We live in a time when ancient wisdom and modern science are melding together to bring unprecedented benefits to our practice and life.
To experience the benefit we must take the time to learn and apply the methods, techniques, and tools of effective practice. The difference between a scholar and a practitioner is that the scholar understands the benefits of these well-being practices yet the practitioner realizes them within their life and therefore understands experientially.
So, a willingness to train and develop our capacity to “do the work” and practice well is the path to health, abundance… and the rest of the promises and fruits of a well-trained life.
As a practitioner of the healing arts myself, I like to take the time to understand the principles behind the various practice that I engage in so that:
a) I am motivated and inspired
b) I can better lead myself in life by engaging in the practices that bring the kinds of qualities and benefits that I need to develop or might need at any given moment*
(*Side note: For Ancient philosophers (or “lovers of wisdom” ) philosophy wasn’t academic but innately practical and they engaged in the practice to have understanding and wisdom “READY AT HAND” when needed in the face of the difficulties and challenges of life.)
…all the more reason to be developing a well-being practice, leadership, and mental development toolkit.
c) Knowing the principles means I can better design my own practices in a balanced, effective, and practical way.
Healing Principles and Practice
Here is a good analogy to keep in mind as we proceed to practice design.
In cooking, we need a whole set of spices and seasonings, we have to have tasted them all individually and together in order to know what flavors work together, and when they might be needed in any given dish. Additionally, it helps greatly to understand a little bit about the laws of thermodynamics and heat transfer for effective cooking of various ingredients and dishes which in turn, optimizes the flavor of the final product.
Equally, Yoga (Asana) is a practice that cultivates resilience, strength, and suppleness whereas Qi gong is a practice that emphasizes flow, ease, and effortless expansion. Therefore, for balanced yoga practice, we could bring in a conscious intention to practice with more flow and ease or we could bring in specific Qi Gong moves into our yoga practice, and/or we could practice Qi Gong alongside Asana to bring maximal results.
Toolkit Design
So our toolkit can be informed by principles and methods from many fields of study and practice. For example, practices can be supported by:
- A little anatomical and physiological science. Understanding how healthy bodies function, breathe, and move enables one to hone their Asana practice in a safe, effective, and deeply functional way.
- Knowledge of Wisdom teachings. Traditionally, principles such as virtue, ethical conduct, and lifestyle, as well as breath awareness and mindfulness, nature connection, and prayer are all components of effective practice.
- Leadership and developmental psychology. How can the beneficial qualities cultivated in our practice enhance our performance in life/work/projects etc? What specific qualities do we need? What practices do we need to develop them? How are we practicing? And can we do so more effectively?
- Psychological Science. Understanding a little about attachment theory can inform our practice of cultivating compassion and love as it helps us understand any blocks or barriers we might have. Therefore, with understanding, compassion grows.
Then there are different areas of training and developmental techniques:
- Functional Training- Teaches how to develop strength and effective strategies for development.
- Meditation — This is a practice that teaches us how to develop Wisdom, Compassion, Awareness/Mindfulness, and other factors of awakening.
- Yoga (Asana)- This is a practice that cultivates resilience and flexibility.
- Qi Gong- Teaches us the art of effortless expansion, flow, and ease.
- Creative and Reflective Writing— This helps ensure our practice develops in the right direction.
As you can see all of these practices and areas of study can inform a single practice such as how we practice Yoga (Asana).
Equally, the qualities and/or understandings developed in one area can be brought into every other area of our practice and life… Well, that’s sort of the point!