A Smile from the Heart
After a wonderful morning practice, with bamboo swaying in the wind, river birds accompanying me with their sound and the wind brushing my skin, I feel truly thankful for Sifu Angel my teacher and loving partner, for his knowledge, teachings and transmission of the marvelous practice of Chi Kung.
I would like to share an experience, which occurred during the practice of the Five Animal Play.
The first couple of weeks nothing particular happened, I was just trying not to intellectualize, not to worry and enjoy the healing process and Chi flow.
When Sifu Angel returned from his trip from Malaysia and joined me again in my daily practice and after stomping my feet like a bear, I felt my belly swell up, as if I were 6 month pregnant. The following days of practice it kept on happening, some times more and some times less.
Once it felt as well, as if a baby was moving in my belly.
Time has gone by and this sensation has diminished, but still from time to time a light sensation like this happens and I feel a strong energy flow into the dan tian, of the abdominal area.
In my practice of only one and a half years of Chi Kung, I have had many wonderful experiences. My energy levels went up nearly immediately, which was wonderful, as I often felt depleted of energy and exhausted. I am a healer and work as a massage therapist, I had troubles with joint pain and starting Arthritis, which has since disappeared completely.
I had frequent troubles with my Sinus, but this has become part of the past.
One of the best things however was, that I was suffering for many years from a condition called irritable bowel syndrome, which limited me greatly from enjoying life fully. I had tried many different approaches, supplements, exercising and I had a check up with a Gastroenterologist, who recommended a certain diet, but to no avail. I researched many pages just to find it to be one of the so called “incurable diseases”, however the daily practice of Chi Kung healed me.
I had as well problems with my breasts and the level of disease, showed a higher level with each mammography, but after practicing Chi Kung, this problem has disappeared as well.
I remember Sifu Angel telling me the first day, just “smile from your heart” and me answering him “when I smile, I always smile form my heart', since then, time has past and I have come to truly understand the bliss and lightness, when you are smiling from you heart and soul.
I see the miracle and beauty in this gentle practice and I am truly grateful and thankful to have such a great Master by my side.
With all my respect, love and a smile from the heart.
Iris Klare
March 11, 2018
It's my way
"It's My Way"...
When I began what was a challenge for me, a different journey, I discovered that it would become more of a sacrifice. Look, I had walked before, but this Path was something very hard. Full of silence, loneliness, signs, leaving fear behind, meeting me even if I didn't want to.
I remember, I always heard that the third day would be the strongest, and for me it had already been the first. What a first day! And precisely the first day, and because of the bad habit of mistrusting me, I thought that I could not (I think others too). Thinking that I would lose myself, being afraid of walking alone. It is that I felt so disoriented, perhaps the time, the place, aware of everyone, except me. Imagine the other four days, it already caused me pain and more than pain, uncertainty.
Our group was spectacular, with a good sense of humor, friendly, happy, active, very nice people. I met an expert, with an incredible personality and an enviable knowledge of the Camino. Attentive to what she told us, she was not wrong at all.
I tried to internalize each of the details and thus I was discovering them little by little on the Camino. Everything as it was told, so was each section. I didn't feel so lost anymore. For me he became a counselor, a kind of “coach”, perhaps without him imagining that he would form an essential part of my journey because I was the way I was, perhaps too sensitive or weak for the Camino, I needed a little more. And how strong, when he said to me: "Let's go pilgrim" ... I reaffirm that nobody comes into your life because yes, each person we meet has a reason, a purpose, a space, a time, a blessing. As well as each one I found.
To continue, I had to apply what I heard, which would be "My Way." I had to focus on what was really important to me, think more about what I was looking for, keep finding myself, walk by my intention, by diabetes, among other requests that I carried in my mind, others that arose from my heart. Follow the arrows, follow the signs.
Thus, never in my life had I prayed or walked so much. Perhaps I did not have the physical preparation that others, but the spiritual helped me to feel determined, to dominate my mind, to connect, to walk consciously, it helped me to complete my journey. Learn to climb as an old woman and arrive as a young man, to learn that no pilgrim walks alone and that without pain there is no reward. Hearing at the end that the harder it was for, the greater the satisfaction, it made me feel so identified. Never forget the joy that the end of each stage produced in me.
The Camino de Santiago de Compostela! I still wake up and feel in a cloud because of what I have experienced. So many feelings experienced, a pain without measure, but full of joy. Finding so many different people, the same, special, angels, names that are not here but appear in your mind, others who are in heaven and suddenly decide to accompany you, give you encouragement, remind you that there is another life after this full of happiness, others that must be left behind. In Santiago, that's how a pilgrim talked to me about flamenco, he sang to me about Camarón; so a pilgrim told me about diabetes, about health; Thus a pilgrim of some 75 years walking 30 days took a photo of me at kilometer 42, my age, to show me that it is never too late to walk and it is enough to have what you need; thus a pilgrim gave me a chocolate to cheer me up and fill me with courage; So a pilgrim greeted me and made the way on crutches, to remind me that I must be graceful because I have two good legs even if they hurt; so a young pilgrim at the end accompanied me to remind me of my piece of sun. Among many other stories ... So when I thought I was walking alone, I was more accompanied. I walked with what I love the most, and although sometimes it hurts, as my body hurt, I have had to live: memories, my family, my friends, music, food, simple things, old age, pain, joy , smile from the heart, health, diabetes ... As well as at the end of the day and my biggest and best surprise to receive my Compostela with my name in Latin, which was my daughter's name, to see the botafumeiro, to hug Santiago who he walked much more than me.
I cannot speak of my experience as one that no one can live because I also learned that in the end it is My Way and each one makes his own at his own pace, in his own way. Nobody judges himself on the Camino. Just share it and reaffirm that nothing is a coincidence, there is a divine and perfect order guided by the Father and I confirmed it in my life, I share it, I owe everything to Him. I also thank the significant people in my life, those who They are there, those who have come for some of those little things that accompanied me on this path, I love them and respect them, now more. "The important thing is not to arrive, the important thing is the path, the important thing is you and I and the love we build" - Fito Páez.
Marie Cartagena
October 2013