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May 23, 2006
"Life is short - stay away from it" -- tales from the qigong crypt
Okay, I admit it. I'm addicted to the sweet slam of a black, double espresso, once or twice a day.
No doubt, when I'm eighty-five, my kidney/adrenal system is going to rear up and bite me back for all the abuse. And perhaps my liver will join in with some choice name-calling and blaming.
Meanwhile, I’ll go on living out my contradiction and go on gulping down these daily hits of espresso.
One of my favorite local coffee shops in Minnesota is Caribou.
Caribou has a great slogan: “Life is short. Stay awake for it.”
One day, while I was waiting in line for my daily fix, an overweight, overwrought and apparently rather whacked-out lady in front of me misread the slogan.
In a loud and slightly crazed and certainly bemused tone, she exclaimed:
“Life is short – stay away from it! Huh!”
No one kindly corrected her on her misreading of the slogan, and she was abandoned to shuffle off, pondering the deeper meaning of this warning from the Coffee Gods.
Once I had choked down my own chuckles and my latest double espresso, I was struck by how rich in meaning both statements are, from the perspective of my qigong training.
A lot of this has to do with the distinction between vertical and horizontal time…
In spiritual traditions, enlightenment or the “eternal life”, or immortality, is associated with a vertical time sense. Linear, or horizontal time, with its progression from past to future, dissolves into the eternal moment of the present, the now.
One interpretation of the Christian cross explains it as a representation of these two dimensions of time, the horizontal, associated with our normal consciousness and the vertical, associated with divine consciousness.
After thirty or so years of qigong practice, I can say that qigong has dramatically helped me to shift more into the experience of vertical time.
Longevity, from a qigong-spiritual perspective, is only very superficially associated with a longer lifespan. Qigong longevity has to do with going deep in the moment—the eternal moment—enriching the present.
Our preoccupied mind lives in horizontal time and fears vertical time.
Qigong practice helps to quiet the mind and bring us into the realm of deeply felt experience that is vertical time.
Yes, life is short—when we spend most of it either living in regret about the past or in worry about the future.
And yes, it’s best to stay away from that kind of “short life”…
And yes, the activity of awakening, the process of awareness, will lengthen that “short life” by deepening your engagement with life…
How richly are YOU engaged in your life?
I recommend qigong as a wonderful method to deepen and strengthen that engagement.
And thank you whacked-out lady, wherever you are… here’s hoping you are having a great day, or should I say, moment…
See all of John Du Cane’s qigong resources.
Posted by james at 4:48 AM | Comments (1552)
May 12, 2006
How Qigong Helped a World Champion Retain His Title
While Chinese internal martial artists do very much give credit to Qigong relaxation practices as a key component in their martial prowess, we don't readily associate Qigong practice with hardcore fighters and military personnel.
At least, I didn't, until the last few years when more and more of Dragon Door’s certified kettlebell instructors started to include Qigong in their training.
At recent Unlock! trainings (the flexibility and mobility seminar I present with Pavel and Steve Maxwell), registrants have included active members from the US Marines Force Recon, the SEALs and undercover narcotics agents.
All of these men have commented to me how practically beneficial qigong has been for them, to help them withstand the stress of combat or undercover operations involving great personal risk.
Many of our RKCs have also been surprised at how demanding Qigong can be: at our April 2006 RKC a former Foreign Legionnaire and general hard man expressed his amazement at the effects of Qigong in even a relatively short session.
However, one of the most remarkable testimonies for Qigong’s effectiveness for those in highly stressful situations, came from my fellow Unlock! presenter, Steve Maxwell.
Here is an email I received from Steve a few weeks ago:
“Over the weekend of April 7th, 8th and 9th, my team, Maxercise, competed in the Brazilian JiuJitsu Pan-American Championships. This tournament is the largest and most prestigious BJJ competition in the USA.
“Coming from the East coast, the time change was of a concern, especially for those that had to fight in the evening. Because of the huge number of participants, the tournament began to run late. Although I had taken steps to adapt myself to the time change, I felt myself getting tired as I waited my turn to step onto the mat.
“I had showed up an hour before my scheduled fight time, did a complete joint mobility warmup and took my pre-fight energy drink. Three hours later, I was still waiting. A last minute change by the tournament staff placed my division near last. My energy began to wane and I felt my resolve begin to falter.
“Pre-match waiting is always a war of nerves. A lot of competitors lose before they even get on the mat, allowing the 'jitters' to get the best of them. Control of one’s fears and staying calm is of paramount importance in fight competitions.
“But even with all my physical preparations, I found my confidence beginning to wane and the nerve fatigue beginning to take it's toll. I then remembered some great Qigong energizers that I had learned from John Du Cane. John is a Qigong teacher who has studied the internal arts for many decades. At the Unlock! seminar, he taught some very simple, but very effective techniques for balancing energy and restoring calm.
“I did several of the tapping drills for energy and a special breathing exercise while walking to build inner calm. As I paced back and forth in the pre-fight waiting area, I did the Qigong breathing exercise that John had taught me. I felt my energy lift and my confidence returned.
“When I stepped out onto the mat, I was ready for business. Between matches, I repeated the Qigong exercises to aid my recovery. I fought better in the finals than the previous match, I submitted my opponent with a rear naked strangle to take the title.
“Qigong is the real deal. It can help in many domains, even a tough competitive sport like Brazilian Jiujitsu. Thanks John”
Steve Maxwell
Black belt Senior World Champion
Pan American Champion
US National Champion
Thank you Steve and a wonderfully inspiring testament to Qigong! I am sure I don’t have to tell you how rugged and demanding Steve’s fights must have been…
Our next Unlock! seminar is scheduled for this October, 2006. I hope to see you there!
See all of John Du Cane’s qigong resources.
Posted by james at 9:39 AM | Comments (0)