Articles and links
A review of the benefit of Tai Chi Chuan e Chi Gong link.
Series of videos and informations about the benefit of Chi Gong and Tai Chi Chuan
Heart rate and inner smile to the heart: article on this page.
Neurons, non violent communication and Chi Gong part 1, 2 and 3 Article on this page.
A review of the benefit of Tai Chi Chuan e Chi Gong link.
Series of videos and informations about the benefit of Chi Gong and Tai Chi Chuan
Heart rate and inner smile to the heart: article on this page.
Neurons, non violent communication and Chi Gong part 1, 2 and 3 Article on this page.
Inner smile
Hello to everyone. Another video added to the playlist about the inner smile.The techniques I posted here is not new and many practice it. My contribution is to do it in different ways, so anyone can find the way it connects more to him/her and go deep in to it. These are wonderful tools to bring health and energy in your life.Now if you are not curious about some of the discovery about this technique you can just skip the rest and go practice. I suggest to read more, it is amazing!
I've recently discover that the inner smile to the heart alone is a technique used to restore hearth coherence. What is heart coherence? Well, our heart has normally a variation in rhythm, goes faster and slow normally in our lives, with a media of ...whatever is your heart rate. The balancing of these phases of slower and faster rhythms is called heart coherence. If you do not have these variations you are near to death. Not harmonious variations are symptoms of many things, including stress, anxiety and depression; and restoring heart coherence helps in the cure and preventions of these illness ("The Instinct to heal, curing depression, anxiety and stress without drugs and without talk therapy" David Servna-Shreiber, M.D, Ph.D.) . Our hearth brain system can not be dissociated (Armour,J.A.,and J.Ardell,Neurocardiology. New York: Oxford University press, 1994).Our hearts produce their own hormones, like adrenaline, ANF(atrial natriuretic factor),which regulate blood pressure. Oxytocine, released during "love moments" like breastfeeding, courtship, orgasm. (Cantin,M.,and J.Genest, "the heart as an endocrine gland" Clinical and investigative medicine9,no.4 1986: 319-327). You can check about heart coherence on line.
I have not yet found similar research for the inner smile to the other organs but I know it is extremely good for experience. So enjoy it! I hope you all will enjoy it.
Please remember to share and to donate if you can.
link to the playlist
Heart rate and inner smile to the heart.
"Hello again. In my last posting about the inner smile, I have mentioned heart rate variability. I want to give here a link on wikipedia for who want to go a little deeper on the subject :https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heart_rate_variability. Also a particular simple but efficient way to modulate our heart rate variability is with breathing. Basically inhaling activate our sympathetic nervous system and exhaling our parasympathetic nervous system. Hence slow breathing with longer rate of exhaling like 1:2 or 1:4 automatically balance our hart rate...with all the consequences".
Hello to everyone. Another video added to the playlist about the inner smile.The techniques I posted here is not new and many practice it. My contribution is to do it in different ways, so anyone can find the way it connects more to him/her and go deep in to it. These are wonderful tools to bring health and energy in your life.Now if you are not curious about some of the discovery about this technique you can just skip the rest and go practice. I suggest to read more, it is amazing!
I've recently discover that the inner smile to the heart alone is a technique used to restore hearth coherence. What is heart coherence? Well, our heart has normally a variation in rhythm, goes faster and slow normally in our lives, with a media of ...whatever is your heart rate. The balancing of these phases of slower and faster rhythms is called heart coherence. If you do not have these variations you are near to death. Not harmonious variations are symptoms of many things, including stress, anxiety and depression; and restoring heart coherence helps in the cure and preventions of these illness ("The Instinct to heal, curing depression, anxiety and stress without drugs and without talk therapy" David Servna-Shreiber, M.D, Ph.D.) . Our hearth brain system can not be dissociated (Armour,J.A.,and J.Ardell,Neurocardiology. New York: Oxford University press, 1994).Our hearts produce their own hormones, like adrenaline, ANF(atrial natriuretic factor),which regulate blood pressure. Oxytocine, released during "love moments" like breastfeeding, courtship, orgasm. (Cantin,M.,and J.Genest, "the heart as an endocrine gland" Clinical and investigative medicine9,no.4 1986: 319-327). You can check about heart coherence on line.
I have not yet found similar research for the inner smile to the other organs but I know it is extremely good for experience. So enjoy it! I hope you all will enjoy it.
Please remember to share and to donate if you can.
link to the playlist
Heart rate and inner smile to the heart.
"Hello again. In my last posting about the inner smile, I have mentioned heart rate variability. I want to give here a link on wikipedia for who want to go a little deeper on the subject :https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heart_rate_variability. Also a particular simple but efficient way to modulate our heart rate variability is with breathing. Basically inhaling activate our sympathetic nervous system and exhaling our parasympathetic nervous system. Hence slow breathing with longer rate of exhaling like 1:2 or 1:4 automatically balance our hart rate...with all the consequences".
NEURONS,NON VIOLENT COMMUNICATION AND CHI GONG PART 1
Hello to everyone I would like to share some thoughts and considerations about how we think and relative consequences.
As we know our brain is made of neurons and even if there are many kind of neurons all have a cell body, where the is the nucleus and other organelles that consent the cell to live, dendrites and one Axon. The dendrites are the branches of the neuron that receive the impulse from other neurons and the axon is the part of the neuron that send the impulse. An axon can send the same impulse to many dendrites and the dendrites can receive many impulses. Some of these impulses will tell the to the cell "activate" and some other "do not activate". If a certain threshold is reached adding the positive and negative impulses the cell will fire an impulse in its axon. Until here seems everything simple, but we have also to considerate that the dendrites are not necessary open to receive any impulse,negative or positive that it will be. There are special receptors on the dendrites that are able to receive signals. Recent studies have proved that in mice, and very possibly in humans, if a neuron is stimulated very frequently for a certain amount of time the receptor for the stimulus will grow on the dendrites .http://cen.acs.org/articles/93/i6/Scientists-Watch-Neural-Connections-Strengthen.html .
First possible consequence:if you take a path of thinking very frequently, you will strengthen it. Watch what you think and even what you feel!( I have to say that even if there are plenty of studies that say that a neuronal path is reinforced by use, this do not means that it happen because and only because the mechanism I just described.)
Second and very important point: if you have your own cosmology (every one has one or more, we will be not able to interpreter life if not so) and you receive an information that "do not connect" with it you will miss completely the information or denial it, consciously or not. You can check about this something called cognitive dissonance
or
http://www.socialemotiveneuroscience.org/pubs/ehj_dissonance_encyclopedia_human_minda.pdf
Of course, the more open to uncertainty is your cosmology the less the possibility of denial, possibly because your neural network include the possibility of newness and do not send "do not fire" messages anytime something do not fit in the previous model. (good hypothesis but as far as I know, not yet proved by experimentation on a neurological level)
In the Jewish and Christian tradition there is a saying : "give wisdom to the wise" or (Christian) "who has will be given more". It really seems unfair, but the fact is that who "do not have" do not have even the capacity or "container" to receive.
So how can this container be create? It is possible?
I think the answer is yes in many cases and this will be the subject of my next writing.
Hello to everyone I would like to share some thoughts and considerations about how we think and relative consequences.
As we know our brain is made of neurons and even if there are many kind of neurons all have a cell body, where the is the nucleus and other organelles that consent the cell to live, dendrites and one Axon. The dendrites are the branches of the neuron that receive the impulse from other neurons and the axon is the part of the neuron that send the impulse. An axon can send the same impulse to many dendrites and the dendrites can receive many impulses. Some of these impulses will tell the to the cell "activate" and some other "do not activate". If a certain threshold is reached adding the positive and negative impulses the cell will fire an impulse in its axon. Until here seems everything simple, but we have also to considerate that the dendrites are not necessary open to receive any impulse,negative or positive that it will be. There are special receptors on the dendrites that are able to receive signals. Recent studies have proved that in mice, and very possibly in humans, if a neuron is stimulated very frequently for a certain amount of time the receptor for the stimulus will grow on the dendrites .http://cen.acs.org/articles/93/i6/Scientists-Watch-Neural-Connections-Strengthen.html .
First possible consequence:if you take a path of thinking very frequently, you will strengthen it. Watch what you think and even what you feel!( I have to say that even if there are plenty of studies that say that a neuronal path is reinforced by use, this do not means that it happen because and only because the mechanism I just described.)
Second and very important point: if you have your own cosmology (every one has one or more, we will be not able to interpreter life if not so) and you receive an information that "do not connect" with it you will miss completely the information or denial it, consciously or not. You can check about this something called cognitive dissonance
or
http://www.socialemotiveneuroscience.org/pubs/ehj_dissonance_encyclopedia_human_minda.pdf
Of course, the more open to uncertainty is your cosmology the less the possibility of denial, possibly because your neural network include the possibility of newness and do not send "do not fire" messages anytime something do not fit in the previous model. (good hypothesis but as far as I know, not yet proved by experimentation on a neurological level)
In the Jewish and Christian tradition there is a saying : "give wisdom to the wise" or (Christian) "who has will be given more". It really seems unfair, but the fact is that who "do not have" do not have even the capacity or "container" to receive.
So how can this container be create? It is possible?
I think the answer is yes in many cases and this will be the subject of my next writing.
NEURONS. NON VIOLENT COMMUNICATION AND CHI GONG PART 2
So how we communicate to someone else something they seems not able to receive?
It is now three years that I participate in non violent communication workshops in a system called "beyond words". In these meetings we use methods from non violent communication, dance therapy, massage cocounseling and other disciplines to enhance our ability to communicate with others and ourselves, to help each other to face some difficult topics too. As I have always intuitively known, non verbal communication is essential in this process. Opening a difficult session with a smile, with a massage and with physical interaction helps a lot in further communication. I can't post here all the reference to this, because there are too many. There are many studies that point to the benefit of smiling, for communication but also health (improve the immune system..), to the effects of "grooming" (massage) in humans and mammals, to the benefit of dance and art therapy, and so on. Returning one moment to the neurological level, there is a theory that says that our emotions are "borne" (or anyway strongly connected) to our body states as registered from our brain. See the work of Antonio D'Amasio on this. If this is so, and because we all have in common the basic system with which we register impulses from the environment, even if not the way we interpret them; make sense that a communication that is based on this basic system is more efficient. The Chi Gong also works on the same principles, always working together with breathing, movements and intentions, only appear to me that many Chi Gong techniques are meant not only to better communicate with ourselves and others but also to consciously change some of the way we shape our cosmology or (may be) our neural pathways, to help us in our lives and in what are the goals of the Taoist tradition.
About this, goals of Taoist tradition and why I think these techniques may work this way I will speak in my next writing.
So how we communicate to someone else something they seems not able to receive?
It is now three years that I participate in non violent communication workshops in a system called "beyond words". In these meetings we use methods from non violent communication, dance therapy, massage cocounseling and other disciplines to enhance our ability to communicate with others and ourselves, to help each other to face some difficult topics too. As I have always intuitively known, non verbal communication is essential in this process. Opening a difficult session with a smile, with a massage and with physical interaction helps a lot in further communication. I can't post here all the reference to this, because there are too many. There are many studies that point to the benefit of smiling, for communication but also health (improve the immune system..), to the effects of "grooming" (massage) in humans and mammals, to the benefit of dance and art therapy, and so on. Returning one moment to the neurological level, there is a theory that says that our emotions are "borne" (or anyway strongly connected) to our body states as registered from our brain. See the work of Antonio D'Amasio on this. If this is so, and because we all have in common the basic system with which we register impulses from the environment, even if not the way we interpret them; make sense that a communication that is based on this basic system is more efficient. The Chi Gong also works on the same principles, always working together with breathing, movements and intentions, only appear to me that many Chi Gong techniques are meant not only to better communicate with ourselves and others but also to consciously change some of the way we shape our cosmology or (may be) our neural pathways, to help us in our lives and in what are the goals of the Taoist tradition.
About this, goals of Taoist tradition and why I think these techniques may work this way I will speak in my next writing.
NEURONS, NON VIOLENT COMMUNICATION AND CHI GONG PART 3
As I mentioned in the previous two postings, there are researches that link the perception of our brain has of our body to feelings, emotions and many of the brain activities related to them. The main researcher in this field known to me is Antonio D'Amasio. From many informations I gathered from science articles and books I think the Chi Gong techniques are very powerful tools discovered thousand of years ago by people that did not know nothing about neuroplasticity or neurons , to consciously modify our way to perceive our body, our feelings and our cosmology, leading to a different perception of reality, health and much more. I want you to know that even if I can sometime quote results from researches, I'm not aware of any research that directly study the effect of chi gong techniques on the brain, so what follows are only good suppositions.
In the system of chi gong exercises that I studies with master Mantak Chia, a basic and always present meditation is the inner smile. As a general attitude, the inner smile is a combination of Trust and Love: an open optimism that do not project our expectation for the future in our life but rather playfully accept the unknown with the conviction that we are part of in the process of creating this Universe (Tao). As I mentioned previously, this attitude may be one of the best to improve our openness and communications with others but not only. There are many researches that points that feeling part of a decisional process in our life influence our brain. A decision that is taken consciously increase the levels of dopamine in our brain, reduce stress and free our brain from a thalamus cortex loop that continuously remind us we still have to take a decision. We are also prone to be more grateful (other researches about the benefit of be grateful).
As meditation (here a link to one way to do it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTZYjFX2PHs ), the inner smile is done in various way, all of them including a way to perceive our inner organs and our body. As I discovered recently there is a big amount of study in something called hearth coherence (see a previous article in this page and here an article about it : http://www.heartmath.com/…/uploa…/2014/04/coherent_heart.pdf ) and its benefits. The meditation suggested to increase hearth coherence is exactly the inner smile for the heart. I suspect that also for all the other organs considered by the taoist tradition there could be similar results, and I suppose that this could be connected to the perception our brain receive from these organs.
As an example: the kidneys are connected in Chinese medicine and taoist tradition with the energy of water, the ability to trust and flow, the ability to let go and not to be afraid of the unknown.
The emotion that "hurt" the kidneys is fear. Now, in many mammals, including humans, when someone is extremely afraid he pee (function connected with the kidneys). Also reaction to stressful situations and fear came from the adrenal glands, that in Taoist tradition were considered same as the kidneys. Strong confidence and heart coherence came from a good harmony of between hearth and kidneys, western medicine confirm. There are many other example of this kind I could quote, but I prefer to do so when I introduce new techniques, if not his will be not an article but a book.
My point here was to try to explain why chi gong could be such a powerful tool. Working directly (if it is as I suppose) from our body perceptions and our awareness, it can modify our perception of the world very quickly and influence many functions in our body that are generally out of our control, like the functions of the hormonal system.
If anyone know about more direct links between Chi Gong and neurobiology you are welcome to comment and add links. Thank to all of you, peace and health.
As I mentioned in the previous two postings, there are researches that link the perception of our brain has of our body to feelings, emotions and many of the brain activities related to them. The main researcher in this field known to me is Antonio D'Amasio. From many informations I gathered from science articles and books I think the Chi Gong techniques are very powerful tools discovered thousand of years ago by people that did not know nothing about neuroplasticity or neurons , to consciously modify our way to perceive our body, our feelings and our cosmology, leading to a different perception of reality, health and much more. I want you to know that even if I can sometime quote results from researches, I'm not aware of any research that directly study the effect of chi gong techniques on the brain, so what follows are only good suppositions.
In the system of chi gong exercises that I studies with master Mantak Chia, a basic and always present meditation is the inner smile. As a general attitude, the inner smile is a combination of Trust and Love: an open optimism that do not project our expectation for the future in our life but rather playfully accept the unknown with the conviction that we are part of in the process of creating this Universe (Tao). As I mentioned previously, this attitude may be one of the best to improve our openness and communications with others but not only. There are many researches that points that feeling part of a decisional process in our life influence our brain. A decision that is taken consciously increase the levels of dopamine in our brain, reduce stress and free our brain from a thalamus cortex loop that continuously remind us we still have to take a decision. We are also prone to be more grateful (other researches about the benefit of be grateful).
As meditation (here a link to one way to do it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTZYjFX2PHs ), the inner smile is done in various way, all of them including a way to perceive our inner organs and our body. As I discovered recently there is a big amount of study in something called hearth coherence (see a previous article in this page and here an article about it : http://www.heartmath.com/…/uploa…/2014/04/coherent_heart.pdf ) and its benefits. The meditation suggested to increase hearth coherence is exactly the inner smile for the heart. I suspect that also for all the other organs considered by the taoist tradition there could be similar results, and I suppose that this could be connected to the perception our brain receive from these organs.
As an example: the kidneys are connected in Chinese medicine and taoist tradition with the energy of water, the ability to trust and flow, the ability to let go and not to be afraid of the unknown.
The emotion that "hurt" the kidneys is fear. Now, in many mammals, including humans, when someone is extremely afraid he pee (function connected with the kidneys). Also reaction to stressful situations and fear came from the adrenal glands, that in Taoist tradition were considered same as the kidneys. Strong confidence and heart coherence came from a good harmony of between hearth and kidneys, western medicine confirm. There are many other example of this kind I could quote, but I prefer to do so when I introduce new techniques, if not his will be not an article but a book.
My point here was to try to explain why chi gong could be such a powerful tool. Working directly (if it is as I suppose) from our body perceptions and our awareness, it can modify our perception of the world very quickly and influence many functions in our body that are generally out of our control, like the functions of the hormonal system.
If anyone know about more direct links between Chi Gong and neurobiology you are welcome to comment and add links. Thank to all of you, peace and health.