Chi follows a type of cyclic rhythm just like the 4 seasons: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter. The time period from March to October is when Yang chi is really on the rise as the plant kingdom awakes from its winter sleep. This is particularly strong from the middle of May to August. If possible, you should try to take advantage of this period by practicing your standing Qigong exercises outdoors by large trees, rivers & streams, waterfalls, lakes or ponds, oceans, etc. It is a good time to connect with the life force of nature during these months. Avoid excessively windy days or bad weather conditions, but try to make the effort when possible.

From Middle October through January, chi is drawn inward and is contractive or Yin and is actually a good time for your skeletal system, bone marrow and blood as the chi is naturally compressed into these areas of the body. Therefore, it is easy to see that chi itself has a natural rhythm that can be used to your advantage as you train throughout the Earth’s seasons. The exercises remain unchanged, but the effect or benefit of the exercise automatically changes with the energy of the seasons and the tidal effect of the moon.

On the lunar side of the cycle, you will find that chi is stronger 3-days prior to the Full Moon all the way into the full lunation and weakest near the New Moon. This is true for approximately 70% of all students. The other 30% will find the exact opposite effect in other words the 3-days prior to the New Moon is the strongest for them while the period near the Full Moon is weakest. Logically, this lunation effect is strongest from the Middle of May to August when plant & tree life is most active and thriving.

Scientific research done by Guy Cramer of United Dynamics Corporation indicates that people are significantly affected by the ratio of positive or negative ions in the atmosphere. He created an indicator that he calls the ion ratio that he uses to predict the stock market, how athletes will perform, weather patterns, etc. with nearly 80% accuracy. An ion is a microscopic particle that either has a negative or positive charge. A normal breath of air has thousands of ions mixed in. Studies by Oxford University, RCA laboratories, U.S. Air Force, Mercedes Benz… with ion generators conclude that ions can have a dramatic impact on human performance and behavior.

After charting his ion ratio indicator and breaking down its cyclic components through array analysis and spectral analysis, I have determined that the moon and its phases has the greatest influence on the ratio of + or – ions in the atmosphere.

The peak in negative ions typically occurs 3 days prior to the full moon, which also supports physical experience with Qigong training methods. For the majority of Qigong practitioners, chi sensations will be much stronger a few days before the Full Moon. Only 1/3 of students should find that their chi gets stronger on high positive ion days, which usually occur just prior to the New Moon. The Full Moons that occur nearest the changing of the seasons: March 21st, June 21st, September 21st and December 21st are very strong; particularly March and September as the Sun crosses the path of the Earth’s equator causing a balance between the amount of night and day.

With this basic knowledge of Mother Nature’s natural chi rhythm, the Qigong Practitioner can maximize the benefits of his/her training by scheduling more focused or intense workouts during these highly beneficial times.

Recently, there has been a lot of media coverage on the ancient health practice known as Qigong (Chee, Gung) and for this, I am truly grateful. However, as someone who has literally dedicated thousands of hours training and practicing this powerful art, I want to make sure that people are clear in their understanding of what Qigong is all about. Currently on Dr. Oz’s realage.com website, there is a Qigong workout that people can put into practice. There are a great number of Qigong systems and the one presented is a Dao Yin training method. The link is:  http://www.realage.com/StayingYoung/YOUToolsTips.aspx?tip=19

 

On the page is a statement that says: “The most important goal of chi-gong is to learn how to breathe correctly -- which involves breathing from the tan tien -- a point 2 inches below the navel.” This is not accurate and needs to be clarified so Qigong doesn’t become an energetically empty system similar to what has occurred with many Yoga practices. Qigong is primarily the science of bioelectricity generation, accumulation and circulation within the human body. The practice is entirely based on ENERGY control and manipulation both inside and outside the human body regardless of the particular system or method being trained. The breath is a means to connect to the internal energy (Nei Chi) as well as the external energy (Wei Chi). In fact, there are thousands of Qigong systems that don’t emphasize breathing or focusing on the tan tien at all. The most important element of all Qigong systems is to first gain awareness of Chi itself. Once you have acquired this awareness, you begin to use it in a variety of movements, postures, meditations or exercises, while trying to stay connected to the energy at all times. Chi is not something that you visualize or imagine it is something that you actually feel inside and outside of the human body.

 

The concept of using visualization or imagination is another common misunderstanding of the Chinese character “Yi”, which means, “mind intent.” If you hold your hand out and imagine that your fingers are wiggling, they don’t wiggle. You have to actually use intent to cause them to move. Similarly, you have to train your mind or intent to accumulate and manipulate the life force energy known as chi, which will lead to an actual physical tactile awareness of this powerful healing energy. 

 

Here is a simple meditative Qigong you can do right now.  Find a private area where you will not be disturbed for a few moments. Sit or stand in a comfortable position with your back straight and upright. If you stand, your knees should be slightly bent. Turn off any lights and close your eyes and relax. Take in several deep full belly breaths. As you inhale, mentally make the “Mmmmm” sound as if you were enjoying something really delicious exhale with a soothing “Ahhh” sound. This should be a relaxing feeling, like taking a warm shower. Repeat until you feel very calm and relaxed. Now, inhale slowly through your nose and “FEEL” yourself glowing brighter and brighter, like a light bulb on a dimmer switch slowly being turned brighter. Hold your breath in for a moment pausing as you continue to amplify the brightness of your glowing radiance. Exhale and repeat. Inhale again and feel like you are illuminating the entire room with intense bright light. On the next inhale continue to expand your glowing radiance so that it penetrates the walls and mentally repeat: “The unlimited energy of the universe is flowing within me, I can feel it.” Repeat this several times along with the alternating thoughts: “More and Thank You!” After you have done this for several minutes, open your eyes and point your palms at one another and try to feel the space between them. You may feel tingling, sensations of heat or cold a magnetic repelling or attracting force or combinations of these feelings. This is Chi and it can be used for health, martial arts, and enlightenment or for the energetic healing of others.

 

 

 

For those interested in learning more about Qigong, please contact me. To achieve the benefits of Qigong training, one must be committed to regular practice. Benefits come much quicker with group practice, which is one of the major advantages of Qigong classes. I also have a home study course: Authentic Teachings of Shaolin Qigong available through Amazon books: http://www.amazon.com/Authentic-Teachings-Shaolin-Qigong-Complete/dp/1434842134

 

Sifu Dan Ferrera is the senior Qigong instructor and sole proprietor of the Michigan Institute of Qigong Healing & Wellness, LLC headquartered at the World Class Institute of Martial Arts in Livonia Michigan. Email: LivoniaQigong@Yahoo.com Website: http://www.worldclassima.com/qigong.htm

            Napoleon Hill once said: “what the mind can conceive and believe, the body can achieve”. Personal experience has shown that this is not just an expression! The connection or link with thoughts in your mind to every single cell within your body is truly capable of producing miraculous effects. Consider for a moment, the placebo effect, which is a measurable improvement in one’s physical or emotional health that cannot be attributed to medical treatment because the patient only received a “sugar pill” or some other inert (innocuous) form of treatment. In other words, the patients get better, even though the treatment does absolutely nothing! On average, the placebo effect alone will cure or provide measurable relief in 30% to 40% of all patients being treated regardless of what type of problem is being treated. For example, if you treated 100 people for arthritis pain, and you gave everyone a little sugar pill and told them that this was the latest medication for arthritis, about 30 to 40 people out of this group would have measurable improvement in their condition. The funny thing is that some people will even report side effects from the “medication” such as vomiting, dizziness, nausea, dry mouth, constipation, diarrhea, headaches, etc., which cannot be caused by a tiny sugar pill. There are specific problems such as depression, where the placebo effect is exceptionally strong, curing around 80% of all those treated. Psychologist Irving Kirsch, at the University of Connecticut, believes that the effectiveness of Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil and similar drugs may be attributed almost entirely to the placebo effect. There have been studies conducted on “pain relief” where placebo was shown to be 55% more effective than morphine. How can this be?

 

The placebo effect suggests that a person's beliefs and hopes about a treatment, combined with their level of suggestibility, may have a significant biochemical effect on the body. Sensory experience and thoughts can affect neurochemistry. The body's neurochemical system affects and is affected by other biochemical systems, including the hormonal and immune systems. Thus, it is consistent with current knowledge that a person's hopeful attitude and beliefs may be very important to their overall physical well being and recovery from injury or illness. For those that are interested, the field of “Psychoneuroimmunology” or PNI studies the effect that our thoughts have on our bodies. My personal belief, as well as many other psychologists, immunologists, neurobiologists and scientific health researches is that our individual thoughts, beliefs and emotions directly affect our physical bodies. We believe that thoughts and emotions fueled by individual belief, which are all generated in the brain, send powerful bioelectric-biochemical messages through our nervous system thus stimulating our immune system, releasing powerful hormones. Thus it may be that through a conviction of thought, we can physically change every cell within our body. Consider for a moment, that scientific animal research has shown that white blood cells have specialized receptor sites for neuropeptides, which are the chemicals of thought and instruct their behavior. Most of us are familiar with the fact that white blood cells make up our immune system army. They are the soldiers that lead the fight against deadly diseases, virus invasions, bacterial infections and so on. Now, let us put “two and two together”. If these cells have receptor sites for “thought chemicals” that will instruct their behavior, then it is literally our minds that control our bodies, right down to the cellular level. You are probably wondering what you can do with this information and how far this belief thing can go. The short answer is nobody knows, because “the sky is the limit”. Consider this for a moment. In 1957 psychologist Bruno Klopfor published an article titled, “Psychological Variables in Human Cancer” published in the Journal of Prospective Techniques.

 

Mr. Wright had highly advanced stages of lymphatic cancer. His lymph nodes were swollen with tumors the size of baseballs. His spleen and his liver, the bodies main filtration system, were so enlarged, that they drained 2 full quarts of milky fluid out of them each day. The doctors pronounced his case terminal, said that everything had been tried and gave up on his chances for survival. Interestingly, Mr. Wright heard about a new experimental drug called krebiozen for the treatment of cancer. Unfortunately, the drug was only available to cancer patients who had a minimum of a three-month life expectancy and Mr. Wright was not expected to live this long. Mr. Wright desperately begged and pleaded with his doctor for this drug until he finally gave in and agreed. The doctor injected him with the drug on a Friday but did not expect Mr. Wright to survive through the weekend. Unbelievably, on Monday, Mr. Wright was feeling absolutely wonderful. According to the doctors, “the tumors had melted like snowballs on a hot stove”. Just 10-days after Mr. Wright’s first krebiozen injection, he was released from the hospital and pronounced cancer free!

 

Unfortunately, this story does not finish with this happy ending. A few months later, the American Medical Association published a nationwide study on krebiozen announcing that it did not work and was completely worthless in the treatment of cancer. Mr. Wright, being extremely interested in the drug, read the study and his cancer suddenly returned, and he died just two days later! This amazing story shows us how profoundly we can enhance and/or inhibit the very biological functions that keep us alive simply by embracing and believing in either positive or negative expectations. When Mr. Wright believed that he was given the cure for cancer, his baseball size tumors melted away and completely disappeared in just 10-days. How could an ineffective drug produce such a miraculous result? The only logical answer is that it was not the drug! It was the interaction of his mind, body and spirit harmonizing with his belief!  Similarly, even though he was pronounced cancer free by his doctors, when he found out that the drug did not work, his cancer returned aggressively and he died shortly after reading the AMA report. Never underestimate the power of your thoughts and beliefs to transform yourself. As you progress in Qigong training, you will receive instructions in a wide range of techniques for harnessing these truly awesome powers of mind, body and spirit.

 

Sifu Dan Ferrera is the senior Qigong instructor and sole proprietor of the Michigan Institute of Qigong Healing & Wellness, LLC headquartered at the World Class Institute of Martial Arts in Livonia Michigan. Email: LivoniaQigong@Yahoo.com

Website: http://www.worldclassima.com/qigong.htm

Oprah first aired The Secret on Feb. 18 2007, teaching millions of viewers “The Law of Attraction,” which states that likes attract likes. The Secret teaches us that we live in an infinite universe with unlimited possibilities and that abundance is in fact its very nature. The human being is considered a microcosm of the whole (as above so below) and thus the universe responds to our thought waves or vibrations somewhat like a Xerox copier through the scientific phenomenon of sympathetic resonance. I find it very ironic that since this show aired, we have entered into the worst financial and economic crisis since the 1979 to 1982 period with many analogies and comparisons being made to the Great Depression all while the multitudes were actively trying to manifest prosperity! Why has this occurred? In my opinion, it is because millions of people began to consciously attempt manifesting dreams on a daily basis without any understanding of Spiritual Law. 

 

In another twist of irony approximately a year later, Oprah created an online classroom teaching Eckhart Tolle’s:  A New Earth with the catch line “Are you ready to be awakened!” Eckhart Tolle’s primary teachings are based upon being conscious and present in the Now moment. Tolle teaches that wanting is just another form of expressing dissatisfaction with the Present and is thus a rejection of the now. In his earlier book The Power of Now, he said that if you are in fact dissatisfied, frustrated or angry with your present state of lack, that it these feelings may in fact motivate you to become rich and successful allowing you to amass a great many luxuries. However, deep down you will still remain unfulfilled always chasing after the elusive carrot being dangled in front of you.

 

            Eckhart Tolle writes: GIVE UP WAITING AS A STATE OF MIND. When you catch yourself slipping into waiting…..snap out of it! Come into the present moment. Just BE and enjoy BEING. If you are present, there is never a need to wait for anything (Everything that exists, exists right NOW, so there is nothing to wait for). If someone says, “sorry to have kept you waiting” you can reply “That’s all right, I was just standing here enjoying myself”-in joy in myself.

 

The teachings of “The Secret” and the teachings of Echart Tolle are 100% incompatible and are in fact opposed to one another. The Law of Attraction as presented in The Secret teaches people to manifest their desires entirely from a position of lack. Understand now that there is NO WAY AROUND THIS FACT, because to manifest anything you must 1^st recognize what it is you “WANT” to manifest and therefore must currently “LACK”, which in turn is a rejection of the present moment and thus sends out a vibratory state of being unfulfilled. The universe does in fact respond to your thought waves, which quantum physics can illustrate with particle vs. wave photon experiments. However, the universe will not give you apples if you have planted lemons. You must reap what you have sown, which are the spiritual reasons why there is so much lack today.

 

Spiritual Laws 101:

 

1)      The Law of Attraction: Likes attract likes. This law really has to do with emotional states of being and not physical things such as wealth, material things, relationships, etc. When you feel happy, you attract situations (and possibly “things”) that will make you happier. When you feel successful, you attract opportunities that may make you more successful. When you love yourself, you attract others who love you and so on. “The Lord is my Shepard, I shall not want”

2)      The Present Moment: The past no longer exists and the future has not yet arrived. The only moment is now. This present moment is always your point of attraction, be mindful of your state of being. Everything that exists is here now. It’s now for everyone, not just you.

3)      Reciprocal polarity or The Law of Balance: The ancient sages have consistently pointed out that all things are composed of equal and opposite counterbalancing forces that make up our reality. There is no positive without negative, hot without cold, pretty without ugly, good without evil, light without dark, Yin without Yang, etc.

4)      The Law of Extremes: This law states that when the counterbalancing forces are carried to their extreme limits, their effects become identical. One is equally blinded by intense light as they are by the darkness. This is also why fanaticism can turn something inherently good into something bad.  

5)      The Law of Karma: Everything is connected and interrelated and everything thus affects everything else. For every action there is a reaction and you must reap what you have sown.

6)      The Law of Change: Nothing Changes but Everything else does. All things change and/or evolve in an orderly series of progressive steps. The only constant that can be depended upon is that things will continue to change in a logical sequential or cyclical manner).

 

These are the spiritual laws that have been handed down by the ancient sages throughout the passing of time. I encourage everyone reading this to take advantage of these laws fully by participating in this 30-day challenge as both a personal and social evolutionary experiment. Please review the 10 Action Steps provided and try to do at least one of them each day for the next 30-days. Please give us feedback about your results or any experiences you would like to share. 

 

 

 

10 Action Steps to initiate change.

 

1)      Generosity- Pay attention to your environment when you are out and about. If you see someone in need, try to be helpful whether it be physical assistance or a monetary gift. Let them know that the only repayment necessary is to pay it forward to someone else in need. Tell them that things are bad everywhere (including for you), but you are refusing to live in fear and want to initiate a change. Tell them that together you form a team and to also help others in any way possible, which is the only repayment necessary. Making them feel part of a team effort is an important step (don’t ignore this). We are truly all in this together. 

2)      Gratitude- Each day dedicate some time to express gratitude for the blessings in your life. Think of things you are truly thankful for and express this feeling with true sincerity. Be grateful for the gift of your life as you may find the alternative unacceptable.

3)      Compassion- Have compassion for all living things and try to be unconditionally kind to others. Wish blessings upon others and try not to judge based on appearance or attitude. Initiate change by caring, not by judgment or criticism.

4)      Acceptance- Except yourself and others as they are without judgment. If we were all perfect, there would be nothing to do. Everything is exactly as it should be or else it would already be different. Be grateful for your imperfections. Without them, you would have nothing to work on.

5)      Forgiveness- Offer forgiveness to yourself and know and fully understand that you are already forgiven. Offer forgiveness to others and pray for their enlightenment. 

6)      Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff- Don’t fret over anything that ultimately has no impact on your day-to-day life. Don’t make your life dramatic just for the sense of Drama itself. This needlessly burns up your life force and strengthens the ego’s fictional story of self.  

7)      Affection- Physically and emotionally express love and affection to someone or something you truly care about. While you are in this state of affection, radiate this love out to all humanity as a blessing.

8)      Beauty- Admire something beautiful and fully enjoy and savor the moment.

9)      Mindfulness- Dedicate a few minutes each day to silently witnessing your thoughts. Don’t attach to any of them, just let them flow like water through a stream. Notice how they arise from emptiness and return to emptiness.

10)   Humility or Humbleness- Understand that we are all equal. Different yes, but equal nonetheless. Look up with awe and amazement into the night sky on a star filled night and realize how vast the universe is and strive each day to be your personal vision of a better self.

 

How This Should Work

 

Remote Shared Learning – The mysterious phenomenon where knowledge, behavior or knowing is passed on or transmitted somewhat like radio waves to the consciousness of similar species without direct teaching or contact.

 

Example 1: One very famous example of this “remote shared learning” phenomenon occurred in Britain where for nearly 100-years the milkmen have delivered bottles of milk at the doors of the homeowners in the darkness of the early morning. In 1921, the first incidence of a small bird (a blue tit) opening the top cap of one of these milk bottles was recorded in the small town of Southampton. By 1937, eleven additional species of birds had duplicated this same activity and it spread to 89 different cities in England. Then, a critical jump occurred “everywhere”. Suddenly, blue tits in Sweden, Denmark and Holland began to attack and open milk bottles. It was absolutely impossible that this could have been a learned behavior or something that these birds witnessed or observed. To further complicate this mystery, milk bottles were not even used in Holland during the years of World War II and where not reintroduced until 1947. None of the blue tits alive then could have ever even seen a milk bottle. Yet as soon as the bottles reappeared, they were attacked and opened by the blue tit species of bird.

 

Example 2: Another known story of this shared learning occurred off the coast of Japan on the island of Koshima in the year 1952. Scientists were studying the behavior of some local monkeys (Macaca fuscata). They began feeding these monkeys by dropping sweet potatoes on the sand, which made them difficult and somewhat unpleasant to eat. One female monkey they called “Imo”, learned to wash the potatoes in the ocean to get the sand off before eating them. She began teaching this specific behavior to her friends and relatives and pretty soon many members of this band of monkeys were duplicating Imo’s food washing behavior. Then, just like the birds in England a critical point was reached and every monkey in the entire tribe began washing their food. Amazed by this phenomenon, the scientists reported their observation. At the very same time, another group of scientists at Takasakiyama on the distant mainland noticed a very odd and eerie phenomenon: Suddenly, all the Macaca fuscata monkeys they were observing had begun to wash their food in the ocean too!

 

Example 3: Scientists have also proven that “knowing” or learned behavior can somehow be passed on to future generations. When they studied a group of mice and had them learn a complicated maze to find food, the first generation of mice took more than 300 attempts to master the maze. The next generation who were kept completely separate from the first group of mice learned and mastered the maze in only 160 attempts. The generation after this learned it in 70 attempts and their offspring mastered it in 17 attempts even though they were NEVER allowed to learn it from their parents.

 

As a common species (human), we too share in a type of shared remote learning. Just look at all the crazy fads and behaviors that catch on and spread across the globe. If we each practice compassion every day, then soon it will reach a critical mass and everyone on the entire planet will begin practicing compassion as well. You cannot force someone to change externally, but by consistently making yourself a better human being each day, you are influencing everyone in the entire world to also take on this same behavior. Compassion is at the heart of all the worlds’ religions but regardless of your religious beliefs practice and share this information with everyone you come in contact with. I implore you to PLEASE take part in the greatest scientific experiment ever attempted by any man. COMPASSION

 

Sifu Dan Ferrera is the senior Qigong instructor and sole proprietor of the Michigan Institute of Qigong Healing & Wellness, LLC headquartered at the World Class Institute of Martial Arts in Livonia Michigan. Email: LivoniaQigong@Yahoo.com Website: http://www.worldclassima.com/qigong.htm

 Have you ever started the day off on the wrong foot only to have the entire day go down the drain from this point forward? Have you ever noticed how the chain of events unfold on those days that you’ve chosen to be angry, down in the dumps, or frustrated and grumpy?  ...These are usually the days when you’re late for an appointment, you can’t find your keys, you stubbed your toe, caught every red light, can’t find a parking spot, etc.

 

"While we think that our circumstances are the cause of our frustration, the real source lies in not being aware of our higher self." ~Pir Vilayat

 

The scary part of all this is that most of us never realize that we write the script for what occurs.  With our emotional expectations that life is just simply hard and that we must work, toil and suffer by the sweat of our brows, we just accept negative conditions as naturally occurring events. Some may even feel as if they deserve it. 

 

How do we create the script for the day’s events?

 

Well, here is “the secret” process:  Past assumptions and conclusions along with your current thoughts give birth to feelings or emotions.  Emotions generate powerful attracting energy. This energy sets up an electromagnetic field matching or harmonizing with similar energetic fields, which becomes stronger or weaker depending on the intensity of the emotion.  Just like static cling from friction, your self-generated emotional vibrations create a field of attraction that magnetizes the conditions and circumstances to you.  These specific conditions remain statically stuck to you until your emotional vibrations change.  Thus, your current mood and emotions provides the energy current that determines precisely what happens to you. 

 

In those times when you feel excited, joyous, happy and grateful about your life, you are radiating and resonating at the very core frequency or essence of that which enlivens you. In these times, you are in harmony with your spirit, which is why it’s called being inspired.

 

"The miracle is that as you awaken, so too, does the whole Universe." ~Pir Vilayat

 

That is to say, it is the Chi or life force that is generated from pure consciousness.  Some might identify this the higher self, the universal intelligence, the all-in-all or God. Think of it as the cosmic matrix or hologram that when properly understood can give birth to anything beyond imagination. What emotions do you feel when passionately held goals or desires are realized? Most would say joy, excitement, happiness and gratitude to name a few.  But how many have ever reversed this emotional process?  In other words, generate these positive emotions consciously and deliberately. Happy moods create positive vibrations that begin attracting higher states of vibration or frequency.  This is the frequency of creation that the law of attraction utilizes to physically manifest conditions in our lives. 

 

Vibrations are created by our feelings and are energized by our level of emotion, resulting in manifestation through the law of attraction.-Me

 

The more aware you become, the happier you will feel and thus the easier it will be for you to create a beautiful life. Again it is said, “Your mood determines the events which happen to you.”  When you are feeling the energetic rush of happy emotions, you’re crackling with the power of creation and you can do no wrong. “You are in the zone.” Here & Now in this current positive magnetic force, you’re totally in spirit and are attracting only more of the same.  “I AM THAT WHICH I AM”—God speaking to Moses in Exodus.

 

 How do you change a bad mood into a more positive mood?

 

Be mindful of your emotions be aware! When negative feelings or circumstances arise, shift your focus to the things you are already happy or grateful for. Use the law of substitution. Use positive affirmations such as “I am happy, I am healthy, Thank You, I am successful, I am kind, I care, etc. to change your emotional state. Your heart’s desire is the reason you’re in physical form.  You’re here for the divine purpose of creative fulfillment.  You’re supposed to be happy, joyful, peaceful, and blissful while enjoying your physicality.  This world is your own field of dreams. You can make it anything you want it to be as long as you remember, that your mood determines what happens to you. Don’t try to manifest material things just stay emotionally positive and everything will take care of itself.   

 

Wishing You Abundant Success,

 

Sifu Dan Ferrera

 

Sifu Dan Ferrera is the senior Qigong instructor and sole proprietor of the Michigan Institute of Qigong Healing & Wellness, LLC headquartered at the World Class Institute of Martial Arts in Livonia Michigan. Email: LivoniaQigong@Yahoo.com Website: http://www.worldclassima.com/qigong.htm

 

Recently, there has been a lot of media coverage on Qigong (Chee Gung). Early in 2007 on Oprah Winfrey’s show and again even more recently on Good Morning America, Dr. Mehmet Oz appeared and discussed the physical & emotional health benefits of Qigong. In a prior Oprah show that had aired earlier in 2007, he made a declaration saying that the future of western medicine is “energy medicine” and brought in an acupuncturist and discussed other alternative healing methods. Later in 2008, Dr. Northrup, MD also discussed Qigong and its healing benefits. In trying to help an audience member with a specific problem she explained a very simple Qigong meditation technique and said: "So I want you to know that you can use your mind and your breath to energize” any part of your body. Even a recent episode of the medical drama “Grey’s Anatomy” featured an energy healer on the show and the Today show did an entire series on alternative health practices in January 2008. Right now, the media is ripe with further examples of this strong trend. It’s nearly impossible not to see a commercial that doesn’t reference Yoga, Meditation, Tai Chi or other spiritual practices. Even Pine-Sol has an oriental man levitating during his meditation, which is interrupted by the fresh sent of their cleaning product. The Yellow Book ads use David Caridine and so on.

 

What is Qigong ?  Qigong is a highly respected internal system of exercise practice going back over 3,000 years. It is pronounced “Chee-Gung”, which literally means energy work or energy skill and is a unique method of combining the mind, breath and movement for the purpose of accumulating “life force” energy known as “Qi”. Qigong is used to improve health, reduce stress, calm the mind, improve balance, coordination and circulation, and improve awareness and much more. Qigong practice is intended to improve your health mentally, physically and spiritually as a complete mind, body, and spirit exercise. As you advance in your skill, you will be able to emit your Chi energy to examine and help others in the remission of their illnesses as well. Through regular Qigong practice, you will likely feel happier, relaxed and generally more at peace with the world.  It is the primary basis of all true Yoga systems and internal martial arts the most well known being Tai Chi. However, there's something very misleading in many Yoga schools across the country. You see.... Streching really isn't yoga nor is it stretching "with the breath," either. "Well then," you might ask, "what is real yoga?"

 

Both Yoga & Tai Chi are complete systems of self transformation. Both are a form of internal science that leads inexorably towards the experience of "yoga," which literally means "union" with the Absolute, the Universal, the One... Tai chi means Supreme Ultimate and refers to the same experience.  This experience of Union, which is also called samadhi ("absorption"), is the real Yoga. It’s sad to say, but most "yoga" teachers today have not experienced this state. Most "certified yoga teachers" believe that stretching and breathing techniques are yoga, when really they are only a means to an end. Without energy awareness, experience and skill, it is impossible to reach this end and thus perform true yoga.

Qigong is a combination of two ideas:

 

 

 

Understanding Qigong

 

The real purpose of Qigong practice is to improve human life on all levels, such as improving physical fitness, enhancing creativity, uplifting emotion and uncovering your hidden potentials. Qigong offers a path to liberate us from our own limitations and social conditioning allowing us to rediscover a higher state of freedom based on consciousness and wisdom. Through Qigong, we learn to cultivate chi in our daily practice to progressively synchronize the physical, mental and spiritual elements of our being.

 

The Basic Philosophy of Qigong

 

With each and every practice, I improve myself. When I improve myself, I aid in the improvement of all humanity. An improved humanity brings the infinite love of the universe to earth. I am in the universe and the universe is within me. Compassion is the main philosophy of Qigong.

 

Qigong is different from other exercises such as sports. In Qigong you direct your mind inwards while in most traditional exercises the mind is directed externally upon the task or competitors instead of the internal activity within the body. Qigong emphasizes cultivating virtue, refining consciousness, regulating the breath, and gently moving the body, while sports are mainly focused solely on performance and bodily movement. In moving the body, dynamic Qigong uses the mind to direct chi and then chi to direct the body, the movement of the body thus to serve the spirit, mind and chi, which allows the experience and mystery of the body in total relaxation. In sports, one is trained to focus on physical form while the mind is not directed internally, instead towards the movement of the body or tools. The mind becomes the servant to facilitate and synchronize a sequence of movements, moving muscles, tendons, etc. Here the mind and body are not relaxed.

 

In terms of regeneration within the body, sports promote the consumption of energy, which requires extra nutrition and sleep to recover from the expended energy. Ttraditional sports and exercise are designed to amplify the quantity of life energy that comes into and flows out of the body during the physical performance.  In contrast, Qigong training focuses on accumulating energy from the atmosphere while significantly reducing the body’s consumption of energy, slowing down the process or need for regeneration therefore significantly increasing your life force or “Chi” and vitality.

Understanding Medical Qigong & Chi Healing Treatments

 

Modern scientific studies in China recognize that Medical Qigong masters can emit energy from their hands, which benefits the person’s health and healing. It is believed that the emitted chi dissolves energetic blockages that have developed within the person’s meridian system and then also provides them with a surplus of fresh energy for the natural self-healing process. People who are ill or are under other forms of physical or emotional stress have much lower levels of chi, which can be elevated and/or restored by a healing Qigong treatment. Scientific experiments done in China have measured many types of frequencies such as: radio waves, sound, magnetic fields and infrared vibrations emanating from the hands or bodies of Medical Qigong practitioners.

 

In my healing classes or Medical Qigong, you can learn to transmit your Chi through mental intention, focusing on the body’s lower energy center or Dan Tien along with specific breathing. You learn how to direct your chi to the various internal organs, acupuncture points, bone marrow and energy meridians to significantly benefit healing, often with dramatic results. The healing treatment approach covers the entire body so that nothing is missed. Many times the symptoms are caused from parts of the body’s energy system that would seem totally unrelated to most western medicine principles. Medical Qigong often delivers miraculous and profound results for health and vitality. In Medical Qigong, the healer provides the energetic fuel for the body’s highly evolved process of natural self-healing.

 

 

 

Love, Joy & Gratitude,

 

Sifu Dan Ferrera

Michigan Institute of Qigong Healing & Wellness, LLC

 

http://www.worldclassima.com/qigong.htm

LivoniaQigong@Yahoo.com

It’s sad to say, but also very true that the majority of Qigong and Yoga classes available in America are void of their real intended purpose. The same can be said about most Tai Chi as well since this is a moving form of Qigong. Unfortunately this trend is likely to worsen due to the gaining popularity of these internal systems of exercise and spiritual development. In most cases, its not the teachers fault as they simply learned empty movements, postures or asanas from someone who didn’t have a clue as to what real Yoga or Qigong are all about. It’s just like anything else, “garbage in = garbage out.” Qigong and Yoga are not about stretching and breathing or in some cases meditating. Many teachers instruct you to use special breathing that is supposed to accumulate prana or chi also known as vital life force energy.  However, the majority of these exact same teachers have absolutely no clue as to what real prana or chi feels like because the teacher they learned from didn’t either. A word of caution, special breathing techniques don’t accumulate Chi or Prana unless you learn how to both connect to and feel this universal energy with your mind and body. "Well then," you might ask, "what is real Yoga or Qigong all about?"

 

Qigong and Yoga are both complete sciences of self-transformation that have histories going back many thousands of years. They are real mind, body spirit sciences that lead inexorably towards the experience of "yoga," which literally means "union" with the Absolute, the Divine, the Universe, The Tao, Spirit, the One....etc. The first and most crucial step in this process is to connect with and literally FEEL the living energy (chi, prana, Ki, etc.) that is both within us and everywhere all around us. It is this omnipresent energy that we must learn to physically experience through the practice of real Qigong and/or Yoga that guides us on the path to transcendence and absorption in the infinite ALL.    

 

There are of course real Qigong masters and Yogis in the United States and this article is meant to honor them for teaching the real deal as opposed to many of these small studios, books and videos that are teaching empty exercises with no universal connection to the energy that sustains us. For most eager students, it is like ordering a deluxe pizza and getting a plain cheese pizza and not knowing the difference. How are you supposed to know if your teacher doesn’t? Remember garbage in = garbage out. If you don’t have a significant and tangible energetic experience after 3-months of training with your Yoga or Qigong instructor, then you are probably just getting the plain cheese pizza. Most masters will also project energy into their students while teaching them to connect to the universal source of energy and will have them fairly proficient at the beginning stages of energy work within this relatively short period of time.  The plain cheese pizza in terms of Yoga and Qigong teaching is still good for your health, emotional stress, physical balance, coordination and opening energy channels and so forth, but it is lacking the deluxe toppings or energy work that was the entire reason for preserving these scientific systems for so many millennia.

The following method is a simple yet highly functional way of converting sexual or reproductive energy into a powerful vital force for the entire body. In addition to having tremendous health benefits, this practice will also strengthen inner power development and will give you a more practical application to use this energy as opposed to wasting it on lustful indulgences outside of serious loving relationships, i.e. cheating and/or masturbation. The reproductive energy is a powerful creative force that may be taken up in the body and transmuted into strength, health and vitality for the purpose of regenerating and invigorating the system instead of wasting it with no intention to produce a child.

 

The transmutation or conversion of sexual energy gives great vitality to those practicing this method. It results in tremendous inner power, which can outwardly manifest as irresistible charm, personal magnetism and charisma in your everyday life. The practice itself is simple and effective.  The energy once converted can be directed towards other channels or objectives and utilized with great advantage by the practitioner. Nature has condensed one of its most powerful forms of Chi (The power to create) into reproductive energy. Placing tremendous power in a small space, as the reproductive battery and urge to procreate is strong in all animal life.

 

This exercise may be performed at any time, but is best when one feels sexual urges or impulses, which are indications of active sexual force.

To begin, sit in a chair (breath deep with an even in and out rhythm) and build the sensation of an energy ball between your palms. Once you feel the chi between your hands, point them at your sex organs and breathe the chi into the sex center. Smile as you perform this exercise. Inhale with a sense of enjoying or savoring, mentally making the “Mmmmm” sound. Exhale with a sense of excitement, mentally saying “WOW”. As you feel the energy build, begin to pull or draw it upwards during the inhalation or in breath to your “Solar Plexus” or upper stomach. You can use your hands to pull it up towards this center (located just above the navel). With practice, you will feel the internal movement of energy moving up from the sex organs to the 3^rd chakra or solar plexus.

Other energy centers can be vitalized with this method as well. For example, if you desire an increase in mental force, you can draw the sexual energy up to the forehead. If you desire improved communication ability, you would draw the energy up to the throat. Bringing the sexual energy to the heart makes one fearless and compassionate. For a short time, it may make you feel emotionally sensitive and quick to tears as your feelings of love and caring for others are dramatically enhanced.

 

Sifu Dan Ferrera is the senior Qigong instructor and sole proprietor of the Michigan Institute of Qigong Healing & Wellness, LLC headquartered at the World Class Institute of Martial Arts in Livonia Michigan. Email: LivoniaQigong@Yahoo.com

Website: http://www.worldclassima.com/qigong.htm

Qigong or “Energy Cultivation” is the ancient Oriental system of gathering, condensing and circulating life force energy known as Qi or Prana through a unique system of exercises involving breath control, body alignments and various meditation methods. There are literally thousands of individual Qigong systems and approaches to this ancient art, but all of them serve the same essential purpose, the generation of bioelectrical energy and circulation within the human body. In recent years, this mysterious energy has become associated with the phenomenon of bioelectricity and the body’s electromagnetic field. With all of the advancements in technology, scientists have been provided with new tools for measuring some of this bioelectricity. Some of these include the (ECG) or electro-cardiogram, the (EEG) or electroencephalogram and the (EMG) or electromyogram, which measure the electrical activity in the heart, cerebral cortex and skeletal muscles respectively. Therefore it should be readily apparent that if there were not electrical energy in the human body, such medical tests would not be possible. There have also been several studies conducted in the United States, Japan and China, which have documented and measured the electromagnetic energy and infrared radiations emanating from long term Qigong practioners.

 

Electromagnetic Field of the Human Heart

 

Now, we are provided with the following clues (1) Qigong or the science of energy cultivation is associated with the act of deep breathing, (2) Practicing Qigong increases this electromagnetic energy within the human body, (3) The human body is primarily made of water approximately 70%, while the blood is about 90% water, (4) This bodily fluid is also filled with several electro-conductive minerals such as copper, zinc, iron, calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, etc.

 

Deep Breathing- When we breathe, the air we take into our lungs is electrically charged. We are not just merely consuming oxygen when we breathe; we are actually charging our body’s cells with electromagnetism. Our human cells are designed like tiny electrical storage batteries with a positive pole in the nucleus and a negative pole in the cytoplasm. The internal organs act almost like electric capacitors, capable of storing vast amounts of bioelectric energy. Therefore, it makes perfect sense that deep breathing combined with specific focus or intent would be beneficial to accumulating bioelectric energy. This is exactly what our bodies require right down to the cellular level. In fact, the two most important things to our daily survival are air and water neither of which have any nutritional value whatsoever.  How long can you live without breathing? Most people believe that it is the oxygen that sustains us, but we breathe out CO2 (Carbon Dioxide), which has the oxygen molecule attached to the carbon as a waste product. If the oxygen is so important, why isn’t it used or burned up as a fuel source in our bodies? The ancients believed that there was energy in the air that surrounds us, which they called Qi (Key), Chi (Chee) or Prana. They also believed that one could learn to accumulate and circulate this abundant energy within the body to improve ones health emotionally, physically and spiritually. In my years of training experience, I have proven to myself that this philosophy is 100% true and anyone who participates in my Qigong class for at least 1-month will surely discover this as well.

 

            Two seemingly paranormal abilities that result from the regular practice of certain Qigong’s are 1) Deterrent Force and 2) Empty Force. Deterrent Force is the ability to completely overwhelm any negatively aggressive opponent who is either in physical contact with you and/or in fairly close proximity to your body via certain energetic information stored within every cell of your body as a result of Qigong training. Ling Kong Jin (Empty or Distant Force)- is the ability to physically move or manipulate another person via energy projection from a distance, which can be quite powerful even several meters away. This energetic force develops automatically as a result of any long-term standing practice known as Zhang Zhuang and typically manifests after 3-years of training from a combination of heaven and earth chi activating and building the dantien (the body’s main energy storage center). There are also specific Tao Yin Qigong methods that utilize breath and intent that can develop this force much quicker. This skill can be used martially or medically as a projection skill. Basically, the person who has developed their chi to this level has obtained enough energetic strength to effect another person’s cells and bioelectric field through emitting their chi. When you understand that every human cell is designed like a tiny battery and that all of the major organs such as the heart radiate a large electromagnetic field, it is much easier to understand how this phenomenon actually works.

 

 

Sifu Dan Ferrera is the senior Qigong instructor and sole proprietor of the Michigan Institute of Qigong Healing & Wellness, LLC headquartered at the World Class Institute of Martial Arts in Livonia Michigan. Through various Qigong masters and trainings along with his own efforts, he discovered or in many cases rediscovered various methods to significantly enhance and project one’s life force energy.

Since opening my Qigong studio in March 2008, I have had the opportunity to work with many energy workers of different modalities such as: Reiki, Quantum Touch, Seichim, Healing Touch, EFT and Polarity Therapy to name just a few. Each and every time, these individuals were amazed at how much stronger their healing energy became from participating in my Qigong classes. Not only did they notice, but their clients also felt a difference and gave them unsolicited comments about the improved levels of energy they felt during their treatments. One of my ongoing students: Paula Kirsch a Reiki Master of approximately 5-years, said that her clients started commenting on how much stronger her energy felt after just completing her first month of Qigong training.

 

Scientific Research done by Dr. James L. Oschman, Ph. D. (also a Reiki practitioner), shows that Qigong Masters can project significantly more powerful biomagnetic energy fields than Reiki Masters. This was published in an article titled: Science and the Human Energy Field. The main difference is that Qigong Masters do specialized training to increase their personal levels of Chi (Ki, Prana, life force) stored within their body. The practice of Qigong also opens and widens the energy pathways known as meridians or nadis within the body making them better conduits of energy.  The fact that you were attuned to Reiki Master doesn’t change your personal levels of Chi, nor does it widen or improve your energy flow within the body. Only the practice of Qigong or some specific yoga methods can do this and if you are serious about improving your health and healing others with energy, than Qigong training is highly recommended. The Authentic Teachings of Shaolin Qigong is an excellent home study course if you cannot find a qualified teacher. The famous martial arts master and author Dr. Glenn Morris was himself a Reiki Master, Qigong Master and Kundalini Master, Healer and teacher. He has been quoted as saying: “Most Reiki treatments are like just spraying a little healing spritz. However Reiki + Qigong is like unleashing a fire hose of healing energy!”  

 

"Knowledge of any kind ... brings about a change in awareness from where it is possible to create new realities."-Deepak Chopra

 

Earlier in my Qigong training, I was attuned to Reiki and Seichim Master, but never really appreciated these empowerments. In fact at that time, I had a low opinion of these energetic healing systems. For this I have now apologized to the universe and to other practitioners as well. "Absence of consciousness is ego. Whenever the ego is absent, God is present."  ~Osho  Recently, I had reason to experiment and test these empowerments along with some others that I’m also attuned. I found these empowerments to be highly beneficial in terms of allowing me to simultaneously multi-task different healing energies, which then resulted in me receiving unsolicited comments back from clients whom have had prior healing treatments. The bottom line was that they could feel a difference when I layered on various Reiki or Seichim energies on top of my emitted Qi. The combination of Qigong with other healing empowerments consistently produced noticeable effects. As a result, I now utilize these systems in my healings when needed and also offer to pass on or attune others into these lineages as well.  For those interested, I can provide attunements for: Usui Reiki 1-3, Seichim 1-3, Kundalini Reiki 1-9, Gold Reiki 1-3, Ethereal Crystals 1-9 and Tacyon 1-9. I will do distant attunements FREE, just email me at LivoniaQigong@Yahoo.com for instructions.

 

"Sometimes the exercise of freedom involves naming your poison -- all choices may lead to outcomes that are in some way painful. But the real pain is that of feeling powerless -- denying your freedom." -higherawareness.com

 

At this time, I am taking indications of interest for those who want to achieve a permanent kundalini awakening. In Qigong, we call this “The Greater Kan & Li.” The Lesser Kan & Li or lesser enlightenment involves awakening the kundalini from the root chakra to the heart center. I achieved this in 2005 via specific Qigong mediation techniques and internal maps. Since this time, I have achieved a full awakening and can safely guide others through the process. This unique process would be taught in a weekend seminar for an approximate cost of $400/person. Those interested should email me at LivoniaQigong@Yahoo.com Please note that Qigong training provides inherent safe guards against “kundalini syndrome”, so if you want to awaken this latent energy, I suggest you start Qigong to prepare your body for higher energetic currents as well as opening the arm and leg channels to provide an overflow network for the kundalini shakti. Usui Reiki and Kundalini Reiki attunements have also proven to be useful for preventing negative side effects and have also alleviated kundalini symptoms in those that aroused this energy incorrectly.     

 

Sifu Dan Ferrera is the senior Qigong instructor and sole proprietor of the Michigan Institute of Qigong Healing & Wellness, LLC headquartered at the World Class Institute of Martial Arts in Livonia Michigan. Email: LivoniaQigong@Yahoo.com Website: http://www.worldclassima.com/qigong.htm