Summer 2008 Qi Dao Events

Basic Qi Dao Home Study Course

It has been just over two years since we moved Academy of Qi Dao from Portland to the little tropical island in the Pacific, where my wife Kali worked as an Assistant Attorney General of Guam. In this two-year period, our school has gone virtual by offering numerous teleseminars, video tutorials, podcasts and even videophone coaching sessions via Skype. But most importantly, I have published two books (paperback and hard cover editions of the bestselling book entitled Qi Dao – Tibetan Shamanic Qigong and its companion – Basic Qi Dao Workbook), produced a DVD on Harmonious Culture of Movement, as well as recorded an audiobook named The Art of Being in the Flow and a meditation CD Qi Dao Initiation. If you have already purchased some of these materials, you know why they are known for creating a new benchmark for Qigong publications. That is because they offer something that most other books, DVDs and CDs don’t – the freedom of choice and authenticity in the way the energy arts can be experienced. Moreover, all of these materials are now available in one convenient package called Basic Qi Dao Home Study Course, only 100 copies of which got printed last month, with one half of them already prepaid for.

Now you can learn the basics of The Art of Being in the Flow in the comfort of your home and at your own
pace. Our multimedia materials will make your learning process engaging and fun while transforming
your perspectives on the energy arts and life in general. In addition to learning how to function effectively
in your physical body, Qi Dao encourages you to explore the mind-body integration using energy as the
medium unifying all the aspects of your being. Furthermore, the Course focuses a fair amount of attention
on the states of consciousness that may facilitate (or otherwise hinder) being in the flow, as it guides you
in your exploration of these states.

Academy of Qi Dao coming to North America

Is it a great news or what? Well, since Qi Dao teaches to dispense with such notions as “good” and “bad,” let’s put it this way – we are about to move again. Kali’s contract with the Guam Government has come to an end and we are planning on moving back to North America. Note that we are talking about the continent in general, because we still do not know for sure where the flow will take us this time. Just like thirteen years ago, when I arrived to the States as a refugee and spent a couple of years exploring the North American continent, we may spend a while visiting different places in the US and Canada looking for the place, whose energy resonates with our energies best. Ultimately, we plan to find an ideal place for creating our own retreat center that would be home to Academy of Qi Dao, its student clinic, wellness center, etc.  In the meantime, we are open to suggestions and invitations, as well as appreciate any opportunities to offer teachings in the form of weekend workshops or longer retreats. If you wish to sponsor any Qi Dao events, please do not hesitate to email us at academy@qidao.org at your earliest convenience.

By the way, since we are moving over seven thousand miles across the Pacific Ocean, we are holding a moving sale, letting go of most of our material possessions. While people are buying our used furniture and appliances for half-price, I was thinking of you and how I would be able to offer you an opportunity to benefit from this occasion too. After some deliberation, I decided to offer my Course for only $99.95 – including shipping and handling – exclusively to the subscribers of this newsletter for a limited time. In contrast to our regular practice of shipping everything Priority Mail and charging extra for it, this time we are going to ship the Courses via regular mail, but we knock off more than $50.00 from the regular price of $149.95 this Home Study Course sells for on www.qidao.org as well as on Amazon and eBay. Since the supplies are limited, you really need to hurry with your order, because this sale is going for only one week or while supplies last (and rest assured they are not likely to last for even a week)!

To take advantage of this unadvertised offer and help us travel light to the States, PLEASE CLICK HERE NOW.

Basic Qi Dao Practitioner Certification Program

As you probably recall from our previous newsletters, Academy of Qi Dao has launched the Basic Qi Dao
Practitioner Certification Program this year. Our first pilot semester this summer proved to be very
educational – not only for the students but for the teachers too. We are currently improving our website
and adding some extras, including some audio and video tutorials, podcasts, Ask the Qi Dao Master blog
and a discussion board for the students. As soon as we implement some of these improvements, the
tuition for the Program is going to rise from $997.95 to $1,299.95. If you are seriously interested in joining
Academy of Qi Dao and aspire to become a Certified Practitioner or even a Qi Dao Coach, now is the time
to take advantage of the lower tuition, because it is going up next month. Call us at 671-488-0607 or
email academy@qidao.org for the packet of enrollment materials today. Once you have gone through
this program and received the Initiation into the Practice of Empowerment, you will never be the same!
 

The main thing distinguishing the Basic Qi Dao Practitioner Certification Program from any other Qigong
program is its focus on building a strong foundation for any further exploration of the energy arts. Most
such arts tend to begin with learning about the meridian system or running the energy currents through
the hands, but instead of that, Qi Dao first teaches you the principles of kinesthetic, energy and body
awareness that empower you to stand, move and breathe naturally, free of self-imposed limitations
and energy blockages. Once you have learned these simple principles and addressed any patterns of
holding tension in your body, you will be more than ready to delve into more challenging and exciting
aspects of our art. By the time you have completed this Program, you are bound to discover how to enjoy
and effortlessly facilitate:

           ·         Vibrant Health

           ·         Energy Awareness

           ·         Spiritual Awakening

           ·         Being in the Flow of Qi.

Harmonious Culture of Movement, energy awareness and lucid dreaming training will help you experience and embody the true essence of Tai Chi and Qigong: how to feel the flow of Qi and how to be in the flow. Our individually tailored Apprenticeship Program is designed to empower you to start practicing Qi Dao Coaching professionally while still mastering the energy arts at Academy of Qi Dao.

If you are seriously interested in becoming a Qi Dao practitioner, your best choice would be to undertake the Certification and Apprenticeship Programs leading to a Qi Dao Coach degree as well as Master’s and Doctorate degrees. Our programs are exactly what many Tai Chi teachers say they wish they had taken before studying anything else. Furthermore, our programs focus a fair amount of attention on the special state of consciousness that facilitates being in the flow, often referred to as Qigong state that is unique to Qigong masters.

Our Basic Qi Dao Practitioner Certification Program includes the following:

1. The Basic Qi Dao Home Study Course

2. Bi-weekly Teleseminars and Coaching Clinics

3. Monthly Qi Dao Coaching sessions by phone

4. A weekend workshop at the conclusion of the Program

The workshop is a very special event, because it allows me to interact with the students in person (some of them may come from as far away as Australia, Canada or Europe), test their skills and conduct a full-fledged initiation into the Practice of Empowerment, which is the cornerstone of the majority of advanced Qi Dao practices. If you are interested in joining the Certification Program, please call us at email to academy@qidao.org requesting an application form for the program before our tuition increases by over $300.00.

My Special Surprise Offer

While we were putting together this newsletter, I was thinking about some extra special ways to add value to this Program that can literally transform your life. I decided to make another irresistible offer exclusively for the subscribers of our newsletter: not only can you enroll for the Certification Program for only $997.95 but you will actually have an opportunity to participate in two workshops instead of one if you enroll by July 31, 2008! All you need to do is email us before July 31 and complete your enrollment to receive a FREE admission to the workshop in Portland, Oregon on Saturday, August 23, 2008.

If you choose to participate in that workshop without enrolling in the program, please register ASAP, since the tuition is only $150.00 until the end of July. It goes up to $175.00 if registered between August 1 and August 23 or $190 at door. For more information about this event, please go to www.qidao.org/workshops.htm. Space is limited to thirty people only. The first ten registrants will receive a bonus: Qi Dao DVD for FREE!

Join us for the 2008 Annual Qi Dao Labor Day Weekend Retreat at the Oregon Coast

Ecola State Park on the Oregon Coast

In the best traditions of the Bon, Buddhist and Daoist retreats, our Academy presents a unique opportunity to learn and practice Qi Dao in one of the most beautiful areas on the Oregon Coast. It is going to be an invigorating adventure combining Shamanic journeys with the healing power of Nature. Bring your fears, attachments and old beliefs to let go of in the wilderness. Come prepared for moderate hiking and more intimate connection with Mother Earth through the practice of Qi Dao outdoors.

During the retreat, you will explore a number of different aspects of energy arts with the emphasis on the communion between your inner nature with the world of nature at large. Nature can heal all human fears, attachments and illusions by opening your mind to the mysteries of the unknown. In the course of this retreat, you will be able to discuss and experience natural ways of transforming your perception of who you really are - a miraculous energy being. This will provide you with a direct experience of the flow of life force in your body and the world around you.

Join us as for this weekend of learning to see beyond the artificial filters of perception and layers of technology surrounding us in order to experience the true essence of Mother Nature as we enjoy her earth, water and sky. During this retreat, you will have a chance to practice Tibetan Dream Yoga while camping, hiking and exploring some of the most awesome places on the West Coast of America. You will have an occasion to experience practicing Tibetan Shamanic Qigong the way it was practiced for ages – in the wild. This unique event will also combine the meditation and rejuvenation aspects of Qigong and Tai Chi. In addition, you will be able to learn wilderness survival skills and develop friendships with other kindred spirits within our international community of adventurers.

Take advantage of the early bird discount – only $300 if you register before July 31, 2008. After that, the registration is going up to $350. No registration after August 23. The first ten registrants will receive another bonus gift: my bestselling book entitled Qi Dao - Tibetan Shamanic Qigong for FREE! To register, or for more information email academy@qidao.org today.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Namaste,

Lama Tantrapa and apprentices

P.S. If you are outside the US, please feel free to purchase our Home Study Course in Euros. Click Here To Pay in Euros. We will take care of the international shipping for you!

What Is Qigong?

Qigong (or ch’i kung) refers to a wide variety of traditional “cultivation” practices that may combine physical movements and/or regulated breathing combined with so-called “Qigong State” of heightened energy awareness. Qigong may be practised for health maintenance purposes, as a self-healing method, as a helping profession, a spiritual path and/or component of martial arts.

The “Qi” in “Qigong” is frequently translated as “energy flow,” and is often compared to the Western notions of energia or élan vital. Its literal translation is “air” or “breath” (comparable with the original meaning of Latin spiritus as “breathing”). References to ideas similar to Qi, in terms of the “flow of energy” or process that sustain life, are found in many belief systems in Asia, among the Pacific islanders and Native Americans. “Gong” means work applied to a discipline and the resultant level of skill; thus “Qigong” means “energy work.”

Oriental medical theories assert that the body has natural patterns of Qi circulation in channels often referred to as meridians. Various health issues are associated with disrupted, blocked, or unbalanced Qi flow through the organism, as well as with psychological processes either responding or reacting to the flow of Qi. Qigong practitioners may address these imbalances by affecting or adjusting to the circulation of Qi in the body (metabolic energy flow) using a variety of contact or non-contact bodywork, physical movement regimens, breathing exercises, meditations, visualizations and “healing sounds.”

Attitudes toward the scientific basis for Qigong vary markedly. Most Western medical practitioners and many practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine, as well as the Chinese government, view Qigong as a set of breathing and movement exercises, with possible benefits to health through stress reduction, exercise and meditation. Such approach is sometimes referred to as exoteric Qigong. On the other hand, esoteric Qigong practitioners see their art in more metaphysical terms, believing that the flow of the universal energy represents the process of manifestation, through which the Dao (unmanifest reality) appears as manifest reality. Due to the conditioning of the human mind to pay attention mostly to the outer forms and appearances of things, rather than their inner essences, special Qi Dao training may be required to develop the ability to enter so-called “Qigong State” that facilitates such heightened energy awareness.

In accord with the modern physics, Qi Dao suggests that everything, including human beings, is made of energy fields that are in a constant process of flux and in varying degrees of resonance with each other. This resonance can be indicative of the most likely direction of the flow of energy events, since energy, like water, flows in the direction of least resistance. Trusting that it always flows where it needs to flow, as all energy events unfold according to the laws of attraction, can empower such practitioners to find resonance with the flow of Qi and surrender to it instead of struggling to guide or resist it. Being in the flow is generally associated with enjoying vibrant health, healing or improving health conditions, as well as many other conditions in one’s life. Ultimately, such practices may be enlightening in the sense of transcending the ego-centered ways of being and becoming one with the Dao.

About the Author

Lama Somananda Tantrapa is the holder of the lineage of Qi Dao - Tibetan Shamanic Qigong - that has been fostered in his clan for 27 generations. Affectionately addressed by his students as Rinpoche, Lama Tantrapa has over 30 years of experience in Qi Dao and other internal martial arts. He was primarily trained by his Grandfather who was the last Grandmaster of Qi Dao. As a reincarnate Bon Lama, he carries a title of a Tulku and was ordained as a Buddhist monk in three different traditions: Tibetan Nyingma, Thai Theravada and Japanese Nipponzan Myohoji.

Before immigrating to America, he actively participated in peace marches and conferences in the former Soviet Union supporting the peace work of his spiritual mentor and friend Junsei Terasawa who aspired to build a Peace Pagoda in the center of Moscow, Russia. His initiatives dedicated to peace work and spiritual freedom were subjected to persecution in his homeland thus he received religious asylum in the United States in 1997.

Rinpoche is an author of a book on Qi Dao and a companion DVD, as well as Qi Dao Home Study Course. Being an avid speaker and presenter, he appeared on many radio and TV programs in the US, Guam and abroad. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the US National Qigong Association. Visit us online at www.qidao.org.

The Secret to Qigong Mastery - Being Natural

Being natural requires paying attention to the inner nature of all things rather than their forms. When most people think of Qigong, they usually think of “doing forms” – sets of choreographed movements practiced repetitively. I do not believe that the sages of antiquity, who originated Qigong thousands of years ago, had to study any “forms.” Those masters created their systems of self-realization not by practicing some forms, but by discovering their own, authentic ways to experience their true nature. Since they were the original founders, they had no human teachers to emulate. They had to learn from Mother Nature as well as their inner nature.

The founders of the oldest systems of self-realization had to rely on the knowledge gathered from their own personal experiences and some anecdotal stories about the miraculous powers of the ancient Shamans. They had to find empirically their own unique methods of being in the flow of Qi and experimenting with it. Such a genuine approach reared great Qigong masters, whose mastery was based on personal observation and exploration, rather than a routine repetition of forms. Playing with each other and with different animals was the testing ground for their skills and powers.

Alas, the tendency of the human mind to be focused on appearances instead of the inner essence eventually reduced many styles of Qigong, as well as Yoga, Kung Fu, Tai Chi, etc., to merely “doing forms.” You would be hard pressed to find anyone who managed to achieve anything profound by emulating their teachers’ external appearances. In order to experience the authentic mastery of being in the flow, you will need to start by shifting attention from forms to the true essence of everything, starting with your own inner nature, which is pure energy.

Comparing yourself to others is such an insidious tendency that many artists never transcend the stage of mimicking their role models. Yet the entire idea of mastery implies being natural in your art and authentic in your artistic expression. Qi Dao teaches you to develop an attitude of authenticity from the very beginning while allowing yourself to be natural.

Since change is the most constant thing in the universe, the flow is always different from one person to another and from one moment to another. This means that to copy the master’s movements or other actions is to grasp the form of the master’s experience rather than the essence. Such imitation would not enable anyone to be in the flow, because being in the flow implies being in one’s own flow, not in someone else’s flow. Through the practice of Qi Dao you will learn to be truly authentic by perceiving the flow of life force within you and throughout the world around you. You will learn to surrender to the flow and allow it to guide you in whatever way is appropriate. It will allow you to manifest your dreams effortlessly and gracefully.

About the Author

Lama Somananda Tantrapa is the holder of the lineage of Qi Dao - Tibetan Shamanic Qigong - that has been fostered in his clan for 27 generations. Affectionately addressed by his students as Rinpoche, Lama Tantrapa has over 30 years of experience in Qi Dao and other internal martial arts. He was primarily trained by his Grandfather who was the last Grandmaster of Qi Dao. As a reincarnate Bon Lama, he carries a title of a Tulku and was ordained as a Buddhist monk in three different traditions: Tibetan Nyingma, Thai Theravada and Japanese Nipponzan Myohoji.

Before immigrating to America, he actively participated in peace marches and conferences in the former Soviet Union supporting the peace work of his spiritual mentor and friend Junsei Terasawa who aspired to build a Peace Pagoda in the center of Moscow, Russia. His initiatives dedicated to peace work and spiritual freedom were subjected to persecution in his homeland thus he received religious asylum in the United States in 1997.

Rinpoche is an author of a book on Qi Dao and a companion DVD, as well as Qi Dao Home Study Course. Being an avid speaker and presenter, he appeared on many radio and TV programs in the US, Guam and abroad. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the US National Qigong Association. Visit us online at www.qidao.org.

Dream Being - the missing link between The Secret and The Power of Now

Let me share a bit of my understanding of the connection between The Secret and The Power of Now. Of course, this is going to be a watered down version of my teachings, because of the space limitations here. In my recent book Qi Dao - Tibetan Shamanic Qigong, I introduced my translation into English of an interesting term that should help us out on our quest. The term is Dream Being, which may be both a noun and a verb. As a noun, it is synonymous to the Dao or the Source of the dream called life. Some may call Dream Being the Creator, although the dreamer of the dream and the world of the dream are not separate essentially, because everything in the dream is a projection of the dreamer’s consciousness. Therefore, the Creator and the totality of Creation are one. Our dream called life just appears to have all kinds of appearances of things and events made of nothing else than pure energy… that is why I call it a dream. Isn’t everything in a dream made of nothing else but the energy of consciousness that we tend to perceive as though is has some recognizable forms and names?

The process of manifestation of the dream is something happening moment by moment, which you can observe when your attention is focused on the present moment. Now is the only time when the process of manifestation occurs. So far we have been going hand in hand with The Power of Now. If we are interested in learning more about manifestation, the way to know anything about it requires being present in the dream. This is what I call Dream Being as a verb, which is also synonymous with being lucid in the dream. The moment you realize that you are dreaming, you may also realize that manipulating the world of dreaming is not what Dream Being is about, since it is not the ego that is the source of the dreams, but a much deeper aspect of your Being that is the deeper aspect of everyone of us, our common true nature. If you recognize that trying to manipulate the flow or struggle with it is the easiest way to turn the dream into a nightmare, you are ready to just enjoy being in dreaming. Dream Being as a verb means being in the flow of your dreaming, surfing the wave of manifestation as it were. When you experience Dream Being as such state (or process) of being in the flow, you are literally living your dreams! There is nothing that you strive to manifest or obtain, because you are enjoying the ride on the wave of manifestation empowered up by much greater power than your ego.

I consider this pretty close to essence of the teachings presented in The Secret, albeit the presenters may not fully aware of the intricacies of their own teachings. We tend to teach whatever we need to learn the most, do we not? I am also open to any suggestions and critiques, as I would like to learn how to share this teaching well in English, which is my third language.

Please check out my recent book The Art of Being in the Flow for more information on the basics of Qi Dao, my family style of Tibetan Shamanic Qigong and my teachings of Dream Yoga.

About the author

Lama Somananda Tantrapa is the holder of the lineage of Qi Dao that has been fostered in his clan for 27 generations since 1224 AD. He has over 30 years of experience in Qi Dao and other internal martial arts. After pioneering Qi Dao Coaching in 2000, he has provided wellness, peak performance and life coaching to hundreds of clients from all walks of life. His coaching has inspired many professional athletes, speakers, dancers, singers, writers and actors to open up to the infinite source of power that exists within everyone.

Lama Tantrapa authored a bestselling book and DVD entitled “Qi Dao – Tibetan Shamanic Qigong.” Being an avid speaker and presenter, he appeared on many radio and TV programs in the US, Guam and abroad. He currently serves on the NQA Board of Directors. For more information about Qi Dao Coaching, workshops, retreats, and long-distance learning opportunities, visit www.qidao.org.

The Flow of the Dao

Welcome to my world of Qi Dao, the ancient energy art of Tibetan Shamanic Qigong. My spiritual tradition, named Qi Dao (or Ch’i Tao if you like this spelling), which literally means “the path of energy,” or “the flow of life force,” is a style of Qigong (also spelled Ch’i Kung) rooted in the Tibetan Shamanic tradition of self-realization called Bön. Following many generations of Tibetan lamas and Shamans since time immemorial, I explore this magical world where the stuff of myths and legends is quite real. Along my spiritual journey, the miracles of natural healing and amazing feats of power have been common place. I came to believe that everyone practicing this “Adventure Yoga” can receive revelations directly from spirit and learn to follow the inner guidance to enjoy being in the flow of the dream called life.

Have you ever thought that your life journey was meant to be a grand adventure, rather than a misadventure? Perhaps, you are one of those lucky individuals who have experienced “being in the flow” or, as some athletes call it, “in the zone.” If you have experienced it, you will probably never forget the profound sense of harmony associated with being in the flow. And if you have never experienced it, at least, you may be able to imagine yourself being empowered, centered and present. Your imagination may be as potent as your memory in preparing you for this exciting adventure in self-realization and learning to live a dream life.

Imagine a world where men and women can travel through life in harmony with each other and the world around them; where every human being can be in touch with his or her inner nature. Everyone there feels confident and free of any artificial limitations that religions, society, or family upbringing tend to impose on people. In such a dream world, everyone has an opportunity to live a healthy and fulfilling lifestyle, enjoying all the abundance life has to offer. Picture yourself in a world where every child and adult can feel empowered to openly experience and explore their greatest potentials, allowing them to blossom fully. In this dream world, the powers that used to be considered paranormal or supernatural are daily occurrences. Now you have a chance to turn your life into a heroic quest to discover the true nature of Being.

Of course, being in the flow is not an exclusive prerogative of Tibetan lamas and top-notch athletes. Virtually every indigenous nation on the face of the Earth has stories about the heroes, whose lives were dedicated to the exploration of the unknown, be that unknown lands or their inner realms. Those spiritual adventurers, regardless of their origins and personal histories, experienced profound transformations and astonishing feats of power that most people could only dream about. In our Qi Dao tribe, we call this way of being “dream being,” which means, among other things, experiencing life as though being in a dream. Dream Being is not only a verb, but also a noun representing the source of all your dreams: day-dreams as well as night-dreams. It is the mystical source of the big dream called life that in many Oriental schools of thought is referred to as the Dao (or Tao, if you will).

What is this mystical Dao? It is unseen, but it is everywhere. You may want to know it, but it cannot be intellectually understood. You may strive to find it, even though it has always been within you. “To become one with the Dao” has been the ultimate purpose of meditation retreats, pilgrimages and other spiritual adventures for millennia. Anyone who experiences oneness with the Dao can effortlessly navigate through life, being continuously in the flow, free of attachments, conflicts, or suffering. Nobody can harm or kill such a person, because anyone who would dare to go against him or her would also go against the power of the entire universe. Such an awakened being can fully enjoy the great power and freedom coming from realizing that the daily life and Dream Being are inseparable.

This awareness, however, has hardly anything to do with intellectual cognition or understanding. The more you try to comprehend this by logically thinking about it, the more you employ your linear mind, which will keep you stuck in the head. Trying not to think about it usually does not help either, because, if you try to stop thinking, you must, at least, have thoughts about not thinking. The practice of Qi Dao offers an alternative way to experience a practice of self-realization tailored for spiritual adventurers that is both extremely effective and easy to implement.

About the author

Lama Somananda Tantrapa is the holder of the lineage of Qi Dao that has been fostered in his clan for 27 generations since 1224 AD. He has over 30 years of experience in Qi Dao and other internal martial arts. After pioneering Qi Dao Coaching in 2000, he has provided wellness, peak performance and life coaching to hundreds of clients from all walks of life. His coaching has inspired many professional athletes, speakers, dancers, singers, writers and actors to open up to the infinite source of power that exists within everyone.

Lama Tantrapa authored a bestselling book and DVD entitled “Qi Dao – Tibetan Shamanic Qigong.” Being an avid speaker and presenter, he appeared on many radio and TV programs in the US, Guam and abroad. He currently serves on the NQA Board of Directors. For more information about Qi Dao Coaching, workshops, retreats, and long-distance learning opportunities, visit www.qidao.org.

Free Tibet

In just 7 days over 1 million people have signed the petition supporting human rights and dialogue in Tibet - the fastest growing internet petition in history! After decades of injustice, the Tibetan people are crying out to the world for change, and the world is answering.

As China’s leaders decide whether to respond to Tibetan grievances with increased repression or dialog with the Dalai Lama, an International Day of Action has been declared for Monday, March 31st. In a few days, thousands of people in cities across the world will march to Chinese embassies and consulates, and stack hundreds of boxes containing our petition outside them. 1 million signatures makes a mountain of boxes - it’s a powerful way to deliver our message.

We have just four days left until the petition delivery, but by doubling our efforts we can to secure the support for this petition even larger - to 2 million signatures - in this short amount of time. Please use the link below to sign, if you haven’t already, and then forward this message to all your friends and family:

Please click here to sign this important petition.

The Chinese Communist Party hardliners are lashing out publicly at the Dalai Lama, but many Chinese people believe that dialog is the best hope for stability in Tibet and in China. Governments around the world have begun calling for dialog, and there are many hopeful signs that, if we can keep the pressure up, the Chinese authorities will agree.

China’s President Hu Jintao values his country’s international reputation, and he needs to hear from us that the “Made in China” brand and the upcoming Olympics in Beijing will succeed only if he chooses dialog over the Party hardliners’ repression. An avalanche of global people power is moving to get his attention. This petition recognizes the concerns of the Chinese leaders about riots and separatism that could lead to dangerous instability. It supports the position of the Dalai Lama, that the best path to stability and development for China lies through dialog and respect, not repression.

This is the most promising moment in decades to address the occupation of Tibet, but the media is already moving on to other news. We need to seize this moment with a massive statement of global support this Monday - for the next four days, let’s pull out all the stops for free Tibet.

Please click here to sign this important petition

.

Namaste,

Lama Tantrapa and Avaaz.org

About the Author

Lama Somananda Tantrapa is the holder of the lineage of Qi Dao - Tibetan Shamanic Qigong - that has been fostered in his clan for 27 generations. Affectionately addressed by his students as Rinpoche, Lama Tantrapa has over 30 years of experience in Qi Dao and other internal martial arts. He was primarily trained by his Grandfather who was the last Grandmaster of Qi Dao. As a reincarnate Bon Lama, he carries a title of a Tulku and was ordained as a Buddhist monk in three different traditions: Tibetan Nyingma, Thai Theravada and Japanese Nipponzan Myohoji.

Before immigrating to America, he actively participated in peace marches and conferences in the former Soviet Union supporting the peace work of his spiritual mentor and friend Junsei Terasawa who aspired to build a Peace Pagoda in the center of Moscow, Russia. His initiatives dedicated to peace work and spiritual freedom were subjected to persecution in his homeland thus he received religious asylum in the United States in 1997.

Rinpoche is an author of a book on Qi Dao and a companion DVD, as well as Qi Dao Home Study Course. Being an avid speaker and presenter, he appeared on many radio and TV programs in the US, Guam and abroad. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the US National Qigong Association. Visit us online at www.qidao.org.

No Good, No Evil

Before I share an excerpt from my recent book The Art of Being in the Flow, I would like to point out that my opinions are not official reflections of the Buddhist teachings. Although I am a lama, I consider myself a free spirit, rather than a proponent of any organized religion. I believe that any religious dogma, especially believing in good and evil, can be a major barrier to personal freedom and being in the flow of life. When we label something as good, we create an expectation that it should be good not only for us but for others, too. It also implies certain perpetuity of goodness despite any common sense. We know that many things that were deemed good yesterday may be not so good today and what is good for one person may not work for another. When we label something bad, it is just as misleading. Moreover, religious dogmas insist on rigid dualism of good and evil, judging our actions and threatening us with consequences. As it were, hell is not a geographical place but a state of being separated and afraid. Any belief supporting the sense of separation and fear creates a hellish existence in people’s lives on earth.

“Imagine coming to a crossroads and feeling the energies of different directions you could choose. You may notice that your energy resonates with some directions better than others. Where there is resonance, your energy is attracted to flow in that direction. If you pay attention to such resonance, you can allow the flow of life to unfold naturally and spontaneously. But if you do not pay attention to this resonance, you may feel compelled to take a path based on your preconceived ideas or stereotypes. Rather than following your own ideas, you may be indoctrinated to conform to traditional beliefs or stereotypes handed down from past generations. Letting go of such programming is not simply an intellectual exercise but rather a process of discovering mental alertness, spiritual openness and authenticity. These qualities can empower you to reconnect with the flow of life and promote freedom of choice.

“When you imagine yourself at a crossroad, you are in a position where you have the freedom to choose your direction. Personal freedom is necessary to be able to make a choice in any situation of this sort. Your freedom, however, may often be restricted by some beliefs distorting your perception. If you follow the beliefs that do not promote your perception of the flow, they become an impediment to being in the flow. Therefore, you may need to look into your belief system to check which beliefs resonate with your consciousness and which ones do not.

“Your attention is the interface between what you know and what you do not know. You cannot learn without paying attention, since you cannot remember that which you pay no attention to. Development of attention always requires acceptance. Being attentive is only possible when you accept what is. You cannot be attentive to something you do not accept, simply because when you are not accepting it, you are busy resisting it or running away from it, engaging in “fight or flight” instead of just being present. Such lack of acceptance creates the rigid dualism of right and wrong, judgment of actions and threats of adverse consequences. Being accepting will help you transcend this dualism, allowing you to be more content and happy with your life.”

About the Author

Lama Somananda Tantrapa is the holder of the lineage of Qi Dao that has been fostered in his clan for 27 generations since 1224 AD. He has over 30 years of experience in Qi Dao and other internal martial arts. He was primarily trained by his Grandfather who was the last Grandmaster of this style of Tibetan Shamanic Qigong. In addition to being recognized as an incarnate Bön lama, ordained as a Buddhist monk and initiated into Subud spiritual brotherhood, Rinpoche holds a degree in Cultural Anthropology and certifications in Qigong, Hypnosis and NLP.

Affectionately addressed by his students as Rinpoche, Lama Tantrapa’s initiatives dedicated to peace work and spiritual freedom were subjected to persecution in his homeland thus he received religious asylum in the United States in 1997. His unique background is complex enough to include serving in the Soviet Army’s Special Forces, being kidnapped in the Ukraine and going through several near-death experiences.

Rinpoche’s coaching has inspired many professional athletes, speakers, dancers, singers, writers and actors to open up to the infinite source of intuition that exists within everyone. After pioneering Qi Dao Coaching in 2000, he has provided wellness, peak performance and life coaching to hundreds of clients of all ages from all walks of life. For years, he operated Portland Qigong Clinic - one of just a handful of Qigong clinics in the United States at the time. He also founded Academy of Qi Dao - the first and only school of Qi Dao Coaching in the US.

Rinpoche is an author of numerous articles as well as multimedia training materials. Being an avid speaker and presenter, he appeared on many radio and TV programs in the US, Guam and abroad. He is the executive producer and host of his own Internet Radio show “The Secrets of Qigong Masters.” He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the USA National Qigong (Chi Kung) Association.

For more information about Qi Dao Coaching, workshops, retreats, and long-distance learning opportunities, visit us online at www.qidao.org.

More on Meditation

The greatest manifestation of Qi Dao meditation is becoming an enlightened being – a fully awake Dream Being. You can not only dissolve the boundary between the worlds of dreaming and daily life but even your dream body will be able to merge with or separate from your physical body at will, which is the most guarded secret behind most of the psychic phenomena and Qigong mastery. This can be considered to be the fourth and final juncture of the Qi Dao journey of self-realization. Of course, after the most profound awakenings, we all tend to fall asleep again; hence enlightenment shouldn’t be viewed as a destination, but rather a process of becoming more and more awake all the time.

In order to be able to translate this kind of lucidity into your daily life, you can develop your awareness through the practice of lucid dreaming, which is the third stage on this Shamanic practice, also referred to as Dream Yoga. Being lucid in your night-dreams will empower you to discover the most extraordinary abilities: essentially, you will be able to experience anything you want, since you will be dreaming everything up. Do you feel like flying tonight? How about being able to visit other planets or galaxies? Would you like to be able to communicate with animals, plants or some otherworldly energy beings? And, of course, things like walking on water or shape-shifting would easily become common place frolics in your dreams.

Most psychologists know what you, as a spiritual explorer, will learn experientially: most of your dreams symbolically reflect your daily life. If you never question reality during the day as to whether you are dreaming, though, how often will you question reality of your dreams at night? That is right; most likely never! So, if you want to be lucid in your dreams, you ought to start asking yourself a question whether you are dreaming during the day, which constitutes the second stage of Qi Dao path of self-realization. During this step, you will be able to learn relating to everyone and everything as dream characters made of energy fields. You will also develop an attitude of being in the flow of the energy by finding harmony with it, without judging or manipulating it.

Obviously, not every beginner is immediately ready to surrender to the flow right away, that is why there is the first, preliminary step that you are about to take now, which will prepare you for the rest of your spiritual journey. As it were, the journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step.

The practice of Qi Dao meditation begins with certain preliminary practices that are specifically designed to prepare you for deeper, even more profound Dream Yoga practices presented in my advanced teachings.  The sequence of these practices follows a natural progression of training although it may be altered if deemed necessary.

I always suggest enjoying these meditations in the appropriate set and setting. This means that a quiet and focused mindset is crucial for the success of your practice. No doubt, meditation will harmonize your mind, so the more you practice, the more meditative your mindset will become. A setting may be considered appropriate where you would not be distracted by external noises, smells, commotion, and other disturbances. With practice, you will find it possible to meditate in more challenging environments; believe it or not, I have to confess to having meditated in all kinds of places, including hospitals, airports, casinos, and even nightclubs. I also invite you to experiment with meditating at various times of the day to find out when you have the easiest time entering the Qigong state. Eventually, you will learn to seize every opportunity to enjoy being in the flow, thus bringing life into your meditation by bringing meditation into your daily life.

As with everything else in Qi Dao, meditation does not have to be done by the book. For instance, although I suggest certain sitting, standing, reclining, or dynamic meditation practices, you have the freedom of choice regarding your physical position and other aspects of practice. In order to stay free from poor postural habits, make sure that you try various poses and choose the ones that you resonate with. Many yogis are trained to sit in Padmasana (Lotus Pose) with the legs crossed in front of the body. Those who cannot twist their legs into this pose usually resort to a Half-lotus, or Quarter-lotus, which is much easier on the knee and hip joints. I personally prefer to sit in Zen Seiza – a kneeling position with both feet tucked under the buttocks with or without a sitting pillow called Zabuton. Let me bring your attention to some crucial details of sitting in any pose.

First, check your alignment of the spine, including the cervical spine – your neck. If you have a practice partner or anyone who could assist you with testing your sitting position, ask him or her to apply some consistent pressure on the top of your head to find out whether you rely on your bones or muscles to keep yourself upright. If just a slight pressure makes you fold or collapse, you may need to either improve your alignment by gently pulling upwards by the tips of your ears or switch to a different position altogether. If you pay a close attention to your body, you may notice the position of your head and even upper torso changing slightly when you pull upwards by your ears. Your sternum may lift upwards opening up your chest and letting you breath become deeper and easier. You may even have a sigh or release or start yawning, which simply means that your diaphragm has let go of tension offering your body an opportunity to breathe fully and feel more alive.

You can also ask your partner to push you slowly from the front, back or either side in order to test your overall stability when sitting. You may be quite surprised by the degree of influence that the position of your hands can have on your stability. Simply compare the results of the pushing tests with your palms facing up versus the palms down. I invite you to experiment with all of these and other ways to sit in order to discover the way that allows you to be especially relaxed and present – the way you resonate with. Because your body and mind are just different aspects of one and the same organism, you can experience mental relaxation much easier when you are physically relaxed and vice versa.

About the Author

Lama Somananda Tantrapa is the holder of the lineage of Qi Dao that has been fostered in his clan for 27 generations since 1224 AD.  He has over 30 years of experience in Qi Dao and other internal martial arts. He was primarily trained by his Grandfather who was the last Grandmaster of this style of Tibetan Shamanic Qigong.  In addition to being recognized as an incarnate Bön lama, ordained as a Buddhist monk and initiated into Subud spiritual brotherhood, Rinpoche holds a degree in Cultural Anthropology and certifications in Qigong, Hypnosis and NLP.

Affectionately addressed by his students as Rinpoche, Lama Tantrapa’s initiatives dedicated to peace work and spiritual freedom were subjected to persecution in his homeland thus he received religious asylum in the United States in 1997.  His unique background is complex enough to include serving in the Soviet Army’s Special Forces, being kidnapped in the Ukraine and going through several near-death experiences.

Rinpoche’s coaching has inspired many professional athletes, speakers, dancers, singers, writers and actors to open up to the infinite source of intuition that exists within everyone.  After pioneering Qi Dao coaching in 2000, he has provided wellness, peak performance and life coaching to hundreds of clients of all ages from all walks of life.  For years, he operated Portland Qigong Clinic – one of just a handful of Qigong clinics in the United States at that time.  He also founded Academy of Qi Dao – the first and only Qigong School in Guam.

Rinpoche is an author of numerous articles as well as multimedia training materials.  Being an avid speaker and presenter, he appeared on many radio and TV programs in the US, Guam and abroad.  He is the executive producer and host of his own Internet Radio show “The Secret of Qigong Masters.”  He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the USA National Qigong (Chi Kung) Association.

For more information about Qi Dao coaching, workshops, retreats, and long-distance learning opportunities, visit us online at www.qidao.org.

 

 

On Meditation

Meditation can be described as an experience of being in a state of mind that does not require any thinking to be aware of the experience. In most cases, if you think that you are meditating, by default, you are not meditating, because your mind is busy thinking. On the other hand, meditation is quite distinct from a deep sleep where you are completely unconscious of your experience. To the contrary, when meditating, you may experience much greater degrees of consciousness than the habitual level of awareness in your daily life. This is not unlike becoming lucid in a night-dream and realizing that you have never been so awake… even in your daily life.

Think about it: whatever you know about your live is based on your recollection of the facts and events of your life. Your knowledge about life in general is based on the same mechanism of memory that allows you to remember your dreams; that is why the line between the dreaming and waking states of consciousness quickly disappears under scrutiny. Moreover, few people would doubt nowadays that everything in this world is made of energy, just like everything in your dreams is made of nothing else than the energy of consciousness. The true nature of reality is one and the same in both of these worlds - the dream world and the world of daily life - suggesting that they actually are not two separate realities but one mystical universe, however strange or even weird things may appear in different parts of it. You might even say that the only distinction between the daily world and your dream world is in being able to tell that you were dreaming once you wake up, but you may not have such a wherewithal in your daily life… perhaps, until the dream called life is over and you wake up from it.

“By following my teachings of Dream Yoga and regularly practicing these Qi Dao meditations, you will learn to recognize that you are dreaming during your dreams, which is called lucidity or lucid dreaming. Being lucid literally means knowing that you are dreaming while having a dream (it applies to both day- and night-dreams). It has many profound implications that directly link it to enlightenment. Indeed, being awake in the dream allows you to:

* Recognize that each and every one of the dream characters, objects and experiences in your dreams are products of your own dreaming consciousness
* Realize that all the qualities of your dream characters and the whole dream world reflect back to you those aspects of your consciousness that you don’t identify with
* Learn to identify not only with your own persona, but also with any other dream characters, since they are all the parts of the same Dream Being, which will lead you to a deep understanding of everything and everyone, as well as developing compassion
* Heal whatever ails you as well as any ailments of your dream characters by connecting to the unmanifest dreams hidden beneath the ailments and enabling those dormant aspects of your dreaming to manifest in the most harmonious fashion
* Demonstrate that your physical abilities, mental capacities and creativity are limited only by your own inhibitions, ignorance or self-limiting beliefs
* Know that fighting against the flow of dreaming is a sure way to transform any dream into a nightmare and promote further suffering
* Comprehend that being creative does not need to translate into manipulating anything in your dream, but rather into finding more creative ways to be in the flow of your dreaming
* Trust that the flow of your dreaming, however mysterious and unpredictable, comes from the source within you - the dreamer
* Expand your sense of identity from merely one of the dream characters to identifying with the dreamer, also referred to as Dream Being; on the grand scale, the creator and the creation are one - the entire universe is dreaming itself into existence.

Imagine now that you can translate all these qualities of consciousness into your daily life. That would be bona-fide enlightenment, wouldn’t it? As I wrote in my recently published book entitled Qi Dao - Tibetan Shamanic Qigong: The Art of Being in the Flow, ‘What I call enlightenment is being completely lucid and awake to the reality of the dream called life… realizing that the source of your individual dreams is the same as the mystical source of the big dream called life.’ This source is what I refer to as Dream Being, which is also the totality of this existence.

Discover the magic of Shamanic meditation as taught by Lama Somananda Tantrapa. This extraordinary audio CD will take you on a mystical journey of discovering your inner world, the world of lucid dreaming and spiritual adventure. In addition to the foundational methods in Dream Yoga and Bön – Tibetan Shamanism, this unique CD also includes the special meditation serving as a preparation for the Qi Dao Initiation into the practice of Empowerment.

A bonus feature, the self-healing practice from the first book in the Qi Dao trilogy, will help you transcend your own patterns of holding tension and become centered. You may enjoy this practice on your own although it is easier to learn and master with a practice partner or a Certified Qi Dao coach. Being centered is essential for developing greater sensitivity of subtle flows of Qi, which will enable you to be in the flow. Learning to be consistently centered may even lead you to receiving an Initiation into the Qi Dao tribe of spiritual adventurers.

Regularly practicing these meditations, you are destined to experience:

· Being accepting of and attentive to your life’s lessons

· Being present and never stuck in the head

· Being grounded, rooted and centered

· Being relaxed, natural and spontaneous

· Being awake in the dream called your daily life

· Being in the flow, in the right place and at the right time.

What is Enlightenment?

I would like to share a little about my views on the nature of enlightenment. Let me offer an alternative perspective on this subject as well as welcome any suggestions, opinions and questions. If you consider a possibility that all you know about your life is based on the memories containing some ostensible facts about you, it will seem to be somewhat similar to whatever you may know about your dreams, which is also based on your memories. Some of the memories about your life may be corroborated by others, which is supposed to make that information more objective; however, we all know about social agreements and how much they support some ubiquitous stereotypes that are really far from being “objective reality,” i.e. judgments made from any religious perspective.

Just contemplating on whatever you know about your life versus what others know about it may provide you with some entertaining revelations as to the falsehood of other people’s perceptions of your real nature. Indeed, most of us cover up various aspects of our personal histories and pretend to be more presentable in order to secure others’ acceptance and approval. This forms what I call “personality mask” that many people wear for so long that they even forget that they wear it. Some have more than one mask, which allow them to play several different roles – kind of like wearing different hats: spouse, partner, parent, employee, boss, student, churchgoer, patriot, etc.

The inside of the mask is the layered with a special material called “identity” that allows you to choose which mask to put on when you feel like identifying with a certain mode of being or the role you are supposed to play. What is fascinating about this identity stuff is that it was not even made to fit your face but was rather imposed onto you by others in the positions of authority or temporary influence. Perhaps, a certain label, like a nickname, happened to be more or less matching on one particular occasion or during some period in your life and then it stuck around to become an inseparable part of your mask. You know when to introduce yourself by that nickname or otherwise represent yourself using the appropriate mask by tuning into the sense of identity associated with it. When others perceive you with that mask on, they may even comment on the qualities of your “personality” they perceive looking at the mask. That could contribute to making you believe that those are really your qualities, thus solidifying the mask and making you feel as though your personality is what you are.

After some contemplation, people tend to acknowledge that whatever they know about themselves (which is usually derived from the words of other people) is just a tiny tip of the iceberg, while the rest of the iceberg represents what they do not know about themselves. Well, if we consider that the mask of personality is that known part of the iceberg, than enlightenment may be the process of discovering and identifying with the deeper, greater part of your being that sustains and supports the existence of the little tip visible to others. Alas, many of us get so used to relating to the masks of everyone around us that we forget that there is much more to each and every one of us. Being able to shift your attention from the superficial appearance of a person you are relating to in any given moment can create an opportunity for enlightenment of that person, since he or she may begin to relate to and embody his or her inner nature instead of the superficial mask. We should really begin this process with ourselves by learning to relate to our own inner nature, which is the deepest part of every one of us, since we are all one underwater. Therefore, enlightenment may be also understood as self-realization of the inherent oneness of everything and everyone in the dream called life.

That is right; since our knowledge about life is based on the same mechanism of memory that allows us to remember our dreams, than the fine line between the two states of consciousness quickly disappears under scrutiny. Moreover, few people would doubt nowadays that everything in this world is made of energy – just like everything in our dreams is made of nothing else than the energy of consciousness. The true nature of things is one and the same in both of these worlds suggesting that they are not really two but one dream world, however tangible and realistic everything appears in it. Some might say that the only distinction is that we can tell that we were dreaming upon awakening, whilst we often have no such ability in our daily lives. Well, we actually do have an uncanny ability to recognize that we are dreaming during the night dreams, which is called lucidity or becoming lucid in the dream. This same ability to be awake to the true nature of dream-like reality of our daily lives is what I call enlightenment or spiritual awakening. Since we all tend to fall asleep even after the most profound awakenings, enlightenment has to be an on-going process rather than a final destination of the spiritual journey.

About the author

Lama Somananda Tantrapa is the holder of the lineage of Qi Dao that has been fostered in his clan for 27 generations since 1224 AD.  He has over 30 years of experience in Qi Dao and other internal martial arts.  After pioneering Qi Dao Coaching in 2000, he has provided wellness, peak performance and life coaching to hundreds of clients from all walks of life.  His coaching has inspired many professional athletes, speakers, dancers, singers, writers and actors to open up to the infinite source of power that exists within everyone. 

            Lama Tantrapa authored the book and DVD entitled “Qi Dao – Tibetan Shamanic Qigong.”  Being an avid speaker and presenter, he appeared on many radio and TV programs in the US, Guam and abroad.  He currently serves on the NQA Board of Directors. For more information about Qi Dao Coaching, workshops, retreats, and long-distance learning opportunities, visit www.qidao.org.