Tracking the Mind with Embodiment Practices

Kelly recently gave a presentation to the local IACT chapter titled: Tracking the Mind with Embodiment Practices. This article takes key features of his talk to share with our subscribers and participants.

As a kid, Kelly was severely hypoglycemic, had asthma that almost killed him numerous times, suffered regularly from bronchitis, and had many food allergies. Losing his fingertips at a nine months of age due to an accident with an exercise bicycle, meant he has had a profound learning experience of being present from a very young age. Over time, having to deal with constant pain from his fingers, taught him that resisting or denying the pain only made it worse. By surrendering to it, he taught himself a form of meditation that he didn’t realize was meditation until much later in life.

After watching the mini-series Shogun as a youth, Kelly became fascinated with the idea that through training and meditation, you could heal the body. He learned the Ba Duan Jin, 8 Pieces of Brocade and Zhan ZHuang basics when he was 13 and cured himself of his asthma and bronchitis by the time he was 15. The rest as they say is history. To deepen his understanding of how and why the 8 Pieces of Brocade worked so well, Kelly dove into both qigong and internal martial arts training, spending over twelve years studying Kenpo Karate, Xinyi Liu He Quan and Yang style Taijiquan meeting his first Baguazhang teacher at the age of 24.

For more than 25 years Kelly has dedicated himself to studying and practicing  the Chinese internal martial arts of of Taijiquan, Baguazhang and Xingyiquan, training with such master teachers as Andrea Falk, learning the rare style of Ma Gui Baguazhang.

Alongside all the martial arts training and conditioning, Kelly has over 20 years studying the Medical Qigong system of Grandmaster Peng Jiu Ling, a combination of old Shao Lin Waidan moving methods and Luohan Neidan Zhan Zhuang methods. This system specializes in developing the meridians and sensitivity to qi flow inside and around the body. A rare method of training neuro-differentiation that accelerates and deepens the mind body connection. (To book a healing session, check out the information HERE.)

Combined with this depth of physical training, Kelly brings an equal level of experience and training in Taoist, Zen Buddhist and Tibetan Buddhist meditation and internal alchemy that spans 30 years. With all his years of experience and training, Kelly has learned that STILLNESS is the key to everything.

Emotional stories are expressed through the body. Resisting pain causes more discomfort than being present with it. In his experience, a lot of people avoid pain, believing they are doing the body good. And yet the body keeps score. What you avoid or suppress, will express itself physically even if you refuse to feel it emotionally or mentally.

There are many systems of Qigong but the one he has stuck with and has stood the test of time for him is the 8 Pieces of Brocade Qigong set. These eight movements open and close the body, healing and building strength from the inside out. It washes blood through the body in a specific way due to the way the horse stance and accompanying movements engage the fascia system.

Fascia is in and around all of our organs and tissues. This set is also famous for healing the organs, especially the kidneys. By putting internal pressure on the fascia system as a whole through the spiralling movements, you are able to signal your body to tell you where you hold tension, and how to release it.

The sequence of the Ba Duan Jin has many health benefits, one of which is Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), an integrative psychotherapy approach that has been extensively researched and proven effective for the treatment of trauma and many other mental health problems.

As a person works through the movements of the Ba Duan Jin there are many sequences that involve moving the eyes from side to side. This is the basis for EMDR and one of the many reasons the Ba Duan Jin Qigong set is still practiced today, often used by martial art schools to strengthen students’ health and help others heal from injuries.

For those who may have trouble sitting to meditate, the 8 Pieces of Brocade as well as the other arts Kelly has trained in, allow you to track what the mind is doing as you do the movements. These moving meditations are important to help keep you in the present moment. They assist you to become aware of your body, how it feels under pressure while reducing stress and regulating your nervous system. The way in which the tongue is held on the roof of the mouth while breathing in and out through the nose signals the vagus nerve to calm and restore inner peace.

As a psychic and medium, these practices have helped Kelly immensely. Qigong connects you not only to your body but to the earth. The more you are connected to your body, the more you can connect to the earth. It builds up your Guardian Qi ( Wei Qi )and provides protection from energies that mean to attack.

There are many seen and unseen energies that surround us daily. Having a consistent practice of Qigong helps to not only rejuvenate the physical body, but protect it energetically from those meaning us harm. Your level of discernment rises, and you understand more fully what energies you are on the receiving end of when in different situations. If you practice any sort of mediumship, having a Qigong practice strengthens the physical body to embody new energies as you release old stagnant energy, AND protect you from the energies of other people and entities while channeling.

No matter who you are, having a regular Qigong practice will help regulate, stabilize, and balance your organ functions, your nervous system, and your energy.

To learn more, visit our CLASSES page. Currently, we offer individual and private group sessions both in-person and online. We also have courses on our online course platform that offer extensive detail in Qigong, Standing Stake (Zhan Zhuang), Earth Marrow Washing, and much more. We highly recommend taking these courses as you will have lifetime access to all of the information. There is a community chat to ask any questions and talk with other participants. You are welcome to book private classes to refine your practice.

~Kelly & Kellie