I am thrilled to spread the word that Mantak Chia is coming to Portland, Oregon! He will hold a three day workshop at the OHSU Wellness Center for in May from the 27th to the 29th. For more information visit Mantak Chia’s World Tour. This workshop will be covering:

Six Healing Sounds
Cosmic Inner Smile
Microcosmic Orbit
Healing Love
Iron Shirt Qigong

Are you a drone in the cubicle hive culture? Are you familiar with being locked in an 8 x 10 foot cube for many hours of the week? Do you often crave a natural setting? I spend a huge chunk of my day in front of a computer screen working for a large corporation. I have slowly but steadily been feeling the long-term stress on my mental, spiritual, and physical health. I have been suffering from back pain for a couple years now. It started with lower back pain from sitting too much, then as the years piled on, I started getting upper back pain. My eyesight has gone nearsighted, because it is fixed to the distance of my computer monitor. Fatigue and back pain often lead to laying in bed alone a lot. I often come home tired and irritable. I found Mantak Chia online accidentally by rediscovering a nameless meditation that my father taught me, and after a year of watching his videos and reading his books, he changed my life. I have studied his videos on YouTube and even a number of his student’s videos. I have also read a number of his books, such as Iron Shirt Chi Kung 1. After skimming the book I realized that I needed to learn the Micro Cosmic Orbit to safely move the energy in my body for the Iron Shirt system. After buying the book I realized that I should practice the Inner Smile to ensure that I was circulating good energy in my body; I bought that book as well. Since then I have felt a lot of improvement in my life. I feel a lot more positive and have a lot more energy throughout the day. I hope to greatly improve on my practices by attending this workshop. Currently I am doing a morning routine that starts with yoga stretching (frog pose, upward-facing dog, pigeon pose, thread the needle pose, and the windshield wiper pose) which is extremely important for my back. I also do foam-roller work to help keep my back flexible. I like to follow up with Shaking or Shaking the Tree qigong to help loosen up the body and start to get the chi flowing. If I have the time I will sit down and do the Inner Smile. If I am pressed for time I will do the Inner Smile while I do the first Iron Shirt posture (Embracing the Tree). If I have time I will do the Holding the Golden Urn, if not I will do The Golden Turtle and The Water Buffalo. The turtle/buffalo postures are really hard, so I usually follow them up with Embracing the Tree again to let my energy calm down. Next I do the Iron Bridge, and collect the chi. I usually cool down with dry washing/wiping my body and finish with a Shake to make sure I don’t have any stuck qi. When doing the iron shirt, I am not moving energy around, which is because I am not ready to do that part of the practice; I am just holding the postures for now. [fruitful_tabs type=”accordion” width=”100%” fit=”false”] [fruitful_tab title=”If I have the time meditation routine:”]

Yoga:
1. Frog Pose
2. Upward-facing Dog
3. Pigeon
4. Thread the Needle Pose
5. Windshield Wiper Pose
Shaking
Inner Smile
Iron Shirt Qigong
1. Embracing the Tree
2. Holding the Golden Urn
3. The Golden Turtle
4. The Water Buffalo
5. Embracing the Tree
6. The Golden Phoenix Spreads Its Wings
7. The Iron Bridge
Collecting the chi
Dry washing/wiping
Shaking[/expand]

[/fruitful_tab] [fruitful_tab title=”If I am short on time meditation routine:”]

1. Frog Pose
2. Upward-facing Dog
3. Pigeon
4. Thread the Needle Pose
5. Windshield Wiper Pose
Shaking
Inner Smile + Embracing the Tree
1. The Golden Turtle
2. The Water Buffalo
3. Embracing the Tree
4. The Iron Bridge
Collecting the chi
Dry washing/wiping
Shaking

[/fruitful_tab] [/fruitful_tabs] These practices help me save money by reducing visits to the massage therapist and chiropractor that I have depended on whenever my back is in crisis. I also do acupuncture every now and then, which I find really useful especially as I am new to these practices, I can clear any stuck energies that I might have placed unknowingly. My partner, Veronica, has noticed dramatic results with me since I have started practicing meditation. She says that I am in a better mood during the workweek. I am also more optimistic, better at problem solving, I smile more, and that my socializing skills have improved. It seems so simple now looking back, that when you are in a happy mood you are better at everything and everyone around you can feel it. I do feel that I have a lot more energy and a lot less stress in my body. I feel a lot less mentally tapped and emotionally drained from work and the hour long home commute. I feel hopeful and optimistic about our future. I have let go of the mentality that I am a victim of my circumstances; I prefer to believe that I am a co-creator in our reality that we all participate in–this attitude shift is such an empowering and inspirational way to live your life. Stay tuned for reports on my experience at the Mantak Chia workshop!

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