Many qigong students experience a frustrating paradox: The more desperate you are to heal, the longer it takes.
I’ve experienced this frustration myself in my own healing journey, and it breaks my heart when I see my students going through the same thing.
In this article, and the accompanying meditation below, I’m hoping to shift your perspective so that you can get the healing that you deserve.
The first step is to recognize that you are stuck in a Western paradigm. In the West, we’re conditioned to believe that more effort equals faster results. We’ve all heard phrases like “no pain no gain,” or “the bigger the sacrifice, the greater the reward.” But when it comes to an Eastern art like qigong, this approach doesn’t always work.
Let me try to shift your perspective with a classic Zen story from the East:
A student, eager for enlightenment, approaches a Zen master.
Student: “If I join your temple, how long will it take me to reach enlightenment?”
Master: “About 10 years.”
Student: “Well, what if I work really hard and double my efforts?”
Master: “In that case, 20 years.”
What’s going on here? Why would more effort mean more time?
In qigong, as with Zen meditation, we’re dealing with the subtleties of the human mind. When we try too hard, we inadvertently create tension in the body and send signals of danger to our nervous system. This is the opposite of what we want, whether our goal is healing or enlightenment.
Qigong is about softening the body and the mind. This process is what allows the healing energies to start flowing. It shifts our nervous system from sympathetic (fight or flight) to parasympathetic (rest and restore). In qigong terms, we open up the energy channels, allowing the qi to flow.
So, how do you balance the need to practice diligently with the need to not push too hard? What if you’re desperate to heal, like I was?
Guided Meditation: Healing Through Surrender
The meditation below is something that I wish I had had in my own healing journey. It’s a bit different that the meditations that come with my book or in my programs. It is designed to help you glimpse a new paradigm.
You can do this meditation sitting or standing. You can do it whether you’re a complete newbie to qigong, or you’re a seasoned veteran. The question is: can you surrender?
Give it a try. As always, if you have questions or comments, please drop them in the section below.
Click Here to Download the MP3 File (Free)
From the heart,
Sifu Anthony
Related