breathing – Rebel Bush Doctor

Mindfulness: Kill Your Thoughts or Let Them Pass?

Two illustrated human heads facing each other against a cosmic background, with the head at left nearly empty and the one at right filled with a nebula of activity.

From the point of view of mindfulness, the logic is not to care about any of the interesting changes and experiences that come as a result of practicing in this way, because the underlying goal is to be more and more equanimous with changes. So it’s not to grasp at what’s pleasant or interesting andContinue reading “Mindfulness: Kill Your Thoughts or Let Them Pass?”

Mindfulness of… Cleaning?

A woman cleaning the induction cooktop next to her kitchen sink

Mindfulness is always mindfulness of something… We can cook our breakfast mindfully and continue to produce the energy of mindfulness, concentration and insight. We do not have to go to a temple, to a meditation center in order to generate these three kinds of energies. You don’t have to set aside time to practice mindfulness—youContinue reading “Mindfulness of… Cleaning?”

Emphasizing the Extremities in Practice, Breathing

Most times, the Dantian, (the body’s energy/gravity center) is the predominent area of breathing emphasis in most Tai Chi and Qigong exercises, including silk-reeling, the principle movement in Chen-style Tai Chi, among many others. Though heavily-centered on the Dantian (forgive the pun), my staple practices (Hun Yuan and Wudang Qigong and Tai Chi) all containContinue reading “Emphasizing the Extremities in Practice, Breathing”

The Impact of Minding the 24-Hour TCM Body Clock on Health

Lately, one of the biggest reasons I’ve been dealing with chronic hyper-sympathetic syndrome – in which the mind cannot stop racing and calm down – despite habitually using meditation and breathing practices, is not paying mind to the Traditional Chinese Medical (TCM) 24hr organ health clock. This is a 24-hour biological “body clock,” in whichContinue reading “The Impact of Minding the 24-Hour TCM Body Clock on Health”

The Dangers of Thriftiness and the Slippery Slope of Attachment

For a long time, I had prided myself on my thriftiness. If you’re familiar with the blog, you probably have come across a post or passage somewhere that is specifically about or at least mentions frugality, finding value or supporting independent business. Up until recently, I thought my tendency towards penny-pinching was to the benefitContinue reading “The Dangers of Thriftiness and the Slippery Slope of Attachment”

Sinking the Qi

“Qi is very important for good health and we would die without it and its flow.”

The Physiology of Relaxation and Breathing

If you’re reading this blog, chances are good you’ve heard of the multitude of health benefits that can be gained through practicing yoga. Increased mindfulness, mental clarity, more energy, increased circulation and cardio health, and better flexibility, athletic performance and muscle strength and tone have all been touted as benefits of yoga in recent years.Continue reading “The Physiology of Relaxation and Breathing”