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life purpose through our true self, when we try to please others and hide behind the adapted or false self, then we lose our connection to ourselves and what gives our life meaning. Since the nature of the belly center is to ground the body in the present moment to create safety, when we misuse, abuse, or disassociate from our body, we lose our connection to the stabil- ity and security of the earth. It is very typical to have one or two
centers which are more or less open, and one center which is mostly closed. To identify which centers may be blocking your happiness, reflect on an incident which upset you, and take note of your thoughts, feelings, and behavior. The fol- lowing questions may help you:
• HEAD: Am I accepting life as it is, or judging myself, someone else, or the situ- ation? • HEART: Am I following the guidance of my true self, or forcing myself to conform to the “rules” or striving to meet someone else’s expectations? • BELLY: Am I fully present and centered in my body or caught up in remembering the past, being anxious about the future, or dissociating by daydreaming or just “going away” from the moment?
Your answers to these questions can
help you determine which centers are blocked. The following Tai Chi practice can help you open, balance, and connect all of your centers, and open the door to the “happiness that passes understanding” in any situation!
ALIGN THE THREE CENTERS TAI CHI PRACTICE:
Virtually every Tai Chi or Qigong form begins with a practice for aligning and opening the three centers. Below is a basic practice such practice.
Opening • Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, with knees and shoulders relaxed, sacrum pointing toward the ground, and head lifting to the sky
Open the Belly Center • Hold both hands in front of your belly button as though you were holding a ball. • As you breathe in, expand the ball out
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to your sides. As you breathe out, compress the ball and bring in back in towards your belly center. • Repeat nine times, slowing down your breath as much as you can.
Open the Heart Center • Hold both hands in front of your heart, as though you were holding a ball. • As you breathe in, expand the ball out to your sides. As you breathe in, compress the ball and bring in back in towards your heart center. • Repeat nine times, slowing down your breath as much as you can.
Open the Head Center • Hold both hands in front of your fore- head, as though you were holding a ball. • As you breathe in, expand the ball out to your sides. As you breathe in, compress the ball and bring in back in towards your head center. • Repeat nine times, slowing down your breath as much as you can.
Closing • Bring your hands down your centerline to the belly button. • Stand for a moment and shift your atten- tion inside your body. Use your inner eye and senses to see and feel your three centers. • Smile to your three centers and circle your hands nine times around your belly button. • Relax and let your hands drop away from your belly button area and fall naturally to your sides.
Begin with 5-15 minutes each day to help open, connect, balance and align your three centers. Use this mind-body practice as your part of your “happiness” training!
Sandy Seeber is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Enneagram Trainer, Certified Healing Touch Practitioner, and Associate Healing Dao Instructor. She is in private practice at 112 S. Spruce St. in Winston- Salem and teaches Tai Chi and Qigong (Chi Kung) with her Three Treasures Tai Chi partners Alan Graham, Beverly Isley Lan- dreth, and David Harold. Please check the News Brief and Calendat sections for more information. Visit
www.sandyseeber.com and/or
www.threetreasures.org call 336.724.1822; or email sandy@threetrea-
sures.org. See ad page 37.
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