How do we keep our frustration motivating us to make powerful changes in our lives and our world, and not just breaking us down or making us miserable?
The Qigong lineage I inherited from Dashi Baugh contains an exercise specifically for this purpose - the "Punching with Angry Eyes" exercise from our Eight Brocades Qigong set.
Sifu often said "This Qigong is for Spiritual Warriors," explaining that those of us who crave peace will often internalize and repress our anger, frustration, or even rage. We need a method to get those mobilizing energies OUT, so they don't get stuck and harm our own bodies.
The video above is excerpted from part three of the 'Qigong for the Spring Season' course. This exercise uses movement of the body, the facial expression, and breath regulation to help get those stuck energies out of repression and back into FLOW.
A wonderful thing about this exercise is also that it's not particularly cathartic. It's not like the "beating the pillow" that some psychologists used to recommend, which can be destabilizing for those who've been out of touch with anger or personal power. Rather, this exercise balances an emphasis on expression - through punching out and opening the eyes, but also on peace through the calm inhales.
