Tag: mindfulness

  • Qi gong giver ro og glæde i hverdagen

    Qi gong giver ro og glæde i hverdagen – og jeg kunne ikke forestille mig en bedre instruktør end Thomas 

    Jeg havde ikke prøvet qi gong, før Thomas introducerede mig for det for snart et års tid siden. Og sikke en rejse, det har været.

    Thomas har en meget umiddelbar tilgang til denne stående meditationsform, der også inkorporerer bevægelser, beslægtet med tai chi. Tingene er, som de er, og skal ikke tages for tunge. Ej hellere skal øvelserne udføres med for meget målrettet intention. Det gælder mere om at være i øvelserne, og i sig selv, og acceptere alle de utilstrækkeligheder, man selv eller verden måtte have. 

    Samtidig er qi gong en søgen efter det sublime, det at være i nuet. Sammen. Det gælder om, som Thomas formulerer det, at trække det ofte støvede og tunge forhæng til side, og bare være, acceptere og smile sig vej lige ind i tilværelsens epicenter: Det nu, som vi alle har, hele tiden, men som vi så ofte glemmer. 

    Ligesom denne filosofiske overbygning er et paradoks mellem accept og intentionel søgen, er også øvelserne et paradoks. I qi gong gælder det om at gå lidt ned i knæ, skabe jordforbindelse, komme op på forfoden, skyde hoften frem, løfte armene som træet, der strækker sine grene ud til siden, holde positionen og så, ja, slappe af i hele kroppen. Det er selvfølgelig nærmest umuligt. Men samtidig er det umagen værd. Det at stå i denne løbende proces mellem afslapning og anspændthed, giver sindet noget at arbejde med og en særlig ro. Og når man efter ugers og måneders træning er blevet mere bekendt med qi gong, giver øvelserne også en særlig glæde. Det er glæden ved bare at få lov at være. Lige nu. Lige her. 

    Det er netop roen og glæden, jeg værdsætter ved qi gong. Og Thomas’ indføring i øvelserne er både ligetil og udfordrende på samme tid. Thomas er en formidabel instruktør, der både forklarer og viser øvelserne på en let forståelig måde, der dog altid lader uendelig meget plads til fordybelse – jeg vil med vilje ikke bruge ordet forbedring i denne sammenhæng. Idet Thomas løbende italesætter det, han viser, er instruktionerne ligetil, og man bliver hele tiden mindet om at bevare fokus på øvelserne. Samtidig er øvelserne så mangfoldige, at det aldrig bliver kedeligt at dyrke qi gong sammen med Thomas. Det virker som om, han har et utømmeligt reservoir af øvelser.  

    Jeg kan ikke anbefale det nok at prøve qi gong sammen med Thomas. Her bliver du taget med på en både filosofisk og kropslig rejse, der giver ro og glæde i hverdagen.

    Merlin Christophersen, 19. December 2024
  • Taiji og qigong spire videre i mit hverdagsliv

    Jeg er blevet undervist af Thomas i 1 halvt år. Begyndte at lave taiji i 2007. Jeg begyndte på taiji og qigong af 3 hovedgrunde. For det første ønskede jeg at ændre en mega spændt krop – af fodbold og skovarbejde. En krop der konstant røg ud i skader og som osse fik disse ord med på vejen af en massør” Hvis du var et dyr var du blevet aflivet!” Den anden grund var ønsket om at få alle mine ukontrollerede tanker til at slappe lidt af med deres extreme bombardement af mit væsen.  Sidst men ikke mindst så ønskede jeg at dyrke noget i et fællesskab, hvor der var kropskontakt ala leg, dans og kamp.

    Undervisning hos Thomas, Qigong Gentofte:  Mærker at når selv små og simple kropsjusteringer og holdningsændringer implementeres  så forandres  hele min tilstedeværelse i min daglige gøren og laden.

    Der anvendes en træning der bla.a. bruger  konkrete eksempler fra naturen, hvor vi spejler os i træernes, buskenes, græssets o.s.v.s lette og ubekymrede væren.

    Thomas er en lærer der lader det der sker komme under en ærlig og kærlig lup. Hvilket giver mig selv en unik mulighed for at reflektere og  mærke min egen krop og sinds styrker og mangler. Og således kan der blidt arbejdes videre med det..

    Mængden af øvelser Thomas har i sin rygsæk synes for mig utømmeligt og af stor kvalitet.

    Jeg elsker det faktum at  taijien og qigongen der praktiseres i timen bringes med ud af træningslokalet for at spire videre i mit hverdagsliv.

    Lars Jensen, Søborg, Danmark

    Testimonial from Qigong Gentofte 2017
  • Qi Gong is efficient and fascinating

    “Qi Gong is an efficient and fascinating way to preserve and improve one’s health. If you are serious about Qi Gong and looking for a teacher to guide you on the path to wellbeing then Thomas Dyhr is your man”

    Søren Brøndholt Nielsen, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Testimonial from Qigong Gentofte 2017
  • From something to nothing and back again

    I let go to land in no-man’s-land.

    Heaven and earth are one.
    The circle and the square are the same.

    They part necessarily, without effort.
    First boundless stillness, then endless movement.

    There’s no sense in speaking of form or formlessness.
    Substance or non-substance—what is the difference?

    Body, energy, and mind—what are they?
    I am merely a channel for nature’s forces.

    My mind moves and fills the form.
    Empty yet full, the universe fills itself.

    I stand in the center.
    Seeing the master and servant work.

    When we offer no resistance,
    we meet with no resistance.

    Miracles and Mysteries.
    Everyday things are welcomed as a friend.

    I have no mind that is my own.
    Over time, this too fades away.

    Perfection in imperfection.
    Imperfection in perfection.

    It seems as if I am here, yet I am not. I am not, yet I am right here.

    Others cannot grasp it. I cannot comprehend it either.

    Naturally—it’s all right.

    (A poem on the liberation of mind, heart, and intention—“Shen, Xin & Yi”—in spiritual practices such as Standing Meditation, Qigong, Neigong, Neijia, and Taiji)

    Translation of “Fra noget til ingenting og tilbage igen” from Qigong Gentofte 2015

  • I recommend him to anyone who would like to learn Qigong

    I first met Thomas when I did my PhD in Copenhagen. He had just started teaching an introductory Qi Gong class in the international student house there.
    From the first class onwards I felt at home with him and his approach and stayed in the class for more than two years, until I left Copenhagen. Thomas was gentle and relaxed in a genuine and wholesome way, an authentic person whom I very much enjoyed to be around. He cared about everyone in the class and created a safe space for playful exploration and learning. I looked forward to every class. Over time, the circle of members learning and practicing Qi Gong turned into a group of friends, good friends. I think that was amazing and beautiful. I am very grateful for having met Thomas and cannot recommend him highly enough to anyone who would like to learn and practice Qi Gong or simply surround themselves with a very authentic, humane and kind person.

    -olaf

    Testimonial from Qigong Gentofte 2017
  • Taiji essentials in practise

    Essentials in Practising the Taiji Solo Set & Playing Hands

    by Li Yiyu

    An earlier teacher said: “If you can draw the opponent in to land on nothing, you can then use four ounces of force to move his of a thousand pounds. If you cannot draw the opponent in to land on nothing, you cannot use four ounces to move a thousand pounds.” These words are rather vague and a beginner would not understand them. I will explain further so that those who want this skill are in a position to begin and then after much regular training get to possess it:

    If you want to draw the opponent into emptiness and use four ounces to move a thousand pounds, you first must know both yourself and the opponent. If you want to know both yourself and the opponent, you first must let go of your plans and just respond to the opponent. If you want to let go of your plans and just respond to the opponent, you first must be in the right place at the right time. If you want to be in the right place at the right time, you first must get your whole body to behave as one unit. If you want to get your whole body to behave as one unit, you first must get your whole body to be without cracks or gaps. If you want to get your whole body to be without cracks or gaps, you first must get your spirit and energy to be ready. If you want your spirit and energy to be ready, you first must rouse your spirit. If you want to rouse your spirit, you must first keep it from being distracted. If you want to keep your spirit from being distracted, you first must get your spirit and energy to gather and collect in your spine. If you want to get your spirit and energy to gather and collect in your spine, you first must get the front of your thighs to have strength, get your shoulders to loosen, and get your energy to sink downward.

    Power starts from your heel, is transferred through your leg, stored in your chest, moved at your shoulders, and controlled at your waist. In your upper body, your arms are connected with each other. In your lower body, your legs are coordinated with each other. Power is transferred from within. Gathering is contracting. Releasing is expanding. When becoming still, everything becomes still. Stillness refers to contracting. When contraction finishes, there will be expansion. When there is movement, everything moves. Movement refers to expanding. When expansion finishes, there will be contraction. Then when there is contact, you can turn smoothly and will be strong everywhere. You will then be able to draw the opponent in to land on nothing and use four ounces of force to move his of a thousand pounds.

    Whenever you practice the solo set, it is the practice of knowing yourself. Before moving through the postures, make sure your whole body is in accord with the principles as stated above. When the slightest part is off, immediately adjust it. To facilitate this, the set should be done slowly rather than quickly. Playing hands is the practice of knowing the opponent. His movement and stillness must be firmly comprehended. Still examine yourself as well. If I am in good order myself, then when the opponent comes near me, I do not need to act upon him at all, but take advantage of his momentum to find a way in. Connecting firmly to his power, I let him cause himself to fall out. If you do not have a strong position, this is simply a case of double pressure rather than neutralization, and you should seek within passive and active, or contracting and expanding, to fix it. It is said [Art of War, chapter 3]: “Knowing both self and opponent, in a hundred battles you will have a hundred victories.”

    Reference: THE TAIJI MANUAL OF GU RUZHANG | Brennan Translation

  • Decompartmentalization

    We have so many compartments in our lives. How can we bring meditation out of the meditation hall and in to the kitchen,and the office? In the meditation hall we sit quietly, and try to be aware of each breath. How can our sitting influence our non-sitting time? When a doctor gives you an injection,not only your arm but your whole body benefits from it. When you practice half an hour of sitting meditation a day, that time should be for all twenty—four hours, and not just for that half-hour.One smile,one breath,shouldbeforthebenefitofthewholeday,not just for that moment. We must practice in away that removes the barrier between practice and non—practice.

    When we walk in the meditation hall, we make careful steps,very slowly. But when we go to the airport or the supermarket, we become quite another person. We walk very quickly, less mindfully. How can we practice mindfulness at the airport and in the supermarket? I have a friend who breathes between tele- phone calls, and it helps her very much. Another friend does walking meditation between business appointments, walking mindfully between buildings in downtown Denver. Passersby smile at him,and his meetings, even with diflicult persons, often turn out to bequite pleasant, and very successful.

    We should beable to bring the practice from the meditation hall in to our daily lives. We need to discuss among our selves how to do it. Do you practice breathing between phone calls? Do you practice smiling while cutting carrots? Do you practice relaxation after hours of hard work? These are practical questions. If you know how to apply meditation to dinner time, leisure time, sleeping time, it will penetrate your daily life, and it will also have a tremendous effect on social concerns. Mindfulness can penetrate the activities of everyday life, each minute,each hour of our daily life, and not just be a description of something far away.

    Reference: Peace Is Every Step p. 34-35 by Thich Nhat Hanh