Day 18: Earth, air , sky: three brains, all awake at once????

                              

Rain in Northern California. 

Not so humid. 

Colder. 

Equally wonderful as rain in Texas. 

The sky blessing the Earth with water.

If we want to sense our blood, 

we can add water to today's mindful package.

We stand on the Earth, if you are lucky enough to start the day with
bare foot tai chi,
or just happy enough in your body,
and living somewhere where you can sneak
off
those shoes and socks
or sandals and
wiggle your toes on grass, or in sand, or ????

And we stand sit lie on the Earth
or in the gravity field
full time
until we
die
or go into outer
space

So, like yesterday, awaring
gravity
is a good way to "ground" ourselves.



And mid level, our lungs need feeding constantly
air
in,
and we need to let the gunk out
breathe out
whatever our bodies
need to let go of in that air realm.
CO2, and what else?

Sometimes an extra long outbreath
feels so good for us

And awaring our breath
especially in the "frame"
of arms and legs and spine,
makes it pretty clear
about this minor detail:
we are
alive

right

NOW


And then, up high, our heads have eyes, and
the light comes down through the sky,
and we can look up,
if in a room to the ceiling,
if near a window or outside,
how high can we look

And this, earth, air, sky,
gives a nice fullness to
Life on Earth

A nice project for today
perhaps,
staying aware of air
aware of gravity
aware of light and the sky

I feel lengthened just thinking about
and sensing and awaring all three at once

how about you?

16: Gravity and breath

Writing each day is fun and not fun
To have made the decision completely knocks
out the "Do I really want to make the effort today?"
thing

And it's sweet in a way, to have the next day's possibility
looming overnight

Today, happily, I woke and soon knew what today's
topic/ focus would be:

And didn't feel like getting on the computer for awhile,
so I got to "test drive" it for awhile.

It's a good one.

And, like almost each day so far,
if we could do it even a "little more,"
the change in our whole life and
being
could be
magnificent

And the title says it:
Gravity:
sense our bodies in gravity
feel the spine arms legs shape in gravity

and
breath

notice the breath
that animates
this life we are in

As an interesting (or not) aside:
gravity and breathing are not part of
our womb experience, except the very slightest
feeling of gravity shifting as our mother lies or stands
(and we're "upside down" for months. I wonder
wonder
wonder
what that sets up for us)

Anyway:
come out of the world
and gravity is much bigger
and breathing is a full time thing

and so,
unless we are in outer space,
gravity and breath give
us an ongoing way to not
only
orient ourselves in
the world
but to
be
present

as well


Good

Qigong part two, balance is not falling over, lengthening is reaching to heavens above and Earth below

Stand on the easiest foot

Bring the other foot back, and lightly use your toes to balance

Form a ball with your hands in front of your standing leg, opposite hand of standing leg on top

Reach up with top hand, down with other hand, arch your back, breathe out and lengthen

Come back to the ball near the hip of your standing leg with the other hand on top, ie same hand as standing leg

Then lengthen up and breathe out

Rest and do this to the other side

Now,
the advanced version

Stand on one foot; I'll say left to make it easier

Bring your right knee up toward your chest and your hands in a ball, about six inches apart,
right hand on top

Bend/ fold in a bit, so your stomach in back,
shoulders head and sternum down
pelvis tilted up (as in tailbone under, sex toward nose)

From this fold/ round/ crouch: breathe in
I know it's weird, but do it, breathe in,
and

breathe out
and lengthen,
right leg behind you and still in the air
right hand easily high above your head
arch your back
look up easily without shortening your neck toward your hand,
left hand down

Breathe in
and come into a crouch again
still on your left foot,
right knee forward again,
this time a ball with the left hand on top,

Breathe out,
lengthen left hand high, right hand down,
right leg back again,

Do this back and forth about 3 times.

Then switch to standing on your right foot
and reverse everything

this will do ya
good

ciao
chris