Month: April 2018

Can you feel the Qi? or Energy?

This is a question that is rarely asked. However, I know everyone wants to ask it. Can you feel it? What does it feel like? What am I suppose to feel? First, what is Qi? Qi is the universal energy force that flows through everything. Like water, it flows freely around us, and through our bodies via energy channels or meridians. We can manipulate this energy by practicing qigong, tai chi or yoga. All these energy practices move your energy. For more, read my blog post What is Qi. Can I feel the Qi? Yes, I feel it. Did I always feel it? No, I did not always feel the qi. What does it feel like? People report different sensations. I can report the following: After performing some of the 18 Luohan hands I feel the Qi rushing to my hands, it feels like tingling and sometimes the hands feel like they are swelling (but they are not - nothing you can see). Other times, when I am practicing a step in the 5 step routine called "flowing breeze swaying willow" I feel the Qi spiraling up, and my whole body wants to follow the spiral. Other times it feels like a subtle wave going through my whole body. The thing to remember about qi is it is very subtle, and gentle. Often I feel qi as heat. Lots of heat. No, it is not a hot flash. Those are very different. The heat from Qi is gradual, and not as intense as a hot flash. No nausea, or sweating. So how do you learn to feel the Qi? The only way is to practice. Do your very best to enter zen and go [...]

What are the 18 Luohan Hands?

Here is an introduction to the history, philosophy, and practice of The 18 Luohan Hands. In romanized Chinese, the 18 Luohan Hands is written Shiba Luohan Shou, which is pronounced as follows: • Shi (like the word “ship” but without the “p”) • Ba (rhymes with “La”, ) • Luo (rhymes with “claw”) • Han (rhymes with “con”) • Shou (sounds like “show”) The word Luohan comes from the Sanskrit word Arhat. Both words refer to a person who has cultivated a high level of spirituality. After the Buddha passed away roughly 2500 years ago, 500 of his top disciples gathered together in a grand council. Together, they reviewed and discussed his teachings word by word. These disciples became known as the 500 Arhats.  When Buddhism spread from India to China, there were some cultural adjustments. For example, the Chinese paid special homage to 18 of the 500 Arhats. Statues of these 18 Luohan are often found in Buddhist temples today.  When Bodhidharma taught at the Shaolin Temple (roughly 1000 years after the passing of the Buddha), he chose to pay homage to these 18 Luohan, perhaps in an effort to reach across the cultural divide. So he named a set of Qigong techniques after them.  The word Shou means “hands”, but refers to the 18 techniques. So a figurative translation would be the 18 Techniques of the Enlightened Ones. Over time, the 18 Luohan Hands evolved into the 18 Luohan Fists. Here, “fists” also refers to the techniques, but implies that they are not just for health. In other words, it was a form of Kung Fu. This was the birth of Shaolin Kung Fu, a martial art that would become legendary. The 18 [...]