NEWSLETTER

Dear Friend of Heartwood,

It is my pleasure to introduce our new e-newsletter which includes healthcare articles written by the excellent practitioners of Heartwood Center for Body Mind Spirit in downtown Evanston. We hope that this will spark your interest and be of benefit to your health and well-being.

The Heartwood Center just celebrated its 7th birthday with our annual fall barbecue. Each year, we say goodbye to those practitioners and teachers moving on and welcome the new ones joining us.

Our center continues to offer the best care in the areas of psychotherapy, Asian medicine and acupuncture, and massage therapy. Our busy classroom is full of classes, such as T'ai Chi, yoga, Nia and meditation.

I welcome you to check out our website, www.heartwoodcenter.com, and come visit us
soon!

Have a healthy and happy fall!

Nancy Floy
President & Executive Director

Why Study T'ai Chi

"The most important reason to study T’ai Chi is that
when you finally reach the place where you understand
what life is about, you’ll have some health to enjoy it."

- Cheng Man-ch'ing, T'ai Chi master,
calligrapher, painter, poet

Practicing proper breathing and practicing T'ai Chi are two of the most important things we can do for ourselves to increase quality of life right now and promote inner stability as we move forward in our lives. It applies to all ages and fitness levels.

T'ai Chi is an ancient Chinese practice of slow, flowing movements that reduces stress and promotes proper breathing, relaxation and balance. It is based on the ancient Taoist concept of yin and yang, which is the pursuit of balance in all things. Movements are active/passive, forward/backward, open/closed, expansion/contraction, full/empty, all to balance yin and yang. Names of movements mirror and copy nature, — return to mountain, crane spreads its wings, embrace the tiger, snake creeps down — all promoting physical and emotional balance.

It is not surprising that we feel present in the moment when standing on a snow-capped mountain, watching a deep orange sunset amid pink and lavender clouds, wading in a clear, bubbling stream or watching some long-beaked pelicans riding the ocean currents near the shore without having to flap their wings. All these are relaxing and soothing because the energy of the mountains, water and birds is perfect, the best possible energy — stillness in motion. We can experience this inside ourselves, be transformed to stillness with motion and feel relaxed with good energy, through T'ai Chi. It brings us to nature whether we are practicing under a tree or inside in a classroom.

People often mention that just watching T'ai Chi makes them feel peaceful; it looks like a slow-moving dance. The main reasons it looks and feels peaceful, whether by watching or experiencing it, are proper alignment, weight-shifting and breathing; hands and arms stay in alignment with the body. It is the waist that turns, energy coming from the tan t’ien, our major source of energy and center of gravity, a couple inches below the belly-button. It is intentional weight-shifting, moving from equal weight on each leg (50% – 50%) to full (100%) on one leg and empty (0%) on the other.

This fundamental T'ai Chi principle, of shifting weight and breathing — from full to empty, empty to full — gives us a great lesson for daily living. We need to empty out before we fill up, rather than trying to do more, take on more without emptying out. We need to learn to empty out and clear our minds; this is important for promoting balance and inner harmony, whether it is with our closet, relationships, work or social activities.

Another fundamental principle involved in T'ai Chi is about Qi, the overall essence of life itself. It is the life force energy within us. In fact it is in all life, whether it's humans, plants, creatures, planets, the sun and moon. Through T'ai Chi, we intentionally cultivate and circulate our Qi, manage our bodies and calm our minds; we can produce a powerful medicine from within ourselves. This knowing is deeply rooted in Chinese medicine, working with Qi on many levels to help the body heal itself. Whether coming to see a Chinese medicine health care practitioner or coming into a new T'ai Chi class, likely the first concept that is discussed will be Qi.

The principles of body alignment, weight-shifting, breathing and cultivating and circulating Qi help us understand and feel what Cheng Man-chi’ing said about having our health to enjoy life when we finally reach a place to understand what it is about – the most important reason to study T'ai Chi.

The change of seasons calls us to pay attention. The ebb and flow of nature is changing and so are we. As this cycle moves to more of a yin manifestation, one of inward, quiet and colder moments, we are invited to explore and strengthen our internal energy. T'ai Chi may be calling to you, from centuries ago, to this current time and place, to begin a wonderful practice to help heal and grow and have health, starting where you are right now.

“When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be.”
- LaoTzu Chinese Taoist Philosopher
b. 600 b.c.e.

See more info about Heartwood T'ai Chi classes or visit www.faulktaichi.com. You can also email instructor Arlene Faulk or call 312.642.0722.

Psychotherapy from an Eastern Perspective

In Chinese Medicine, health is a matter of being in balance or harmony. There is a constant dynamic pull between the energy of Yin and Yang. Yin is the quiet, internal reflective and feminine part of a person. Yang is the external, forceful, active and masculine part of a person. Every person has idiosyncratic characteristics of both Yin and Yang.

Signs and symptoms that a person is experiencing are messages telling of an imbalance between Yin and Yang. Is there too much energy in one place and possibly a lack of energy in another? Is someone too "up" or too "down"? In my psychotherapy practice, I rely on these age-old understandings to help me diagnose "the problem" and not "the person." From this framework, we form an experiment that is designed to bring the person into better balance or harmony. I also rely on other Eastern/Buddhist principles as well, including acceptance of what is happening now, and mindfulness.

Often unexpressed or denied feelings can contribute to a state of disharmony and unhappiness. During a session, the clients become aware of themselves in a deeper way, understanding how they may be contributing to their own imbalance, and how to correct it. Acceptance and expression of these blocked feelings or emotions allow for relief and a return to balance, harmony and peace.

David H. Johnson, LCSW, is at Heartwood most days of the week and is available for daytime, evening and Saturday morning appointments. You may leave a message on his 24-hour confidential voice mail at 847.475.3017, or via email.