People spend much of their time doing one of two things. Firstly, they can be observing and reacting to external stimulus through the five sense doors, such as sight and sound. Familiarity with these processes allows the mind to concentrate on what is specifically going on at any time, without having to question the actual mechanisms involved. Our reactions to these external events are often mechanical in the sense that they are sub-conscious and unconsidered. It is rare that the mind is focused internally, and is consciously aware of how we feel about the world around us. Secondly, people can be engaged in thinking. Our thoughts are again on one of two subjects - events of the future or events of the past. It is rare that we focus our minds upon the present moment, the here and now, what is actually going on in our lives, and specifically, how we are reacting to events; how we feel.

Feelings are real and tangible, and are a window into the deeper parts of the mind. The mind and body are indivisibly and intricately connected. Every thought in the mind leads to sensations on the body and every sensation on the body leads to a reaction in the mind. Like the chicken and the egg, the origin of thoughts and body sensations is one of evolution, and a continual process of change and renewal. At a sub-conscious level every moment our minds are aware and reacting, aware and reacting. Maybe as you are reading this, there is a little twitch here or a wiggle there. None of this was considered important enough to inform the conscious mind, and distract it from its present task.

This process may become apparent when strong emotions or sensations appear. For example, an external event beyond your control has occurred and angered you. Your body reacts with sensations of tension. Your mind will then react to these tense sensations, and your anger will grow. This anger results in an increase of tension on the body, which again the mind senses and reacts to in a spiralling pattern that may lead you into loosing your temper.

We want to come out of this miserable routine, to break the reaction cycle between the mind and the body sensations. This may be done by focussing your attention directly upon the body sensations. During this process of observing, of looking inward, of being aware of our feelings, we are not actively reacting to our sensations. This interrupts the cycle, giving our minds a moment of calmness. In this stillness, we can select a desired mental response. It is a moment of freedom in which we have broken out of the cycle of blind reaction between mind and body sensation. We are acting rather than reacting.

This is not a just a philosophy, something of academic interest. It is something that must be lived. Something that you must learn to understand through your own personal experience. It is only then that it becomes your personal knowledge, your wisdom, your way of living. One of the objectives of my qigong class is to give participants experience of looking inwards, of being aware, and doing so in the correct manner. The attention of the mind is brought into focus upon the sensations of the body in a simple rhythmic fashion. Using the movements of the body to hold the mind’s attention we are training our minds to be aware of our feelings, our physical emotions. From our own experiences we can observe and learn to understand how the mind and body interact. We train the mind in the art of self awareness; a tool with which we can free the mind from its blind reaction habits. There are of course many other benefits to practicing qigong including improvements in balance, co-ordination, flexibility, and general well being.