| | I’ve been looking forward to sharing this with you. Registration is now open for the Qi Challenge, and this round, our theme is The Art of Letting Go.
We begin Sunday, October 4th, and I’d love to have you with me for these five days and in our live Celebration Class on October 9th.
Each day, I’ll share a short Qi Gong lesson with you, filmed outdoors around Santa Cruz. We’ll work with the breath, some simple movements, and the practice of letting go. There will also be optional live practice parties throughout the week at rotating times, so you’ll have several chances to join me and practice together.
You don’t need any previous Qi Gong experience, and you don’t need any special equipment. Just bring yourself. Save my free spot →
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| | | | | | | "Attain to utmost Emptiness. Cling single-heartedly to interior peace. " - Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching, chapter 16, translated by John C. H. Wu |
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| | | | | | | 2. What this quote means to me |
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I’ve been thinking about this idea for a long time because we spend so much of our lives adding things. Another routine, another practice, another thing we think might help.
And there’s nothing wrong with any of that. But sometimes the cup is already pretty full.
There’s a teaching I come back to often:
“Empty the cup first. Dump the muddy water, then pour in the clean. Clean water into a muddy cup only makes it cleaner, not clear.”
I love how simple that is.
Your body already knows this. Every breath starts with an exhale, and before the next breath can come in, the previous breath has to leave. You don’t have to think about it or make it happen. Your body just does it.
That’s really the idea behind these five days.
We’re not going to add another complicated routine to your life. Instead, we’ll spend some time noticing what you’re carrying and seeing what happens when you let some of it go.
Maybe it’s some tension you’ve been holding. Maybe your mind has been busy. Or maybe you’ve simply been putting a lot of effort into trying to make something happen.
You don’t have to figure all of that out before you begin. Just come as you are, and we’ll take it one breath at a time. Join the Qi Challenge, free →
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| | | | | | | 3. A practice inspired by this quote |
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Wherever you are, take a comfortable breath in, then slowly let it out.
As you reach the end of the exhale, see if you can soften a little more. Nothing forced. Just let go of any extra effort you notice.
Then stop doing anything and let the next breath come when it’s ready.
Try that three times and notice what happens when you make a little room before taking the next breath
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| | | | | | | In right order,
Lee
www.holdenqigong.com
P.S. I also love what Lao Tzu says about stillness in this chapter. Sometimes we’re so busy adding the next thing that we never give ourselves a chance to be still and notice what’s already here. We’ll spend some time with that during the Qi Challenge.
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