Cats, Qigong and structural support

So, I love to discover new ways to use my environment to aid in my Qigong practice. The other day, I used my almost 10 month old, 11.5 pound cat to assist me.

While holding my kitten working on Wuji stance, I found that centering and relaxing was compromised. All the weight was forward and I was using muscle to support and cradle the furry beast. Keep in mind, Benny was as relaxed as he could be, draped and semi-sleeping in my arms, so dead weight.

I went back to basics and focused on my structure and using my skeleton for support and balance.

Relaxing my arm muscles I let the weight drop to the bones and joints so I could feel where the weight was and how it traveled through my body.

Following the path from my hands, through the arms, shoulders, shoulder blades, into my spine, through my hips and pelvis, down my legs, through my ankles and feet and into the floor.

Adjusting the skeletal alignment, releasing tension and allowing the carrying weight to transfer from muscular hold to structural hold was a great experience.

And it allowed me to relax into weight bearing balance.

Give something like this is try in your world and environment and see how the method works for you.

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