The deep connection and comfort I feel with being outdoors are conducive to my alternative therapies, which are beneficial for my holistic health. Spending my time in nature gives me the mental clarity needed for coherent flowing thoughts, and improved emotional intelligence.
Life's challenges mixed with endless external annoyances and distractions can become overwhelming, so having a good understanding of myself and my needs was the vital tool that I needed to cope and look after myself.
Strengthening my mind for increased focus is a part of my daily habits, which happens during my practices, and also in my everyday life.
I recently resumed my daily Qi Gong routine, which I incorporate with having quiet mornings for moments of gratitude, focus, and determination toward my goals and daily agenda.
The serenity of the morning energy makes it the perfect time for me to do my Qi Gong practice, as the mornings here in Jamaica tend to be cooler and the afternoon humidity can be overbearing at times, especially when practising outdoors. Therefore, it's important to keep hydrated (even in cooler climates).
It's vital to cultivate the right energy within me, and also to protect the energy around me; Qi Gong includes controlled deep breathing, meditation, and synchronized movement with breathing.
The effects of Qi gong and the positive energy that we breathe in can be felt immediately. The practice of controlling the breath, meditation, and slowly synchronizing the movement with the breath, fills up my dantians (energy storage). This helps to balance the main internal organs along the meridian of my body for a good flow of energy.
We are the only ones who have full control of our minds, thoughts, feelings, and emotions.
No matter how much others might have the ability to apply empathy and try to read others' body language, we need to acknowledge that we are the only ones in full control of our minds. My psychological makeup prefers solitude, so maintaining a calm, and harmonious environment is important to me, and Qi Gong is an ideal activity for me to achieve this.
Qi Gong increases my sensory-motor skills, which enables me to detect inflated egos and diverge verbal diarrhoea from cluttering my mind.
(Practising in shoes is my preferred way. I just needed to feel the earth beneath my feet for that particular video;)... and just a joke...I did the entire video above and did not realise till when I was editing, that I'd ripped my crotch open, so I had to redo the video.)
With Qi Gong, you are taught the fundamental basics and the rest depends on you. Being able to refer to my photos and videos is a great way for me to assess the areas of improvement that are needed in my body and movements. It's also a great way for me to look back and compare the photos to get a true appreciation of where my body opens up from continuous practice.
I've cut the video above down to thirteen minutes (what the fuck am I thinking right?)
... As if you're gonna sit and watch the entire thing?
Ha! I trust you will... and when you do, please start with doing a modification of movement that feels comfortable for your body.
Peace 🙏
