Century’s ago people would practice Martial Arts for longevity and good health. The whole mind, body ,spirit and Qi was exercised. Meditation was a central part of the training process. Over time meditation has slowly slipped away from the Arts, Why? There is no one reason for this phenomenon. Peng-Xi Yu said,”Wouldn’t be nice if we had an exercise program that would include all of these elements at the same time?” Lets explore these elements for a greater understanding for health together.
The mind, body, spirit and Qi, or the electro-magnetic energy the human body possesses, along with every living and non living thing on this planet, has been a focus for longevity and good health. Since Qi is the most elusive to acquire or cultivate in the Arts, it seems to have been dismissed or eradicated from specific Arts. Most Arts that proclaim the secrets to “Qi” are either dismissed as frauds or “wacked in the brain”. Therefore, real practitioners go deep into hiding and hence the the saying, “Ancient Chinese Secrets”, or you will go through a lengthy probation period being observed with caution to determine your real intentions.
The “Body” is pretty easy to understand. There have been a zillion experts on the subject to show you the next best way to be healthy. I’m not even going to try to name any examples because it gives me a headache just thinking of all of them. Needless to say, there are a lot of them, just pick one if that’s all you are looking for.
The “Mind” is a very complex device we all get to explore while living on this place called Earth. How can one person say he or she has ,”been there, done that?” There are so many variables in this life there is no way a person can feel the same way as someone else. We all comprehend things a little bit different than others. We can have a similar experience but, not the exact same thing. Learning how to keep the mind active so we don’t slip into a none existent reality and become worthless is a goals to a healthy meaningful mind. One can read, read , read, learn, learn and learn and if one neglects the body one can limit experiences on this planet that could shape a better future for generations to come. I’m not saying to stop educating yourself. Just find a way to a balanced life.
The “Spirit” is another one of those key elements for a balanced life we must not forget. What is this “spirit” people keep talking about anyways? Just look at it as a driving force that keeps us going through bad times. Building the spirit takes a lot time, patience and focus. The one question one might ask is, Do you feel better when you accomplish or reach a goal or do you feel bad? The importance of setting goals in your life is something that is not observed enough. Learn to set goals and stick to it until you don’t have to think about it. There are so-o-o many books and speakers on the subject, find one that works for you. I know life can get really tough out there, just keep going, never give up! Build your Go-o-o power until it oozes out of you. YOU CAN DO IT!
The “Qi”, the most elusive of them all, Does it exists, can we feel it, can we see it, can we taste it? Why is that when it is mentioned in conversation almost everyone is an expert? how can we all be an expert on the subject or we know someone who is?
My teacher, Min Ouyang would tell me, “Shin I Qi”. If you can harness all three components you will have a long, balanced, happy life. What is Shin I Qi? How I understand this is: “Shin = spirit; I = understanding/knowledge (and work it); Qi = the cultivation and expansion of ones Qi or electro-magnetic force we all possess. The translation as I understood it was,” Spirit, Mind, Energy. The physical was left out of this equation for a very good reason, if you worked all three of them your body would naturally become very healthy. She would then say to me,”Do you want pain or no pain, which one? Your choice. Keep training and you will live a long, well balanced, life – like me”. She taught until she passed away at 100 years old in the year 2007. I was so thankful that Dale Freeman introduced me to her when I was so young. I’m very grateful for John Cole’s dedication to her teaching and his ability to give to me a level of awareness I would have never been able to do without his hard work. I’m very thankful for Min Ouyang’s endorsement of me to teach all who qualify to learn this wonderful Art that will produce a incredible balanced, happy, meaningful life.
I will be posting more incredible information,
Till next time,
Roy Sorvari
Flowing Motion 