August 2016 | What Adds Value To Your Life?

I’ve been off social media for almost two months now.

I came to a realization early this summer. My energy was going to things that weren’t really important: people I hardly knew, stories and dramas, and it was taking energy away from the relationships and goals I deeply care about.  With all our upcoming transitions, including the move, I felt pulled in so many directions, spinning many different plates and something had to change. Facebook was a beginning.  A friend then (synchronistically) loaned me a book discussing minimalism.

It helped immensely.

I now own about 1/3 of the material possessions I had in June. This path has gradually helped me eliminate other distractions from my life as well. When I took a step back to reevaluate my priorities, certain things just didn’t matter as much as I thought they did -  like relationships I was clinging to, silly activities that took my energy and time, and bad habits. As I have begun to identify and remove these things from my life, I have more space to focus on things I truly feel passionate about. The things we often desperately hold on to in search of security often drain the satisfaction from our lives, leaving us overwhelmed and discontent.

I have to say, I feel more content, fuller and richer, not with possessions but with experiences, and that feeling isn't going anywhere because it isn't dependent on the external world or anyone else's life; it depends on me, the choices I make.  I'm finding my way back to a simpler life while still remaining engaged with the world. I'm both rediscovering and newly discovering what I'm enthusiastic and energized about, what deserves my attention, so that I can live a life that is deeply meaningful. I want to show up everyday and demonstrate my love and passion through actions and interactions.

So I continue to ask myself, and now I ask you: have you ever asked yourself WHY you do what you do?

For instance, why do you earn money? Is it so you can earn MORE money? Does it always make sense to work a soul crushing job for most of your life, never take vacations, so you can retire for a few years?  Why do you get on social media?  To broadcast or get validation?  Is it boredom?  Is it a need for connection; if it is, is it really happening? Do these choices add VALUE to your life? Or do they make you feel discontented?

I’m not saying social media doesn't add value or that I won’t ever use it again. But WHY we do anything matters and gives that action substance, or not. I started to wonder if my choices were fueling inspiration and connection or dissatisfaction and misery.  I needed to quit certain habits entirely for a while. With more space apart from my habitual behavior, I now feel I can be more deliberate about how I spend time and make different choices. I want to spend my time LIVING, experiencing the world, and genuinely engaging and connecting with the people I love. Nothing new or truly innovative has ever come from maintaining the status quo.

So I say this to you as much as I say it to myself: don’t be afraid to buck convention, become unfettered from the unnecessary and be a crusader for what is truly a rich life. In the wake of what are often difficult but rewarding choices, you can set yourself free.

(For more information about Minimalism, check out www.theminimalists.com)

With Peace,
Anisha

June 2016 | When Everything Seems To Be Going Wrong

All I have to do is read the news each day to remind myself that there is always, always something to be thankful for. No matter how good or bad things seem in my life, someone, somewhere in the world is desperately fighting for theirs. I often think that happiness is not the absence of problems, but the ability to deal with them.  I often imagine all the wondrous things I could embrace if I wasn't so tightly wrapped around my struggles. Each day I want to choose to look at what I have rather than what I have lost. I can be a victim to the world and its people and say, "Look at what the world or that person has taken away from me." Or I can decide what to do with what I have left.

When times are tough, remember that no pain comes without a purpose. As I say this to you I'm truly saying it to myself. Every wound teaches us something. Every successful endeavor requires some type of worthy effort, and sometimes, struggle, to get there. Struggle doesn't mean failure. Things come together, not always immediately, but eventually.  If you believe in something, keep trying. Try not to let the past darken the future. Patience and optimism are key. Complaining really doesn't ever get me anywhere and won't make my tomorrow any brighter. As long as I think that the cause of my problem is “out there” --somewhere else – as long as I think that someone or something else is responsible for my aches and pains, my situation is hopeless.  What if I took action instead? What if I used what I learned to improve my life? What if I could make a change and not look back? I can't be perfect, but I can keep trying. I can try my best to introduce these ideas into my life more often. How about you? Through this process, we can keep our life force strong, vibrant and healthy, avoiding a further depletion and decline of health. Remember that energy follows attention.

Optimism (and less complaining) = Healthy Qi (Life Force).

For me, I know that true happiness arrives at my doorstep when I stop complaining about my problems and I start being grateful for the problems I don't have.

With Peace,
Anisha

April 2016 | Lasting Transformation

Every year around this time I post quite a bit on FB and my Newsletter about Master Ou Wen Wei coming to Raleigh, and what Pangu Mystical Qi Gong is all about. Most of the time people ignore them or overlook them as "oh that thing again."  I can't blame you.  If some of you have never experienced Qi gong or Qi healing, much less Master Ou, I urge you not to ignore it this time!!!

This practice and deep philosophy of kindness and love has forever and deeply changed my life. And I don't mean like a bubble bath, a couple of stretches or a weekend away would change my life (though all useful and wonderful). I mean an inner transformation that LASTS and continues to grow and expand into a life that I honestly LOVE and can't get enough of. I'm not the kind of person that would keep posting about something new if it didn't work, and I'm not the kind of person who would practice something just because everyone else was doing it. That's not me.

Anisha and Master Ou traveling in Japan during Cherry Blossom season

I love learning. Every method has its beauty and benefits. And I can also say that words and intentions, though important, are only half of it. The energy has to follow. And the energy needs a high level of love to create a high level of harmony.

Many of my friends have wondered and remarked, "you always seem so happy and positive, like things are easy for you and it's contagious." Well, that has definitely NOT always been true and isn't necessarily NOW, but this practice brings me more ease, hope, confidence, optimism and contentment each day than I could have ever imagined 12 years ago. I was a depressed, sick, worn out 24 year old during a time when I should have been at the prime of my life. I feel like I was given another chance to bring meaning back into my life.  Master Ou taught me how to love my life.

I'm not going to make any grandiose claims but I will say this is powerful stuff. Powerful, powerful stuff. I have seen miracles. I've seen people completely transform themselves and the lives they live. And what you put into it, if you give it an honest and sincere chance, will surely be returned ten fold. Let me repeat that last part: what you put into it will surely be returned ten fold. I hope you'll give it a try. The small amount you spend is like one visit to the doctor, and I assure you it will be a lifetime of return. A lifetime.

This video is from 2012, in Macau. I'm offering healing through Ancient singing and chanting to 2000 Chinese students. Please send me an email if you can feel the energy and love when you listen. I'd love to hear your experience! Then imagine what it might feel like to learn the Pangu Qi Gong and meet Master Ou. We hope, but certainly cannot guarantee, that Master Ou will continue to come to Raleigh. We are lucky to have such amazing events in our city and I sincerely hope you will take advantage of it.

Listen to Anisha chanting in Macau, offering deep healing!