Dr Derek's Blog

Chi Gong, Life, and Grandsons

My parents always used to say that as you get older time goes more quickly...of course they were right! Perhaps that is a question for the next Einstein but they might say it's all in the mind!

Anyway this year is going so very fast so I better catch up and start inventing some more hours in each day. Thats it! I hereby declare a new 36 hour day to fit inside the old 24 hour one!

I have just about finished a new Chi Gong book that will be e-published soon..watch this space. My Self Esteem book will be re-launched to a more directed market and I hope will help a lot of people too. And not least I have as of today a new (2nd) Grandson named Zak (one of these modern names!) Mum and baby are both doing fine.

I saw an article by a MD named Stephen Barratt whose article on the web was called "Be wary of Acupuncture, Qigong, and "Chinese Medicine". The article was critical of External Qigong, quite rightly I guess as there are a huge number of charlatans out there who profess to be Qigong masters and grand masters etc. But he didn't take time to review the genuine aspects of external Qigong. I had been practising martial arts, tai chi , chi kung etc. etc. for over 20 years before I felt capable of using and directing externally the chi intrinsic energy and that was still only in a modest way.

It is easy to be sceptical and I have most often found that the sceptics are the people who haven't persevered in the subject they criticise. Thank goodness there are the Christopher Columbuses and Galileo's et al who challenge and push forward the boundaries of knowledge. I maintain there is no such thing as positive truth, just current understanding!

Bye for now

Derek  

Absence makes the heart grow fonder...I hope.

hI ALL,

Wow it's been a hectic few weeks...lot's of interest in the Chi newsletter, the latest of which is nearly ready, following a mega computer "challenge." Lost some data but hopefully not too drastic.

Folks...I am not getting enough feedback on what YOU want from me in "Chi Knowledge" terms.

So please help me to help you.

Lots going on ...please check back next week for a latest...it will be worth it!

Bye

Derek

Quote of the Week -3

"if you are not getting as much from life as you want to,

then examine the state of your enthusiasm."

Norman Vincent Peale, 1898-1993 American Writer and Minister

Quote of the Week:2

“You can do anything if you have enthusiasm. Enthusiasm is the yeast that makes your hopes rise to the stars.

Enthusiasm is the spark in your eye, the swing in your gait,the grip of your hand, the irresistable surge of your will

And energy to execute your ideas…

Enthusiasm is at the bottom of all progress!”

Henry Ford, 1863 – 1947 American Car Manufacturer

Cautions regarding Chi Power training + The Standing Form

Cautions:

Always consult your Medical Specialist or Gp/MD before undertaking any form of exercise.

The practice and cultivation of your Chi Power should be pursued gently and not hurried. Chi Power out of control can be dangerous. It is like fire, useful under control, but dangerous when not confined and out of control. Students should learn to build their stores of vital chi energy gradually, or a burn out overload could occur. I learnt this the hard way and it took many months before I got back to a prior level, so please do not rush it!

Pregnant women should avoid all exercises that involve a sudden muscle contraction or a muscle release; I.E. Anything that puts pressure on the lower abdomen, uterus, etc. The basic standing stance may be best in these circumstances, at least for beginners.

Wu-Wei

Using this principle we will endeavour to only recommend that which is useful and directly related to the achievement of our goals.

For more info see : http://www.increasechipower.com

Chi Kung (qi gong)

Our Chi Development practice summary will start using Chi Gung techniques; Chi Gung is a system aimed at balancing and harmonizing the duality of body and spirit. It is a profound and straightforward way of developing our Chi energy enabling the energy for use as it is required: -

Exercise 1 - The Standing Form

We will start with the standing form: Correct Posture is important here.

Stand upright with your spine as near to a central alignment vertically with your head as possible. This will ease and stimulate the flow of the chi up and around your whole central body.

Your head should be supported with only enough energy to hold it upright. Your neck should be relaxed, your chin very slightly tucked in.

Your tongue tip should be touching gently behind your upper teeth, so curving gently upward toward the top of your pallet.

Your eyes should be gently focussed forward and very slightly towards the ground.

Your arms should be gently hanging at your sides with a small amount of space under your armpits. All Chi flows better in relaxed mode and in gentle circles.

Your Hands should be with fingers very slightly apart and with the palms facing to the rear.

Your shoulders should be relaxed.

The hips and abdomen should be centred and relaxed.

Your legs should be about shoulder width apart and comfortably relaxed.

The knees should be slightly bent. The knees should rarely be in front of your toes. If they are this will cause instability and you may feel the tendency to topple forwards. This is also a factor in Tai Chi movements discussed later. You may feel as if you are slightly sitting, but keep your tummy relaxed and in.

Your feet and toes should be facing forwards and not outwards in the western tradition. You may feel slightly pigeon toed at first but you will get used to it.

Basically all the joints should be in alignment so there is no joints tension and muscular discomfort. Apart that is from the changes that will start to take place in your body over a period of time.

If you like this programme see:  http://www.dantotsu.eu

Quote of the Week

"There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle."

Albert Einstein, 1879-1955 German born American Physicist

Healthy Chi Gung - Part 1

Some people have asked for a short daily programme that will aid keeping fit, curing ailments, and tone the body at all ages and physical abilities. Here goes Part-1

Start with Strengthening the neck; standing with your legs shoulder width apart, relaxed with knees bent, very slowly turn your head to the left as far as is possible, always looking forward as far into the distance as you can. Gently return to the centre, then turn your head to the right as far as you can, still looking into the distance. Then return again to the front. Bend the neck backwards and look up into the distance. return to front centre. Bend the neck down, gently pushing your neck to your chest. Return to centre front. Repeat this process slowly eight times. Do not force. Then let your head go down to your chest and gently using the weight of your head move your head once only in a full clockwise rotation then return to front centre. Repeat anticlockwise, again once only.

During this exercise, breathing as always should be deep into the lower navel tan tien, inhaling left, exhaling right, Inhaling up, exhaling down.

Repeat this daily, increasing after 2 weeks to twice daily. Please take your doctors advice before emabrking on any programme of fitness!

Aikido

One challenge writing a blog is trying to interest , not only current members, but trying to attract new memebers...so I have to try and make this site, interesting, versatile, and appealing to all...so let's start with some History!

Boring...not so.

Although I am not a great advocate of Aikido, Stephen Siegals speciality, mmmm!

No seriously here is a great little short film picked up from metacafe that shows rare footage of the founder of Aikido, Morihei Ueshiba in action.

Simply totally calm, relaxed, and flowing like a river, he eliminates single or multiple threats easily and effortlessly, even at an obviously very advanced age.

http://www.metacafe.com/w/431957/

To the next Blog

Derek

Broken Link to Website Help page.

Hi Everybody,

It appears that my website www.increasechipower.com query e-mail link was not connected properly! That means I may have had questions from Friends and Bloggers that remained unresponded to, and unanswered. I am really sorry for that and if you were adversely affected and thought that I didn't care about answering, Please try again. You are really important to me and I want to give all the help I can. Don't forget you can also pose questions on this blog page.

Anyway please look for the next post and I will try to give more Chi Power information.

All the Best

DrDerek

Tai Chi & Meditation

In our meditation, the chi must be sown and grown. The centre of our body known as the tan-t'ien which is situated about 1 1/2 inches below the navel is the storehouse and growing centre of our chi.

The circulation starts here and should also be the focal centre for our meditation. The Tai Chi chuan, in it's circular form from start to finish, moving to rest, mirrors the meditation cycle and can be regarded as a moving meditation.