The philosophy and practice of Inspirit Way Internal Qigong

Qigong is a Chinese system of physical and spiritual cultivation which can be translated as Vitality Practice. This recent term is used to describe the traditional internal practices known as Internal Alchemy (Nei Dan). This ancient practical spiritual system is based on the Daoist philosophy of the Natural Way (Dao). It was developed over millennia with an aim to benefit health, improve wellness and reveal our spiritual nature.

Inspirit Way Internal Qigong (Shen Dao Nei Qigong) is a collection of traditional practices combined with recent ones specifically formulated for the needs of our times. Out of the many Qigong styles, most of which focus on Martial Arts or Medicine, it is one firmly based on spiritual principles.

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From my many years of working as a life coach, healer and meditation teacher, I know for sure there is one thing we all need more of and that’s self-love.

Sometimes I wish self-love would be one of the main subjects taught in primary schools and one that you can’t skip - a subject teachers would put as their utmost priority so we would all know how to truly love ourselves.

Self-love is simply good for everyone, as when you truly love yourself you naturally make the right choices for yourself in all areas of your life. The next logical benefit is that it’s only when you truly love yourself that you can truly love another. Life on planet Earth would look very different if the majority of people loved themselves. This is really worth pondering.

Pause for now, take a deep breath and imagine how it would feel to live in such a world…

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Our body orchestrates an infinite number of functions all day long, almost entirely below the level of our conscious awareness. If we had to remember to breathe, pump our blood, digest our food, eliminate toxins, create new cells, regulate our temperature, and maintain the delicate homeostasis of dozens of intricate systems, we wouldn’t survive for very long.

While our body is a miracle of self-regulation, we are much more likely to enjoy health and happiness when we nurture it with love and attention, tuning into what we really need and making choices that nourish our physical, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing.

In the practice of self-care, Ayurveda offers practical tools and guidance that

help us connect to our body’s wisdom as we expand our experience of health,

self-compassion, and peace of mind

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Have you ever been driven crazy by your own thoughts?

Our human capacity to think things through has enabled many wonders of our civilization. On an everyday level, if you want to learn a new skill; sort out your finances or plan an event, your capacity for reasoned thought will make this possible. However, thoughts are not the best tool in the box to help solve every life issue. In fact, they can sometimes make situations worse.

Suppose you feel jarred following a tricky conversation with a friend or family member and are ruminating on what they said; what they 'really' meant and so on. Rumination is what cows and other, well - ruminants, do when they repeatedly regurgitate and chew again previously swallowed food. Thoughts too can be regurgitated and 'chewed over' again and again: in fact, many more times than any bit of grass being digested by a sheep or cow.

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Major transformations in our external circumstances are not possible without a major transformation in our internal circumstances. When dealing with stuck, painful, recurring patterns, one of the fastest and most effective ways to resolve internal dynamics is by diving head-first into the shadows of our psyche.

The first part of our adult lives is devoted to building our egos. We are inspired or compelled to show up in particular ways and we work hard to become the person we want to be.

At some point, we may become aware that our values, goals and actions are not aligned with our highest aspirations. Perhaps there are some deep-rooted desires that we have neglected, and only now realise that time is running out, and our focus shifts to reclaiming the aspects of our self-expression that were disowned, abandoned or repressed in order to present to the world what we considered an ‘acceptable’ or ‘appropriate’ persona.

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A TREATMENT APPROACH WITH INSPIRIT WAY THERAPY

Background

The client in this case is fictional, in the sense that he is a composite character derived from several cases with a similar theme of anger issues. The examples given of therapeutic body-centred techniques and psychodrama processes were in fact used at different times with different individuals.

This ‘client’ had a childhood shaped by a neglectful mother and a violent father. His parents had a turbulent relationship which got increasingly fraught, angry and violent. When they divorced he stayed with his mother. She however was preoccupied with new relationships and scarcely gave him any of the care and maternal affection which he craved. He could have gone to live with his father, who had previously provided him with some love and protection, but couldn’t as his father was given to fits of anger often accompanied by violence. To sum up, both his parents’ attitudes and behaviour caused him profound wounding, so much so it convinced him that he had to shield himself and avoid ever making himself vulnerable.

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Lets turn this crisis into an opportunity for something new to emerge!

We are in the process of a world crisis, which shares many of the symptoms of grief; our lives have been suddenly turned upside down in a short space of time due to COVID 19.

These conflicting feelings can be confusing. I do have more time now but can I really admit to enjoying this extra space. How can I enjoy myself when many of us are already experiencing or are on the brink of facing immeasurable hardship? This precious commodity of time has historically felt in short supply and now I have more, BUT….. “Not like this, I hear myself say.” I have a mix of conflicting feelings and it doesn’t feel easy.

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AMANDA BATE

(Amanda runs laughter workshops and is also one of our wonderful receptionists!)

At Laugh Alive we fully understand and promote the importance of maintaining a light heart and an open frame of mind. This principle forms the basis of our work and is something we ourselves, actively instil each day. And, we do this simply by smiling.

As individuals and particularly in the current climate, we may be fearing the unknown or worrying about our futures… Therefore, it is difficult to smile or stay in the moment and to trust that everything will work out in the healthiest and most positive way.

I am personally living my current life by the mantra: WHEN NOTHING IS SURE… EVERYTHING IS POSSIBLE. This steers me through those scary moments of ‘What if…?’ and offers me the option of balance and inspiration. It reminds me to be thankful for all that I am and to celebrate all that I have.

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Our life begins with loss and it is central to our condition.  From the moment of conception to the moment we take our last breath human beings are exposed to a series of losses which will shock us, sadden us, diminish us and cause us untold grief.  Thankfully most of us are spared too much heartache in our lifetime. 
Loss could be described as an inner wounding which is unique to each individual at a personal level and yet is common to all mankind universally.  It is a perfectly normal and natural response to being human and there is no shame in our need for grieving.  Whether we take these events in our stride or are unbearably overwhelmed by them, they, nevertheless, present us with opportunities for reflection, reparation, transformation and also new beginnings. 

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