Inside you, infused into every cell, muscle and hair follicle is another body, your life energy force.  We look at this as the spiritual self, energy self, your aura or as Asian medicine teaches your Chi.

Your Chi energy travels through the network of nerves from the brain through to the floor and back again giving you the needed feedback of the world around you.  The basic stuff it feeds back is; am I cold or hot; am I on solid ground or soft; am I wet or dry but there is more information being sent to us much more that for the most part we have lost the ability to understand.

Your Chi will tell you if something is wrong with the physical body’s health and it will also tell you if the person you are talking to is a friend or an enemy.  By learning to direct the Chi energy we are capable of defending ourselves or feeling the pain that someone else is experiencing as well as the Love.

Recently while taking Tai Chi with my instructor and fellow Artist Kevin Jude MacDonald  I am reminded about the importance of not only developing the ability to direct the flow of Chi Energy for exercise or self defense but in all things including our Art.  In Tai Chi the goal is to have the body move and stretch in harmony as a continuous series of movement that flow one into the other.  All is in harmony; pushing and pulling the hands, legs and feet together as one in order for the Chi Energy to flow throughout your body.

So what does this mean to the Artist?  We must look at ways to connect our hands, eyes and entire body to become one in the production of our Art.  By doing this we allow the higher energy of the Universe to flow through us; a conduit as it were between our Creator and our final product.

If you read my column you already know that I believe that Artistic Souls are special, we are wired a little differently than the average person you may meet.  This difference is the way we are able to connect with the Universal Energy and allow it to transform into dance, song, stories and pictures.  When we understand how to manage that energy we can do amazing things, when we can’t we are in trouble.  I don’t want to dwell on the negative side of this problem instead let’s look at how to direct the Chi Energy that is flowing through you in order to feel whole and productive.

1. Exercise your Body – whether it’s Tai Chi, Yoga or taking a long run find a non stressful way to exercise your body that will give you a chance to connect with yourself.
2. Feed your Body – Get rid of extra fat by developing good eating habits.  Eat fresh fruit and vegetables and stay away from processed packaged food.  Lots of water and green tea are better than too much soft drinks and coffee.  Don’t merely go on a diet instead create a positive attitude toward food and what it’s purpose is which is to run a very important biological machine that you just happen to live in.
3. Meditate – take time each day to connect with the Universe through Prayer, Transcendental Meditation or just quiet time smelling the roses.  Take 20 minutes a day to calm your mind, it will be time well spent.
4. Practice – Do what you do every day in some fashion or another and spend time practicing with other like minded Creative Souls too.

These four things will help you to connect your mind and body to let the Creative Chi flow through you and out into the world.

Namaste