Manifesting Destiny - Conversations With Healer Darren Orr

MBS:  I was having a discussion with some people the other day, and someone made the off handed remark that because of the way that a mutual friend had acted, they predicted that a certain future outcome was inevitable for them.  Another person who was standing with us then made the statement, "you better watch what you say, or you will manifest it."

Will the event really become manifested, or are you really predicting something that's going to happen anyway?  OR, if you really want to expand on that thought, does it have to do with time lines? Could it become manifested on this time line but not another?? Or does it even get that involved at all???  lol

Autumn Decor, Tree Reflection Print by Jude McConkey

Darren:  Yes it gets that involved and everything you mentioned is factored into the equation and outcome and probably alot more haha! You are doing both: it's being manifested because you said it and you are seeing the fruition of a habitual pattern not in balance with your friends destiny.

Everyone has a destiny--a reason why you were born, a reason why you are living at this time on Earth. We can go into this deeper from a Classical Chinese medicine perspective but it must be in person because truth cannot be expressed in words on paper or over the cloud, only through a direct vibrational experience.

Yes, you are predicting something that is going to happen. If you are friends with someone else and overtime you come to understand their mind (patterns, behaviors, habits) then it is relatively easy to predict outcomes based on past behavior. What do most people use as the basis of their current experience and future decisions?---their past. So the past, for most, informs their future without them ever being present of the only moment that they are alive---now and now and now!!  Or, for most people, even being aware that this pattern exists - which is most unfortunate. As my teachers teacher states "anyone who doesn't live in the present moment is committing a form of spiritual suicide" and thus cannot fulfill their mandate from heaven or destiny in this lifetime. 

The question becomes, are your choices and actions in life based on your true nature and your own spirit?  That truthful internal voice?  Or, is your truth stifled and unduly influenced by external sources ...ie family, friends, media, Internet, society, religion, culture???  Or, are you simply an amalgamation of these factors?  Or... have you even bothered to take the time to understand your own mind???
That is an important question to ask oneself.

It is worthless to read and reiterate someone else's words, practices, forms, teachings. All of those came from one who originally thought outside the box, a true independent thinker. This is what my lineage, Formless Daoism and Inner Strength teaches as it's foundation--to be an independent thinker.  The most meaningful teaching comes directly from one's own experience. All else is fallacy and plagiarism. You must speak and live your own truth. You are utterly unique. Over 70 trillion combinations of genes and cells and you are a unique combination and manifestation never seen before in creation and never to be seen again.

So, why follow anyone but your own spirit?  The greatest master you will ever find resides inside your own Being.
The teacher is so necessary and revered in every culture because it points you back to your own spirit -- the uniqueness which holds and enfolds all which if you connect with it while living, will unfold and manifest your destiny in this lifetime.

Everyone is a creator. Everyone creates their own life.  Even if they abdicate that responsibility and play the martyr or victim role they still choose the filtered glasses with which they choose to see the world through and act upon.  It can become manifest in this timeline based on your friends choices or it can be manifested in another dimension or another lifetime.

At this point one needs to look to the highest form of science we in the west know of, quantum physics. We are finding with each new discovery that our most modern scientific method directly correlates to the ancient teachings of many cultures. As the famous physicist David Bohm states "the universe may be nothing more than a hologram of your own Mind".
This is exactly the 'Truth' that QiGong Masters pointed at 8,000 years ago using 'internal' technology.

What does that statement invoke in you?
Does it make you think? 

Depending on the quantum physicist you are quoting there can be anywhere from 3 to 26 dimensions or more. Your choices determine whether the unlimited field of potentiality and possibility is broken into a particle or a wave. Using the metaphor of the ocean, the quantum realm is an ocean of unlimited potentiality and possibilities where your choices take this unlimited wave and break it into 1 path, wave or particle that you surf and that 1 path out of many becomes your so called "reality".   But if there are other dimensions then potentially you are making different decisions in each dimension and each produces a unique outcome and destiny.

Think about that!

Here we can reference the Hiesenburg principle which states simply that the observer changes that which is observed. This has HUGE implications for healing from a medical QiGong perspective but even mores for our scientific method and how research is conducted.

Said in another way- what you give conscious awareness to, you change. Your intention in some aspects has more of an effect on the field of awareness and consciousness, that is life, than do your actions.

From a jing level physical matter perspective, everyone has a timeline. Life is a terminal illness.  From the moment you are born it is a countdown to your death. You only get so many breaths. Can you face that fact and live moment to moment with that awareness, not be fearful and use it to increase your presence in the eternal now?  It's the only thing one can truly count on.  If you are born you will die. The question becomes how are you going to live your death?? The way you live your life is the way you will live your death. We are born with a destiny, but our individual choices from moment to moment affect this destiny and our ability to fulfill and manifest it in our lifetime and within a given time line.  If you don't find the time to deal with and understand your mind in life, you WILL deal with at death, it's your choice.

This is why spiritual disciplines like Medical QiGong were created.  So you can keep your body as healthy, vital and supple for as long as possible.  Regulating the Mind, reducing stress, harmonizing internal and external energies into 1.  Honing your intention to awaken your spirit so you can manifest your own individual, unique destiny in this lifetime for the benefit of all life, both formed and formless.



Darren Orr is a Doctor of Classical Chinese Medicine in Medical QiGong Therapy with a specialization in Dao-yin. He is currently training in ShenGong to be a Formless Daoist Priest. He is a Medical QiGong Master, nationally certified massage, bodywork and somatic therapist, Reiki Master, sound healer, Dao yoga, Dao Yin and meditation teacher. Darren is an A-Z practitioner specializing in life-altering illness, palliative care for the terminally ill, bereavement services for family, cancer, PTSD, fibromyalgia, addiction, mental/emotional imbalances, chronic pain and stress management as well as preventative medicine. CEU courses, lectures, workshops, seminars, classes, qi parties, and corporate wellness programs also available. Serving the tri-state area in a triangle from Philadelphia to NYC to Atlantic City Nj. Long Distance therapy also available.

You can contact Darren at:  d.orr333@gmail.com 

You may also be interested in reading our interview with Darren about healing and the practice of Qigong.



Also his articles for our blog include:
Shedding Our Acquired Life Roles and Medical Qigong
Spiritual Warrior


 

Autumn Decor Tree Reflection print is courtesy of photographer Jude McConkey.
  Prints are available through her shop on Etsy.

   Follow the daily updates of the Mind Body Spirit Marketplace on Facebook and Tumblr.

Spiritual Warrior - Conversations With Healer Darren Orr

Nature Forest Print by Jude McConkey

"Spirituality not practiced under fire, stress and duress is worthless and pointless.

If you practice in the hopes of attaining everlasting peace--you're deluded and

in stasis. Its easy for anyone to be happy, calm, peaceful when everything seems

perfect. Can you still remain centered, balanced, happy and peaceful when your

life falls apart?? ---that's the true test of a spiritual warrior   ~DO~

MBS:  I was reading a quote you had on your FaceBook page the other day (above)

and it referred to a person being or developing into a "spiritual warrior".

I know that the term "spiritual warrior" gets thrown thrown around pretty loosely sometimes to describe all kinds of situations and issues pertaining to spiritual attainment.

So I my question is, what is it to be a spiritual warrior?

 Darren:  My definition of a spiritual warrior would be: One who can face and embrace the

 fears within their own minds.  Having the discipline to delve deep within ones

 own darkness on a daily basis. As Lao Tzu states in the Dao darkness within

 darkness the gateway to all understanding. It takes courage to be a spiritual

 warrior and look at oneself truthfully openly and fearlessly, accepting oneself

 in its totality, the light and the dark, bringing harmony to your own duality. 

 Many believe a warrior to be one who kills or destroys, especially from

 an external perspective of soldiers, the military and war. This is not what

 I'm talking about. A spiritual warrior does not kill or destroy they transform

 and transmute. This is what the Daoists were really referring to when you read

 about alchemy. It's a transformation process where you transmute the base elements

 of yourself (fear, anger, negativity) and use them as compost to grow new life

--unconditional love, health and healing. This is also what the resurrection means

 in a broader symbolic form. You die or let go of the old and use it so new life can

 be born. This is why to train as a spiritual warrior no matter the system, they use

 the breath. As you inhale you take in new life and as you exhale you release all

 that is unwanted. To become conscious of that exchange and interchange between the 2

 on a moment to moment basis allows you to fully experience the grandeur,

 beauty and majesty of life and fulfill your destiny in this lifetime. 

It's so easy in spiritual circles to literally get caught up in spiritual samsara--

thinking everything is all light. They use the teachings as way to distract themselves

from themselves keeping it superficial so they don't have to face their darkness,

pain, fear and negative habitual patterns. The other common misconception is many

mistakenly think a teacher, guru or sifu is going to save you. No one can save you.

You are the only one that can save you. That realization that this path of the spirit

is in it's essence a solitary journey and you must trek within the uncharted internal

terrain of your deepest darkest fears alone and face them alone is the path of the

spiritual warrior. Each persons life is unique unto themselves, no can live your life

for you or give you some magical pill or key to health, healing, enlightenment or any

other desire. The teacher can only point the way back to your spirit. The warrior must

walk the path and navigate the dangers along the way. The more the teachers words are

aligned with their actions and life experiences, the more powerful and profound the

example will be. 

I have two living examples of a spiritual warrior that I get to witness, learn from and

love. My father Donald Orr and my teacher pointing the way for me by how he has and

continues to live, Ted Cibik.

Both have endured, faced and embraced hardships that would cripple most people yet

they choose to live, thrive and survive daily. The true test of spiritual warrior is

when everything is gone, and your life is on the line, how do you respond?



Darren Orr is a Doctor of Classical Chinese Medicine in Medical QiGong Therapy with a specialization in Dao-yin. He is currently training in ShenGong to be a Formless Daoist Priest. He is a Medical QiGong Master, nationally certified massage, bodywork and somatic therapist, Reiki Master, sound healer, Dao yoga, Dao Yin and meditation teacher. Darren is an A-Z practitioner specializing in life-altering illness, palliative care for the terminally ill, bereavement services for family, cancer, PTSD, fibromyalgia, addiction, mental/emotional imbalances, chronic pain and stress management as well as preventative medicine. CEU courses, lectures, workshops, seminars, classes, qi parties, and corporate wellness programs also available. Serving the tri-state area in a triangle from Philadelphia to NYC to Atlantic City Nj. Long Distance therapy also available.

You can contact Darren at:  d.orr333@gmail.com

You may also be interested in reading our interview with Darren about healing and the practice of Qigong.

Also his article - "Shedding Our Acquired Life Roles and Medical Qigong"

 

Nature Forest Print is courtesy of photographer Jude McConkey.  Prints are available through her

shop on Etsy.

   Follow the daily updates of the Mind Body Spirit Marketplace on Facebook and Tumblr.

World Tai Chi and Qigong Day

Hong Kong, China

In case you are out and about on Saturday morning and see groups of people in the parks practicing some Martial Arts forms, April 30th is World Tai Chi and Qigong Day.  It is an annual event that is held the last Saturday of April each year to help promote the related disciplines of T'ai Chi Ch'uan and Qigong.  It is held in over 60 countries and has been going strong since 1999.

This multinational effort is ongoing and it's purpose is to expose people to the growing body of medical research related to Traditional Chinese Medicine and to help them fine resources and teachers in their own towns and areas.  Our class in Montclair, New Jersey will be at Verona Park this year and among other forms will be doing the Circle Walk Practice of Ba Gua Zhang which we have been studying for the last few months.

Ireland

World Tai Chi and Qigong Day's stated goals are to:

 1) Educate the world about emerging medical research revealing health benefits that Tai Chi Chuan and qigong offer.

2) Educate about the increasing use of these ancient Traditional Chinese Medicine modalities in business, education, penal and drug rehabilitation.

3) Provide a global vision of cooperation for health and healing purposes across geopolitical boundaries, and also an appeal to people worldwide to embrace wisdom from all the cultures of the world.

New Jersey, USA

If you are suffering with medical issues, emotional difficulties or if you simply want to learn how to use Qigong, Tai Chi and Traditional Chinese Medicine to cultivate better health, prevent illness; while also embracing, enhancing, and celebrating your spiritual connection to heaven and earth...seek out classes where you live.   

~ diane fergurson

You may also enjoy reading:
From Jing to Qi to Shen: An Interview with Healer Darren Orr
Eating with the Qi Diagram
Qigong: An Interview with Joanne Kornoelje

photos courtesy of Wikipedia and the Mir-Yam School of Tai Chi, Chi Kung and Meditation

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Eating With The Tai Chi Diagram Part 1

We're pleased to have Miriam Shankman back, sharing with us a wonderful three part series to help in our cultivation of new thoughts and healthy habits for the new year!

EATING WITH THE TAI CHI DIAGRAM I

 START WHERE YOU ARE

By: Miriam Moran Shankman

Consider where you come from

To know where you are it is advisable to consider where you started. Culture plays a major role in one’s life, and food is part of culture. I found I have a mixed bag: I am of Eastern European heritage, but I was born and raised in the Middle East, and I lived my adult life on the US East Coast, studying the Taoists’ and Buddhists’ ways.

You may ask: “For example, what did you eat today?” I shall be honest in answering that, and tell you I had yogurt with fruit and nuts for breakfast. Through the morning, I drank two cups of my favorite green tea, and for lunch I enjoyed two shortbread cookies with three chocolate shells (the little ones that come from Belgium), and an apple. Great work Miriam! Big fat chance that any health conscious magazine editor is going to publish this one! Well, I hope someone will give me points for honesty, and as for that “naughty” lunch, maybe it will make more sense at the end of this page…

Tai Chi philosophy shows me that each one of us can seek and find his or her own balance, his or her own common sense.

Start Where You Are (I learned it the hard way)

No matter how old you are, where you come from, how many degrees you’ve earned or how much money and/or friends you have, you’ve got to start where you are: check it out. Fess up. Write it down. Tuck it under your pillow.

Back to me…I start with some positive tendencies: A total love affair with fresh veggies, fruit, and low fat, white dairy (I give the credit to the place and culture in which I was born and raised, the Middle East). But I also start with a sweet tooth that includes a great love for the delicate and intricate pastries one can find in my Eastern European heritage. And last, I start with a willingness to skip any consumption of animals flesh. I am not sure where that came from. Maybe it is a combination of growing up on a farm, and loving animals. Left to my own “girl on the town” and “let’s have a life full of fun” I would be dinning on great big vegetable salads and stir-fries, and wonderful pastries of all kinds, shapes, textures and colors along with fresh fruit and frozen yogurt…Putting it that way, it sounds wonderful (your cravings maybe different but the principal still apply) and, in any case, it is where I start.

Accept Your Limitations (I learned that the hard way too!)

That last sentence: “It is where I start” needed time to mature and surface, and I needed time to grow out of the above party menu. I like to call myself a recovering vegetarian. Rarely do I crave meat, and my common sense told me: “Great. I can be animal friendly at no cost to me.” Then came Tai Chi…and taught me to listen to and hear my body. Not my mind. Not my stomach. Not my ancestors. Not my girlfriends. This body I live in told me it needs and wants some animal flesh (please remember this does not mean it is necessarily true for you. You will have to conduct your own research on your own body.) It was painful and humbling to accept that my body would compel me to eat animals. I was once told: “You may have to give up exactly the thing you are least willing to give up.”

No Big Changes

Once in a conversation seeking direction from my doctor, she said to me: “No big changes.” There is a world of wisdom in those three words. Stick with small. Keep in mind that sometimes you may have a set back. Use that set back as opportunity to study your habits and patterns. Make a plan for a small change, and gently put it into action. You may discover that what you thought was a set back has actually become a part of your progress. Think of the Tai Chi Diagram. Imagine it. Draw it. Look at it. See your set back in it. Plan tomorrow accordingly.

Tai Chi seeks balance. Life seeks balance. You are seeking balance (I know because you’ve read this far). The culture we live in…not exactly seeking balance. Go within. Ask your body. But please, at first, do not believe everything your body tells you. It takes time to know “who is talking” and “who to listen too.” With time and practice Tai Chi will guide you.

 Make a small Change

In the meantime make a small change. For example: This afternoon I stopped at “Starbucks.” I had it in my mind to order a tall cappuccino. Why did I want a tall cappuccino? 1) To warm up a bit. 2) To have some milk. 3) To get a treat. 4) To get an energy boost. Then I remembered that in the past, most cappuccinos have actually drained my energy and that took reason 4 away. So I made a small change and ordered tall steamed milk! The lady at the counter asked to make sure I knew what I was saying, and looked down to see what child I must have been ordering this for. No child. Just me. Making a small change. The hot milk was real good. (Don’t forget to ask for foam!) 

End of Part 1

Part 2 can be read here
Part 3 can be read here


------------------------------------------

Miriam Shankman  is a practitioner and instructor of Tai Chi and Chi Kung in the New York, Tri-State area.  If you would like to contact her, you can visit her website at:  http://www.mir-yam.com
or drop her an email at:  miriam@mir-yam.com

Our photo "Big Blessing Bowl" comes from Patty Mara's Sacred Heart Cafe which you can visit on Etsy.




You may also enjoy reading an additional post by Miriam:
"Slow Down, We Move Too Fast:  A Prelude to the Holiday Season"

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Finishing Up The Calendar Year

I was watching the snow fall the other day and thinking what a beautiful way to finish up the calendar year.
Just watching the quiet...before the snow changes to rain or the kids come out and tromp it all down attempting to make snowmen (which is nice in a whole other way).

In the practice of qigong, this is referred to as retreating into the energy of the North. Quiet, a rest time when we hibernate our thoughts and ideas. Turning our mental and energetic kettle on low, letting the flavors settle and rest together before developing into the new and bright energy of the Spring (East).

This is one of my favorite times of the year. Take advantage of it for what is is, not what you would like it to be. Remain in the moment, let yourself settle in and gently rework your plans and ideas. Allow yourself some quiet time, give your body permission to rest and take a breath before you charge forward into your next adventure.

Have a good new year.
From all of us at the Mind Body Spirit Marketplace, we wish you well! 

~ diane fergurson

"Colorado Winter Flower Photo:  Rose Sparkle" is by Colorado photographer Julie Magers Soulen and available in her Etsy Shop.

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You may also enjoy:
Winter Solstice 2010:  A time for Light Release and Transformation 
Slow down We Move Too Fast.  A Prelude to the Holidays

Slow Down We Move Too Fast- A Prelude to the Holiday Season

by Miriam Moran Shankman

I caught myself one morning rushing while brushing.

I thought: What’s the use? Rushing while brushing, that is no fun, that is no good, that is not what I want, if I could change it, I would!

In the late 80’s and early 90’s the word on the street was that computers, the Internet (back then called the “Information Super Highway”) and other technological developments would do much of our work and allow us (the people) more free time. I don’t know about you, but almost 20 years later I am not really feeling it. Instead of more free time, it seems we are moving at the kind of speed you see when fast forwarding a movie. And as hectic as life is for some of us here in the Tri-state area, experience tells me that once again, like every year, the speed will increase to new levels with the “opening games” of the Holidays season.

It was in 1994 when I first realized that the official opening date of the holiday games is October 31st. And the opening ceremony involves consuming large amounts of the Halloween candy we’ve bought for the tricksters.

For some of us this opening is followed by a slow yet steady build up of planning, shopping, food preparation, and family expectation, like the sounds of an orchestra tuning and warming up in our heads, growing louder every passing day as we perform the hectic holiday dance, fueled by a constant stream of sugar consumption until, finally, we crash on the first morning of the New Year.

I was not so happy to find myself rushing while brushing. I made a note of that. I also made a note about the “opening games” of the holiday season, and made a choice to add some time to my daily practice.

I reminded myself that I would like to spend as many moments as I can LIVING IN THE MOMENT, JOYOUS AND FREE.  I wrote it in big letters.
What is it that brings me to the moment? What is it that takes me away from it?

~~~~~~~~~~~

We are extremely happy to be adding Miriam Moran Shankman to our group of Mind Body Spirit Odyssey blog writers. Miriam is a practitioner and instructor of Tai Chi and Chi Kung in the New York, Tri-State area.
I have also had the great pleasure of being a student in her classes.
If you would like to contact Miriam, you can visit her website at:  http://www.mir-yam.com
or drop her an email at:  miriam@mir-yam.com




The painting that we used to accompany this piece; "Blue Moon Tea-Orange Tabby Cat with Teapot" is by California artist Laura Milnor Iverson.  It is available in her shop ZenBreeze Art Gallery on Etsy.

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Part 3: From Jing to Qi to Shen, An Interview with Healer Darren Orr

 Question 5:  Some people believe that you can never fully emotionally heal after a loss (like a death)...and although they may suppress and manage those painful feelings...they continue to carry it with them and it unknowingly impacts their lives greatly.

Answer:
Yes, you are right, this is a very frequent situation that I see in my clinic and have had success in healing and ameliorating problems or imbalances associated with it. I firmly believe you can heal from a loss, you simply need to shift your perspective via self-cultivation.  Many if not most people believe they can never fully emotionally and spiritually heal after a loss such as death and they carry it with them and it does unnecessarily and unknowingly impact their lives greatly, very often negatively.

I understand this sentiment, yet it stems from a fundamental misconception. Firstly, if life is looked at in it's entirety from the macrocosm of the universe and mother nature to the microcosm of the internal universe of the human body, you will see that life consists of change. With loss the first thing that must be understood is that life is change. Change and death are the only things you can count on. The last change is the change of wardrobe at the moment of death from the cumbersome confines of the human body/mind to the invisible spiritual energy of the eternal soul. In America there is a stigma associated with death and dying and it is virtually taboo to discuss it. This is the underlying basis for our youth obsessed and age driven culture perpetuated by the media, multinational corporations and us the individual people, who buy into it.

This question is getting into the Shen (spiritual) level. Most people believe they are this separate individual being consisting of a body/mind that is confined in space and time. That is the great fundamental misconception about life (that we are the body/ mind).  We believe and mistake ourselves to be a separate, finite being consisting of only physical matter that lasts 100 yrs at most. This creates a fundamental fear and insecurity in people which our culture plays off of generously with its media, marketing and advertising.

In truth we are Spirit. We are spiritual beings having human experiences not human beings occasionally having spiritual experiences. We are not our bodies, not our minds/personalities/ego's, not our thoughts, feelings, information, experiences or emotions. We are none of them. As the ancient sages in India used to say Neti, Neti: Not this, Not this. They are simply tools used by the eternal soul to learn, evolve and grow.

In TRUTH we are an invisible eternal spiritual energy that is housed within the body/mind, in what the Daoists called the Taiji pole, similar to a person driving a car. When a person drives a car they don't mistake their identity for being that of a car, but due to life's stresses and our cultural upbringing we mis-identify and believe ourselves to be a body with a personality ie. false self or ego instead of spirit which is driving the body/mind. Again this disconnect usually occurs in childhood between the ages of 5-9, by the age of 12 the acquired personality/ego has taken root. Up until then a child understands the world primarily through spiritual intuition, innocence, energetic sensitivity, a spontaneous openness and exuberance for life. This spiritual disconnect of our children perpetuated by our materialistic culture is the main reason a childhood stress management curriculum needs to be implemented alongside the academic curriculum. If our children never lose their connection to Source/God/Christ/ Dao/Buddha/Allah etc.. in one generation we would have a global shift and uplift of consciousness about life and death.

You cannot have life without death, they are inseparable, yin and yang. Death needs to be discussed openly in our society. The stigma and taboo associated with its discussion in the public forum needs to be radically changed. If our attitude and awareness about death changed then our lives would change. The destruction and degradation of the Earth by the hands of man can only be explained by a fear of death. If we simply saw death as the transition, change and transformation of matter into energy that it is, then we could develop a culture and society integrated with the cyclical changes of nature like the ancients and thus live in harmony with the Earth and not opposed, disconnected, separated and segregated from the natural order of life like we currently are.

Death is the one thing we are ALL going to face. No one escapes it. In essence birth is a death sentence and we all have a terminal disease. Most are petrified of contemplating their own death. Many feel if they think or talk about it they are bringing death and negativity upon themselves or others. As if simply talking about death is a curse. The only way to truly live life is to come to terms with death..to learn how face it, to embrace it and not fear it otherwise whether you know it or not your life is being dictated by fear. When done properly and you contemplate and meditate on your own death you come to such a deep and profound appreciation, gratitude and acceptance for you life, for being alive, for this very moment, to be able to breathe, look at the sky, animals and trees. You can come to terms with death while you are alive and healthy using death as a deep meditation tool to keep you centered, open, peaceful and rooted in the present moment. For if you examine your mind carefully you will see that your spirit only exists in the present, while the acquired ego/personality only exists in the past and future. If you lose your fear of death, what do you have to fear from life? You can do anything if you are not afraid of death. The Buddha has said " of all meditations the meditation on the moment of your death is greatest of all".

 Everyone realizes they are that invisible eternal spiritual energy at death yet most have lived their lives in complete disregard of the spiritual principle and life force that creates, maintains and sustains them. I see it so often when I give medical qigong and reiki to terminally ill patients and their families. My real job and sole intention is to connect the person to that invisible eternal spiritual energy residing within the center core of the body in what the Chinese call the Taiji pole or the River of god so that they can re-awaken their true nature (Wu Jing Shen/enlightenment/Christ consciousness) and fulfill their destiny.The way people heal from loss in whatever form whether it be death, divorce, break-up, job loss etc... is for them to begin self-cultivation and the rooting out of the negative acquired habitual tendencies, behaviors, desires, attachments and aversions from their body/mind and reconnecting with the subtle invisible spiritual core of their being (Taiji pole.)

Here's a poem that popped into my head while writing this Shen level question:

Life is love manifest
You are not the emotions, thoughts and feelings
of the body and mind
confined in space and time.
                         You are the Divine.
                         The eternal invisible subtle
                         spiritual energy of the formless oneness.

                         Namaste


Discussion to be continued...


Interview part 1 
Interview part 2
________________________________



Thank you very much for your thoughtful and informative insights Darren.
We will be posting an addition to this interview in the near future.  I had a follow up question for Darren, but turned out to be an entire subject in and into itself.  We wanted to do it justice, so I will be posting it on it's own in the upcoming weeks.

If you have questions for Darren or wish to inquire about his teaching and Private Practice you can post via our "Comments" section of this blog post.
You can also email him at: Bodhichitta8@hotmail.com    You may also enjoy reading:Namaste- An Explanation of a Very Old Greeting     ~ diane  Follow us on FaceBook   



 

From Jing to Qi to Shen: An Interview with Healer Darren Orr, Part 1

I'm very pleased to have had the opportunity to conduct this insightful three part interview with my former teacher, Darren Orr.  I was fortunate enough to have studied with Darren for several years, both privately as well as in a group setting. Spending quality time and learning from this wonderfully intelligent, kind and loving soul is something I truly appreciate and will never forget.   
 ~ diane

Darren Orr is a Reiki master and teacher, a nationally certified massage therapist and a Medical Qigong therapist and teacher.  He specializations are in Oncology, chronic pain, stress management, life-altering illness and palliative care for the terminally ill. Darren is also currently enrolled in a 3 year Medical Qigong Program, a Graduate Degree of over 2,000 hours.  When he graduates in 2012 he will have become a Dr. of Medical Qigong. Darren also holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Anthropology and maintains private practice in New Jersey.  In addition he lectures, writes and teaches Dao yoga and meditation classes in which sound therapy is utilized as part of his sessions.



Question:  How did you begin your journey in the Healing Arts?

Answer 

I think it was a combination of affinity, synchronicity and my destiny.   I grew up living with someone who was in constant chronic pain, seven days a week, 24 hours a day.  I lived and felt firsthand the strength and weaknesses of our Western allopathic model of medicine.  I never realized that there were any other alternatives to surgery and the management of symptoms other then with drugs and pharmaceuticals. 
Later, as I got older, I had a former girlfriend who had just been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia.
I was holding her hand one day and I had an epiphany that changed my life and awoke my slumbering spirit. I felt my qi.  I had no idea what is was, I just knew I felt it. Over the next week we were doing research on the Internet about Fibromyalgia and kept coming across references to Qigong. We had never heard of Qigong before, but the articles kept saying that it was the root and foundation of Chinese medicine for over 5000 years and that its primary aim is to examine and get at the root cause of the disease thereby eliminating it.
The articles also referenced recent studies that showed that Qigong could treat and even “cure” so called “incurable” diseases that Western medicine could not.

This is where the synchronicity and affinity comes in. I happen to mention what we found to my mother, who is a labor and delivery nurse, and she said that the next day they happen to be having a nurse’s appreciation day at the Hospital where she worked.  They were giving a Qigong demonstration followed by Kirlian photography and a Reiki session.  Of course we attended, and the first thing we did was learn to feel our qi.  I immediately realized that this is the exact sensation I had felt a week prior, holding my girlfriend's hand.  It was almost like a light switch had been flipped on and I instantaneously knew that my life’s calling was to use this energy to help, assist and benefit not only people in their health..but the healing and well being of all of life and the earth as well.

Since that day I have been consistently and diligently studying and gathering, cultivating and regulating my qi... always eager to learn, grow and enhance my skill and mastery of the Great Communicator.

Question:
It's interesting that you bring up chronic pain.  I've had several people discuss pain with me lately.
Chronic pain and pain from injuries.  What insights can you give us about pain?  What are some things that you have found out in your practice and experience that can help people help themselves during rough periods?

Answer:
That's a big topic!   lol...
All beings suffer. No one escapes life without trials, tribulations and pain. Whether the pain is physical, mental/emotional or spiritual in nature, I feel it's a signal to slow down and become more aware, to pay attention and be present in this moment ...which is the only moment we are alive.
Pain is a wake up call.
For the most part, people tend to either focusing in the past or projecting into the future, very few actually are present with what's going on in their internal universe. Pain is a beacon or signal to begin introspection and to pay attention. Pain is also an excellent meditative tool that's been used for millenia by ancient indigenous cultures the world over to shift and uplift consciousness and spirit.

 Most people tend to grasp or cling to things that make them feel good and reject or instinctively push away that which is painful. That is the way of the ego. Yet pain is a wonderful teacher.  Pain teaches us acceptance and patience in the face of difficulty and if looked at properly, actually allows us to better appreciate the good in our life. I think the most important factor in dealing with pain is one's own mental attitude and how they choose to deal with it.

 Everything in life is a choice. We cannot control what happens to us in life because all life is in constant flux and change.  But, we do have control over the choices we make in response to those events particularly in dealing with pain. If we can embrace the pain and not push it away, it can be the seed from which a universal compassion can arise... because when looked at properly, you see that pain and suffering isn't just unique to yourself, but shared amongst all life.

The problem is that in our culture we don't have the tools to deal with pain. Everyone wants only good things to happen.  People fail to understand that pain and pleasure are two sides of the same coin, yin and yang. You can't have one without the other, they are inseparable. Our culture also lacks the necessary tools to allow people to learn from their pain in constructive and positive ways. When faced with pain most people look to a magic pill to lessen the discomfort instead of looking for the root cause as to why the pain is there in the first place.

That is why the ancient awareness and healing disciplines of Qigong, meditation and Dao yoga are so beneficial and useful in this modern era. These techniques provide you with the tools and techniques to delve deep within the depths of your being to uncover the root causes of pain, illness or disease.

Question 3:  What about people who won't let go of emotional pain?  I know you've come across may people like this in your private practice.

to be continued in Part 2


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Qigong Interview with Joanne Kornoelje

Qigong: An Interview with Joanne Kornoelje (part 1)

Around 8 or 9 years ago I was experiencing some unusual energy imbalances in my body. I innately knew that it would be useless to consult a physician (although I would not recommend that to others)…that my energy just needed to be “evened out”. Although knowledgeable in other areas, I was pretty unfamiliar with Chinese Medicine and the various practices associated with it….but somehow I felt that my problem would benefit from taking a T’ai chi class.

I really didn’t want to get into the whole marshal aspect of the practice, so I signed up for an intro class at our local evening adult school, hoping it would provide me with a good foundation and introduction to the subject. Well, to make a long story short…it turned out to be a qigong class instead of a T’ai chi class. There was also a completely different teacher…Joanne.

It’s interesting how life works out sometimes. Meeting Joanne and studying with her opened up a whole new energetic perspective and understanding for me, influencing not only my personal life but eventually my artistic endeavors as well. Although I have had additional instructors over the years, each bringing their own unique style and meaning into the practice, Joanne laid the foundation. A very, very strong foundation.

Joanne Kornoelje is an Associate of the Healing Tao and has been practicing t'ai chi, qigong and meditation for over 20 years. She has taught for over 10 years with students ranging from 9 to 90. I’d also like to add that Joanne is a science teacher. Her ability to convey energetic movement as it relates to the human anatomy is quite extraordinary, and her guided qi meditations are simply beyond compare.
                                                                                                                      ~ diane fergurson

---

What is qigong?

Trying to quickly capsulize qigong is not so easy. Basically it's a system to move and balance your internal energy (qi). The classic Chinese idea about health is that your qi - your energy - moves in channels throughout your body. Each of your organs has its own channel, and there are larger channels that function something like major rivers or reservoirs of qi. Comparing your channels to flowing water is a useful metaphor. When streams in the forest get clogged with tree limbs and other debris, the flow of water stops. An intervention is necessary to get it moving. When the spring melt comes, the streams can overflow their banks, causing another unbalanced situation. The same thing can happen with your energy channels. When your channels get obstructed, or are trying to cope with an excess flow, pain or illness can be the result. The classic Chinese doctor would then prescribe acupuncture, herbs, meditation, t'ai chi, massage or qigong (or some combination) to restore you to balance.

What is your background? How did you get involved with qigong?

I started taking t'ai chi for no discernible reason in our local adult school held at the High School in 1987. This gave me the foundation that I still rely on today. From there I found teachers at the local Y and a municipal recreation center. Once you start looking there are opportunities all around. I also took advantage of many workshops offered along the way. Workshops will often be advertised at health food stores, holistic health centers or in free newspapers. You can also find out about more through T'ai Chi Magazine or the Empty Vessel (a Taoist magazine) or on-line inquiry. There are also regional annual get-togethers with t'ai chi and qigong instruction, sponsored by different relevant associations or schools. You may have to try a couple places before you find something that works for you.

All teachers are different, and students need to be proactive in finding a situation that benefits them. I got involved with the Healing Tao in the mid-90s, which added a more esoteric understanding to the t'ai chi process. I've been teaching since then: t'ai chi, qigong and meditation. I've taught children from 4th grade to 8th grade, adults, and also adults in assisted living centers.

What is the difference between qigong and T’ai Chi?

T'ai chi is often referred to as a form of meditation in movement. This is the same for qigong. T'ai chi and qigong come from the same root. The primary difference is that t'ai chi is a martial art. It is what is known as a "soft" style, as opposed to karate (for example) in the hard style. T'ai chi infiltrates and wins by being deceptively soft, but always searching for the moment when the opponent is off balance. A good t'ai chi player will take advantage of that moment, and uproot the opponent, while staying rooted herself. The movement in t'ai chi is also slow and repetitive, but with the added dimension of stepping (which does not occur too frequently in qigong exercises). Naturally you do not have to practice t'ai chi as a martial art - you can simply learn the moves and do them as a qigong exercise - for health and relaxation by actively participating in your internal energy flow.

I practice qigong as a preventive medicine to keep my energy balanced and flowing, and also as a way to stay focused and grounded in this life on this planet. The practice has movement - slow and repetitive which chips away at our preconceived ideas of what exercise "should be". The practice also can be stationary, meditations which focus the mind inward, connecting with your body deep inside and encouraging balance there.

End of Part One...

Part Two....

Other related posts:
From Jing to Qi to Shen, An Interview with Healer Darren Orr 

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For additional reading, two very informative books are: The Way of Qigong by Kenneth S. Cohen, foreword by Larry Dossey, M.D. Also, The Healing Promise of Qiby Roger Jahnke, O.M.D.

artwork by Diane Fergurson

Qigong: An Interview with Joanne Kornoelje (part 2)

-- Yoga and qigong both deal with energetic movement and esoteric issues, but yet they are also quite different. Often people will study yoga for years but have never heard of its counterpart. Can you elaborate on that?--

Actually I think the root yoga and qigong are all about the same thing - keep the energy moving. I again do not have much experience with yoga - although I have been taking a kundalini class now for a couple years. The movements are different, but the intent is the same.

Yoga is more popular than I think qigong will ever be - at least in the foreseeable future. I think part of the issue is that yoga appears more familiar - at least in set-up, and as more people do it, a newcomer loses the trepidation of starting something "weird". To my eye it seems more similar to standard aerobic gym classes with a set of exercises not necessarily joined with a connecting theme. Much of the language going along with the class depends on the instructor - I'm not saying there is no connecting theme, just that the instructor may not be comfortable with talking about it in a certain setting. And it can be that the teacher doesn't know or is not interested in the more "invisible" or esoteric side of the work. That can be the case with qigong as well.

Qigong has only recently gained more momentum in the "fitness" world. T'ai chi was the art most instructors were offering, and that looks much easier than it is. It is a set of moves - a "form", like a karate "kata" that requires practice and understanding of body mechanics for what seem to the onlooker to be very simple moves. My thought is that many people started t'ai chi with interest and high hopes, and assumptions that something that slow had to be quick and easy to learn -- and found out it wasn't so, and dropped out. Instructors could also tend to be teaching in the Chinese style - that is, not explaining what was going on, just expecting the students to do what was told. We, in the US, do not enjoy that lack of information. By the way, this has changed dramatically as more and more senior U.S. instructors have captured students through video, as well as personal instruction. While qigong has come a long way in the media in the last 20 years, it certainly does not have the name recognition yoga does. I don't know why!

-- You mentioned that after you became involved with the Healing Tao that you understood the whole esoteric component connected to the practice. To me, studying that is just as important as the forums and exercises themselves. Can you talk a minute about the esoteric component to qigong?--

I certainly don't want to give the impression I know the "whole esoteric component" of anything! Part of the reason I enjoy t'ai chi and qigong is that it is a never-ending study. As you come to understand something, you realize it opens up a whole new avenue of exploration.

Qigong is rooted in Taoist philosophy. It shares many of the ideas that Buddhism made popular in the west, but differs in one major way. In the Taoist idea, we are here on this planet to BE here, not to try to find an escape. Being here is full of challenges, as we all know. Practicing t'ai chi shows you how to move to deflect the challenges, to relax into the present and stay rooted in yourself. T'ai chi mastery is seen when the energy of an individual is so powerful that just by being in a place, the "vibe" (as we would call it) shifts and productive work can be done.

Qigong is a method to help discover yourself. As your focus and movement slow down, and become deliberate and intentional, so too does your mind, and then ultimately, so too does your spirit. You begin to re-establish contact among these parts of yourself.

As a more specific example, the system in the Healing Tao asserts that each of your five primary Yin organs has a consciousness of its own, and has its own set of attributes, including color, emotion, sound, familiar animal, linkages to the physical body, and more. The meditations encourage You, your mind, to get in touch with your organs, understand them and nudge them to work more as a team than a set of 5 individuals going their own way.

Many people work only with the esoteric side - they get interested in the meditations and never move to the movement piece. I started with movement and got into the meditations. I am sure there are qigong and t'ai chi practitioners who do only movement. There is benefit everywhere - the more focus you bring the more benefit there is.

-- After studying qigong for a while I was inspired to create a series of paintings depicting the theme "Connecting Heaven and Earth". Can you explain about the connection and balance of heaven and earth chi?--

A big feature of the Chinese classics is the balance of Heaven and Earth. Heaven is seen as the male essence, creative, outward oriented. Earth is seen as the female essence, nurturing and inward oriented. In the yin-yang sign, Heaven is the light color, Earth is the dark color. Notice in the yin-yang that within Earth there is the circle of Heaven, and vice-versa. Each has consciousness and desires to move to wholeness. They need each other to reach that state, and the human is introduced as the means to connect them, sort of like a lightning rod that works both ways. In some specific qigong forms we've worked with, the intention is clear. One move is called "Bring Down Heaven Qi", and another is "Bring Up Earth Qi". Without the human to facilitate this, would it be possible? Who knows?

-- Finally, one of the last classes I took from you, you were working on a system of using yoga mudras (hand gestures) and combining them with the qigong healing sounds. It was an interesting process. Can you explain about that a little further? What are the healing sounds and how are they used?--

The healing sounds relate to the 5 organs I mentioned before. The sounds can be used to relieve stress on a certain organ system, sort of like humming to your child to calm it. The sounds are not difficult chants, simply syllables which can be used out loud for physical conditions, or in your thoughts for energetic issues.

There are many physical exercises as well that relate specifically to the organs. A friend of mine, Andrena Bonte, an acupuncturist, had developed a series of mudras which also related to the organs. I thought it would be interesting to put all this together in a series following the organs through their daily active cycle, using physical exercise, mudras, meditation and healing sounds to really get in touch with what's inside us. One of the big ideas (in my mind) in t'ai chi and qigong is that we work from the inside out. In other words, we work on the organs inside us, and the rest will take of itself. This in direct conflict with the normal western approach of getting rid of the flab, or developing muscles, or deliberately stressing the heart through approved cardio activity.

*Joanne Kornoelje is an Associate of the Healing Tao and has been practicing t'ai chi, qigong and meditation for over 20 years. She has taught for over 10 years with students ranging from 9 to 90.

'Life is not the way it's supposed to be. It's the way it is. The way you live it is what makes the difference.'

artwork: "Connecting Heaven and Earth: Through Time" by Diane Fergurson

Part 1 of Interview

Related posts:
From Jing to Qi to Shen:  An Interview with Healer Darren Orr