qigong-english.pdf

Enlightenment Qi Gong by Arjuna Lakshmana

Centre Namasté de Teràpies Alternatives, SCP C/Calabria, 202 08029 de Barcelona www.centrenamaste.com www.enlight-qigong.org

Centre Namasté de Teràpies Alternatives, SCP Enlightenment Qi Gong What is Chi? Chi is vital energy. All living beings have their own vital energy, which keeps them alive. Trees, plants, animals, fishes, minerals, stars and the human beings have their own Chi. Each of us has his or her own vital energy, which allows us to be unique persons. Different energies means different Chi. Plants, animals and human beings use Chi from Heaven and Earth. When our Chi is balanced and harmonious, the result is a strong health. On the contrary, what happens if this Chi is not balanced? We would become seek and ill. Illness is a reflection of unbalanced Chi. There are different techniques which help to balance and improve our life quality and Chi. One of them is the Chi-Kung.

What is Qi Gong? Qi Gong is a work on and improvement of our vital energy based on body movements which stretch and blend the meridians. These movements are light physical exercises suitable to each age, from youths to children to older people, since the primary Qi Gong objective is to reach a strong and healthy body. The early practice allows the practitioner to reach longevity in an easy way, which would be otherwise difficult to get in our western life style.

What is Enlightenment Qi Gong? This Qi Gong form has been taught us by Andrew Fretwell, Taoist senior teacher. It is an extremely easy to learn Qi Gong form, simple and natural to practice, which produces immediate results, normalizes all the body systems and produces a strong and deep experience of interior peace and calm. It is composed by a sequence of balanced body movements that activate the energy flow. Despite being designed for enlightenment, this form has many beneficial effects for the health. In his famous clinic in China, Dr. Zhu Hui uses it to treat more

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Centre Namasté de Teràpies Alternatives, SCP Enlightenment Qi Gong than ten chronic diseases, especially for the heart, blood pressure, kidneys and lack of energy. This form dissolves all physical and psychical issues as well as karmic ones in both the physical and energetic body. Finally it opens up a place inside of you where your original spirit (what you originally were before your birth) can stay. This place is called “Wuji”, the Superior Unknown.

Where does the Enlightenment Qi Gong come from? 800 years ago, Chang San Feng, a Taoist Immortal, founded the original Tai Chi Chuan 13-movement form for self-defense, in order for the monks to be able to defend themselves from thieves without using aggressive or mortal techniques which would lead them far from their spiritual path. By the way, few people are aware that Grand Master Chang San Feng also created a second short form that was designed for Enlightenment rather than self-defense. It was secretly practiced by a lineage of Taoist masters for the last 800 years. Its original name was WuJi Gong which translates as “skill at entering the unknown”

Where can you practice the Enlightenment Qi Gong? When you learn this form, somehow you commit yourself to practice it daily, using your physical body or your energy body. You might choose an open-air place with natural light and good ventilation which would allow you to stay in contact with different elements. By the way it is not always possible to practice it in such places, so you might need to adapt to your environment; do not forget to smile while practicing the Enlightenment Qi Gong form.

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Centre Namasté de Teràpies Alternatives, SCP Enlightenment Qi Gong Andrew Fretwell: Andrew Fretwell has been studying and practicing the principles of Chinese Medicine, Taoism & the Oriental Healing Arts for 25 years, teaching Inner Alchemy, Chi Nei Tsang, Qi Gong and Tai Chi. He has taught internationally in the USA, Canada, Australia, Europe, & Asia He is currently serving as Vice President of the Healing Tao Instructors Association of the Americas, the professional organization that sets standards and ethics for all instructors in the USA. When not traveling he resides at the Tao Garden Taoist www.universal-tao.com training center Chiang Mai Thailand, where he assists Master Mantak Chia in teaching and educating students from all over the world. Andrew is one of the few Senior Instructors that Master Chia has authorized to teach worldwide on his behalf. Andrew is committed to helping people find their own unique destiny and has recently begun promoting Enlightenment Qi Gong worldwide (an 800 year old spiritual transmission lineage) as a means to achieve this. Arjuna Lakshmana: Arjuna, (Barcelona 1971) in 1994 starts his spiritual path. He starts doing Bhakty Yoga after meeting Swami Muktananda. Since that date he learns and experience different meditation techniques. He travels to Nepal where he did several retreats and studies Patanjali Yoga teacher since 1999. Founder of “Centre Namasté de Teràpies Alternatives,

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Centre Namasté de Teràpies Alternatives, SCP Enlightenment Qi Gong SCP” in 2001. Reiki Usui TibetanMaster, Japanis Reiki Master , Karuna. Sénior teacher of Enlightenment Qi Gong he is motivated to teach it since Andrew Fretwell approved him to teach. Has published 5 DVD about inner path of Reiki, Gemstherapy, Yoga, and Meditation.

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Centre Namasté de Teràpies Alternatives, SCP Enlightenment Qi Gong Enlightenment Qi Gong Now we start the complete description of the Enlightenment Qi Gong form. This form considers the 4 cardinal directions. It starts facing the East and therefore it ends facing the East, too. We start standing and facing the East, feet parallel at shoulder width. We rock forward and backward, left and right until we find a balance in both movements. This is our centre. We try to put all our body weight on the heels. Knees slightly blended. We bring our hands in front of the laogon point in the praying position, we close our eyes and meditate; it is convenient to pray before each Qi Gong practice such that we can detach from the mental energy which could disturb the form execution. During the meditation we can evoke our Spiritual Guides, Spiritual Teachers, say a prayer or even simply look for mental quietness. Now we bring our hands down to the hips and prepare to start the form. We slowly and softly raise our hands shoulder-high up. Then we bring the right hand down in front of the pubic bone, palm up, while we place the left hand, palm down, in front of breast bone, at hearthigh, creating a space between the hands to generate an energy ball.

The right hand down raises laterally to offer half energy ball toward the right side; at the same time, the left hand lowers down toward the left side, near the hip, finally separating the energy ball previously created.

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Centre Namasté de Teràpies Alternatives, SCP Enlightenment Qi Gong We now bring our hands back to the centre, exchanging their position, which means the right hand, palm down, will be up in front of the breast bone and the left hand, palm up, will be down in front of the pubic bone. In this movement the body torso slightlyy shifts and actually more deviates toward right and left according to the raised hand. There isn’t an excessive weight-load load on the corresponding foot. Our eyes look at the raising hand.

Now we bring our hands in front of the hips. We create the “microcosmic “microc orbit”, also called the “cosmic egg”. To do that, we raise our hand palms facing each other on our sides up to the shoulders, then around and above the head and then, always with palm facing each other, coming down to the pubic bone.

It is convenient during this movement that the student visualizes how his/her hands are creating a big sphere around him/her. r. The hands, which are now in front ont of the second chakra, pick a new energy ball, which then will be raised through the central channel (through alll the chakras) up to the collar bone. Holding now this energy ball between our hands, we slightly shift our weight on the right heel raising both hands toward the right side, like if we were offering them to the Moon. Softly we now bring the hands back to the centre while we

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Centre Namasté de Teràpies Alternatives, SCP Enlightenment Qi Gong

balance our weight back on the two heels and then shift it to the left, to offer the same energy ball to the Sun, on the left side. We finally repeat the same movement to the right once more. During the whole movement sequence, our eyes are looking in between our hands. Now we bring our hands back toward the centre, but the right hand quickly places itself in front of the pubic bone, palm up, and the left hand, more slowly, places itself in front of the breast bone; palm down, in order to create again a big chi ball between them. Now we turn the chi ball by bringing the right hand up and the left hand down, keeping the palms facing each other. We repeat this turn a second time, so that finally the chi ball turns 360° in total. Now we bring our hands down on the sides, hip-high.

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Centre Namasté de Teràpies Alternatives, SCP Enlightenment Qi Gong Now we turn our left heel and the body torso counter clockwise (so toward our left) in order to face the north with the chest and left foot. We bring our right hand and the whole arm up like we wanted to reach

something (like a rope) placed in front of our right shoulder. We hold it firmly so that it helps us as anchor pin to be able to step with the right foot and bring the right leg parallel to the left one, reaching again a balanced position, with the whole body facing the north. Now the right

hand pulls this rope placed in front of our right shoulder toward our chest, then we bring the right hand down while the left hand and arm repeat the same pulling movement on the left side. The right hand will www.enlight-qigong.org

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Centre Namasté de Teràpies Alternatives, SCP Enlightenment Qi Gong repeat the same pulling movement on the right side a third time. Now we bring both hands down the sides. Again, we turn our left heel and the body torso counter clockwise (so toward our left) in order to face the west and we step with the right foot and bring the right leg parallel to the left one, reaching again a balanced

position. We bring our hands to the centre, the right hand, palm up, quickly in front of the pubic bone and the left hand, palm down, more slowly in front of the breast bone so that they create again a big chi ball between them. And from this position we turn the chi ball 360°. We bring again both hands down the sides. We are finishing the Earth sequence. Our hands and arms reach now the Heaven to pick a big energy ball. Then we bring together both hands in front of the crown, first the left hand facing the crown over the head and then the right hand with the palm facing the back side of the left hand. From this position we bring both hands aligned, keeping them few centimetres apart from the body, down to the forehead, throat, chest, stomach, navel and then resting them on the Tan-Tien. We stay few

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Centre Namasté de Teràpies Alternatives, SCP Enlightenment Qi Gong

seconds in this position resting and concentrating all the generated energy in our Being. Now we start the Heaven Sequence of the Enlightenment Qi Gong form. And to do that, we use the Earth Sequence final position, facing the South. We bring our hands down to the sides and turn our left heel and the body torso counter clockwise (so toward our left) in order to face the original form starting direction, the East. We make the chi ball with the right hand down and left hand up. Quickly the right hand draws a big circle counter clockwise opening toward the right from down up, trying to reach the heaven to pick the energy and then going down trough the left trusting channel, palm facing the body. And while the right hand goes down, the left one starts to raise in a clockwise direction. We will do these movements alternating the right and left hands, five times each hand. The fingers do not have to be neither too loose nor too tight. In order not to loose the rhythm and to get lost in these movements we will slightly stretch each finger, one at each circle alternating between the two hands, starting from the little finger, then the ring finger, middle finger, forefinger and finishing with the thumb, like we were counting. Since we started the movements with the right hand, we finish the last tenth movement with the left hand. This part of www.enlight-qigong.org

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Centre Namasté de Teràpies Alternatives, SCP Enlightenment Qi Gong the sequence must be realized gently and slowly, since we are bringing energy from the Universe to us. When the right hand goes down, it does it through the centre but slightly toward the left side; the same way, when the left hand goes down, it does it through the centre but slightly toward the right side. In this way, we are describing with our hands two circles that form an ellipse in the centre.

Now we bring our hands on the sides and we turn our left heel and the body torso counter clockwise (so toward our left) in order to leave the East and face the North with the chest and left foot. We make the chi ball with the right hand down and left hand up. Quickly the right hand draws a big circle counter clockwise opening toward the right from down up, trying to reach the heaven to pick the energy, as we did facing the East. We start therefore a new movements sequence leaving the north and starting now facing the West. And as soon as we have finished the West direction we will be facing the South. When we finish the last tenth movement with the left hand going down, we then start the belly massage. To do that, the right hand massages in www.enlight-qigong.org

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Centre Namasté de Teràpies Alternatives, SCP Enlightenment Qi Gong a clockwise direction the external belly side, alternating with the left hand which massages in the opposite direction, means counter clockwise, the external belly side; we do nine movements: 5 with the right hand and 4 with the left hand. Now we bring our hands to the sides, close to the hip.

Our hands and arms reach now the Heaven to pick a big energy ball. Then we bring together both hands in front of the crown, first the left hand facing the crown over the head and then the right hand with the palm facing the back side of the left hand. From this position we bring both hands aligned, keeping them few centimetres apart from the body, down to the forehead, throat, chest, stomach, navel and then resting them on the Tan-Tien. We stay few seconds in this position resting and concentrating all the generated energy in our Being. We have now finished Earth and Heaven Sequences facing the East. By the way, this form does not finish at this point. From the direction you have finished and you are facing now (the South), you start again all the movements, beginning with an Earth Sequence and finishing with a Heaven Sequence. Since you start them facing the South, you will finish facing the West. In this way you will have done two complete www.enlight-qigong.org

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Centre Namasté de Teràpies Alternatives, SCP Enlightenment Qi Gong Enlightenment Qi Gong sequences. Form the West you start now the next Earth and Heaven Sequences, finishing them facing the North. This will be the third complete sequence. The last one will be started facing the North and will be finished facing the East. Once you have completed the Heaven sequence for the fourth time, you will be facing the East and

once you have done for the fourth time the belly massage and picked the energy from the Heaven with your hands you have completed the entire form. Enjoy the moment and feel your hands stroking with the collected energy all the energetic points in your front channel and then rest them on your belly. Close your eyes end feel the energy abundance. Breath deeply and smile, focus your attention on your chest and smile with it too. As you can see, the Enlightenment Qi Gong form is easy, composed by happy and slight movements. To practice the Enlightenment Qi Gong you should keep a correct and conscious attitude of the practice. It is not a physical exercise to train the body. The work with this form take care of the physical body, as well as the energetic, spiritual and mental bodies since one of the best part of the practice can be done quietly, www.enlight-qigong.org

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Centre Namasté de Teràpies Alternatives, SCP Enlightenment Qi Gong with closed eyes and lying on the floor, projecting the energetic body outside the physical body. Using the energetic body you do the same exercise as with the physical body, trying to feel everything you left unfelt on your physical body. Put your attention on the correct movement rising from the “no-mind”. When you let the movement flowing by itself, your fingers feel where the energy is and pick and combine it with that in the energetic body. On the other side, notice the peculiarities of this form. Starting from the East the Earth Sequence you finish it facing the South; when starting the Heaven Sequence you turn from South to East again, with the tiger stroke, and finish it facing the South again. Now, where do you start the next Earth Sequence? Right from where you finished the first Heaven Sequence, the South. Starting the Earth Sequence from the South you finish it facing the West; so starting the Heaven Sequence you turn from West back to South, with the tiger stroke, and finish the Heaven Sequence facing the West. Again, starting the Earth Sequence for the third time, you begin from West and finish it facing north; starting the Heaven Sequence you turn from North to West and finish it facing the North. And when doing the forth repetition, which completes the Enlightenment Qi Gong form, you start the Earth Sequence from North, finish it facing East you turn then to the North again to start the Heaven Sequence and finish it facing the East. And notice that the fourth repetition finishes facing the East, which is the direction where we started the entire form, so that we actually turn in a counter clockwise direction while we turn clockwise too. As you could observe, the Enlightenment Qi Gong has two well differentiated parts: the Earth Sequence and the Heaven Sequence. In www.enlight-qigong.org

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Centre Namasté de Teràpies Alternatives, SCP Enlightenment Qi Gong the first one we are picking all the energies from the 4 cardinal directions: East, North, West, and South. From the East, which symbolizes the spring, we are collecting energy toward the liver and gall bladder. From the North, which symbolizes the winter, we are collecting energy for the kidneys and bladder. Additionally we will be pointing toward the North Star, the fixed axis around which all the other constellations turn. From the West, which symbolizes the fall, lungs and large intestine will be reinforced since we would be bringing healing energy toward them. And from the South, which symbolizes the summer, the organs which we will work on are heart and small intestine. On the other side, in the Heaven Sequence, even though we are turning and facing all the different cardinal directions, from East to North, from North to West and so on until returning back to East, the work is done more on the fifth direction, which is the Centre, where we work on spleen and stomach. It does not correspond to any western season, but to the Chinese summer end and fall beginning. Additionally in the Heaven Sequence we are collecting energy from Heaven and bringing it to the whole body through the big circles. During the practice we do not put attention on the direction we are facing to and the corresponding organ which we are working on. Let the exercise acting and spreading as a balsam inside of you and simply enjoy the beneficial global feeling you get, since this vision of the form will allow you to make its understanding and learning easier. www.enlight-qigong.org

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Centre Namasté de Teràpies Alternatives, SCP Enlightenment Qi Gong The work on the internal organs trough the Qi Gong When we practice the Qi Gong it is advisable to do it in a clean and airy place. It is also important to know which cardinal direction we are facing by doing our exercises. This form we are learning is doing this all the time. When we start working and facing the East we are working on the liver and gall bladder, when we turn to the South we are strengthening our heart and small intestine, to the West we work the lungs and the large intestine and finally to the North we work the kidneys and bladder. By the way in the Taoism there is a fifth direction, which is the centre, where we work stomach and spleen.

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Centre Namasté de Teràpies Alternatives, SCP Enlightenment Qi Gong I want to give thanks to Andrew Fretwell for giving me his time teaching me Enlightenment Qi Gong as many other TAO teachings, because it make me discover lots of amazing feelings and sensations been in touch with energy power. I feel Andrew is a person who teaches from his learned experiences. That’s great for me because his teachings come from heart to heart, so being with him in class for sure is going to be a lovely teaching. Also I want to give thanks to Paolo Cesco who has translated into English this hand-book from Spanish. Paolo does a great work with Andrew when he is in Spain because he is who does instant translation of Andrew’s teachings to the Spanish students. His patience is incredible and comfortable any moment. When Andrew asks to start a practice Paolo is able to do it while keeping translating Andrew’s words so I appreciate Paolo’s work a lot.

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