[From The Doctor]
Happy Qi
by Nadia Hole
“Happiness is a choice”
~Abraham Lincoln
Happy Qi! & Holy Shift! (Dec 2011) Anyone else notice the butterfly ripple effect of the Yin Yang of Solar Flares, Heaven on Earth, & Other Changes (June 2012)? From Greenland, Fukushima, Syria, & more; to our own backyards: how can anyone not notice, the collective & individual, meltdowns & breakdowns, we’re facing?
Finding “Happy” in times like ours can be challenging. I often wake to SOS messages from friends, & friends of friends worldwide, in crisis – from life changing catastrophic illness, sudden deaths of loved ones, financial collapses, natural disasters, relationship heartbreaks, to senseless accidents & violence. Once faceless statistics & news stories, are coming close to home.
Amidst the extra-ordinary winds of change of our times, we’re nearly all being faced with “rubber hits the road”, “turning point”, life changing choices, not always easy to make. What used to work is no longer valid. “Don’t worry! Be Happy!” can ring hollow.
Science however documents that happy people live longer, healthier, & wealthier; plus have more success in work & love as well. Choosing “Happy” is still the happiest choice. How to choose? From my clinical & personal experience, here are some, in the trenches, proven effective, Qi tools & principles worth re-visiting:
1- Breathe deeply & slowly, into your heart. Be as mindful as possible, of what simply is, each moment of now – no past or future stories. With each breath, allow yourself to feel whatever you’re feeling as authentically as possible. Intentionally breathe out “stuck Qi.” Breathe in “good” Qi to naturally clear whatever you’re ready to let go of. No matter how you may feel, trust that everything is somehow in the Dao of perfect Divine Order, as is, for the highest good for all, including you & yours.
2- Smile! Smile! Smile! No matter what you’re feeling, give yourself the Inner Smile of unconditional Love, Gratitude, Forgiveness, & Acceptance, for everything as is, especially for yourself. Smiling recalibrates your body chemistry, neurotransmitters, heart rate variability, immune system, brain waves, & more; to a more positive state, conducive to healing. Most importantly, with a smile, as Gretchen Rubin, best selling author of The Happiness Project, advises, give yourself the freedom to simply “BE ME!”
3- Love & Focus. Focus on feeling your heart felt Yi Nian, clear Intention. What is your heart of hearts true desire? A recent Harvard study documents that people are likelier to report feeling happy, when focused, or when making love, an interesting juxtaposition. My 1st QiGong teacher, Grandmaster Effie Chow, teaches that Love, as one of the most powerful expressions of Qi, conquers all. What if we could all focus on making each breath, on some level, making Love?
4- Relate & Cultivate nourishing, De “virtuous” “right” relationships, & “right” living. As Rubin advises, “Do good. Feel good.” Relationships are built over time, by connected inter-actions. Find your tribe, your community; then connect, take action, & get involved. Patients with nourishing relationships, even with just pets, make better recoveries. Wisdom & spiritual traditions, authorities on happiness, & medical researchers concur that connectivity is key in living happier & healthier.
5- Nourish your body in Yang Sheng life giving ways. Focus on giving to yourself. Gift yourself a massage. Let yourself be touched. Walking, singing, dancing, &/or just sounding your voice, or moving your body, in some simple repetitive pattern, are also measurably therapeutic. Treat yourself, to truly only organic whole Real Foods to eat, as fresh as possible.
6- Surround yourself with uplifting, happy people. Be discerning of the company you keep. One fascinating study reports that happiness is a collective process, & contagious. You’re likelier to be happy, in the web of life, simply being connected with people who are already happy, whether or not you personally know them.
7- Be still, & know … Over the years, I’ve two patients who deserve awards for Happiness. Both are quadriplegics, one at the hand of her ex. Hearing their stories, I asked, “Are you crazy? How can you be so happy?” One replied: “What else is there?” The other: “I know my Maker, & that’s enough for me.” Marci Shimoff, best selling author of Happy for No Reason, reports in her survey of indigenous shamans & elders on happiness; that besides making time to sing, dance, & connect; the fourth common practice they shared is to make time daily, to be still. By whatever name you may call “universal Qi” – With each breath, connect to the still small voice within, eternal Presence, that gives you a sense, as Einstein put it, that this is indeed a friendly universe.
All said, Qi Masters, & “experts” on Happiness, often are not naturally Happy. I, myself, confess that finding “Happy” for much of my life, has been painfully elusive. With my foster home background, I’ve few & far between “happy” childhood memories. The good news is that Qi works. Happiness is indeed a choice, not always easy, but hands down happier.
The Chinese word for “crisis” translates as either “danger” or “opportunity.” No matter what challenges, changes, or so called obstacles you may be facing, perhaps it’s time to ask yourself: What gives YOU real Happiness? What are your true needs? What makes you feel loved? Unconditionally accepted as is? Worthy? Once you’ve set your intention, Happy, in Qi terminology, is best “emitted” &/or “transmitted.” If there’s anything we can do, here at Yang-Sheng, to help you catch it, we’re here. Blessings & Happy Qi!
Nadia Linda Hole MD is a Qigong practitioner, teacher, & pioneer, with degrees from Princeton, Duke, & Oneness Universities. She has served on the faculties of the American Holistic Medical Association, American Academy of Pain Management, & World Congress on QiGong; as a contributing author of chapters on Qigong & KHT Koryo Hand Therapy, for Pain Management, Neurology, & Cardiology, complementary medicine textbooks; as consulting editor for landmark textbook, Chinese Medical Qigong; & is presently co-founder of a Qi based Free Distance Healing Project. Regarded as a master by fellow masters, Dr Hole herself makes no claims. Besides dancing, dolphins, healing in the way of Love; & the practical science of “miracles,” Dr Hole’s passion is bringing a more heart centered, Qi approach, to medicine. www.AlohaMD.com 808-987-7268, 707-986-8129
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