Qigong, Yoga and Tai Chi have a great many similarities.

All three practices attempt to heal the body by unblocking energy restrictions.

I like when he says "You will feel different because you are different."

I think that any of us with a practice can attest to that.

Roger Jahnke "Health Patriot" from Omega Institute on Vimeo.

Ever hear of Kriyas?

Kriyas are ancient purification exercises called the Shat (six) Karmas (actions) or Kriyas.There are 6 purification practices were mentioned in many ancient yogic texts. They are meant to purify the whole body, as well as open the energy pathways of the body which are called nadi's. These practices are very powerful and advanced and should not be attempted without an experienced Teacher. Originally kriyas were all taught as part of The Hatha Yoga tradition, but unfortunately they are rarely part of a Yoga Teacher Training program here in the west. I have been blessed to have studied and practiced at great lengths with some very knowledgable teachers here in town (Shakti Mhi and Bernie Clark). I learned first hand (and through much practice), how to safely practice them, and safety is key. The few that I do quite regularly are: Neti-(nasal cleansing), Nauli- (abdominal massage), and as some of you practice with me, Kapalabhati (purification of frontal lobes and lungs). Kapalabhati is a kriya as well as pranayam technique. Some kriyas I wouldn't even try personally (no matter how much instruction I had and no matter who the Teacher was) but for the most part, some of these kriyas may change your life. You may find yourself feeling better, with more vitality than you have in years! Neti in particular is worth trying and is safe for most folks. *Check with your Doctor* Neti pots are for sale literally everywhere these days. When I was taught neti it wasn't with a neti pot. It was with a full cup of saline using both nostrils at the same time. I was basically drinking (sucking) a full cup of saltwater up both nostrils at the same time as it poured out from my mouth. I know, it sounds so strange, and gross! hahaha.. But it really isn't bad at all (as long as you have the salt water ratio down) *and the technique was being passed down to me by my teacher*. Neti has been used by practitioners of yoga and Ayurveda in India for hundreds, if not thousands of years. And like so many other yoga practices it has gone mainstream with Doctors widely recommending it to their patients for nasal issues, allergies and colds, sinusitis etc. I've never really had any ongoing nasal issues (other than the common yearly cold) but I love how it makes me feel. Purification is a central theme in yoga, and from an energy standpoint the practice cleanses the energy channels and helps to balance the right and left hemispheres much like nadi shodana.

There are more advanced techniques using various herbs and oils, but the simplest technique known, is jala neti. Jala neti uses water (jala) for the cleansing process. Above is a pic of my neti pot I snapped this morning before embarking on my morning neti. Neti isn't part of my daily routine but I do it a few times per month (and it is best to lubricate your nostrils with sesame oil after doing neti as it can dry out the nasal passages). With all the dust, pollen and other irritants we breathe in we can get really clogged up and not even realize it. Neti is a good place to start kriya-wise. And with cold/flu season being here it is an inexpensive, holistic and drug free way to breathe freely. Like anything, you should do your research and speak to your caregiver, and as far as any of the other kriyas out there. Only practice under the guidance of a VERY qualified teacher. After all, we are playing with the energy body and that is powerful stuff. Namaste.

Qi

The character for Qi (pronounced chee) represents steam rising from rice, meaning the air of life, a symbol for effortless sustenance.

The Ujjayi Sound-- A Guided Practice for Beginners

Do you have a laptop?

I recently bought one. It's really more of a notebook and very similar to what's in the picture here. Small, lightweight and very inexpensive..

A macbook wasn't in my budget, although of course I would have loved one of those! But considering what I do on here my little Acer thingy is just fine for me, and we do have a lovely Mac desktop at home so we can still indulge while at home. I'm still not particularly computer saavy though (as you may notice by looking at my blog haha)

I was a late bloomer.

(I've even been known to call my ipod my walkman..haha..and thats no lie)!

Anyways, what I wanted to share here is that I recently found out that using a laptop uses 90% less energy then a desktop computer and I found that amazing. That is such a HUGE difference and definitely worth sharing. Knowing that, I plan on using my little laptop more, and my desktop a little less, as it sure can't hurt! Every little bit helps this beautiful world we live in ♥ .

With such a small life, with such a small energy source, it is simply stupid to waste it in sadness, in anger, in hatred, in jealousy. Use it in love, use it in some creative act, use it in friendship, use it in meditation: Do something with it which takes you higher. And the higher you go, the more energy sources become available to you. At the highest point of consciousness, you are almost a god. -OSHO

Heres a little tidbit on reducing your carbon footprint

A couple of posts ago I mentioned that I picked up a little paperback book from the check out isle and how it had quite a few tips on reducing your carbon footprint that I hadn't thought of before. Just this morning while half asleep, for the very first time I was aware of how much water I was boiling for my coffee and the energy it takes to do so.

I only boiled what I needed. That may be something that most people already do, but the truth is my kettle gets filled whether I am making a cup of tea, or a pot of coffee generally. Out of habit I just fill my kettle every single morning without thinking.

From now on I plan on being more mindful of this.

The little book says that completely filling the kettle for one cup of tea releases an unnecessary 125 cups of CO2. May not seem like much of a deal but every little bit makes a difference inlightening our Carbon Footprint. I"ll keep sharing new little changes I am making on my blog. I'm of course doing all the obvious things but there is always more we can do.

Namaste.

This little book is a gem.

I was standing in the check-out line (with a bunch of stuff I didn't really need) Embarrassing but true. I do it very rarely as I do not like to shop and never have. But for some reason the other day with the rain, I got it in my head that I needed to prepare for winter and do it asap. So some new rain-boots and rain-gear was needed, as well as a few other items I know I didn't really need.

As I was standing there waiting in a huge line up I spied this little paperback book.I opened it up and immediately saw so many things I did not know. I thought I was in the "know" with a lot of this stuff but I guess I'm not. Some of these tips I am surprised I have never heard before (or had the common sense to figure out on my own)!

As time allows I'll post some.

There is always so much to learn with any topic I suppose, and none more important than our glorious planet. If we wreck the earth where shall we go?

My partner and I have made countless lifestyle changes over the years as I am sure most of us have, but there is always more we can do. Super painless changes that will not only save our earth and precious resources...

but changes that you you barely notice that can save us money.

If you see this little book in the bargain bin pick it up! It cost me 99 cents.

You can give it to your child to read (it's a very easy read) although I am sure that kids today could all write books on the topic!

At lease I hope so.

I've gotta fly for now but I look forward to posting little tidbits from this woman's book. Her name is Joanna Yarrow and she resides in the UK.