meditating on Qi.....

Meditation is not only sitting in lotus position, eyes closed, incense burning, and chanting a mantra.  There are many ways to meditate:

• tai chi, qi gong or some other moving meditation
• reading a devotional or spiritual doctrine and meditating on it
• loving kindness meditation or vipassana
• Sufi dancing
• singing
• chanting

Ram Dass, a psychologist and spiritual teacher, in his book Journey of Awakening said, "If you begin with one of them, sooner or later you will probably want to integrate the others as well.  It makes no difference which technique you start with.  Try to sense what you're ready for and what you need.  Above all, be honest with yourself."

Good advice, I thought.  And so, today I lit a candle and sat down to meditate but realized that was not what I needed.  Instead I rose and did Qi Gong.  I practice a form called Qigong Shibashi which is very simple and only has 18 movements.  There are many other varieties but this one resonates with me.  Usually I can feel the Qi moving and I think that is important.  Today I felt myself moving through Qi and felt the Qi moving through me.  It is a delicious feeling and a lovely way to begin my day...........

"Does one really have to fret
About enlightenment?
No matter what road I travel,
I'm going home."
                             ~Shinsho