Achieve Balance, Contentment, and Harmony through Managing Your Chi

There are 100 other ways to improve your life in this book. We all have our own needs and aspirations and will be drawn to those chapters we feel most relevant and appropriate for us. I hope this is one of them, for whether you are looking for new skills, ideas, and perspectives or are seeking ways of filling gaps and resolving issues, ultimately, you will only feel contentment if you are balanced.nnContentment is not a languid state of satiation but a vantage point for seeing things as they are and a springboard for taking action, both without stress or hidden agendas. In this state you can be true to yourself and to others.nnBalance is also a state in which you have the energies to cope with life’s challenges. We lose it when our coping mechanisms fail to meet the demands of the world around us, and in these circumstances, people respond in many self-destructive ways. A more measured response could be to reframe the challenges and focus our efforts more effectively, but learning how to strengthen our inner energies is where real progress can be made because our often-neglected natural source of power responds positively at many levels. nnThough Chi is a concept of energy best documented and utilized by traditional Eastern cultures, it is universal in its distribution. Modern life tends to take its functions for granted though, thereby failing to appreciate how to make corrective adjustments when disorder or illness occur.nnBy increasing your awareness of this energy within, you can improve your sense of health and well-being. There are ways of using massage points, breathing, mental imagery, and meditation to enhance its power and ease of application, which also makes it more accessible for those with physical limitations that preclude more active forms such as Yoga or Tai Chi. Here are some simple examples to get you started. nnThe first exercise is to breathe out, hold your breath out for a moment, and consider what it would feel like if you never breathed again. Just as it is getting uncomfortable, inhale, and appreciate as you do the life-giving energy that you are drawing into yourself. nnGently stretch your back by raising your hands and pushing them upward, lean from side to side, forward and backward, then slowly twist from the waist to look behind you from side to side. nnIf you are unable to stand or move your limbs for these exercises, apply their principles as best you can to your circumstances. Because Chi is ultimately moved by your mind, fill in the parts you cannot achieve physically with your thoughts. Imagine your limbs moving and back stretching—it is harder work but will achieve results.nFirst Mind/Body ExercisenPreferably stand with your knees softened and tailbone tucked in—sit if necessary—hands by your sides. Exhale, and feel your arms extending to pick up energy from under the ground (or floor). Inhale as you scoop the energy up by cupping your hands and slowly lifting them upward, close to your legs and body, to the level of your stomach. Hold for a moment, and then exhale as you lower your arms and release the energy. nnImagine as you do this that you are breathing in energy from the earth. You inhale it through your feet, up your legs, and into your torso. Do not raise it above your stomach. nnSome say that exercises like this actually draw energy from the earth, but though I reserve my opinion on this, I feel it is important to believe this occurs in order to communicate your intention effectively to your Chi through visualization. This allows it to respond to your conscious control instead of to the whims of your subconscious.nActing as though you believe something in order to achieve something you believe in is an interesting state of mind. It allows you to manage your Chi, though almost by proxy, and I can assure you that it holds good to the extent that you can maintain this belief. nSecond Mind/Body ExercisenStand or sit with your feet apart and your arms by your sides. Turn your palms outward, and raise your straight arms out to your sides—lift them until they meet, palms together, above your head. Point your fingers together like a roof, and lower your arms past your face and chest in front of you, hands still touching, as if pressing a balloon downward until your palms flatten by your navel.nnBreathe in as you raise your arms and out as you lower them. Feel as though you are slowly pressing your breath down from the top of your head through the center of your body. nnOnce it has passed your navel, feel it leave through your legs and feet, with a whoosh.nnDo these exercises lightly, not straining or concentrating, just with an awareness of your activity. Through the visualization of transporting energy from the air into the ground through your body, you are stimulating the meridians through which Chi flows. Stagnation or imbalance in these channels affects your muscles and organs, and clearing them should make you feel better.nnTo maintain balance, you must also strive to achieve harmony between your inner and outer selves. Your behavior in the world reflects the essence of your mind, and vice versa, so developing one benefits the other. You must choose to act as you wish to be and be the best that you can. The tensions you may feel while trying to make progress can be eased through meditation, which will also, in itself, help to move you forward. nnBreathing circulates Chi, up your spine and over your head on the in breath, down your front from your mouth to your perineum (just behind the genitals) on the out breath. Because it is both unconscious yet controllable at will, breath helps unify the body and mind. Breathing deeply to your abdomen is more powerful than short and rapid breaths and helps calm the nervous system. Be aware of your breathing when it is working well, and bring gentle control to help it when it is not. If you are stressed, angry, hurt, or tired, breathe and imagine your Chi circulating. Also practice this when you are calm, and connect your tongue with the roof of your mouth as a bridge to help the flow. nnChi operates at many levels, from within our cells to across the universe. It is “organizing” energy, so strengthening it or easing its flow can improve not just how our own organs function, but the benefits extend to our personal effectiveness, our relationships, and how we act within organizations. Applying its principles in the workplace is a good way to reduce stress and improve efficiency. Because we all communicate through our energy systems as well as through our words and actions, improving our inner energy benefits others too. So improving your balance and contentment can create the energy to add just a little more harmony to the universe, which is a worthwhile achievement in itself. nn** This article is one of 101 great articles that were published in 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life. To get complete details on “101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life”, visit http://www.selfgrowth.com/greatways3.html n