One idea that Yoga as well as Qi Gong have in common is usually that energy is the vital force that makes up and also moves everything in the universe. The Yogis refer to it as Prana; the Buddhists name it Qi. Hatha Yoga as well as Qi Gong allow us to develop, harness as well as direct this Life Force by means of movement and also breathing techniques, which are of importance to controlling body, mind as well as spirit, as well as lay the foundations for superior states of relaxation that sooner or later lead to the transcendence of both body and mind, when one merges together with the All That Is in the deepest states of Samadhi bliss, in "the peacefulness that passeth just about all understanding."
Dr. Reginald A. Ray, a Professor of Buddhist Studies at Naropa University says, "My experience suggests that the concern is quite simple. We are trying to exercise relaxation and also to follow a spiritual path within a disembodied state, and also this is inevitably bound to failure... the entire rewards and also fruition of meditation cannot be seasoned or even enjoyed when we are not seated within our bodies... there is no other technique of doing so."
The image of the candle has been used for hundreds of years to describe the character of the symbiotic partnership associated with Yin and Yang. The strong, considerable, heavy wax is Yin, which we might picture symbolizing the physical body, as well as the insubstantial, bright, hot, upward moving, flame, the Yang, we could see as symbolizing the mind.
Once we bring the body and mind collectively in balance, through mindfulness practices, we produce the forces of heat to burn off impurities within the body, and light to illuminate your mind, so that we may fully merge with the mind-blowing essence of our being. The symbiotic nature of matter and energy, of body and mind, causes them to be inseparable, and also equally required for illumination.
The entire body is fully as vital an aspect as the mind in our returning awareness that we are Individual Souls in the unified Consciousness of The One.
Dr. Reginald A. Ray, a Professor of Buddhist Studies at Naropa University says, "My experience suggests that the concern is quite simple. We are trying to exercise relaxation and also to follow a spiritual path within a disembodied state, and also this is inevitably bound to failure... the entire rewards and also fruition of meditation cannot be seasoned or even enjoyed when we are not seated within our bodies... there is no other technique of doing so."
The image of the candle has been used for hundreds of years to describe the character of the symbiotic partnership associated with Yin and Yang. The strong, considerable, heavy wax is Yin, which we might picture symbolizing the physical body, as well as the insubstantial, bright, hot, upward moving, flame, the Yang, we could see as symbolizing the mind.
Once we bring the body and mind collectively in balance, through mindfulness practices, we produce the forces of heat to burn off impurities within the body, and light to illuminate your mind, so that we may fully merge with the mind-blowing essence of our being. The symbiotic nature of matter and energy, of body and mind, causes them to be inseparable, and also equally required for illumination.
The entire body is fully as vital an aspect as the mind in our returning awareness that we are Individual Souls in the unified Consciousness of The One.
About the Author:
BKS Iyengar, one of the first Yogis acknowledged with presenting the physical practice of Hatha Yoga to the west says, "It is through your body that you realize you are a spark of divinity." Reiki Master