Before one pursues a health plan the basics of mind, body in spirit need to identified as a starting point.  Lets focus on the body at the moment while remembering that each of these 3 components directly effects the others and focusing on only one of these sections will not remedy deficiencies in the others.  The body can be the easiest place to start for most people and before you go searching for the next super healer, super doctor, super tonic, super gem or magic pill you have to look at what your are putting into your body.  What are the three main substances that we put in our body, that we have control over, for it to function correctly?  Water, Air and Food.  Other external factors that affect our body’s health are exposure to light, darkness, noise, weather, temperature, micro-electric pollution and a myriad of environmental stresses.

Air

Before looking at external factors lets get back to Water, Air and Food.  Water is the easiest substance to control. Air can be controlled; however, this often involves a decision based on where you decide to live.  Air quality has to be a factor of some importance especially if you live in a polluted urban area.  If you live in an area of poor air quality then make a point of making a minimum of one weekly trip into an area of better air quality where you can do at least couple of hours of exercise like hiking, walking, running and biking.  Driving up to Squamish or Whistler for the afternoon in your Mini Cooper for lunch doesn’t cut it.

 While your are exercising you can bring your attention to your breath and visualize breathing in white pure air/energy and exhaling black poor air.  This is great for opening the lungs and expelling bad chi.  In warm conditions you can even visualize every cell in your skin opening to allow for pure air and energy to be absorbed into the body and again exhale stagnant chi out of the lungs.

Water

There has been a huge explosion in the popularity of water, shakes, smoothies, juices and sports drinks in our west coast lifestyle.  Lets consider water first since the others are actually foods or fuels, a huge topic on its own and we’ll cover in a separate blog.  As mentioned before water is the easiest substance to control in terms of the type that you wish to hydrate yourself with.  The 3 basic types of waters are Purified, Spring and Mineral waters.  Purified waters are mineral free and processed via distilling or reverse osmosis purification filters.  Only consume Purified water if you have a compromised immune system where you can’t take a chance at a virus being in the water.  You need to have minerals in your water to replenish your blood.  Long term consumption of mineral free water is said to be harmful for your heart and cardiovascular system.  Furthermore it depletes your system of minerals because of the excess urination it causes.  Some sources indicate that altering the molecular structure of the water reduces the assimilation of purified water into our body.

The majority of your water consumption should be Spring water if you are living on the west coast of Canada and complimenting it with a litre or two of non-carbonated Mineral water a week is ideal.  Our tap water is Spring water; however, the chlorine in our tap water is unhealthy to consume in the long term.  The difference between Spring water and Mineral water is the mineral content.  The dividing line is somewhere around 250 ppm of dissolved solids.  A water with more than that is classified as a Mineral water and less than a Spring water.  Due to the geological makeup of our land on the “wet coast” we have somewhere around 40 to 50 ppm of dissolved solids or minerals in our water.  Once you get to Chilliwack and further east the mineral content increases.

Water Sources

Where do you get your water from?  Options: in house water filtration systems, bottled water delivery and smallpack water bottles like 500mL bottles.   The smallpack industry exploded the last 5 years but has recently been reduced because of the environmental impact.  Remember the green motto of reduce, reuse then recycle.  If all waters were available in glass bottles then we wouldn’t need to worry about both the environmental impact of recycling plastics and a potential contamination of the water from the plastic bottle itself.  But transporting heavy glass containers does have an impact as well.  Brita and other pour through filters are not good enough as they only capture the chlorine.  You want to have have a filtration system that has 2 or 3 filters in it and the smallest filter being at least a 0.5 micron filter to pull out the smallest contaminants.

The latest MLM scheme is water ionization and PH filtration machines.  Yikes.  You may want to consider what your dropping a few thousand dollars on here.  Most of these machines only have a 1 micron filter which is not sufficient.  Furthermore the machines add a further processing of your tap water through an ionization system.  These machines also adjust the PH balance of the water.  It’s better to drink a water that is alkaline versus acidic.  Minerals equals alkaline; therefore, a Spring or Mineral water is better than purified or a mineral-free water.

Bottled water delivery is also a viable option because you can get filtered Spring water delivered to your doorstep.  The Canadian government declared that polycarbonate “is safe for use in water bottles” and “that their latest scientific assessment determined that the migration of bisphenol – A (BPA) into food and beverage products from polycarbonate is not a concern.”  If you are not sure if you want to consider the government’s findings as the gospel then we recommend you keep your water bottles out of direct sunlight.

We also don’t recommend drinking cold water.  Although this may seem to have a cooling effect it actually is stressful on the body in terms of quickly shocking and chilling the internal organs and secondly affecting the chi in the body.  Drink room temperature water even on warm days unless you are doing extreme exercise.  Not all of us live outside the city and have a well to draw from.  If you’re lucky to have your own well then go with a 3 stage filtration system with a UV ray to kill any bacteria.  If this sounds all confusing now please ask us for further clarification.  Happy breathing and happy drinking.

Once one has become an expert in a martial arts system ki needs to be added to the techniques in order to truely master the art.  Some martial arts systems include the development and application of ki at the beginner level.  Ki can also be added to other martial arts sytems that don’t typically include this theory like sport versions of Tae Kwon Do, Karate, Kickboxing, Judo and Jui-jitsu.  Some martial arts that include ki in their training are Aikido, Tai Chi, Taiki-Ken Karate and the indian system of Kalari Payat.

Ki pronounced “key” is a Japanese word also known as Chi or Qi in Mandarin (pronounced “chee”), in Sanskrit: “prana”, in Arabic: “rhor”, “ruach” in Hebrew, ”prana” in Sanskrit, “Spiritus” in Latin, “pneuma” in Greek, “nilch’i” to the Navaho, “ni” in Lakota, “ha” in Hawaiian.  Have you ever wondered why the Europeans and it’s decendants don’t have a word for this?  Hmmmmmm?  George Lucas called it the Force.  This bio-energy is developed by combining breathing and concentration directed by your intention.  When mastered it can produce effects not only within the body but also at a distance from the practioner.  The intent in a martial arts application is used by shouting a kiai.  In the kiai, literally called energy union, is when the energy of the entire body and spirit is focussed into a shout.  The kiai is used at the moment or point of impact.  A powerfully developed ki can be used in all parts of the body in many different ways.  Ki can be focused in the hand to create a weapon or it can be used to heal wounds and diseases.  From a defensive point of view ki can be used as a protective shield.  Some martial arts systems also direct Ki from the body into a weapon.  The belief is that if the weapon was made from a material in which Ki flows easily then Ki can be directed with great effect.  Hence a weapon made of wood would accept ki better then a weapon made of metal.

Ki has nothing to do with ordinary muscular strength.  This is often difficult for the western mind to capture due to our western mind’s inability to discipline itself to maintain a daily practice of ki development.  The ki must be first developed in the hara before it can be used.  The location of the central point of the hara is known as an acu-point called Sea of Energy or Conception Vessel Six (Cv 6).  It’s location is one and a half of your finger widths below the naval and 2 thirds of the distance into your body.  The basics of starting one’s own ki development is to learn the basic breathing system and then move onto to Qi Gong exercises.  Once the ki is developed in this manner one can apply ki to martial arts techiques.

To start on your own ki development type breathing system in the search box at the top right of this page.

Danu Deck intuitive card reading

The Danu Deck is one the Tao’s greatest gifts.  Named after the celtic goddess Danu the creation of this tool arrived via the Tao channelling this energy to us through 2 amazing people.  The images on these cards were created by an artist on Lasqueti Island, BC, Sylvia Tucker, who basically channelled all the pictograms through dreams without conscious knowledge of Traditional Chinese Medicine Theory and the Law of the 5 Elements Theory.

Jin Shin Do® Acupressure instructor, Tolling Jennings, then interpreted the designs to match our body’s energy meridians.  There is a unique design (picture) for each of the 12 meridians; there are five copies of that design, one copy for each of the five elements (fire, earth, metal, water and wood) that is a total of sixty cards (twelve times five). There are five cards for the Governing Vessel and five cards for the Conception Vessel, again one copy for each element, or ten more cards. And finally one very special card called the Tao card.  A  total of seventy-one cards!

Since you only use seven cards in a reading the probabilities are much lower for the Tao card to show up, it means you are on the right path, even though you might not think so.  The Danu Deck card reader first shuffles the cards to impart their energy and then reverently gives them to their client to shuffle who finally cuts the deck and places them face down on the table.  The reader then removes the top five cards one by one and arranges them in the shape of the five-element pentagon starting with the season that is current.

Next, the sixth card, called the “Confirmation Card”, is revealed and placed in the middle of the pentagon. It sums up the reading and pulls all the five element aspects together.  It is a synthesis and basis for the future.  The seventh card to be revealed is the “Action Card” and shows the action necessary to bring the reading to fruition. 

Often people are in a state of shock and wonder about the accurance of the reading and how it pertains to their life.  Each of the Danu Deck card images has Jin Shin Do® points associated with them.  For instance the Kidney card has “Bubbling Spring (K1)”, “Great Bell (K4)” and “Soul Strolling on Veranda (K23)” represented.  The Spleen card as seen on the right has “Supreme White (Sp 3)”, “Sea of Blood (Sp 10)”, and “Great Horizon (Sp 15)”.  The seven cards that have been “chosen” by the client reveal the meridians and possible points that you could use in their treatment.

Contact Monty if you are interested in booking a reading.

Exercise # 1 Internal Energy Breathing System

To get started in your Qi Gong practice you first need to learn the Internal Energy Breathing System.  After you have practiced this for at least 10 straight days you can then move on to traditional Qi Gong exercises.  Why?  This is the foundation for teaching your mind to calm down, focus, direct energy and feel the energy cultivating in the energy centres. 

1. Find a comfortable place to sit or lie down.

2. Close your eyes and turn your attention inward.  Try to feel inside your body.

3. Visualize a place that is slightly down from the naval and 2/3s of the distance in a straight line towards your spine.

4. Find this spot with your mind and imagine it the size of a golf ball.

5. Take a deep inhale of air into the lungs and visualize sending energy from the lungs into this golf ball.  I like pretending that it’s a laser type energy going in there.

6. Exhale keeping your focus on this point and concentrate the energy in the ball. I like making the ball a little smaller as I pack energy into this space.

7. Inhale again as described above and expand the ball to its original size.

8. Exhale and repeat the process for 5 to 10 minutes or as long as you feel comfortable.

9. When finished send this energy to the rest of your body and slowly open your eyes.

This will take some practice.  It’s like using or not using your brain.  The more you use it the better it works and the more you will feel. You should feel something in this area around the 5th day.  If not don’t worry and keep practicing.  We highly recommend booking Qi Gong sessions in North Vancouver with Monty to get started and have some guidance with your practice.

Advanced Level:  After 90 straight days of continuous practice you can start implementing this into daily activities.  Your newfound ability to concentrate for long periods of time without strain is powerful and peaceful.  The mind will be calm enough to be able to focus on your hara while you’re doing pretty much anything.  This technique can give you a huge compeditive advantage in sport, it’s grounding effect activates your intuition to excel in art or it can relax the mind to see alternatives or opportunities in business.  Getting in touch with your breath is a basic way to honor your spirit and this will improve your relationship with yourself, loved ones and anyone else involved in your life.  This is a little sneak peak into what we’re talking about in terms of uniting body, mind and spirit.  Get your energy out of your brain and back into your body so you can hear your inner voice.

QI GONG – EXERCISE WITH ENERGY

The term Qi Gong is a combination of two words.  The ‘Qi’ element (sometimes spelled ‘Chi’, the Cantonese way, or ‘Ki’, the Japanese way) is usually translated as ‘energy’.  Qi is something you can see and something you can feel, but it has no shape and no form.  We use the word Qi to describe anything that is related to feelings.  So the word Qi is used to describe anything relating to ‘feeling’ or ‘energy’. This is why it is so difficult to explain.  In the Tao De Ching, Lao Zi wrote that the Tao cannot be defined.  Each time you want to explain it, it has a different meaning.  In order to understand it, you need to experience it.  Qi is the same: Qi is not just energy, it is more.

If you accept electricity as the embodiment of energy for modern Western society (I call it external energy), you have to accept the presence of internal energy or Qi.  Qi is the vital energy that maintains our lives; without it we will become tired and ill, and die.  External and Internal - the principle of Yin and Yang: the one cannot exist without the other to balance it.

The ‘Gong’ part in Qigong means work or exercise.  When you go to your office or workplace, this is ‘Gong’. Working with your mind or your strength in this sense is the same as exercise.  So Qigong becomes exercise with your vital energy.  Some people call it Breathing Exercise and/or Internal Training, but all these names mean the same thing.

DAN TIEN or HARA – THE ENERGY CENTRE

Then practicing Qi Gong one part of the body is very important - The Energy Centre, known in Chinese as “Dan Tien” or in Japanese “Hara”.  It is an area within us that stores our Qi to balance our body - like the sun in our solar system.  Dan means crystal or the essence of energy, while Tien means field or area for the essence of energy.  In the beginning when we practice Qi Gong the Dan Tien starts to store the Qi energy.  At first the Qi stored in the Dan Tien is gas (air and Qi), which flows around the body causing warm, tingling sensations; then as you progress it becomes liquid like blood.

When we first practice Qi Gong we bring the Qi to the Dan Tien (see picture).  After a while, when the Qi becomes strong enough, it will go through the front channel (Conception Vessel or Ren Channel) and the back channel (Governing Vessel or Du Channel) to form a circle (Xiao Zhou Tien or Microcosmic Orbit).  After this has happened, the twelve main channels will become clear.  These are: the Lung Channel; the Pericardium Channel; the Heart Channel; the Spleen Channel; the Liver Channel; the Kidney Channel; the Large Intestine Channel; the Triple Warmer Channel; the Small Intestine Channel; the Stomach Channel; the Gall Bladder Channel; and the Bladder Channel.  Later I will show you how to breathe into these 12 channels as well as the 8 Extraordinary Meridians aka Strange Flows.

For now practice the following once or twice a day for 5 to 10 minutes every other day and for the second week every day:

The Dan Tien is like a bank account: once you have opened it you can put your money in, and the more money you have the more you can deposit.  In Qi Gong, the more energy you collect, the more you can put into your Dan Tien, so you become healthy and strong.

Type: Breathing System in the search box in the top right of this page to get started.