Loving your Qi
In 1991, a fictional character by the name of Stuart Smalley became a regular part of the show Saturday Night Live. Smalley was the host of a mock self-help show in which he shared his “Daily Affirmations,” with the most recognizable one being, “I’m good enough, I’m smart enough, and, doggone it – people like me!” People would laugh at how Stuart would stand in front of a mirror and say these affirmations. It became one of the show’s most famous running comedy routines.
Why did people laugh so hard? Probably because, for many of us, telling ourselves that we are beautiful and that we love ourselves can seem a bit outrageous. Seriously – how many times have you ever stood in front of a mirror, looked into your own eyes, and told yourself, “I love you”? Or, when was the last time you stubbed your toe and, instead of lovingly massaging it, an unkind thought crossed your mind or an angry word erupted from your mouth?
Some of us were taught that self-love is just self-centeredness or vanity, which were not character traits people should have. So then, when the Stuart Smalleys of the world go to the absurd extreme in their positive self-talk, we laugh. We are deeply uncomfortable with the idea of telling ourselves that we are loved.
You can hear it in the language we use. Listen to how we talk about physical illness or disease. We “fight” or “combat” the disease we are “afflicted” with. Thinking this way, we see illness as an enemy. Then, we can either become a “survivor” of our experience of it, or else its tragic “victim.” We have learned to become fighters instead of lovers.
We learn in Spring Forest Qigong that “Qi” means “air, breath, vitality, the universal force of life, energy.” We are made up of this Qi. It flows within every cell of our body. It surrounds us, in everything we see, feel, and hear. Everything is energy.
So, when we say the “password” to connect us to the universe when we do Qigong, we are tapping into the abundance of this universal energy.
“I am in the universe. The universe is in my body. The universe and I combine together.”
By saying this password, we acknowledge that we are in the universe. We are not separate. We are not less-than. We ARE the universe. So, if the universe is within us and we are one with the universe, what does it mean if we don’t love ourselves – does that mean we do not love our Qi?
By not loving our own Qi, do we take away the love we have for the sun and the moon, the earth and the sky? Are we able to love our pets? If we do not love our own Qi, does this mean we cannot love our children, grandchildren, other family, and friends? By withholding loving ourselves and our Qi, are we unable to love those great spiritual leaders and masters that we hold near and dear to our hearts?
Loving our Qi means that we can love all that is in the universe, because we are all one.
What does it mean to love your Qi – to love “me”?
To love myself means that I love you. To love myself means that I love my perfectly imperfect ways. To love myself means that I love everyone and everything. I love both my challenges and my successes.
Stuart Smalley may have been a satire routine back in the 1990’s, but there was truth in him – the truth that affirming who we are through positive words and thoughts allows us to live a healthier and happier life. Isn’t that something we all want?
Whether you are experiencing a seasonal allergy, cold or flu, or as big a challenge as cancer, chronic pain, or depression, to love your Qi means that you love all of you… every single cell, whether it is in a state of health or not. Our challenges are our gifts.
To be challenged with cancer brings us the gift of being able to change our physical, emotional, and spiritual energy in a way that lets us enjoy a greater health and balance than we knew before. To experience grief shows us we can experience deep love. To experience depression bestows us the gift of kindness and forgiveness with compassion, both toward ourselves and others.
Love, kindness, and forgiveness with compassion are the source of healing power and joy.
Spring Forest Qigong practitioners are called love radiators for a reason. We know how to tap into the unconditional love of the universe to help ourselves and others to heal. By simply saying the password and consciously connecting with the universe and our masters, we settle into the heart, where the medicine of unconditional love radiates from – both within our bodies and outward, to those we want to help.
Imagine walking through every moment of the day staying in this place of love, whatever your external circumstances are. Imagine being able to cultivate more joy, the transformer of love-energy, leading you into loving your Qi. What if you allowed joy to be your guide in transforming your energy into unconditional love energy, vibrating in harmony with the unconditional love of the universe?
Can you see the smile on your face and feel how good your body feels?
Living in a place of love is simply making a conscious effort to tap into the universal love of the universe and the love of your master. It does not have to be complicated to learn to love your Qi.
Here are a few simple ways to cultivate more joy and bring more love into your life.
- When you take a shower or bath, as you move the washcloth or soap over your body, tell each body part that you love it. Love every cell in your body, from the top of your head to the tips of your toes. If you have a health challenge in a specific area of your body, tell the challenge that you love it and thank it for showing up for you at just the right time. Energy begets energy. If we love our challenges, our challenges will love us, and that is when we will find healing.
Practice the Five Element Healing Movements every day. By using positive affirmations to bring in positive emotions while doing these simple, powerful movements, you bring more happiness, joy, peace, contentment, and gratitude into your body. Doing this even brings these powerful, positive energies into the physical space surrounding you.
If you only have time for one movement, Connecting with Your Heart’s Energy is one that Master Lin recommends beginning your day with.
Simply put your hands together, palm to palm in front of your heart, fingertips gently pressed together. As you inhale, bend slightly forward and give thanks to whatever thought comes to you. Then slowly straighten your body again as you exhale. Inhale as you bend forward again and think of something else you are grateful for, then exhale and straighten up again. Wear a smile on your face and feel the love as it begins to generate the movement of Qi throughout your body.
With this small act of a few minutes of love and gratitude every morning, you are already doing so much to make your day a happier one!