June Issue
MISSION
STATEMENT
It is our mission here at Warriors Realm to bring
information to all who strive to follow the warrior way. We will try our best to
accomplish this in the most safe and efficient manor possible. The articles and
information posted within Warriors Edge should be used as a guide and not as an
absolute. Always seek other sources and view information from as many angles as
possible. Warriors realm will also depend highly on its readers to suggest
change and transform this e-zine into a usable reference for all our readers.
This Mission Statement will change overtime as well. What will never change
though is our dedication to bring information to those who wish to pursue the
warrior path.
PUBLISHER NOTE
Hello everyone,
Well I am still on the move this month has been very trying as
far as business goes. This should prove exciting we are going to be off and
running. Warriors Realm will be teaching its first To-Shin Do level 1 class in
July. I am very excited to have this goal accomplished and where people can view
all the trials and tribulations to opening and running a school. Check out the
new lettering to the Realm. Let me know what you think. Please donate
here.
Remember we are still looking for people to write articles and
submit information. Also look forward to next month as we start publishing a
fitness column.
FITNESS
Weight Lifting
Interesting enough this month I have chosen to talk about weight
clanging.... I am guilty of it myself..... In my younger years of working out I
would clang them to keep rhythm now I stop about a half inch before. Why?? Well
all you are doing when you clang them is annoy other people working out and
actually are loosening the collar that holds the plate on. Is injuring another
member really all that important. What if it lets go on you.... Something to
think about.
PERSONAL SAFETY
Internet Blues - I never thought how damaging the
internet could really be. I have been hacked twice this month once at my
financial institution in which they were kind enough to send out all new
information for me however I had to change everything over. I also am tied
up in the VA hacking... Seems my name was on the database. Just goes to show
no matter how much precaution we take you can still get HACKED. I have
visited some credit reporting websites and reviewed my credit reports. Now I
have to sit back and wait. Try this site put it contains lots of good info
https://www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/index.jsp .
DRAGON DOOR
How Qigong Can Help You Relax Out of Stress
John Du Cane M.A.
Our birthright is to swim in an ocean of
pleasure and harmony, luxuriating in the rolling swell of life. As young
children—if we are fortunate—we live that birthright. We celebrate life with a
buoyant, carefree, vital engagement in the everyday moment
Then something starts to happen to us. We begin to tense up. We begin to close
down. We begin to lose touch with our bodies and live in our heads. We become
confused about our feelings. We start to regret the past or fantasize about the
future. We begin to fragment. We start to lose our fluid integrity as fully
expressed and responsive human beings
What happened? In a nutshell, stress happened. While a certain amount of stress
is natural to life, our search for technological shortcuts to comfort and
convenience has ironically created unprecedented waves of stress in our modern
lives. Our nervous systems are constantly reacting to a barrage of phone calls,
faxes, e-mails, frenzied traffic and numbing schedules.
Life seems to have become more of a struggle, with less rather than more time to
rest. Sooner or later we really hit the wall. We end up sick in bed. Or a major
crisis stuns us into a temporary halt. Stress has got the better of us.
Not surprisingly, the World Health Organization is now listing stress as a prime
contributor to the five leading causes of death— such as cancer and heart
disease.
Although most of us are now aware of the dangers of stress, we’ve become so
addicted to the surges and swings of feeling associated with stress, we can no
longer imagine life any other way. If things get too quiet we start seeking out
a new stressor to react to, for another chemical jolt, another toxic surge of
excitement and nervous expenditure.
The Most Effective
Self-Care System in the World?
There are many ways to intervene in this vicious cycle and reclaim our peace of
mind—restoring balance and serenity in our lives. Meditation, yoga and moderate
exercise can all help. But, after twenty-five years of personal research into
what works best to counter stress, I’ve found the ancient Chinese art of qigong
to offer the surest results.
So Why and How is
Qigong so effective in managing stress?
First, qigong emphasizes and teaches how to breathe correctly into the lower
stomach. When we breathe this way consistently, our lymph systems are
effectively activated, detoxifying the body and sending a gentle stream of
energizing oxygen into the tissues. Activation of the lymph system automatically
triggers a relaxation response throughout the body. We automatically feel
balanced and "well". Qigong also activates the lymph system with off-the-body
stroking movements and an emphasis on pumping the legs with up and down
squatting movements.
Secondly, qigong’s strong mental emphasis on internal relaxation shifts us out
of the sympathetic nervous system (associated with fight-or-flight and our
normal reaction to stress) into the parasympathetic nervous system (associated
with feelings of pleasure and harmony). This is so important. Over-use of the
sympathetic nervous system depletes our adrenals and floods the body with toxic
levels of cortisol. We literally burn ourselves out. But like rats hitting the
button for more cocaine, we just can’t stop. Qigong slowly seduces us back into
the gentle world of the parasympathetic and over time we build up a
"body-memory" that allows us to choose a different, relaxed response to stress
rather than the frazzled, knee-jerk reaction we usually employ.
Thirdly, qigong balances the meridian energy flow in the body, through
scientific movement and direction of mental intention. Areas that are depleted
are restored to their correct levels; areas that are excessive are "calmed
down." As we become more energetically balanced, we are automatically capable of
better adjusting to daily stress.
Fourthly, qigong practice builds the skill of becoming tranquil and appreciating
the value of that tranquility. Qigong accomplishes this by meditative standing
and sitting practices where we go deep inside and use our attention to release
ourselves emotionally and psychically. Significant healing occurs at this level
of qigong practice, with tremendous mplications for stress management.
Lastly, qigong integrates our three major centers or "brains", the third eye
area, the heart center and the stomach. In the computer age, we have become
"headier" than ever, losing touch with the wisdom of our hearts and the
grounding of our stomachs. Western science and organizations like HeartMath have
proved that attention on the heart center can entrain the head to process
emotions in a less stress-inducing manner. Through its emphasis and cultivation
of all three centers, qigong ensures maximum resilience when it comes to
handling stress effectively.
Qigong is like a practical course in acceptance and letting go. We learn how to
conserve our energy and stay calm, whatever the pressures. We learn how to gain
control of our inner being and take responsibility for enhancing the quality of
our lives. These are skills you can use and apply for the rest of your life
John Du Cane, who began his qigong studies in 1975, teaches qigong in the
Twin Cities and is the author of four qigong videos,
Serenity Qigong,
Vitality Qigong,
Power Qigong and
Bliss Qigong.
He owns a publishing and mail order business devoted to qigong and related
health systems. For more information on classes and for a free catalog of qigong
resources, contact John at:
Dragon Door Publications,
PO Box 4381,
St.Paul, MN 55104.
Tel: (651) 645-0517
Email: dragondoor@aol.com
Website: Dragon Door