Thought Art

@aurum Modern medicine is strong, but if you study the problems it’s facing in the west you could also see it’s vaste limitations and epistemic limitations. The trick is not to say “oh this system is best and ignore the rest” it’s to study what is available and take what works. Traditional Chinese Medicine has some concepts and ideas when applied with the best of western mind body medicine that I think are crucial to human well-being. But, Chinese medicine is hard to understand and obviously I can’t explain it here. And, it’s complicated

@aurum Qigong isn’t new age but yeah. It’s Tradtional Chinese medicine, Toaist and Buddhist. Has been practiced for 3000 years. It has been evolving like science for 3000 years too. I am the continuation of its evolution. One of the benefits of Qigong is that it survived for 3000 years because of the benefits it produces. There are studies on qigong and tonnes of testimonials of the practice. I get extremely positive feedback from classes. You raise a good point. I don’t like new age healing and that’s not what I’m doing. A lot of fine distinctions are being made with what I am doing. It has increasing support in western schools of treatment for stress, depression, addiction, insomnia, etc. What you are saying about modern health care also isn’t true. It doesn’t work 100%. It’s blatently false to say modern western medicine is this perfect system. But, it’s useful and important and I study it too. Science has strengths and limitations. Science also backs up a tonne of Qigong. But, not all of it. Obviously. I am not claiming to cure disease. Qigong is a health and wellness practice which reduces stress and improves energy, mental clarity and immune system. Studies have shown this very clearly. That being said, Qigong does aid in immune and the bodies natural healing by increasing digestion, breathing, circulation, immune system. It’s a holistic health practice and complentary self maintainence. It does not replace doctors. I am compiling studies on Qigong and TCM done by western methodology. There is a lot of strong evidence supporting the efficacy of Qigong for the desired results of which I teach.

Arcadefire lyrics are very truth based I think The businessmen are drinking my blood Like the kids in art school said they would And I guess I'll just begin again You say, "Can we still be friends?" If I was scared, I would And if I was bored, you know I would And if I was yours, but I'm not All the kids have always known That the emperor wears no clothes But they bow down to him anyway Because it's better than being alone If I was scared, I would And if I was bored, you know I would And if I was yours, but I'm not Now you're knocking at my door Saying, "Please come out with us tonight" But I would rather be alone Than pretend I feel alright If the businessmen are drinking my blood Like the kids at art school said they would Then I guess I'll just begin again You say, "Can we still be friends?" If I was scared, I would And if I was pure, you know I would And if I was yours, but I'm not Now I'm ready to start If I was scared, I would And if I was pure, you know I would And if I was yours, but I'm not Now I'm ready to start ] Now I'm ready to start I would rather be wrong Than live in the shadows of your song My mind is open wide And now I'm ready to start And now I'm ready to start My mind is open wide And now I'm ready to start Not sure you'll open the door To step out into the dark Now I'm ready

Recently discovered the pool next to me is free to swim! So I’ll be doing a daily swim until planting season I think.

Angst on the planks, spittin' from a bridge Just to see how far down it really is Robbing a bank, jumping on a train Old antiques a man alone can entertain It takes all of your power To prove that you don't care I'm not Cordelia, I will not be there I will not be there, I will not be there Yeah Tin can man, dragging from a car Just to see how alive you really are Marrying words, falling in your wake Just to tell what you can't eliminate It takes all of your power To prove that you don't care I'm not Cordelia, I will not be there Treading the boards, screaming out Macbeth Just to see how much bad luck you really get Jump in the ring with your hidden cape The bull can't decide what it is that he really hates It takes all of your power To prove that you don't care I'm not Cordelia. I will not be there Not be there, not be there Angst on the planks, spittin' from a bridge Just to see how far down it really is Robbing a bank, jumping on a train Old antiques a man alone can entertain It takes all of your power To prove that you don't care I'm not Cordelia, I will not be there Not be there, not be there Thief lingers on, on his hands and knees Must be one more thing he'll really need Die in your dreams, falling on your knife A thief blinded on the job has to steal for life It takes all of your power To prove that you don't care I'm not Cordelia, I will not be there Not be there, I will not be there I will not be there, not be there

@Jodistrict I think Hatha way yoga is a great. I grew up doing intense Ashtanga yoga which I love and want to get back into. In Qigong theory having a strong body healthy body is important for Qi cultivation and doing meditation. Body - Qi - Shen We build a strong supple body We cultivate and tonify our Qi We purify and focus the mind Really, we have this one body. Qigong, Yoga, Breathwork, Dao Yin, etc are amazing to practice and explore for a life time.

@Realms of Wonder Probably not with regards to this part of my life. I still want to teach this movement practice in a truthful way, while honouring its ancient roots.

Thanks again everyone. if you use Instagram you can check out my page @officialeffortlessqigong Would love feedback. I’m just getting it started and taking a Instagram marketing course from Rachel Pederson.

Take my money

@Grateful Dead It changed my life as well. I’m was teaching in person classes here this winter. I’m a seasonal worker for at least one more summer so in person isn’t an option until next fall. But, online has worked. I sold a high ticket offer this winter. My goal is to sell 5 this year. It takes a lot of work. That’s it. And, it won’t happen over night. Most yoga/ qigong teachers don’t make it full time. But, I can. I want to develop a practical and grounded Qigong practice. This summer I am also taking a mindfulness coach certification and a breathwork certification.

@Something Funny Thanks. Qi isn’t inherently airy fairy once studied and felt. But, concepts in it I think are.

Thank you a lot for your time. My ambition is larger than my means. Patience… @integral thank you a lot. I’ll consider that as I go forward. I gotta take these skill sets and ideas and make them my own, while being outcome oriented and helping people.

Qi is simply your aliveness. Which, yea is mythical because we don’t know how it started. It’s immortal because it gets handed off indefinitely through human reproduction, and it self organized into a human being. Qigong affects the emotions via the physical and mental movements which change the energetic flow of the energy. Stretching for example lowers physical and emotional stress. When you do that, you feel better changing the emotions. “Qi” is emotions, it’s also metabolism, or bioelectrical energy running through the fascia and it’s the charge the moves through the nerves too. It’s also consciousness. “Qi” isn’t a reductionist notion. It contains both material and non-material aspects as it’s rooted in a philosophical model that reality is made of consciousness. I agree that yeah, we don’t need to be attached to the magic side. Like, Mantak Chia level Cosmic Qigong. Those visualizations do help the practice and the subjective experience though. When you practice Qigong it feels like swimming through a sea of energy. So, even though I don’t fully understand it, and science does t prove this field of energy around the body it is felt in the practice.

Qi ball is done because it feels very real. The idea of there being the “lower tan tian” is common through Qigong texts and schools. Again, feels very real. Super Centering, grounding, and you can feel the energy you generated in the palms and belly. That’s the Qi. What’s happening is mysterious I don’t know. I feel it. I didn’t for the first month or two but. I do these days. It can leave you feeling super centred, grounded and energized though. @Hojo New mind body science and trauma research suggests emotions are held not just the brain but the body.

@integral I am basing my understanding on my certification. My teacher Lee Holden has taught Qigong for 35 years and is a westerner. He is also an acupuncturist. He knows what he is talking about. In healing sounds you exhale with “haaaaaaa” to clear heart energy. Then you hold the hands in front of the chest and smile into the heart, with a red light. To tonify the heart energy associated with either impatience and hatred or love compassion. Each organ has its own sound, colour, emotional polarity etc, which can vary depending on teacher/ lineage. This practice feels very good. I don’t do energy healing on people. Not yet anyway. I teach you to do it yourself.

@Elliott Thank you!

Yes, Okay! Qigong is a weird space. So much value and bullshit.

@Leo Gura I help people clear stress and tension and improve their energy. I also teach energy management (The power of full engagement) and Learned optimism/ adversity quotient in the beta program along with the daily Qigong routines I customized for her. I am essentially trying to teach people how to remove chronic stress in mind and body so they can live better lives. I realized this has to be done somatically through movement, breath, mindfulness and also cognitive behaviour, journaling etc. Really, I teach the Qigong and inform and coach on the other stuff. Provide tools. Qigong is a great practice for this. How to develop inner peace, relieve stress, have more energy, clear physical tension and stress. I am by no means “stress free 20 4 7. Most of my stress right now is dealing with all this ambition!!!

@Leo Gura I don’t know man. I’m all fucked up over here. Is this true? Is that true? Am I deceiving myself? I need some rest, a digital detox and some time with a journal. I feel it in my heart I wanna teach stress and energy management, Qigong, Breathwork, acupressure.

@Leo Gura I am not sure what you mean by the visualization thing exactly. Qigong is more of an exercise.

@Staples That’s easy to say. But, putting in tonnés of work and having to work a 9-5 on top of that? No way. Money has to be considered. I am not throwing out all of Traditional Chinese Medicine, or Qigong theory. But, certain claims like in all fields don’t make sense even to like normal people.

@Leo Gura I’m confused as fuck what I’m doing next. I mean, I’m not stupid. Or at least completely stupid at all times Qigong is a fantastic exercise with many benefits. The feeling of the energy is very real. But, the healing sounds practice? The associated with certain organs and movements? I don’t buy it. I get benefit from Qigong and acupressure. But, these aren’t like “hard” sciences or practices. Which, makes sense due to their traditional and “holistic” nature. But, like who am I to “create a more truthful system”. I sort of just want to get out of poverty. I honestly just want happiness, fulfilment and success and a feeling of alignment and integrity with what I am doing. I wanna be creative too. I like practicing Qigong and recording the videos. It’s super peaceful, relaxing and feels good. People I teach in person love the classes and get a lot of benefit from them: improve sleep, pain, etc… But, it’s these ancient maps and certain system like “healing sounds” even though it feels really really good. Does it really associate with the Organ?? Or is it just a nice purging and tonifying breathing and mindfulness practice. I am by no means throwing “Qi” in the trash. It’s a useful philosophical tool and subjective experience. But, idk.

It's definitely good for you. When I work for 6 months of the year I burn calories equal to a half marathon or more each day.

I think this is then end of a chapter. But, what comes next I don't know. I realized that social media and marketing online just aren't for me. I am not feeling well today. Something has to change in my life I think. I am thinking a lot of Leo's advice, or how I am applying it doesn't work for me. Maybe, the life purpose course and escaping wage slavery got me all fucked up because now I know what some people can achieve but, maybe not me?

@Elliott Yeah, I think I'll finish my beta program with this client and then take a break.