Life is full of surprises and uncertainty. The world around us is constantly evolving and in flux with nature’s rhythm. As the Greek philosopher, Heraclitus famous stated: “Change is the only constant in life.”
Humans can have a hard time with change. We tend to like things to be within our control and easily predictable. Therefore, it’s only natural that life’s uncertainty can lead us to feel unbalanced or out of sync. Luckily, Qi Gong is a wonderful practice to recenter and reground in the midst of a busy life. The Three Treasures practices are especially useful for finding harmony with both ourselves and the world around us. This blog post will discuss how to integrate the wisdom of the Three Treasures into your daily life for greater balance, peace, and internal strength.
With over thirty-seven thrillian cells in the human body, it’s no wonder that it can be difficult to find alignment between all parts of ourselves. Even just within our brain there are over one-hundred billion cells that regulate our nervous system and allow us to experience thought consciousness. Because of this, we have the profound ability to think and feel in a multitude of ways.
Our capacity to experience life so fully is a beautiful gift. However, with so much going on within us, it’s hard to not get overwhelmed or confused at times. Have you ever had conflicting thoughts that make it unclear about what you should do? What about the times when your heart is telling you one thing but your mind wants something different. And of course, there’s our body, which is constantly there to remind us of our physical wants and needs.
In Qi Gong, we recognize that each person has three special gifts that can be our greatest allies. We refer to these as the Three Treasures, and they correspond with our body, mind, and spirit. Our thoughts, emotions, and physical feelings are all part of the same energy system. Thought and spirit consciousness exists in the head, emotional energy is primarily in the heart-center, and our physical essence is in the lower abdomen. Just as ice, water, and vapor are all H2O, our physical, emotional, and mental energies are all just different forms of Qi. They constantly transform and change within us. Physical experiences inform emotions, which helps to create our thoughts. Similarly, our thoughts influence our feelings, which transforms into physical experience and expression.
How do you find harmony between each of the Three Treasures?
In the Three Treasures Qi Gong practices we seek to remember that all parts of our being are intimately connected. It may seem obvious since each person is one solid object, but it’s very common for barriers to develop between two or more of the Three Treasures. Therefore, it’s important to check in with yourself and bring your awareness to the full interconnectedness of your being.
Once we can clearly and honestly look at our Three Treasures, we can work to cultivate the energy within each. Sometimes our emotional energy may be lacking and we need to rejuvenate our Qi. At other times, our physical essence is diminished (Jing), and it’s important to cultivate fresh, vital energy in that part of ourselves. Three Treasures practices allow us to nourish these important reservoirs of life force energy.
Through practice, we are able to tune into the existence of energy in each part of ourselves.
As we continue to cultivate each of our Three Treasures, we can begin to circulate the energy between all of them. Instead of experiencing barriers between thoughts, emotions, or physicality, we can realize a fluid flow of energy throughout all parts of our being. By doing so, our thoughts and emotions find synchronicity, as does our body with the rest of ourselves. It’s a beautiful thing to feel complete as one harmonized being. That is exactly what we strive to experience through Qi Gong for the Three Treasures.
Finding harmony within yourself is important, but what happens when the outside world brings experiences that we don’t like? Well, it’s important to remember that we are a part of the entire universe, and that everything around us is an extension of ourselves. With this view, we can understand that finding harmony with ourselves also means finding harmony with the universe.
Through Three Treasures Qi Gong practices, we can learn how to open our hearts and minds to receive the wisdom of the universe that is all around us. When we do so, we can absorb the lessons and energy that is abundantly available for anyone who allows it in.
Each part of ourselves reflects a different aspect of our external environment. Our body reflects the dense, physical energy of the earth. Our spiritual awareness reflects the limitless, expansive realm of the cosmos. Our emotional experiences reflect nature, which is the blending of the earth and universe, physical and spiritual. When we can realize that our existence is a microcosm of all of existence, we can learn from the energies that constantly surround us. By doing so, we experience a nourishing feeling of harmony and peace. It’s a feeling that everything is going to be alright, and that we can handle the changes and surprises that come our way.
As Qi Gong practitioners, we love how our Qi Gong practices are not limited to the classroom. Rather, we’re able to take the wisdom and awareness that the practices teach and apply them in our everyday life. So, how can you use Three Treasures practices to stay balanced and grounded during your daily routine?
First of all, it’s wonderful to equip yourself with the lessons and practices that Lee teaches. This allows you to build a strong foundation for the rest of your life. Of course, Lee’s Three Treasures immersion training is the perfect way to do this (more about his training below.)
Once you're aware of your own Three Treasures, pay attention to how you feel throughout your daily experiences. You’ll know when you’re out of sync with your environment or within yourself. When this happens, take a moment to recenter and reground. If you don’t have the time to complete a full Qi Gong routine, just close your eyes and and do a quick Three Treasures meditation to connect all parts of your being.
Once you have an energetic awareness of the Tree Treasures, there is a limitless number of ways in which you can practice. It’s like learning a new language. At first you learn the individual words, and then you can put the words together to express any idea that you wish to communicate. The same is true with Qi Gong practices; they offer a boundless avenue for exploration, growth, balancing, and alignment.
Join us on August 26th through 30th for Lee’s in-person Three Treasures immersion training in Santa Cruz, California! This is an amazing opportunity to learn directly from Lee in a deeply engaging and fun environment. The immersion will cover a wide breadth of Qi Gong wisdom that is invaluable for any practitioner’s journey.
During the experience, Lee will talk about the Taoist lessons that lie at the foundation of the practice. Additionally, Lee will provide hands-on instruction to help students learn the routines and meditations for cultivating the Three Treasures. This immersion is also an important step for anyone interested in becoming a Qi Gong teacher.
Learning the Three Treasures practices is really just an exploration and cultivation of self. The event page contains a lot of great information about what the training entails, so click the link below to learn more or sign up today:
