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  • Cleansing and Practise

    Dear Everyone,

    I thought it useful to write about cleansing. Although practise in the Shaolin Arts is very intuitive, a simple word or piece of advice can sometimes swiftly cut out any unnecessary long periods dominated by confusion and worry. Promoting more periods of appreciating the blessings and challenges of being alive.

    I write this with an awareness that the more advanced the advice the simpler it becomes. This is my personal expansions on the simple and advanced advice Don’t worry just enjoy your practise. I also write this with ‘Smiling from the heart’ as the greatest tool to any of the points made below.

    I looked through my notes made over the years and found my early view on cleansing to be limited. I was also greatly inspired by Niklas' account on deep cleansing. Comparing them to my current aims and experiences I found them to be limited just in simple points that I will expand on now in the context of 6 parts;

    1. Taking responsibility
    2. Perceptions of normality and abnormality
    3. Facing obstructions
    4. Faith and Understanding
    5. Developing skills and qualities
    6. Perverted view and Correct practise


    Taking Responsibility;

    • In a stage of cleansing the most important aspect is looking after yourself

    • Make sure the most effort is going towards making sure you are comfortable, safe and happy in your everyday life and training

    • You train Shaolin Arts for vibrant health and vitality, cleansing is a necessary stage.

    • Cleansing is personal, everyone is different. Going through it can be fast, slow, one long stage or lots of short stages. Some may know what to do, others may have to look for answers. A necessary first stage is taking responsibility for your own development to vibrant health and responsibility for where that focus will take you.

    • Sun Tzu’s advice, ‘To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands’


    Perceptions of normality and abnormality;

    • Your perception will change as you develop with the Shaolin Arts. It will often feel like your world has turned upside down and your hold of a normal life has slipped.

    • Training and life experiences may vary from your current perceived and expected normal.

    • This period can leave you confused whether a step back or a step forward is better. All decisions made in periods like this must take consideration of the first point (Taking Responsibility) If you cannot move forward with confidence in your comfort, safety and happiness then you should take note of your other options, which may face more directions that backwards.

    • A Normal life is relative to your perspective. Sigung often states a true normal life is one with vibrant health and vitality, anything else is an acceptance of abnormality. The desire to ‘get it out your system’ or not accept abnormal physical, metal, emotional, spiritual disharmony is what will lead you to your true normality.



    Facing obstructions;

    • When faced with an obstruction or problem in daily life or training we often respond in three ways;

    •Face up to it
    • Deny it
    •Run away from it
    • The first choice is always the only way forward

    • Strong faith and awareness in this will mean time spent in the latter two will become less and less.

    • The first choice is always there and is always an option.




    Faith and Understanding;

    • Complete faith that Shaolin Chi Kung and Kung Fu will clear any blockage and restore harmonised energy flow.

    • Understanding that cleansing is a part of training these Arts and is followed by nourishing and vibrancy.

    • Faith and understanding give a focus that can pierce through any obstruction in your way. If you are lacking in these areas expand your perception of the Art to include and cultivate them.



    Developing skills and qualities;

    • Training in the Shaolin Arts trains and applies Shaolin skills and qualities eg discipline, tolerance, perseverance, determination, humility, letting go, smiling from the heart etc. The stage of cleansing may highlight weak areas in these skills and qualities which need to be learnt or trained to a higher level and then applied.

    • An important skill to be highlighted during cleansing is perseverance.

    • Perseverance is defined as - ‘To continue in a course of action with out regard to previous failure, discouragement or opposition.’



    Perverted view and Correct practise;

    • You deserve all the success and happiness in the world no matter who you are.

    • In short God wants you to be successful and happy.

    • Resenting or resisting cleansing is not beneficial to you as cleansing is always in your best interest and is always easier when allowed to flow through with a open heart and gentle focus.

    • Lord Krishna teaches ‘Set thy heart to thy work and not thy reward’ If your heart and love is on your work then you are never discouraged by hard work because it has become a joy.

    • Sigung always says Masters advice is ‘do not worry about your result but just enjoy your practice’

    • Any Master who has enjoyed great success and achievement in their Art will have faced many obstructions. They will have over come all obstructions with the great joy found in their Art.

    I have experienced alot of cleansing and have gone through stages of not knowing what it is to not acknowledging it to facing and accepting it. All these points come from my past experiences where I have often taken the wrong choice and had to work hard to find the right ones.

    I hope they help. I find it focuses my efforts to the next stage of always letting cleansing smoothly flow through me and carrying on enjoying my practise.

    All the best,
    Innes Maran
    Shaolin Wahnam Scotland



    'Because of factors like tradition, comradeship and gratitude to learn a priceless Art, good Kung Fu students develope loyalty to their Master and fellow classmates.'
    The Art of Shaolin Kung Fu

  • #2
    I would just like to say thank you so much for that. I found it to be very helpful and comforting. Thank you.

    Sean

    Comment


    • #3
      Awesome!

      Thanks for sharing that, excellent points. Cleansing is the most difficult part of our practice (at least from my experience), so these guidelines are extremely valuable.

      Ryan
      I'm floating down a river
      Oars freed from their holes long ago
      Lying face up on the floor of my vessel
      I marvel at the stars
      And feel my heart overflow

      Comment


      • #4
        This is an excellent thread, Innes. Your post is most insightful. In fact I think it is something many will find of great use. Thanks for doing this.

        Andrew

        P.S. I have moved the thread to this section of the forum to make it more accessible later on.
        Sifu Andrew Barnett
        Shaolin Wahnam Switzerland - www.shaolin-wahnam.ch

        Flowing Health GmbH www.flowing-health.ch (Facebook: www.facebook.com/sifuandrew)
        Healing Sessions with Sifu Andrew Barnett - in Switzerland and internationally
        Heilbehandlungen mit Sifu Andrew Barnett - in der Schweiz und International

        Comment


        • #5
          Great post Innes. I'm sure that'll help a lot of people. Cleansing and doubts will undoubtedly come to all of us at some point. At these times I find it really helpful and an inspiration to have your brothers and sisters around you, but for those on there own, this forum acts in their stead.

          ‘Set thy heart to thy work and not thy reward’
          ‘do not worry about your result but just enjoy your practice’
          two great quotes
          "A single light can eliminate the darkness of millennia; a single piece of wisdom can dispel the ignorance of a million years. Do not worry about your past, always think of your future, and for your future always think good thoughts"

          Hui Neng The Platform Sutra

          Comment


          • #6
            Brilliant article, Innes.

            I found this tremendously relevant to my personal Chi Kung journey

            I especially love the way Shaolin philosophy like this is applicable to all scales of human existence.

            i.e.

            Face up to it
            Deny it
            Run away from it
            Thanks for taking the time to compose this summary.

            Andy
            Sifu Andy Cusick

            Shaolin Wahnam Thailand
            Shaolin Qigong

            sigpic

            Connect:
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            "a trained mind brings health and happiness"
            - ancient wisdom

            Comment


            • #7
              My dear Brother,

              thank you for this important post.

              Maxime

              Maxime Citerne, Chinese Medicine, Qigong Healing & Internal Arts

              Frankfurt - Paris - Alsace


              France: www.institut-anicca.com

              Germany: www.anicca-institute.com

              Comment


              • #8
                Very powerful.

                Thank you Sifu Innes
                "Om"

                I pay homage to all the great masters of the past and the present

                Comment


                • #9
                  Thankyou very much.
                  I am really pleased if you find this helpful. Writing it was a fantastic exercise and I am glad the outcome is successful.

                  All the best,
                  Innes
                  Innes Maran
                  Shaolin Wahnam Scotland



                  'Because of factors like tradition, comradeship and gratitude to learn a priceless Art, good Kung Fu students develope loyalty to their Master and fellow classmates.'
                  The Art of Shaolin Kung Fu

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Dear Sipak

                    I would also like to express my thanks as this thread has helped me a lot where I currently am in my practice.

                    Thank you!

                    With respect,

                    Casper
                    Last edited by Casper; 18 December 2008, 02:17 PM.
                    “Greatness lies not in never falling, but in rising after every fall"

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Siheng Innes,

                      A Chi Kung state of mind has led to some wonderful insight. You are right on the mark. Cleansing has been one of the greatest results of my practice, but also the most challenging.

                      I know that what you say is the truth because I have experienced it firsthand.

                      Faith: we know that the Shaolin Arts are truly great. Perseverance, because we know that the Shaolin Arts work.

                      Thank you for being so clear.

                      And thank you, brother Casper for renewing this thread.

                      All the best,

                      Zach
                      .

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