So we're going to begin today with a sequence practice of Qigong,
Negong,
That many of you may have done.
And if you haven't,
If this is going to be new to you,
Then just join right in.
The actions themselves are very relatively simple to do,
And you just follow the principles of underdoing range of motion,
Relaxed presence,
Relaxed intention,
And we'll move right into this.
The practice we're going to begin with today is called the Eight Expressions of Qi.
In the Eight Expressions of Qi,
The reason I'm choosing this as a way to introduce and to connect with Centering is because in some ways it defines the parameters of the space that we are in,
Feeling up and down,
Forward and backward,
And to the side.
So the six essential directions with the center as the seventh core aspect.
So I'll guide us through this.
We'll settle in here and do the Eight Expressions.
So if you would,
Please join me in standing.
And we can begin this practice with a little bit of preparatory work of just moving in the whole field of the body.
So before we come to the Eight Expressions of Qi,
What I want to invite you to do is feel the alignment of folding in the qua on the left side.
The qua,
If that's a new term for you,
Is the space of the inguinal area in which you can lightly fold to feel the alignment of shoulder,
Hip,
And bottom of foot.
Then that opens back to center neutral.
Yeah,
This is a very simple action,
But I want you to get the feeling of this,
And we're going to move with this in a moment.
Now I'm on the right side,
But I'm not leaning.
I'm folding here to allow alignment of shoulder,
Field,
Hip,
Field,
And the bottom of the foot.
And then it just simply opens back to central neutral.
Do you have that feeling?
Now start to move a little bit with that and feel the bottoms of the feet.
So the movement happens from the heel towards the toe,
And then back towards the heel,
Towards the toe,
Back towards the heel on the other side,
Toe.
And just make this action smooth and fluid,
And don't let the weight flow into your knees.
A little more inside the feet,
Inside the legs.
Good.
Stay in this for just a minute.
We really want to invite you.
We're just getting present here in this action.
All right?
Nice.
Just let your arms move as they will.
The idea is the alignment,
The folding,
The presence,
And everything moving together in a sense of harmony.
Okay,
Now stabilize into the center.
We're going to stabilize here and settle your body down a little bit and see if you can lightly bounce here.
So from the side,
It looks like this.
It's just a very light bounce in which you feel and can feel the whole body moving together.
Relax the breath.
Don't hold your breath.
Good.
Now with that stability,
We settle down.
We start to move from the waist,
Not the hips,
And keep the knees down to the feet in that stability.
This lightly moves the field of the spine.
Do this as it is appropriate for your body.
Just breathing in here,
Settling in here for just a moment.
Lightly spiraling up the length of the spine.
No hurry,
No urgency.
Good.
Let that unwind.
Good.
Let's practice integrating breath.
Palms up,
Then press the palms downward.
Settle the whole body down,
Open,
Release,
Let go,
And begin another cycle here.
Okay,
This time the hands come up.
You face the palms inward.
You flow down the central channel of your body in feeling and settle the hands here below the navel in the field of what is called the lower dantian.
I often call it the hara.
So that's settling down here,
Already center line,
Center field,
Center presence.
Just rest here in your uchi,
Standing meditation posture,
And allow the breath to be calm,
Smooth,
Even,
Relatively soft and fine.
And mind lets go,
Softens through the fabric of the body and settles down here.
Just take a moment to start to begin to feel that quality of settling.
Letting go of anticipation,
Just present here with the breath.
Here we are with one another,
Practicing calmness,
Settling,
And centering already.
All right,
Good.
Release your hands down to the side,
And we're going to begin the practice in the flow of the eight expressions of chi.
Those of you that know that,
Just join in.
If this is new,
Then just follow along here.
The first action is called gather.
So it's an earth connection.
That's an in-breath,
And then exhale as you have that sense of lift or rise.
Then there's an in-breath that expands,
An exhale that closes or contracts.
Then there's a in-breath that flows in,
A light bow of the spine.
Exhale as you press out.
Then just let that settle with an in-breath,
And release,
Disperse into neutral.
We begin that flow again.
Gather,
Earth,
Rise,
Sky,
Expand,
Contract.
Flow in,
Flow out.
Settle with an in-breath,
Release,
Disperse with the exhalation.
Good.
Gather,
Earth energy,
And then rise,
Sky,
Heaven energy,
Universe energy,
Close.
Flow in with this pair of opposites.
In,
You're absorbing,
You're extending.
Then you let that settle with an in-breath,
Disperse with an exhalation,
And spend just that moment of neutral before you begin again.
Let's expand,
Let's close or contract.
This is flowing in with a little bow of the spine.
That's pressing out with an extension.
Hands open,
Release with the settling and disperse,
Neutral.
Absorb,
Extend,
Settle.
Nice opening,
Lengthening,
Disperse.
Feel the natural yin yang qualities,
The earth,
Proverbial heaven,
Rise,
Expand,
Contract.
Flows in,
Flows out.
That's an exile.
Relax the hands and just let that float down with an in-breath.
Release,
Disperse.
Again.
Absorb and extend.
This is communication with the energy of the universe.
Absorb,
Disperse,
Settle,
Disperse.
Gather,
Feel your earth connection through hands and feet.
And then through the crown of your head downward,
Through the open hands,
Expand,
Contract.
There's a pulse.
Here's a flow in and a flow out.
Settle,
Release and disperse.
Really come to zero right here for just a moment.
Smaller form,
Medium frame here.
So the expression of the movement is a little finer,
A little smaller,
But you still feel the fullness of the energy.
Just let that settle.
Disperse,
Let go of your wrists there.
Gather,
Rise,
Expand,
Close or contract.
Flows in,
Absorb.
Flows out,
Extend.
Settle,
Disperse.
Again,
Medium frame.
Exhale.
Let that settle down.
Good.
Now still feeling this flow of movement of this reciprocity with life.
Smaller frame still.
That's the rise.
There's the expand.
Feel that from inside the body.
Close.
It flows in.
It flows out.
You settle.
Disperse.
Gather.
Rise.
In breath.
Absorb.
Extend.
Settle.
Disperse.
Now barely moving the extremities,
We're gonna feel this practice initiating inside the body with a little bit of movement in the arms.
And through the legs and so on.
Just to feel how the impact of the qualities that we're working with take place.
So small,
Almost micro frame.
Here's the gather and there's the rise.
There's the expand and the close.
There's the flow in and release out.
Settle.
Disperse.
One more time.
Small,
Small frame.
Gather.
Expands.
Closes.
Absorb.
Extend.
Settle.
Release.
Let's do that practice without moving the arms.
Just feeling those qualities through the body in our natural alignment.
So the first one is to gather.
And then to lift or feel that center line open.
Expand.
Every cell expands.
Naturally close.
A pulse.
Oscillation.
Flows in and out.
Good.
Settle.
Disperse.
And now we're just gonna rest here for a moment in the natural alignment that we've cultivated by opening these fields of up,
Down,
Side,
Front,
Back,
Center.
Just rest here for a moment.
