It’s that time of the year when taxes are due. If you’re like most people, there’s a level of stress and anxiety that accompanies the process of filling out paperwork and giving your money to the government. Not surprisingly, Qi Gong provides valuable tools that can help make tax season less stressful.
Today, we’re going to explore the energetic qualities of taxes, as well as share two exercises for letting go of taxes-induced stress.
Taxes and Qi
To understand the true nature of taxes, it’s helpful to view them through the lens of Qi Gong.
In Taoism and Qi Gong, we learn that energy takes many forms in nature. Sometimes, energy is reflected in a flowing river that moves quickly toward the ocean, or in the wind that sweeps across a desert.
Just like in nature, there are a lot of different ways that energy can express itself within humans and society. One of these is money.
Money is a form of energy that people cultivate through various “practices,” also known as work. These practices can be manifested in careers such as teaching, nursing, construction, investing, and many more, each of which can be used for the cultivation of financial energy.
In other words, working to earn money is similar to working within yourself to build internal energy. The main difference is that earning money is more external while self-work is more internal.
When you pay your taxes, you’re transferring some of your energy to the government. Of course, a lot of people don’t like this process.
One of the reasons that some people don’t like paying their taxes is because they don’t believe in some of the ways in which the government spends it’s/your energy. Regardless of what your political beliefs may be, it’s probably safe to say that there are at least some government expenses that you disagree with. And maybe, there’s a lot of government spending that you disagree with.
In Lee’s classes, he talks about how the mind has a habit of paying more attention to things that are negative than those that are positive. When it comes to taxes, this means that most people focus on all the harmful uses of tax dollars rather than the positive uses.
To make taxes easier, it can be helpful to focus on the positive benefits of your tax dollars. For example, think about how some of your energy is going to allow children to receive education. Or, imagine your financial energy helping to fund healthcare services for those in need.
By focusing on the value that your taxes can help bring to the world, it makes the entire process less stressful and more fulfilling. Of course, this doesn’t mean you should turn a blind eye to government spending that you disagree with. Rather, it means that you can appreciate all of the positive uses of tax dollars, while at the same time supporting worthy causes that will bring improvements for the future.
In addition to reframing taxes in your mind, there are a couple simple Qi Gong practices that can help you to quickly let go of stress induced by taxes.
Here are two easy ways to quickly clear stress.
Shaking
For this first exercise, stand with your feet about shoulder width apart and your hands by your side. Then, start to bounce your weight on your feet, allowing your knees, hips, and ankles to bend slightly as your weight moves up and down.
Let your hands bounce with your weight so that your wrists and elbows bend with each bouncing movement.
As you bounce, inhale deeply through your nose. Then, let out a loud exhale through your mouth as you release tension and tightness from your body. On your inhale, imagine yourself bringing in calm, peaceful energy. On your exhale, imagine yourself letting go of any mental or emotional stress within you.
After a minute or two, stop moving and return to a still position with your hands by your side. Close your eyes and feel your energy. Notice that your stress has decreased and your body is more calm and relaxed.
Pulling Down the Heavens
Once your energy is activated, it’s great to follow with some slow flowing movements. Pulling Down the Heavens is a wonderful exercise to help let go of stress and fill up your body with nourishing Qi.
Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and your hands by your side. Take a few deep breaths as you relax. Then, on your inhale, bring your hands up until your arms are fully extended above your head. With your hands facing toward your body, on your exhale, let your hands glide downward as you pull down nourishing Qi over your body from the heavens above you.
On your downward movement, imagine yourself taking in an abundance of energy from the universe. Close your eyes and allow it to pour over your body and clear any stress or anxiety you might be feeling.
In this exercise, it’s important to focus on moving with water like fluidity and flow. Try to fully relax into the movement and be as smooth and effortless as possible. As Lee often suggests, allow the Qi to guide you.
Together, these two exercises can help you to quickly let go of stress during tax season, or anytime throughout the year. If you’re interested in learning more Qi Gong practices, be sure to check out our Thirty Day Challenge…
Thirty Day Challenge
Our Thirty Day Challenge offers thirty unique Qi Gong video routines that are each just seven minutes in length. This makes it extremely easy to find time in your schedule to practice each and every day.
Because all of the routines are different, you’ll have the opportunity to learn a variety of different flows, which will allow you to discover which are your favorite so you can create your own personalized routines to use whenever you feel like it.
The Thirty Day Challenge is ideal for new students who want to learn more about Qi Gong. It’s also a great way for current students to cultivate a regular and consistent practice without feeling overwhelmed by a practice that requires too much time. Following your purchase, the Thirty Day Challenge is yours to keep for life, and all thirty individual videos are even downloadable!
There are numerous benefits to practicing Qi Gong on a daily basis and it only takes a few minutes of your time each day to feel its effects. Click on the banner below to learn more and start practicing today.