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Complimentary Outdoor Medical QiGong Classes This Summer!

Want some fresh air and exercise this summer?

What: Medical QiGong is an ancient Chinese discipline used to restore and improve overall health including balance, strength and energy flow.

When: Thru August 15:

  • Tuesdays 9AM-10AM
  • Thursdays 2PM-3PM

Where: 7 Beach Street, Marblehead (backyard or porch, weather depending)

Why: Learn breathing, movement and visualization exercises to improve your health!

I’ve been studying medical QiGong for two years. In order to get my 200-hour teaching certificate, I need practice teaching. Student volunteers will help me become a better teacher!

All are welcome! Sign up for one or more classes. Please let me know if you plan to attend!

Thank you, Allan (Skip) Dowds 🕉

617-599-8644

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ARE YOU A ROOSTER OR A DRAGON?

You know those Chinese restaurant menus with the animal-years? There are 12 of them:

  1.   Cat
  2.   Dog
  3.   Dragon
  4.   Goat
  5.   Horse
  6.   Monkey
  7.   Ox
  8.   Pig
  9.   Rat
  10.   Rooster
  11.   Snake
  12.   Tiger

Here’s the totally bananas–crazy thing for this old white guy who was raised in Vermont: 

it’s friggin’ REAL!

 

Does it change my life to “know” that?! Kinda – at least on one level: the fact that I am a readily identifiable “type” makes it easier/possible for traditional Chinese medical (TCM) doctors to help me – and more importantly, if I become a TCM “doctor” or Master, I can more readily and effectively help others. 😊

That’s a LOT more information than Patanjali’s outline of Raja Yoga covers. [I suspect much of the ancient Indian science has been lost over the millennia given TCM’s recognition of the significance of the contribution made by early Indian Masters.] 🙏

Almost three years ago I devoted whatever time I have left here to promoting and teaching Patanjali’s simple message: “part of you is divine – and you can prove it to yourself”.

It WILL change you.

While Patanjali documented a mental practice to achieve awareness of the world beyond the mundane, TCM took it to a place I can’t even see from where I am.

I’m truly humbled and awe-struck.

 

I will fulfill my commitment to Patanjali, but TCM, WOW.

Apparently, it takes about ten years (fewer with more devotion and commitment) to accumulate the experience to be a first degree “black belt” or Medical QiGong Master. I have a running start because I’ve devoted the last 15 years to Patanjali’s similar yet much simpler discipline.

Here’s one thing Patanjali didn’t tell me: according to TCM, which also looks at life on three levels (form, energy, mind):

I’m the human equivalent of a rooster: in form, energetically, and sub-consciously.

 

[Never mind the fact that I’ve always thought of myself as a dragon! Shucks!]

Getting our three discernable “parts” to act in unison – to resonate in harmony with our unique “inborn voice” – not only reduces suffering, it helps us become what we were always naturally meant to be!

Can you guess which of the three pictures above represents:

  • my physical form, and…
  • the energy that naturally links it to…
  • ….my non-physical, sub-conscious mind

It gets better: there are at least five distinct sub-types of rooster [I’m a fire-rooster]!

 

[Which means – relative to other farm animal types – I’m relatively trustworthy, especially at work. And here I’ve always attributed that to my small business owner, grandfather beating it into me!! Love you Pops!!]

The supporting data comes from thousands of years of astrological charting. It’s scientific; mathematical – like Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras! <3 <3 <3

Intuitively, it makes sense: certain types of trees, fruits and flowers bloom at different times each year – there’s a natural cyclicality to life. Measure it closely enough, long enough and it turns out that the regular rotation of our planet, and it’s routine movement through our universe causes it/us to be exposed to a dozen different types of energy.

How do I “know” I’m channeling some serious natural “rooster” energy – simply based on the time and place I was born?

First of all, I’ve lived between these two ears for over 60 years, and right off the top of my head these jump to mind:

  • My ego is the size of this planet – always has been. I’ve always felt like “the cock of the walk”. I shrunk from it for most of my life, but a couple months ago, I offered to pose virtually naked in class so the teacher could draw the 12 TCM meridiens on my body! [Frankly, I just wanted to know where they are in me – damn the consequences!!] Ironically, on some deep sub-conscious level, I’ve also always known I’m a big chicken with an over-inflated ego. Can’t tell you how many real fights I’ve run away from, though it never seems to deminish that rooster energy!

 

  • I “cock-a-doodle-do” a LOT (almost daily). I’ve been posting insights into Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras for almost 16 years – and my job for over 20 years was generating quarterly reports for investors. Yeah; hard to get the damned rooster to shut up!

 

  • Speaking of which, crowing and strutting tend to alienate people – especially other guys, though thankfully it seems to have the opposite effect on the fairer sex. For my entire adult life I’ve blamed my inability to bond in any meaningful way with another male on my father. Guess what dad – you’re still a prick, but I forgive you a little. Apparently, part of that inability is literally in-born.

 

  • Oh yeah, and I “preen” a lot. Sue will tell you that for a guy I spend an inordinate amount of time in the bathroom [little does she know I’m in there doing yoga or qigong the entire time!]

Blessings & hugs, Skipper-doodle-do!

❤️😊🕉

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EXCERPT FROM A LETTER TO MY BROTHER

……..as an RN (age contemporary) said to me the other day, “Why did they wait our entire lives to tell us this stuff [Traditional Chinese Medicine concepts]?!” Those energy meridians acupuncturists use? They’re very real!

I think the thing that stands out most to me about the Eastern Taoist disciplines is the emphasis on the cyclical nature of our world: everything – including us – in the normal course has five “seasons”:

1) Spring – 2) Early Summer – 3) Late Summer – 4) Fall – 5) Winter.

 

Growing up in Vermont we know each season has a different energy: things bloom in the Spring, hibernate in the Winter. It’s simultaneously sobering and relieving to realize that you and I are like magnificent old maple tress in the Fall: as good as we get. Like an old maple tree that’s been through a lot of seasons and storms, before long our limbs will become more brittle, and our leaves will dry and fall.

The awesome thing about these Eastern disciplines is the emphasis they put on restoring, maintaining and replenishing the energy that sustains us. That’ll keep your beautiful Fall foliage blooming longer!

Love you.

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PROUD NEW ENGLANDER

[that’s Buddha watching over our winter garden]

I’m proud to hail from this neck of the woods.

I grew up in Vermont; went to school & met Sue in New York; and we moved here with two kids & a dog in ‘95.

Our 01945 neighborhood (2 rows of 7 houses) received more than a foot of rather heavy late-season snow today.

I just walked Penny around the block; virtually all of us are dug out; sidewalks cleared, cars dusted off – ready to go.

Not a pretty analogy, but it’s as if a giant foot kicked sand on our anthill and within a few minutes we were out and going about our business as usual.

#RespectNature

❤😊🕉

Qi Gong and Raja Yoga class schedule

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NOTE TO MY BROTHER [the open minded one!]

Do you know where I can find out what time of day I was born?

It’s a Zen thing. Apparently, not only the day, month and year we’re born – but

the actual time of day – can be predictive of one’s true nature.

 

Sounds bananas, but it’s as if humans grow and whither seasonally like everything else on the planet. Go figure.

Apparently after thousands of years of observing nature (including us), ancient Chinese scientists figured out that – just like flowers planted and blooming in different seasons have different characteristics –

times of human conception and birth influence the output. Who knew?!

 

Friggin’ fascinating. They’ve got it down to such a precise science that the time of day we’re born has a distinct effect on:

  • our bloom potential (i.e., how we’re likely to grow and “bloom” naturally baring a catastrophe), and more importantly,

 

  • how best to maximize that potential (in short, what combination of body-mind-consciousness work is most likely to restore someone to their true, balanced self?)

 

The “charting” gives the “doctor” (in this case a Zen Master I’m fortunate enough to have access to) another piece of information to work with when prescribing a personal “restoration protocol” for the student (i.e., so I can adjust my personal practice to make the most of it holistically).

Thanks Bud – for the time of day info and listening. Love you.

Qi Gong & Raja Yoga class schedule

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NOTE TO A FELLOW TEACHER

I think it’s great to encourage men to honor both their yin and yang attributes but yoga and other Eastern mind/body disciplines train us to control our emotions rather than remaining vulnerable to them.

“Strength begets Freedom.

Freedom begets Peace.

Peace begets Tranquility.”

 

Strength over emotions is essential; they color our thoughts and precipitate our actions which account for 70% of what bothers us!!

“Watch your mind.

Guard your words.

Keep your Qi.”

 

That said, stuffing, ignoring or distracting ourselves from emotions isn’t a long term solution. The solution is a lifelong discipline of self-awareness and self-control.

“Every second. Every day.”

 

That includes daily physical and mental exercise, specifically meditation.

That’s where Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras come in!

Blessings, Skip ❤😊🕉

Raja Yoga – Qi Gong class schedule

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QIGONG STUDENTS WANTED

My grandfather used to tell me not to worry about a bad haircut. It grows back!

Ever go to a dental or hairdressing school to get fixed up at lower, student-teacher rates?

It’s USUALLY a win-win-win: you get a hair cut or a tooth pulled and the good doctor or stylist gets a little better at his/her job – benefiting the next client or patient.

Same concept – only in this case, here’s how it works:

  • You win – you’ll leave class smiling – but it’ll cost you $10.
  • I win – I’ll be smiling – priceless!
  • My next student wins – by letting me work some of the kinks out on you, I’ll earn the next guy’s $15!

I’M LOOKING FOR PEOPLE INTERESTED IN LEARNING BETTER SELF CONTROL: PHYSICAL, MENTAL and ENERGETIC!!!

 

QIGONG = ENERGY WORK

Namaste, Skip

❤😊🕉 

Meditate – you can’t do it incorrectly [just more efficiently – that’s why I’m here]!!

$15 – scheduled group “meditation prep” classes

Current class schedule

  • Skype lessons
  • seminars
  • lectures
  • private lessons

Proud sponsor of Yoga Instructors Association (MA)

#BringBackPatanjali

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WHICH WAY DOES YOUR HEART LEAD?

Our heart energy leads!

We  focus our heart energy either upward or downward.

 

To varying degrees, half of us are generally drawn downward towards the relatively heavy, dense, darker aspects of our self and life.

And to varying degrees, the other half of us are generally drawn upward towards the relatively light, bright, airy aspects of our self and life.

I took down the recent FB rants about the NRA’s tax exempt status. They were weighing me down.

Namaste. For better or worse, we’re all in this together.

Love, Skip

❤😊🕉

Meditate – you can’t do it incorrectly [just more efficiently – that’s why I’m here]!!

$15 – scheduled group “meditation prep” classes

Current class schedule

  • Skype lessons
  • seminars
  • lectures
  • private lessons

Proud sponsor of Yoga Instructors Association (MA)

#BringBackPatanjali

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CHAKRAS

For years I’ve seen our seven-chakra energy body simply as a quasi-physical aspect of our internal organs and systems [side note: it’s utterly fascinating the level to which we can manipulate this non-physical, essential aspect of ourselves!].

Today one of my QiGong teachers explained the chakra system from a different perspective: as the seven phases we pass thru from unconscious to conscious form. Paraphrasing:

We evolve (or not) through seven phases during life [corresponding with our chakras from the bottom up]:

  1. Elimination – necessary to exist
  2. Procreation – necessary to continue to exist
  3. Sustenance – corresponds with the basic “stuff” necessary to sustain life
  4. Love – the middle or heart chakra; from here we either live loving 1 thru 3, or (with 5) we ascend to 6 and 7
  5. Knowledge – comes from contemplation; necessary to unlock the higher levels of living consciously
  6. Awareness – comes from observation; we become aware of the existence of 7
  7. Presence – comes from meditation; the state of mindful consciousness; “You have form; it no longer has you.

I hope this resonates half as strongly within you as it does me. The trick to lessening suffering in our lives is to recognize it’s energetic, seasonal, and cyclical nature – and

go with the flow!

 

If you need help deciphering Patanjali’s map, call me – that’s why I’m here!

Blessings, Skip

❤😊🕉

Meditate – you can’t do it incorrectly [just more efficiently – that’s why I’m here]!!

$15 – scheduled group “meditation prep” classes

Current class schedule

  • Skype lessons
  • seminars
  • lectures
  • private lessons

Proud sponsor of Yoga Instructors Association (MA)

#BringBackPatanjali

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PLEASE OPEN THE STOWAWAY SWEETS BOX!

Yesterday I wrote about the five seasons of an uninterrupted life:

To everything there is a season.

We Sprout, Grow, Bud, Bloom and Whither

Everything – Everyone

 

That seasonal cyclicality (clearly evident in nature) is universally applicable, for example to marriage [keep in mind that most of us grow old, but not all of us grow up]:

We:

SPROUT – this is the “oppositional” or Spring or “opposites attract!” phase in which……..[well you know] [note: this phase lasts one third as long as the next three equal phases, and half as long as the last phase];

GROW – this is the “interdependence” or Early Summer or “it takes two!” phase in which we begin to work together toward a common goal, typically procreation;

BUD – this is the “inter-consumption” or Late Summer or “thank you!” phase in which we begin to sincerely appreciate our partner on a deeper level;

BLOOM – this is the “inter transformation” or Fall or “you bring out the best in me!” phase in which we begin to celebrate the oppositional traits in our partner, and together we’re striving toward harmony and balance;

WHITHER – this is the “infinite divisibility” or Winter or “we live happily ever after!” phase while we remain in these bodies.

The concept is universal – just like my other favorite subject!!

Blessings, Skip

Meditate. It’s good for relationships!

❤😊🕉

Meditate – you can’t do it incorrectly [just more efficiently – that’s why I’m here]!!

$15 – scheduled group “meditation prep” classes

Current class schedule

  • Skype lessons
  • seminars
  • lectures
  • private lessons

Proud sponsor of Yoga Instructors Association (MA)

#BringBackPatanjali