Today our “lovely and talented assistant” Larry, the man who provides the patience and technical know-how that enables me to publish this newsletter, contributes his views on the “self”. Larry is an engineer, scientist and a Taoist, so it’s always interesting to hear his point of view.
The Center of Your Universe (by guest writer Larry)
What is the ”self” and why is it important? We frequently hear terms such as “self awareness”, “self confidence”, “be kind to yourself”, “love yourself”, and so on. Those are very important things to strive for, but without a clear feeling of “self” it will be difficult. Your “self” is your inner truth and is where wisdom, joy, and love emanate from. So, why wouldn’t you want to live your life from there and how do you do that?
As we learn in Taoism and Qigong these can be difficult, if not impossible terms to describe. I will give you some of my perspectives and see if that might help.
First, “self” is not a thing, it is more a feeling or intuition, but mostly it is truth. Truth in what we are, honest about what we tell ourselves and others about ourselves. Sounds complex, but not really, truth is the simplest of all concepts. This means doing and saying what feels right (intuition), and what resonates with you (remember all energy is a form of vibration) with your being. You will know it when you “feel” it.
The most balanced part of your whole being is your “self”. Sometimes this is referred to as your “gut” or your “center” because this is where the enteric nervous system resides and is one of the three brain centers assisting with balanced decision making. “Self” could also be described as the arbiter of your wisdom. When you bias your actions, words, or deeds for achievements or perceptions of yourself that are not aligned with who you really are, then you have strayed from your center, your “self”. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use your brain, heart, or pay attention to external influences, but it needs to be balanced with the wisdom in your whole being. I always seem to feel at peace when I make a “gut” decision.
Qigong is one of the ways to practice the feeling of “self” because “whole body wisdom” comes from being balanced emotionally, mentally and physically. One good example of this type of practice is being in the present moment, dwelling on the past or future pulls you away from your “center” and off balance. Qigong exercises and meditation are an excellent way of staying in the present. All of your being should work together from your “center”, with no single portion overriding any other. The center of a balanced object is the point which is freest from external forces, the most balanced place to operate from (a little physics).
We each have our own unique frequency, like a fingerprint. We are a conglomeration of many life energies with various frequencies giving us our own unique energy signature and may well be the essence of our “self”. Why are you strongly attracted to certain people and repelled by others even when you don’t know them? That’s constructive or destructive energy interference, i.e. resonance between your and the other person’s energy field. You can’t completely isolate yourself from all negative energies nor would you want to. Seek out the things and people that resonate positively with your being and “shield” yourself from those that don’t. Qigong works excellently in this capacity. Your energy frequency can and will shift somewhat, but the more centered you are, the more true to yourself, the more stable your energy and you become.
You can strongly feel when things are resonating with your being, it is unmistakable. Keep practicing Qigong and constantly assess yourself. Does this feel true to my “self”, does this resonate with my “self”, does this make me feel good, complete, and balanced? You will then start to get a sense of your inner “self” and once you recognize each other, it can be the start of a beautiful relationship!
