The Zen Diarist

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Trees and the sinfulness of tai chi

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There is a wonderful magic about trees. But maybe today we are too concerned with world affairs. Trees have become an ecological issue rather than a beauty to behold. And they can teach us so much. Stand and admire a tree, any tree, and listen. Whether a magnificent horse-chestnut or a scrawny alder sapling, focusing on a tree can help us reconnect with Earth.

Those with some sensitivity may notice that different species impart varying qualities. A stroll through a deciduous wood feels so different from a walk in a coniferous forest, for instance. If we stand by an apple tree, the energy is very much in contrast to that of a mighty oak.

Some meditation traditions employ these differences, knowing that sitting under one type will produce different effects in the meditator than another. It is said that the Buddha attained enlightenment under the bodhi tree. Not just any old tree.

Jesus doesn’t do tai chi, I’m told

Ignorance is part of all of us but it can be staggering at times. Seeing a shard of light through a window doesn’t make us enlightened.

For nearly fifteen years we have run a not-for-profit tai chi group. Tai chi is wonderful for people of all ages, providing exercise for body and mind. It is recommended by the NHS, Versus Arthritis,  and the Alzheimers Society amongst many others.

This week I made enquiries about the possible use of a sports hall for tai chi. The hall is part of a community centre, which used to be in public ownership and is now owned by a church. They know us well on the community side of things and the wonderfully spacious hall was available. It would have been ideal.

However, the manager informed me that they would not allow tai chi there. It was completely at odds with their beliefs. They can’t allow that sort of thing. Tai chi is “Chinese and it has mystical roots which don’t fit with Jesus and his teachings”. Oh. Nor does yoga or meditation, in case you were wondering. I don’t know what they would think of trees.

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Chaos? Yes, but there is a way out of this

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Chaos in the worldChaos seems to be the order (or rather disorder) of the day. Wars still carry on, megalomaniacs continue to run nations and in the UK one might be forgiven to think we are governed by headless chickens. The history books of the future will provide much wonderment and amusement about this age of chaos. Perhaps global warming will have been sorted by then. We are not in the future, though, so what can we do now?

Chaos is the result of lost connections

Humanity has gone rogue. Some people go rogue when they stay in a hotel. If they were staying with a friend, they wouldn’t steal the toiletries and the towels, or worse. They feel no connection with the hotel and so their not-so-good human qualities come to the surface. Humanity is rather like that at the moment. We forget we are an integral part of the world. Instead, we behave as though we were staying at Hotel Earth – guests without any responsibility. The result is chaos. We are not guests, though. This is our home.

A paradigm shift is essential, but how?

As the chaos is the result of humanity’s collective consciousness, how we think must change. Education, both formal and informal, is a major player, then. But there is something else. We have to restore our energetic connection to Earth. Our minds are too Yang and we need the calming effect of Earth’s Yin energy. When we allow that to happen, how we think changes and so our behaviour does, too. Standing Like a Mountain is one of the simplest ways of reconnecting to Earth Qi. Just a few minutes, or even a minute, can help to restore balance. Meditation is also enormously helpful. We may think we don’t need to for ourselves but the effect isn’t just for us. It’s for the world. And we need to do it now.

Learning how to stop overthinking

Free guided meditations

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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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Movement: why listening to our body is vital for health

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Movement exerciseMovement and exercise feature heavily in magazines, newspapers and most other forms of media at this time of year. As soon as New Year festivities are over, out comes every piece of advice we’ve probably heard a hundred and one times before. Photos of svelte figures performing near-impossible postures or muscly ones with abs like washboards appear everywhere. Are they meant to inspire us or to drive home the message that we are hopeless cases? Either way, they can fascinate us because, deep down, we know that movement is a natural expression of life.

Movement – harmful or life-enhancing?

We undertake all manner of movement, even when we are sitting, but the modern advice that a sedentary lifestyle can cause harm seems irrefutable. Even if we are chair-bound, there are exercises to help us maintain or improve health. That makes good sense because we know that when the body isn’t moving much, energy cannot circulate well. If this is prolonged, the muscles and tissues weaken. But before we don our running shoes or head off to the gym, how do we know what level or amount of exercise is appropriate for our body? Indeed, perhaps something like tai chi would be better for us than pounding pavements or pumping iron.

Movement weight

Balancing yin and yang

When we are inactive, the body tends to be more yin, whilst exercise increases yang qualities. One should balance the other – gradually. By the application of yang through movement, we convert sluggishness into something lighter and more vibrant. How much is enough, though? It is easy to become over-enthusiastic and then strain can put us out of action altogether.

Movement child

The sweet spot

If we want to be healthy and balanced, we need to find our sweet spot. This is the optimum point between rest and activity. The sweet spot changes from season to season, and even with different times of day, as well as with age. It is different for everyone as body types and constitutions vary. As we increase our capacity for activity, it will change, too. There is no common prescription that suits everyone so we need to listen to our body. Intuitively, we can sense when we need to do more and likewise when the body has had enough. Increasing movement may generally be good for us but to get it right, listening to the body’s intelligence is absolutely essential.

For balance in life, there is a wealth of information in The Great Little Book of Happiness

Free guided meditations

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Seasons and ageing: the life-enhancing secret of Nature

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Seasons autumn leavesSeasons are wonderful. They are like a gift that can teach us so much, not only about the world around us but ourselves, too. The optimist embraces the change of the seasons and our culture has always recognised the significance of the equinoxes and solstices in the annual cycle.

Seasons are Nature’s rhythm, so let’s dance

Often, we associate November with gloom and dampness but this year in the UK, Nature is particularly glorious. Thanks to the hot summer, the colours of the leaves on the trees are now spectacular. Is this a hint that if we live a full life, our own autumn will be colourful? Perhaps not necessarily for all, but it does indicate how deeply the past affects the present. Always living fully in the present enhances not just life today but our future, too. For the pessimist, spring is too wet, summer too hot, autumn miserable and winter just too cold to be mentioned – life is just shades of grey. But if we embrace all seasons, both Mother Nature’s and our own, life will be like a kaleidoscope – a continuous play of colour and rhythm.

Seasons hang in thereDon’t resist – hang in there and enjoy the ride

As our individual life goes through its phases, it is easy to see the correspondence with the seasons outside. The spring of youth and the summer of adulthood are full of energy. Seeking to prolong them is perfectly understandable. Knowing that these periods won’t last, people have been looking for the secret of eternal youth since time immemorial. Who can blame them? But internally we create resistance and interfere with the flow of energy through us. Instead of being happy with life, there is a cloud of dissatisfaction lurking in our hearts. In tai chi, which should be an effortless flow, our teachers will always find the knots of resistance in us. Gradually we learn to let go and practice becomes easier. The same applies in life. Outside, enjoy the seasons; inside, welcome the present with an open heart.

Much more on living in tune with life cycles is in The Great Little Book of Happiness.

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