SPIRITUALITY VS. RELIGION

Spirituality

Spirit is a word that describes life. It has its etymological roots in
the Latin word for breath (spirae).It has been defined as the
animating principle, or non-physical aspect of a thing. It is that
which makes something alive.

Nature is a grand system connected by relationships using a
diverse array of communication. In the duality of time and
space, space is the material and time is the movement which
breathes life. Time is spiritual. You do not see time itself but you
see it expressed materially through change. 

Spirit is the intellectual outlining of the non-physical, animating
qualities belonging to a thing. To be spiritual does not mean you
must deal with ghosts, spirits, gods, or any thing theistic, it
simply means that you recognize your aliveness. I guess I'm
spiritual.

Religion

Religion is a word that describes fixed, unchallengeable
attachment. It has its etymological roots in he Latin word
'religare' which means to bind. Religion is not exclusive to
theistic bindings. Many people form religious relationships
with other things like money, sports teams, political parties,
people, world-views, aesthetics; essentially any logos-imbued
paradigm regardless of what's the epistemic source from which
it is derived can become religions.

Religion is a natural human tendency. Depending upon how far
you're willing to recognize these locked-in bindings, the more
likely it is that everyone is religious to some extent and degree.
We find a strong sense of comfort, value, and identity through
religion. Our religious tendencies have played a
role in our development and survival as a human species. It is
our ability to form rigid, unquestionable
attachments which has allowed us to conspire efficiently into
societies as well as act quickly in the face of danger in order to
survive.

On the flip side, this biased attachment that is religion is also
extremely limiting and a recipe for hard to control disaster. The
sacrifice of religious servitude is in submitting/giving up one's
authority over
the matter. A large portion of that which humans form religious
attachment to is unnecessary in the religious sense of
relinquishing authority. We can still have just as much utility
without the need for dogmatic fanaticism.

This in itself is a form of transcendence when we can be
philosophical enough to use a belief for its pragmatic sake
without closing off our openness to other, many times
contradicting, perspectives and values. Recognizing the
possibility that that which we hold strong to may be a
fabricated intellectual construct without any actual, objective
existence of it's own, does not need to take away from the
idea's merit.

To be religious with regards to something means that you are
so fixed that anything which is differing or challenges it
becomes offensive to your very sense of self. That's the
bind that religion makes. It expresses itself in the archaic
'reptilian' aspects of the triune brain, and its compulsive,
impulsive, survivalistic, rigid, instinctual, irrational character.

We can all engage with and hold on to preferences, passions,
values, and affinities, so to use them as tools for our own
advancement, pleasure and sense of belonging. This sort of
connection or holding is not exclusive to religious binding as
you maintain your ability to let go, change your grasp, and shift
your vantage.

Even the belief in having a protective relationship with an
anthropomorphic god can instill a more mature version of
security than that which a teddy-bear would do for a child who
is afraid of the unknown dark of night. And all this can be done
without religion.

There are people who hold non-religious theistic beliefs just as
there are people who bind religiously to anti-theistic beliefs. It's
just a matter of recognizing these natural tendencies to want to
magnify your sense of value through locking in with a faith that
also blinds you from the big picture.

Standing Meditation for Tai Chi by Cynthia McMullen, LMT

Meditation is often one of the hardest parts of Tai Chi for beginning students to want to learn. It can be a difficult thing to just step out of our fast paced lives and all of a sudden go into a still and quiet place. We’re not used to it, so the lack of being involved in external stimulus can seem boring - at first. However this boredom doesn’t last for long.



Meditation is also one of the most important aspects of doing Tai Chi. Tai Chi has an attitude of uncovering the "stillness within motion", and it is only through meditation that we can realize this. It grounds us, teaches us to center ourselves both emotionally and physically, shows us how to Be in the moment, and builds up tremendous leg strength from the inside out. It is through doing meditation that our Tai Chi movements will be filled with relaxation and that flowing, beautiful grace that it is known for.



What should one try to make happen in meditation? Absolutely nothing. The idea is to fully experience - in a very grounded way - whatever it is that happens. Sometimes this will be nothing more than a serene sense of peace and clarity. Other times experiences could include visual, auditory, or tactile sensations. And energy flow within ourselves can be a wonderful thing to allow and observe. There are also physical changes in health and emotional attitudes that will start to change and open. Each person will have their own, unique range of experiences so it is best not to expect anything specific, but remember to allow and observe what it is that does happen.



The beginning student should learn not to fear any sensations, thoughts, or feelings experienced in meditation. The idea is to be able to ground and center yourself, and from this position just allow and observe the experience. By doing this there is no limit to what we can learn about ourselves, why we think or act certain ways, the depth to which our bodymindspirit is connected, and our relationship to life.



Standing meditation is the most basic posture in Qi Gong, and Tai Chi is a form of Qi Gong. Simple standing is usually done first to ground and center ourselves, and begin to open and fill our energy centers. Standing is then followed by some warm-up Qi Gong exercises. These exercises build up our qi and harmonize the meridians. Finally we do moving Tai Chi to flow the abundance of qi throughout our bodies like the wind and water. The Taoist definition of health is "the smooth, harmonious, abundant, and appropriate flow of qi".



Following are step-by-step instructions for Standing Meditation. Ideally this should be practiced 1 to 3 times daily. Start out by doing 5 minutes at a time, building up to 20 minutes, and not doing more than 45 minutes at one time. At any time that you notice your mind wandering, take it back to simply following your breath. You will soon find why it is that advanced students and The Masters do so much standing meditation.



Standing in the Wu Ji posture



1. Stand comfortably with your feet shoulder width apart.



2. Make sure your toes are pointed straight ahead.



3. There is a gentle, relaxed bend to the knees and they tend to push lightly outwards as opposed to collapsing inwards.



4. The pelvis is tucked slightly forward so the lower spine is straight.



5. The shoulders are loose and relaxed, not raised up, hands hang loosely at the sides.



6. The head is held up as if suspended by a string.



7. Breathing is done through the nose and is slow, soft, and deep.



8. Eyes are either closed, or are slightly parted but not focused on anything.



Beginning the meditation



1.



Follow your breath with your mind, feeling where it goes inside of you.



2.



Slowly scan your body from head to feet looking for any tension or discomfort. If any is found, use the mind to gently guide the breath there and as you exhale, imagine the tension flowing down and releasing into the Earth, dispersing.



Focusing to activate specific energy centers



1.



Become aware of your feet and their connection to the Earth. Imagine that you are inhaling strong, clean energy from the Earth into the Bubbling Well points of your feet, and exhaling used, turbid energy back into the Earth. Do this for 8 to 36 breaths.



2.



Next let the energy from the Earth travel up the legs and into the lower dan tien located beneath the navel. This is our center of inner strength and power. Imagine that you are inhaling pure, healing energy into your dan tien, letting it fill your entire lower abdomen. Exhale, purging any unclean energy from this center. Do this for 8 to 36 breaths.



3.



Change the focus of your mind to the heart center located in the middle of the chest. This is our center of love and compassion. Imagine that you are inhaling purified energy into the heart center. Exhale, cleansing the heart and surrounding yourself with the feeling of compassion. Do this for 8 to 36 breaths.



4.



Change the focus of your mind to the 3rd eye center located between the eyebrows in the middle of the forehead. This is our center of higher consciousness. Imagine that you are inhaling clear and focused energy into the 3rd eye center. Exhale, cleansing the mind and connecting with the consciousness of the Universe. Do this for 8 to 36 breaths.



5.



Now bring the focus of your mind back to the lower dan tien, below the navel. Imagine a warm flow of energy filling this center. As you both inhale and exhale, imagine a channel of energy extending upwards from the dan tien to the heart center, and continuing up to the 3rd eye center. This connects our body, spirit, and mind. Maintain this connection for 8 to 36 breaths.



6.



Change the focus of your mind to the palms of your hands. Imagine breathing into the Lao Gong point at the center of your palms and also exhaling from this point. Feel your hands filling and becoming surrounded in warm qi. Do this for 8 to 36 breaths.


7.



Finally, simply stand and follow your breath. Allow yourself to feel the energy flowing in and around your body. Do this until you feel finished. 

Qigong & The Reptile Brain

"The region of the reptile brain (brainstem) is one of the most important areas for Qigong and Dim-mak. In Qigong it is used to help us to go into the reptile brain where we are in survival or reflex mode allowing the body heal itself or to help us to heal others. There is a good rule as to whether or not you are doing your Qigong correctly and it has to do with the Reptile Brain. When we are taught the basic standing Qigong, we usually begin by getting used to all of the new physical things that we are faced with and are feeling. Like the shakes that accompany the stances. Once over this area and we are faced with a mild vibration which is quite pleasant, we feel the Qi ‘lifting up’ the back and being activated at the points known as GB 20 (gallbladder points No. 20) just below the base of the skull. We feel something lifting up and ending at these points, like a sensation. Everyone’s sensation is different so it is difficult for me to tell you what to feel, better for you to feel it yourself. But be warned, you MUST do Qigong correctly and that means that every tiny peripheral is in its correct place, the weight is placed exactly in the correct place, the head is held exactly correctly, the breathing is being performed exactly and so on. I recently heard from a chap who had been doing so-called Qigong with some ‘master’. He complained that he felt ill after every session and his mind was scattered afterwards. So I sent him my Basic Qigong tape so that he could see exactly what he was doing wrong. He discovered that just about everything he was doing was wrong and thus having a detrimental effect rather than a healing effect! The worst thing that most people do when learning Qigong is to place the weight over the balls of their feet right onto Kidney One point. This is the most damaging thing that one can do as it causes ‘adverse cyclic Qi’ to be generated which can damage the reptile brain! Not many ‘masters’ realize that KD 1 point is NOT the activation point for KD 1 but rather that it is the area of the heels that activates KD 1 point on the foot, the energy input point for ground Qi. So when we place weight onto KD 1 point, it actually stops the Qi from entering into the body. However, if the ground Qi did not enter the body we would die so it must come is some how. So, it builds up to such a degree that it comes through in violent bursts, which reach right up, into the reptile brain damaging it! This is the reason that many people experience violent shakes and body movement while standing in a basic Qigong stance. Many ‘masters’ say that this is powerful, but they are wrong. The weight must be placed upon the heels thus leaving KD 1 point free of all tension and allowing a moderate and balanced flow of Qi to enter the body gradually, thus enhancing the reptile brain.

We are always told to ‘sink the Qi’. But why? The reason is that only in this way does the Qi turn into ‘jing’, a more purified and evaporated type of Qi which is then able to flow to all parts of the body, condenses and settles into the marrow as fat enabling our body to produce more ‘T’ cells for our immune system. In ‘sinking’ we allow the ‘activation points’ for the Reptile Brain to work, activating the Reptile Brain. The very instant that you begin to discover ‘sinking’ or as the Chinese call it, ‘Sung’, you will feel the reptile brain come into play. For a short time, you feel invincible but do not worry that will go away, leaving you with a feeling of well-being because in this condition, your body is free to do what it has to without external tension and the Reptile Brain is free to help you to survive. Survival does not only mean survival against physical attack, but also against disease and pathogenic attack. Tension is one of the greatest things that affects the well being of the Reptile Brain so Qigong is able to help the Reptile Brain do its subconscious work unhindered by tension. All of your glands will be able to do their allotted work. Your Thymus gland, which is in charge of balancing the Qi, will not shrivel up as it does in most people at age around 15. The Thymus gland is more susceptible to stress than any other gland. When we are younger and have not much adult stresses placed upon us, this gland is large and healthy, a tuber shape reaching down from CV 22. So when we begin to get rid of stress, this gland comes back again to control our flow of Qi again. By becoming aware of the Reptile Brain we also activate and assist the Pineal gland, which is also responsible for our perception of nature and the things around us and our place on the planet. So it is not unusual for this gland to increase in size. There are some animals whose size of this gland is half the size of their total brain at birth enabling them to be totally aware of their environment from day one and be in total survival mode.

So while many people do Qigong simply to become more relaxed, they do not know that this ‘simple’ exercise is one of the most beneficial that anyone can do to enhance the Reptile Brain, hence enhancing the workings of the whole body. See (Photo No. 1) for the basic 3 circle standing Qigong stance."

~Erle Montaigue