​When we get up in the morning, sometimes we feel stiffness in our spine. Therefore to stretch our body every morning is a good way to release the kinks in our spine and joints. The other benefit is to create space in our body so that we can breathe optimally and have clearer mind.

There are six directions in spinal movement:
a. Forward and backward, meaning to open and contract the spine so it becomes fluid.

b. Side to side. Its purpose is to open up the intercostal muscles, i.e. the muscles that run between the ribs. These muscles help with the mechanical aspect of breathing by helping to expand and shrink the size of the chest cavity.

c. Twist.
Twisting helps in massaging our internal organs and will also help with releasing tension in the body which can have a positive effect on our mental state.

All of these poses can be done standing and even sitting on a chair if you are having difficulty to sit on a floor.
You can hold one pose for about 5 to 8 breaths and then move along with your breath. Do it slow and gentle to get the benefit of calming the mind if you need to.

And remember to enjoy your exercise with smile and a grateful heart to increase the effects of the practice 😊

This question is commonly asked by people. Not everyone likes to do exercise. If the goal is to lose weight then perhaps changing the diet is preferable. Some people like to do cardio, others may be weight lifting, HIIT, boxing, swimming, yoga, pilates, and many more.
There are many reasons people do exercise:

• Because they just love to move their bodies. This is the type of kinesthetic people.
• Maintaining overall health and longevity.
• Losing weight and looking good.
• Increasing immunity.
• Flexibility, strength, and toning.
• Socializing.
• Stress and anger releasing. 

The above reasons are perfectly fine and acceptable. However, we usually look at it from physical and mental point of view, yet we neglect the energetical side. When we put all the aspects together; physical, mental, emotional and might be spiritual as well, we can understand what is going on within us.

I will give you an example of qigong. Often times people do not see qigong as a type of exercise that will give much benefit. It is too slow, too gentle and only older people who do it. The truth is qigong covers all the aspects I mention above. It includes:

• Toning and strengthening:

          Almost every movement will ask us to bend our knees, so   it can strengthen the            thighs and legs.

• Gentle and calming:​                                                                                                            We often forget how to be gentle with ourselves. We push and force ourselves hard in order to receive something like toned abs and beautiful body. Thus, we forget to be gentle with our body. We ignore what the body is trying to say to us through the signals it gives. In the end, this can create chaos. 

 

• Increasing awareness through observation (moving meditation):

         With gentle and slow movement, we use the opportunity to observe our body               and listen. What sensation does we have? Can we feel energy running through               our body? How about the mind? Can we observe without judgement?  It needs               awareness to observe, to just be still within and listen. It is also part of (moving)             meditation. We let our mind to have a break from thinking and just be in the                   present moment.

• Health and longevity:

          Since the goal of qigong is to release stagnant energy in our body, it lets the                  energy flow freely. By flowing easily and freely, our body becomes relaxed, light            and healthy. When we feel heavy, it means that there is trapped energy there                  which makes it cannot flow freely. If we do not do anything about it, it gets                      accumulated and can cause dis-ease. 


Energy in motion a.k.a. emotion that does not run smoothly is closely related to diseases in particular parts of the body, for example low back pain is often related with the feeling of unsupported.

There are many other practices that focus on energy, such as yoga, tai chi, martial arts, including dancing. Dancing, especially social dancing is not only good for the brain, but also for awareness of energy. Are we using feminine or masculine energy too much, or are we balanced? Dancing makes us aware of our own energy and our partner's energy. Can we synchronized both our energy and make it flow beautifully, or is it stuck?

In conclusion, whatever your intention and type of exercises you choose, you could do much more for your well-being by balancing between exercises that focus on physical and mental aspect with emotional and spiritual aspect.

Emotion is a word that can be scary for some people. Perhaps because of past experiences or trauma, they do not want to feel anymore. The perception is it is too hurtful to feel so they protect themselves with logical thinking.


So, what is emotion actually? E-motion is energy in motion and energy needs to move.


When energy is stuck, the body gives us signal that something is not right. It can be in the form of pain in one particular place such as tension in shoulders or lower back, or could be digestive problems like bloating or constipation, or headache which is common in some people. Now it depends on us whether we choose to listen to the signal or not. Often times we abandon it, thinking that it is normal or since it has been there for quite some time, it becomes part of one's life. While actually it is not. 
A body that is healthy does not feel dis-ease. Energy just flows freely and the feeling is light, not heavy. Disease is accumulation of stuck energy. Maintaining our health is not just about physical body. Emotional, mental and spiritual health are also part of us as human. They are interdependent and work together for our well-being, for example, if you are under stress or feeling sad, you might not want to eat anything or on the contrary, you do not care about what you put into your mouth as long as it can make you happy. Perhaps with sweet and sugary foods or carbs. This will put effect on your physical health, for instance weight gain. You think that food can give you fulfillment and substitute the emptiness in your heart, but actually it's not. When you think about the weight gain, you'll feel stress and eat more, and it becomes vicious cycle. You'd probably do diet, vigorous exercises, etc. but they do not give the result that you hoped for because you have not found the root cause yet.


Experiences that give us strong impression either it is pleasant or unpleasant comes from our childhood. Therefore if there is unpleasant event that happens in your life right now, before you react to the situation, you might want to feel the emotion first. If you cannot do it at that moment, just walk away from the situation first. Find a quiet place for you to just sit with your body and feel what emotions you are feeling right now. Which part in your body that does not feel good?  You can tap with your fingers on that body part that feels constricted. The point of this tapping technique is to break that energy before it gets stuck in the body part, so energy or qi or prana can flow freely. Tapping is like emergency solution, but the most important decision is to sit and feel and face the emotion that you feel. That is the first step to self-healing. 


The word "healing" has become a trend these days. Going for a vacation is considered healing because problems are gone. Problems are gone temporarily, but when we return from vacation, the problems are still there. While healing means we dive deeper into ourselves. We sit with our emotions and our trauma. It can be anything from abandonment, loneliness/loss, anger/rage, fear, guilt, shame, rejection, resentment, separation, trust issue, etc. It takes vulnerability, acceptance, courage and strength for someone to start the journey of self-healing. It takes time and patience as well. 


Now, what can we do once we've found the root cause? Should we blame the other party or blame ourselves? NO. It won't bring us solution and makes us suffer more. The thing that we can do is to forgive. If we cannot forgive the other party yet, it is okay, Take the time. Do the forgiveness for ourselves first for we only hurt ourselves if we keep on clinging to the trauma. Keep focusing on good things we have in life or things that we want to achieve and let the emotions that are attached to the trauma go. We will not forget the event, but our emotion to the trauma has become neutral once we accept and let it go. Energy just needs to be acknowledged and then it will circulate again. If you need support, ask for help either to a professional, in communities or your own support system, like your trusted friends. There are times when we might feel exhausted like it is an endless journey. We can rest, but we can never stop, for in the end it is worth it. We get to truly discover and create who we truly are. We free ourselves. Just do baby steps with full commitment and consistency. 


There is a perception in public about healing that we need to talk to the person that we have disagreement or problem with. However, if there are too many, it might not be possible for us to have closure with each person. Personally, I would say that it might be done in some cases if the number is small, and also it would depend on both parties maturity to discuss about it. In some other cases we might cannot have the discussion, no matter what how much effort we put into it  because we are not on the same page with the other person. For this matter, I would encourage you to just focus on yourself and rising your vibration because you would bring your surroundings with you energetically. Your inner world reflects your outer world and vice versa.  


As a closing, let me share with you some modalities that can help you in your healing journey, which you can do it yourself or with others' guidance:

• Tapping.
• Journaling. If writing is not for you, you can record yourself talking using your mobile device.
• Mirror work and self hug. Really see yourself (not only your physical body), especially your eyes. Notice what you see in your eyes and give yourself a loving hug as sign of appreciation. You can combine it with journaling if you want to take note of something that you observe.
• Qigong.
• Yoga.
• Meditation and breath awareness, or be in the present moment. Not thinking about the past and the future that robs our present moment because our power lays in the present moment.
• Social dance in couple, for example Latin dance and ballroom dance. The goal is for you to embrace your own energy and feel the partner's energy. You can check with yourself whether you are too feminine or too masculine or if your energy is balanced.
• Sound healing using musical instrument such as singing bowl or crystal bowl. It can also be nature sound like water as water has the best healing and calming effect.
• Crystal gemstones.
• Watsu water therapy (aquatic bodywork).
• Reiki.
• Massage therapy.
• Trauma Releasing Exercises (TRE).
• Last but not least is to BE IN NATURE a.k.a. GROUNDING. Nature can heal you in a magical way. Just walk barefoot on grass, sand, stone, or soil. Feel each step that you take with your mind in the present moment, and don't forget to enjoy the sunshine as sunshine can give you the feeling of joy, positive and vibrant.