Our recent weekend with Zhineng Qigong Teacher Jianshe provided a unique opportunity for us to be taught by a Chinese teacher who spent many years at the Huaxia Zhineng Qigong Center in China. Teacher Jianshe helped us create a subtle, relaxed and rich qi field, which evolved over the weekend through stories, movement and meditation.
He shared many stories with us as examples to demonstrate the teachings of Zhineng Qigong. These stories had many characters such as dogs, monks, mothers and babies. The common thread he wove together in each of his stories showed how we are influenced by our ego, how fear arises and the importance of cultivating trust to realize happiness.
He asked us a crucial question, “Why do we practice qigong”. Is it for physical health? Longevity? Happiness? Freedom? It is essential to understand our true intention so we may align it with our practice. Our intention is the seed that our practice nourishes.
Teacher Jianshe reiterated many times that relaxing our mind and body is the foundation of qigong. Relaxation releases fear, which is one of the primary underlying influences that keep us from trusting and realizing true freedom and happiness now. Deeply relaxing is required for us to experience our true, eternal selves.
How do we release fear? By cultivating trust. But most importantly he instructed us to just do it now, in this moment!
We also had the opportunity to gain greater insights into the influencing aspects of Chinese culture and Western culture on Qigong culture. In China slogans are often used for teaching. One that has been adopted by many Chinese qigong teachers is “just do it”. Although it’s a marketing slogan in Western pop culture, but when we put that aside, we can find there is truly great wisdom in the mandate of “just do it”. Many times Teacher Jianshe repeated “just do it” during our time together, and each time we felt a deeper understanding of this wisdom.
What is it that we are supposed to ”just do”? Relax now, trust now, leave your ego behind now. Can we trust to just do it? If yes, then trust is the key to awaken our practice to a deeper level that will activate freedom and happiness. Teacher Jianshe asked us why not “just do it”.
I heard a few students say that this past weekend with Teacher Jianshe was a ‘game changer’ in their practice. They came to understand that through releasing fear, relinquishing our ego to the back seat and trusting this moment and the omnipresent energy, their true desire could be realized now.
That was and is the essence of Teacher Jianshe’s message: trust this moment, now. It was a fertile weekend, for which we are grateful. There is more to share in future blogs.
In the meantime, just do it!
