeling and is entirely natural.

Relax: keep your head up but let your feet sink

Letting the energy come home to the centre is the first stage. To be rooted well, we also need to let go of everything and relax. Relax your legs and feet, too. Your feet are designed to be in contact with the ground, so let them enjoy that. Let them sink. Really feel the earth through your feet. Thich Nhat Hanh used to say, “kiss the Earth with your feet”. Or we may like to feel as though we are breathing through the soles, drawing in nourishment from the ground beneath us. Once we have learnt to be rooted like this, there is no cause for anxiety. Centred and relaxed, we belong to the Earth and wherever we are, we are at home. Life is so much better like that. And it’s easy.

There is more like this in The Great Little Book of Happiness and my other books, available here.

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