The Practice of Internal Alchemy
Cultivate without stopping
And the mass of energy will move like cloud and rain,
Flowing like spring showers,
Dripping like melting ice,
From the head falling down to the feet
And from there rising up again,
Coming and going,
Swirling the limitless,
And stirring everything throughout.
Those on the path of the Return know the Dao.
....
People of the world love little tricks.
They do not probe the depths of the Dao.
They abandon the correct way and follow the devious paths.
They want the quick way but they do not get through.
The enlightened being is immersed in the depths,
Floating and wandering,
Keeping the direction within.
(Wei Boyang - 2nd century Alchemist)
It was the deep study of Nature that first taught us Qi Gong, and still does. Qi Gong - the cultivation of your vital force - the mother of all forms of martial arts. Through this deep practice we come to understand the energies of the four directions in our body. Through the invocation of heaven and earth - we feel the potency of these influences from the top of our head through the bottoms of our feet.
We desire stillness and peace - we cultivate this within.
We desire a sense of connectedness to all things - we cultivate this relationship by relaxing and opening.
We want more energy - we realize, through practice, there is infinite resource around us to plug into.
Qi Gong is the embodied practice of cultivating all that we desire. There are no bullet points, no short cuts except to practice. And through practice we discover the thousands of worlds within. We grow deep roots, we stretch to the light - we connect to the wisdom that lives in our bones. We grow a sense of belonging to ourselves and to this world. We build reverence, awe and wonder for this miracle of life. We deeply listen to what's being asked of us as human beings.
For anyone who is a healer, practitioner, entrepreneur, writer, energy worker, artist... practicing internal alchemy is a must for continued inspiration, creative flow, and vitality.
Our next Jin Jing Gong series begins
*I'll be teaching one hour sessions online and in person (for Hudson Valley folks) bi- weekly for 6 weeks, each Tuesday at 6 AM EST and each Thursday at 9 AM EST. You must sign up for the entire series to join.
Why 6 AM? Between 5 and 7 AM - dawn and sunrise - is the time when the yin energy of the night is fully giving over to the yang energy of the day. This in between time is considered a most holy and sacred time and practicing at this transition time is considered optimal. 6 AM EST corresponds to 12 PM European time - another potent time to practice as this is when the yang energy of the day is at its peak. And just to point out, 9 AM EST is 6 AM on the West Coast, for all my west coast friends - come practice!
We're in this together,
