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Although Star Wars takes place "a long
time ago  in a galaxy far, far away" and none of us have much
of a midichlorian count (at least as far as we know ;->),
thanks to George Lucas’s fascination with and incorporation of
the magicko-spiritual traditions of Earth in his mythology, we
can all learn to "use the Force" -- at least to some degree.It has long been thought by both ancient and contemporary
mystics and philosophers – and is rapidly being "proven" by
the science of quantum physics – that the universe is made up
not of solid matter, but energy, all vibrating at different
frequencies and all interconnected. Side by side with these
beliefs are various ancient and contemporary methods to
develop an awareness of this subtle energy and use it to
harmonize and amplify the abilities of the body, mind,
emotions and spirit; to encourage deep relaxation and altered
states of consciousness; to defend and heal ourselves and
others -- to strive to become the Terran equivalent of Jedi.
There are many names for this universal energy of life,
most of which relate to the breath since this energy can most
easily be moved throughout the body through proper control of
the breath, thereby nourishing and charging the body for a
variety of physical, mental and spiritual tasks. The Hindus
call it ‘prana’; the Chinese call it ‘chi’ or ‘qi’; the
Japanese, ‘ki’; the ancient Egyptians, ‘sa’; the Greeks,
‘pneuma’; and in ancient Hebrew ‘ruach’ means both "breath"
and "creative spirit."
Techniques for becoming aware of and working with this
energy include (but are certainly not limited to):
- Centering – gaining awareness of the body and mind to
enable oneself to be more conscious in the present moment.
- Grounding – a fluid and unimpaired connection with the
energy via the Earth; staying clear in yourself and not
taking on other peoples’ emotional and energetic states.
- Meditation – focusing one’s attention for the purpose of
developing the capabilities of the mind.
- Scanning – an energy technique in which the practitioner
moves his or her hand over the edges of another’s aura in an
attempt to obtain necessary information about energy flow.
[Aura: a luminous radiation of energy that emanates from all
living matter.]
Qi Gong – the most likely source of our esteemed Jedi
Master’s name, is a Chinese system of physical training,
philosophy, and preventive and therapeutic health care. Qi
(or chi) means air, breath of life or vital essence. Gong
means work, self-discipline, achievement or mastery. This
art combines aerobic conditioning, isometrics, isotonics,
meditation, and relaxation. Qigong is a discipline whose
practice allows us to gain control over the life force that
courses throughout our bodies.
T’ai Chi – a ‘soft’ martial art that concentrates on the
build-up and subtle movement of chi in and around you r
body. Of all the Jedi, Yoda reminds me most of the famous
"t’ai chi master" stories, in which a small, elderly master
can toss the biggest opponent across the room with the
slightest touch of his finger.
Imagery – understanding and employing the language of
the unconscious mind so that we can reprogram it for more
effective living. Also called visualization, it is thinking
without words. Today we know that imagery is the language of
dreams, mediation and altered states of consciousness.
Creative visualization -- the technique of using your
imagination to create what you want in your life. In the
past many of us have used our power of creative
visualization in a relatively unconscious way. Because of
our own deep-seated negative concepts about life, we have
automatically and unconsciously expected and imagined lack,
limitation, difficulties, and problems to be our lot in
life. It should be noted that this technique cannot be used
to "control" the behavior of others or cause them to do
something against their will. Whatever you try to create for
another will always boomerang back to you. That includes
both loving, helpful, or healing actions and negative,
destructive ones.
Affirmation – a way of reprogramming the unconscious
idea-and-image processor through mental and vocal repetition
of the ideas or images which we want our minds to accept.
Tell yourself something over and over again and ultimately
you’ll come to believe it – regardless of the relationship
of that belief to so-called "objective" reality [hmmm… try
"Qui-Gon is not dead" a few hundred times a day and see what
happens… after all, "your focus determines your reality."
;->]. Positive affirmation is the act of substituting a
health-oriented action or belief for a dysfunctional one.
Intent – the deliberate application of will to manifest
whatever you seek. Once you "intend" something in a relaxed
manner, and without setting any conditions on the results of
your intent, you become intuitively aware of how life
unfolds or manifests your intention. This natural
manifestation of opportunities and situations lies at the
heart of synchronicity. ["Another solution will present
itself."]
Guidelines for perceiving energy:
- Trust
- Stay positive
- Be patient
- State intentions clearly
- Stay in a state of inquiry
- Allow yourself to perceive in many ways
- Practice, practice, practice!
The most basic way to help yourself be more in touch with
this universal energy is to simply be more aware of and open
to the symbols and "syn-Qui-nicity" around you in everyday
life. Symbols can come to us in both dreams and waking states,
and by using word and image association and letting the
conscious mind flow without censorship, an ‘Aha!’ moment – an
intuitive connection – often leaps forth. The body tends to
‘think’ in pictures, feelings and sensations… so "concentrate
on the moment. Feel, don’t think. Trust your instincts." And
may the Force be with all of us, always.
Links
T'ai Chi
Association - Some very basic information on the
disciplines of T'ai Chi and Kung Fu
T'ai Chi
Chuan with Ron Perfetti - A nice introduction to T'ai Chi
with information on applications to specific health and
wellness issues
Yang
Style T'ai Chi - a great source of T'ai Chi
information
Qi
Gong - Excellent information on this Chinese art of life
energy manipulation
Reiki
- Japanese technique for relaxation and healing by
manipulation of life energy, similar to qi gong
Mental Health Links -
You can find answers and information on understanding or
helping yourself or locating professional help via this great
list of reviewed links
Religious
Tolerance - A truly wonderful site with well-researched
information on many, many religions, promoting peace and
tolerance among people of all beliefs - a great place to go to
learn about belief systems. See their pages on:
Buddhism
Taoism
Christianity
BuddhaNet -
Information on this milennia-old system of thought and method
of inner growth, includes a nice webzine - beautiful
site
Buddhist
meditation - Useful, specific advice for one method of
meditation to develop mindfulness and concentration
Children
of Ra Temple - A Pagan group with a lot of interesting
spirituality resources drawn from a diverse range of
sources
Soulstar
Spiritual Adventures - Exploring everyday spirituality and
healing from a New Age perspective, and Spirited
Emotion, a site by the same person offering a variety of
ways to add joy and peace to your life
Meditation
- A great selection of information on meditation
techniques
Creative
Visualization - Think it and you can make it
happen |