The True Breath – Maintaining the Breath
Dao and the art of self-cultivation
By Birte Timmsen
The breath is our most vital resource for maintaining life. The respiratory centre functions autonomously, wonderfully and completely without our intervention. Our whole life is reflected in the natural pulsation of our breathing. In the cultivation of the Dao, we strive to unite with the true breath. By bringing awareness to the fundamental process of breathing we create a connection to the source of all being. Using selected texts from Daoist classics, Birte Timmsen explains the essence of Daoist breathing and provides insights into the practice.
Taijiquan and Qigong: slowing down in the age of hypersonic rockets
By Klaus Moegling
We live in a time of massive threats, resulting both from the consequences of climate change and from the current massive arms build-up and use of artificial intelligence in the military sector. Klaus Moegling highlights these insane developments and their potential dangers and, based on his own experience, describes how our meditative movement arts can provide a relaxing counterbalance, slowing us down in the best sense. The resulting mindfulness doesn’t permit us to turn away from the world; instead, it can help us engage in peace politics.
Wuxing in Concert
Bringing Qigong to public attention, for instance with music
By Nataliya Urban
When Qigong is presented to a wider public it’s usually in the context of health and fitness exercise. However, Qigong involves a broad cultural spectrum and so other perspectives can also open a pathway to it. To give one example, Nataliya Urban describes how she joined forces with a trio playing appropriate classical music to provide an introduction to the five phases of transformation and their role in Qigong. Here she included exercises with the power of imagination derived from Zhong Yuan Qigong. Since the qualities of the various elements can be experienced with all senses, music, similarly to visual art, can help to reveal their broader and more profound meanings. The project described here can help to inspire your own concepts for an intercultural approach to Qigong.
Oneness with the Dao
Discussion with Klemens J. P. Speer and Sasa Krauter
In a conversation with Klemens Speer the idea arose of compiling and comparing different perspectives on ›oneness with the Dao‹. This state is viewed as something of a goal in many schools of Qigong and Taijiquan – although there is little agreement on what this actually means. And how could there be, since it’s said that even expressing the Dao in words is impossible. So we’d like to present various views here and open them up to discussion. We start with Klemens himself with his thoughts on awakening to oneness with the Dao, based on his experience with Taijiquan, Qigong, Zen and Daoist meditation. Sasa Krauter sets out her viewpoint based on her personal experience in Chen-style Taijiquan. We look forward to receiving further contributions on this topic.
»One sees clearly only with the heart …«
Experiences on the path with Chan Mi Gong
Interview with Chris Saleski and Ulla Twenhövel
Chan Mi Gong is a Buddhist-influenced Qigong method in which smiling from the heart plays a key role from the very beginning. In an interview with Walle Gairing, Chris Saleski and Ulla Twenhövel, both instructors in the Chan Mi Gong Society, explain key aspects of this method. Besides the well-known basic exercises, this method also comprises a whole system of moving and still exercises. In addition to the intensive spinal movements, these include the development of the ›secret place‹ in the lower abdomen as well as loving compassion for oneself and all other beings.