The Key to My Heart

by Karen Steinbrecher

 

My heart belongs to no one

My soul belongs to me

The key to my heart lies within my soul

To whom I lend this key is for me alone to know

My heart opens to give and receive the Light of Love.

But who I am I only know

This key is the heartlight of my soul

It opens me to loving, to give and receive

In its fullness to Be, and experience the rapture of Life itself.

 

A Face of the Moon

by Karen Steinbrecher

 

Truly, darkness does precede illumination

The stillness and uncertainty of that which is unknown

Is the way to move in to the light

If it is done with trust and love and goodness

It is the path to reach the face of peace and serenity.

 

You can see the moon and her various faces

if you stop and look and be still.

 

We cannot see the New moon in her dark shadow,

but believe, this is the beginning,

as in the gestation of a child, a new idea, and a time to be.

 

Each crescent as she waxes and wanes and glimmers in the silvery light

gradually progresses from the depths of unknowing,

to become in her fullness, an illuminating glow of wholeness.

 

Unlike the blinding light of the sun, her light is like no other.

 

As you journey to the center of her being, trust in the depths of her darkness,

and you will reach her beautiful light

to become whole.

 

Catching your breath

by Brittiney George

“If I could just catch my breath.”

 “Give me a moment to catch my breath.”

“I don’t have time to catch my breath.”  

Powerful statements.  Why…because they say something about the “state” we are in:

Winded.

Out of air. 

On the run.

Reaching for oxygen. 

Even the word “catching” is valuable information.  It implies our breath is no longer ours.  We don’t have ownership of it.  We have to find it, chase it, hunt it down, and hold on to it so it doesn’t get away from us again.  For many of us, our daily rhythm involves chasing the clock, catching our breath, crashing, trying to get back up, and then we repeat the cycle all over again.  Is it any wonder then why we walk around with tight shoulders, clenched jaws, tense necks, and shallow, short breaths?  We get caught up in life, and life gets caught up in our bodies.  So, as you fly (or run) into this holiday season, I invite you to remember an important safety message that the airlines share before every flight…… put your oxygen mask on before assisting others and if that doesn’t feel even possible, I hope this resource list below will help to begin you on your journey towards rest, recovery, and a few gloriously full breaths.

Books:

·      The Miracle Morning by Hall Elrod

·      I Thought It Was Just Me (but it isn’t): Making the Journey from “What Will People Think?” to “I Am Enough” by Brene Brown

·      The Forgotten Body by Elisa Cobb

Creativity and Art:

·      Mandalas of The World: A Meditating and Painting Guide

·      How to Make a Finger Labyrinth (that’s also a piece of art)

·      Zentagles (Creative Drawing for Relaxation, Inspiration, & Fun) 

Guided Meditations:

·      Affectionate Breathing by Kristin Neff

·      5 Min. Self-Compassion Break by Kristin Neff

 

Journaling:

·      Writing Down Your Soul: How to Activate & Listen to the Extraordinary Voice Within by Janet Conner

·      Self-Compassion Journal Exercise by Kristin Neff

Movement:

·      5 min. Recharge Routine at HoldenQiGong.com

·      Bringing Up Energy Down (toe tapping) on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2nl6RAIggw

·      Take 5 Breathing: A Breathing Exercise for Kids (and adults) on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sh79w9pn9Cg&feature=share

Music:

·      Beautiful by Mali Music at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmKBWWbi6yI

·      A Better Place-Playing for Change at https://www.youtube.com/watch/?v=ZVHOqrw3Jks

·      Unpack Your Heart by Phillip Phillips at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myHWD6Pch8U&feature=share

·      We Found Love by Lindsey Stirling at https://www.youtube.com/watch/?v=ZVHOqrw3Jks

Videos:

·      Dove Real Beauty Sketches:  You’re more beautiful than you think at  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=litXW91UauE

·      What is an Emotion by Paul Ekman at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gaZDLOAg_Po

·      The Gift of Slowing Down by Carl Honore at https://www.ted.com/talks/carl_honore_praises_slowness

Brittiney George, BS, CST-L3, ICI, CEIM, is a Movement Practitioner and Somatic Therapist specializing in Transformative Touch.  She is also a faculty member and trainer for The Somatic Therapy Center.  Her areas of specialty include working with highly sensitive woman, and helping people find their ground when they feel thrown by life.  For a free 55 min. introductory Somatic Therapy session contact Brittiney at 610-389-7866 or movebackintolife@gmail.com.

 

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When Life Throws You a Curveball

by Karen Steinbrecher

We know where we are going and what we want to do.  Then due to forces outside of our control, things don't go as we had planned and life changes – sometimes in the blink of an eye.

After helping my husband heal following a major back operation, I was feeling lighter, breathing deeply in gratitude. Then I found myself facing my own personal health crisis. And the fear returned.

My long-time QiGong practice supported me in that moment, inviting me to take a deep breath and open my mind to a new opportunity – with the knowledge that curve balls are a way of keeping us awake. Sometimes curveballs are even a gift.

Breathing in gratitude in the face of life’s curveballs is not always easy to do! This morning, as thoughts rushed through my mind and my body filled with anxiety, I returned – as I do each day – to the gentle flowing movements of QiGong. And as I began to move, flow, and stretch my body with the many movements that I practice and lead, I began to feel better.

QiGong provides us with an opportunity to release any energy that gets blocked and can stagnate in response to the stressors of life. The flowing movements send a signal to our brain, the body's repair and maintenance manager, to rebuild our joints, muscles, and tendons. QiGong exercises body, mind, and spirit and helps support an internal alchemy of balance and integration, creating our own personal medicine.

Karen Steinbrecher teaches QiGong classes at The Resiliency Center on Tuesdays at 2:30 pm and Thursdays at 6:20 pm. Cost is $10. To RSVP, contact Karen at Karensteinbrecher@msn.com  or 215-836-7184.

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Each Breath a New Beginning

by Karen Steinbrecher

When you begin to ponder the passage of time and how it goes so quickly, at least from our perspective, it’s easy to be overwhelmed.

Breathe deeply and take a few moments to cultivate conscious breathing. Thich Naht Hanh invites us to “really see the blue sky deeply.“ Being in touch with our awareness, our felt sense of the present moment, can heighten our experience and bring a slower, richer experience of life itself.  Life begins anew in each moment, with each breath. When we are mindful and in touch with the beauty of our world and one another, we can awake in the present moment to the wonder that abounds. Thich Naht Hanh is a Tibetan monk of Vietnamese origin. He says it is possible to be mindful in our daily life, even during our physical activities, and we accomplish this through Conscious Breathing. Mindful physical practices bring our body and mind together so “we can live our life more fully.” Daily practices, such as Yoga, Tai Chi, or the flowing movements of QiGong, cultivate Conscious Breathing and a deeper awareness of the present moment.

Breathe in Peace and Exhale Love, Compassion and Kindness to one another and to yourself. In our current existence, we go through cycles, change and flux. Accepting with a peaceful neutrality the non-permanence of all things allows for an appreciation of all things and people in our lives. Our minds may become caught up in planning, worrying, or working to accomplish yet another task in a never-ending cycle of strivings. These strivings may be very important to us, so we want to keep striving. And we can. But we can also pair our next activity with mindful, conscious breathing. Why not begin with your next inhale or exhale? Each breath an invitation – to be here now. 

Enjoy the moment in the dance of the life. I wish you health, happiness and harmony in All of Your Coming Breaths!

Karen Steinbrecher teaches QiGong on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Resiliency Center. To learn more, contact her at karensteinbrecher@msn.com.

Turning the Light Around

by Karen Steinbrecher

Twenty-five hundred years ago, Lao Tzu, in China, wrote the “Tao Te Ching”.  For spiritual seekers, the Tao Te Ching is a manual on how to accomplish, within oneself, a higher level of spiritual cultivation.  Simply put, the “tao” is the way, walking the path, going with the flow of life.  Lao Tzu composed 82 verses, teachings, practices, that offer us a way to make our own path, find a personal road map on our own inner journey.  One aspect of my personal path is practicing QiGong, with flowing and healing movements, a tool for me to align my thoughts, heart and my physical body.  As the ground hardens and the air chills, QiGong practice helps me harmonize with the season of winter. In Taoist traditions, winter is the season when you are called to explore what lives below the surface, to pay attention to the internal workings of your intuition.Verse 52 of the “Tao Te Ching” is essentially about “turning the Light around”. A current translation reads, ”Seeing into darkness is clarity. Knowing how to yield is strength. Use your OWN LIGHT and return to the source of light. This is called practicing eternity….In the beginning was the Tao. All things issue from it; all things return to it.” Solala Towler created the following practice that resonates with “Turning the Light Around”:

Focus upon your breath, allowing your breath to become unforced and natural.  Sitting on a cushion or on the edge of a chair, imagine there is a thread coming from the top of your skull, up to the Heavens. Place the tip of your tongue on the roof of your mouth and breathe slowly, deeply into your belly. Closing your eyes completely, or open just a little, allow your thoughts to slow down until you can keep one thought.  This means that, instead of letting the wild horse of thought run all over your consciousness, gently guide him onto one path and keep him there.  You only want to tame the horse, quieting your mind.  Turning your sight inward, focus upon your inner self, let go of your outer self.  Allow the “light” of your inward gaze to connect you with your original spirit.  Ever deepen your gaze and relaxation, noticing what arises in your experience.  Spending some time in this state, celebrate your light, feed your soul, your heart, your being.  When you are ready, opening your eyes, sit still for a few moments before reentering the outer world of “doing.” Take your time.  By practicing in this way, you may reach what Taoists call Living Midnight, a state of profound mental stillness; this is the quietude that allows the original, or celestial spirit to come forth.

Karen Steinbrecher leads Qi Gong classes at The Resiliency Center on Tuesday afternoons and Thursday evenings. For more information, contact her at karensteinbrecher@msn.com.

Loving-Kindness and Generosity of Spirit

by Karen Steinbrecher

In QiGong practice, I lead participants in a “Lovingkindness of the Heart” practice from Lee Holden also called “Lotus Flow”.  We send out lovingkindness with our hands.  This diamond-light is sent to the earth, to our hearts, to one another, back to the earth and ascends up in the shape of a lotus-flower, returning to our hearts, and continuing to ascend up above our heads to the Universe.  We repeat this several times with words of lovingkindness, compassion, forgiveness and peace.  These lovely peaceful words help to bring expansiveness of the heart, inviting joy to blossom in your heart.

To practice opening your heart through the gentle movements and deep breathing of Qi Gong, join me at the center and/or watch a video of Lee Holden introducing some gentle Qi Gong practices at https://youtu.be/zAKqL3elCjg

Karen Steinbrecher leads QiGong classes twice a week at the Resiliency Center, on Tuesday afternoons and Thursday evenings. 

Fill Up this Winter with Positive Change: Lessons from the Practice of QiGong

by Karen Steinbrecher

As the ground hardens and the air chills, we are drawn to go ‘inside.’  In Taoist traditions, winter is the season when you are called to explore what lives below the surface, to pay attention to the internal workings of your intuition.  In Traditional Chinese Medicine, winter is the time to focus upon the Kidneys, Yin, and the Bladder, Yang, as well as the adrenals.  This is a crucial time to nourish, warm and fuel your physical, mental and spiritual energy.  These winter practices have a cumulative effect upon your physical health, mental clarity, and innovative spirit. 

Infuse yourself with positive change by practicing and dancing Qigong!  Qigong is an invaluable tool to unite and align your thoughts, heart and physical body.  One of the best ways to infuse your being is with your intention, to bring in and initiate positive change.  May this Winter Solstice and all holy days that celebrate the light in one way or another feed your soul, your heart, your being.  May our Qigong practice help us call this light, this Qi into a joyful dance arounds us, our world, your world.  May we see the light in one another and joyfully acknowledge it with a smile or a hug.  

Winter in TCM celebrates the Water Element.  The waters of the earth and the waters of your body are one. As we dance and practice Qigong together, we are one in dynamic flow and movement.  Let us fuse with the Universe this New Year with Peace and Love and Light, bringing in positive change.  Feel yourself as you dance Qigong, grounded and home in flowing change.  Abundant Blessings to all of you with Gratitude and Peace and Love.  

Join Karen Steinbrecher at the Resiliency Center each Thursday at 2 P.M. or at 6:15 P.M. in the open workspace.  Learn more at http://www.meetup.com/Resiliency-Gatherings-for-Movement-Inner-Strength-Joy/ 

An Invitation to Dance QiGong

By Karen Steinbrecher 

“Dear ones, let’s anoint this earth with dance!”  From a year with Hafiz, translated by Daniel Ladinsky.

I write this on a cold February morning with a vision in my mind’s eye of spring.  My vision is of green, seeds sprouting, with green shoots emanating from the wood, for this is the time of the Wood element in Traditional Chinese Medicine. We have transitioned to the Wood element. Let us celebrate!  Practicing Qigong enables you to let go of the increasing pressures, the fast pace of life, and bring you back, in touch with yourself.

We, you and I, are the Earth, and we are Heaven, we are the Universe.  When we practice the healing dance of Qigong, we work (Gong) to balance Yin (Earth) with Yang (Heaven) as we align body, mind and spirit. This is the essence of Qigong:  a total absorption of the senses and spirit. With this absorption comes a rebalancing.  Research indicates that regular Qigong practice can help eliminate some types of chronic pain, reduce the need for medication, shorten postoperative recovery time, let go of stress.

Qigong reminds us to be like a baby, soft and pliable; it returns us to our essential nature; to this simplicity; to that soul we long to embrace. Think “green” with joy this spring and let go of stress as we dance Qigong.  I begin our classes with these words “ We are the Universe, the Universe is in us, let  us merge  for peace and love and healing, together.”  Here at the Resiliency Center are several excellent therapists who practice various types of support and can provide the help you also may need to return to balance.  Qigong practice is led by Karen Steinbrecher  karensteinbrecher@msn.com on Thursdays @ 2P.M. and 6:15 P.M. for 55 minutes.  The cost is $10.00.