Tag - breath

Change of Season – Stay in Balance

Change of season, change of being. The sun is dipping lower on the horizon in this part of the world and with the change of summer flowing into the fall, our bodies naturally flow and prepare with the tune of nature to become more introspective in preparation for the transition from the summer sun and fiery activity to the winter tranquility and coldness. Autumn becomes the time of in between, a parenthesis filled with warm days and cool evenings, sweet scents of abundant harvests and the earthy smells of the decay regenerating the soil. A season filled with activity of a different nature. In Classical Chinese Medicine, the season of autumn is associated with the lungs and large intestine. It is through the lungs that one connects with the concept of Ch’i. What is Ch’i? Ch’i is the breath of heaven. The ancient Chinese believed that heaven initiated life.  Ch’i is energy, an energy underlying life. It is the awareness of this energy that forms the basis of Classical Chinese medicine. It is this basis in partnership with sound vibration and music theory that has evolved Soundtouch therapy. When the flow of Ch’i is disturbed, there can be imbalances in the body leading to dis-ease. This autumn take the time to nurture your Ch’i by bringing awareness to your lungs and large intestine. The lungs receive inspiration, connect with spirit and discover what inspires you. The large intestine allows you to let go the inessential. What is it that you need to let go of in order to act upon your inspirations? Practice breathing. Pay attention to the process of breathing without judging it, just be aware of it. The purpose is to clue into the state of our well-being through the breath. Are we calm? agitated? distracted? focused? Continue this awareness, feeling the rhythmic flow, notice that the heart centre and the mind become steady and more calm. Finding balance in the midst of a transitional season.  

Balance and Harmony

It seems that busy-ness is all around us. Events flowing from one to the next with little room to breathe before the next thing happens. If one thought that summer was busy with outdoor activities, fall and winter provide other types of busy. So how does one cope with the constant demands of everyday life? First of all understand that everything in the universe reflects Divine law and order, our life is not based in chaos or trial and error. Universal laws are the extensions of physical laws that are applied to spiritual laws. Learning about these laws provide us a foundation of self governance so that we can keep in our own personal flow while flowing with the ALL that is. When we are in this flow, we create a sense of centre, harmony, balance and peace. All of the Universal Laws are interrelated and by understanding how they work together we become more conscious of our creation, take responsibility for our lives as well as the pace of life. We flow, we allow, we breathe. So what are some what are some tools to feeling this sense of balance and harmony when we are navigating these Universal laws? The most simple is to follow our breath. To be aware when we inhale and when we exhale. How is the body feeling? Is there tension and constriction? What is the mind doing? Is it chattering, obsessive and noisy? Give the mind something to do, ask it to observe the breath. Then allow the inhale to reach into every part of the body. This creates mindfulness and presence. On the exhale of the breath, allow yourself to release. Release tightness in the musculature. Allow your bones to hold you up instead of working so hard to keep it together. Over a relatively short amount of time, you will notice that you will feel less rushed, more present, more engaged in your activities. You will notice the flow. _The Centred Being