Quotes from Kenneth S. Cohen

Body practice is the root of spiritual practice. When we calm the body, the mind can expand without limit.

Qi is the Chinese word for "life energy". According to Chinese medicine, qi is the animating power that flows through all living things. A living being is filled with it. A dead person has no more qi. A healthy individual has more qi than one who is ill. However health is more than an abundance of qi. Health implies that the qi in our bodies is clear, rather than polluted and turbid, and flowing smoothly, liek a stream, not blocked or stagnant.

When filled with qi, the body is like a tree branch filled with sap; it can bend and flow with the breeze, but it does not snap or lose its connection with the root. On the other hand, a stiff, dead branch is easily broken. Thus the adage of Lao Zi, "Concentrate the qi and you will achieve the utmost suppleness... Suppleness is the essence of life.

Sometimes we learn the lessons we most desperately need in the form of illness." - Larry Dossey

We are part of the natural environment; we grow out of it in the same way that a wave emerges from the ocean or a tree grows in the forest.

There is a qigong saying, "When the intent (yi) arrives, the qi [life force] arrives." This means that the more your mind is focused on what you are doing, the more qi you can develop and control.

A relaxed body is more protected from damage.] There is a Daoist saying, "When a child or a drunk falls from a carriage, their bones don't break." This is because they are embodying the qigong principle of song relaxation , and so are able to adapt to the ground as they fall.

Why waste energy with wasted movements?] Very commonly, tightening and furrowing the brow while concentrating... Is the brain a muscle that works better by tensing the skull?

Relaxation is the key to speed and quicker reaction time.

I once asked Master B.P. Chan if the ancient qigong and martial arts masters had superior abilities to those of the present. He said, "In general, yes. But only because they were more patient." ... Most students abandon the practice and look for a new form of "entertainment". But it is precisely at this stage that the most lasting benefits are cultivated.

Qi cannot flow through a tense, knotted muscle or a locked joint.

We need to regard relaxation as a process of surrendering to a deeper wisdom, rather than acquiring, through effort, a new ability.

Balance of emotions is what is important... and remembering to laugh at oneself. Alan Watts used to say that angels, like Daoist Immortals, can fly because they take themselves lightly!

By emphasizing a deep root and strong foundation, the student can reach to the high heavens without fear of toppling over.