in co-ordination with the Earth's cycles and rhythms. Awareness existed of connectivity among the principles of Earth, life, and health, but expressed in the language of the day. Qi (pronounced chee) is a central principle in the long history of Chinese knowledge and is regarded as the energy or natural force that fills the universe. From India's Vedic past comes an equivalent term, prana, meaning 'vital force.' In the Chinese tradition, Heaven Qi is made up of the forces that heavenly bodies exert on the Earth, such as sunshine, moonlight, and the moon's effect on the tides. Earth Qi, influenced and controlled by Heaven Qi, is made up of lines and patterns of energy, as well as the Earth's magnetic field and the heat concealed underground. And within the Earth Qi, individuals, animals, and plants have their own Qi field. All natural things, in this concept, grow and are influenced by the natural cycles of Heaven Qi and Earth Qi. Earth Qi is absorbed, without thinking about it, when we walk barefoot, which may explain why it's so relaxing to walk without shoes and why exercises geared toward strengthening the body and relaxing the mind (yoga, tai chi, and qigong, for instance) are often practiced without footwear. A central focus in Chinese practices involves 'growing a root' and has to do with opening up communication between the bottom of the feet and the Earth. This process occurs through the 'yong quan point,' also known in acupuncture as the 'kidney 1 point'. The ancient Greeks surely knew something about this concept. Hercules, one of the greatest heroes of Greek mythology, fought and defeated the giant Antaeus, who was renowned as a great wrestler. As the story goes, Antaeus was invincible as long as his feet remained in contact with the Earth, from where he drew his strength. He had never been defeated. Hercules, knowing Antaeus' secret, lifts the giant off the ground and strangles him to death. Native Americans certainly honoured the connection to the Earth. The late Ota Kte (Luther Standing Bear), a writer, educator, and tribal leader from the Lakota Sioux tradition, summed it up this way: 'The old people came literally to love the soil. They sat on the ground with the feeling of being close to a mothering power. It was good for the skin to touch the Earth, and the old people liked to remove their moccasins and walk with their bare feet on the sacred Earth. The soil was soothing, strengthening, cleansing, and healing.'
CONNECT TO THE EARTH & HEAL
This book will show you just how soothing, strengthening, and healing the Earth is. It will totally change the way you regard the ground under your feet and your relationship to the planet you live on. For most people, reconnecting with Mother Earth (see video) usually means camping, hiking, gardening, going to the beach, or pursuing some other activity t ] ?] \??? \?8?$?[??? H[? ??[8?$? ? H????H??] \?K?H ?X???X?[? ?H [?X??][? \?????\? ??Y][??Y??\?[? ??H ?X???X?[? ?HYX[? Z?[???? [?\? ??\?[? ?????[? ?] [?? ?[?[??? ?[?[???\?Y???? H??[? ??Y][?? ]\?X??? ][ H??YH[?]?Z[X?H
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