A Simple Joy

In the "Getting Started" section of "Morning Cup of Qigong," John Bright-Fey writes that Qigong "is no more complicated than playing a child's game and no more mysterious than a smile." With that, he started me on a path that appears to have no end, but one that has already taken me many wonderful places.

It has been my experience that playing the 10 simple activities at the heart of this book provides me with the opportunity to rediscover what it means to be human and to live in a brighter, richer world each and every day. For me, the real magic here lies less in what I've realized for myself (and that's magical enough!) than in the ways it has affected how I interact with the people I meet. I have so much more fun at the grocery store or conducting business on the phone when I remember that smile he mentioned. And I guess it really isn't all that mysterious -- when I bring some of the New Forest "Number 1 - Fun" to my interactions, I seem to get it back 10-fold. I still accomplish my tasks in a straightforward efficient manner, and everyone gets to smile and, frequently, share more than a few laughs along the way.

When I first began taking my New Forest skills off my back porch where I play my Qigong, I was surprised when I was asked, "What are you ON!?" or "What happened to you this morning? Take a happy pill, did you?" It's an almost daily occurrence now. While the initial surprise has gone, the simple joy is constantly renewed. To quote the author one more time, "In reality, the wonders of the New Forest with all the secrets and adventures will always be with you." I know this to be true.

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Safe from harm

After buying this book and playing all 10 of the exercises I had an experience that was very surprising and re-assuring. One morning my husband and I had a tree fall on our house...literally out of the clear blue sky, onto our breakfast room where we were finishing coffee. After we both scrambled out of the way, and had checked in with each other ( and the cat) to see that all was well, I realized that I was bristling with 9 shine. Totally spontaneously and un-rehearsed, my body mind had protected me with very quick movement and sensitivity. Protective chi ! yes siree. My qiqong practice (esp 9 shine) will never feel the same.

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