Simple Chi Kung_ Exercises for Awakening the Life-Force Energy - Mantak Chia [16]
Within every person there is a place that is full of energy, health, and happiness. This is our natural state, but we so often lose touch with it in our busy, distracted lives. However, a visit to this place of inner vitality and harmony every day—even through a brief Chi Kung routine—allows us to access a higher level of energy, to strengthen our immune system, and to transform the patterns and assumptions that limit our body and mind.
Stress compromises the immune system, while exercise, deep breathing, and flowing movements strengthen it. By clearing physical and mental stress every day, the body finds its natural state of balance.
In our modern world, life has become ever more fast-paced, increasingly complex, and, in a word, stressful. Although electric lights can turn night into day, and stores make it easy to get whatever we want at any time, our bodies still operate on the same cycles and rhythms as they have for thousands of years. It’s no wonder that balance is so difficult to achieve when we push ourselves in so many unnatural ways.
The modern lifestyle, with its constant stimulations and requirements, leaves millions too depleted to get sufficient exercise, relaxation, play, or even to spend quality time with their families. This energy-depleting way of life and chronic stress lead to anxiety, fatigue, depression, a weakened immune system, and a host of serious physical and psychological ailments.
These problems arise not only from stress itself but from the ways that people handle stress. The steady rise of addictions, drug use, unhealthy relationships, too much TV or computer use, and excessive shopping for material possessions are all examples of how we respond to stress in detrimental ways. These are especially common pitfalls for people who feel a lack of support or a lack of inner resources.
It isn’t always possible to remove an outer problem. You can’t always quit your job, make your child behave, get out of a traffic jam, or heal a serious injury. But you can change your response and your inner state of consciousness. Dealing effectively with the stresses and problems in your life is a choice. When you have more energy and vitality, stress and problems don’t seem so overwhelming. By taking time for yourself, you will cultivate the energy you need to handle your problems more skillfully and effectively. This is a skill developed through Chi Kung practice.
The stress response evolved for a good reason—to protect us from danger. Our ancestors had stresses, but usually only for a moment. When a saber-toothed tiger attacked our ancestors, their bodies were able to shift gears, inciting a nervous system cascade known as the “fight-or-flight” response.
Physiologically, here’s what happens to the body during the fight-or-flight response: the sympathetic nervous system kicks into high gear. The hypothalamus (a gland in the brain) activates the pituitary, which releases a hormone into the bloodstream called ACTH (adrenocorticotropic hormone). This hormone goes to the adrenal glands, which in turn produce more adrenalin (also known as epinephrine), along with other hormones called glucocorticoids (cortisol is an example). Collectively, these chemicals set off an array of biochemical changes in the body:
The heart rate speeds up and blood pressure increases, so that more blood is pumped to the muscles and lungs.
The breath becomes rapid, nostrils flaring, bringing an increased supply of air to the lungs.
Blood is directed away from the skin and internal organs and toward the brain and skeletal muscles. The muscles tense.
The blood clots faster, in case of bleeding.
The pupils dilate, giving better vision.
The liver converts glycogen into glucose, which