Notice in the above picture that the Phoenix is rising to meet the Dragon, which is clinging to two blue Baoding Balls. This is a representation of you each time you feel yourself beginning to be out-of-control, not knowing which way to turn. What is a person to do with the conflict and turmoil within when the pressure mounts and temperature rises?
Why is the Dragon clinging to those blue Baoding Balls?
Baoding Balls are more than just your average stress balls. They are an invention with a deep oriental history of chi merged with the practice of traditional Chinese medicine. Older than the Great Wall of China, their popularity is still growing around the world due to the many benefits they provide for the mind, body, and environment, according to https://www.boadingballs.com/.
Let me add that mind over matter thinking is one of the greatest self-help decisions you can make in times of confusion. You are in charge of you, not your fears, not your worries, and not your forecasting gloom and doom. While you might have your own inner dragons, remember you also have your Pheonix rising. Listen to your better selves.
But there is more involved than simply changing your mind. There are also physical things you can do to center yourself. Your body tells on you. When you do not listen to your body, it begins little by little to catch your attention, until after days, months, or years of you ignoring symptoms and putting up with those inconveniences, it demands attention in shutting parts of itself down, requiring major repair or dramatic healing of various dis-eases.
Being strong and pretending to be strong are two different things. Your body knows the difference, even if you are pretending not to notice. While the adage “fake it until you make it” works for short stints until you gain your stability, you literally need to calm down.
Calming down might be the last thing you think of in the middle of a crisis, but it is the only thing that can assist you, allowing you to think clearly. Meditation and contemplation work great, when they work. Yet there are times when relationships are falling apart, jobs are lost, and dis-eases claim the lives of those we love. Staying calm in these moments seems to be a paradox.
There are physical things your body can do to alleviate stress and struggle. Exercise, like walking, Yoga, or going to the gym will help the mind with the extra oxygen intake, as well as muscle movement. But these practical suggestions might be way out of the realm of possibility at moments like these. There are times when the stress is beyond the physical ability to exercise, meditate, contemplate, or even pray past the one sentence plea.
Working with Baoding Balls, revolving them in the palms of your hands, actually calms the mind, body, and spirit. While it is a physical movement you do with your hands, it is also a meditative thing you can do than calms the mind and the spirit.
You need to not listen to that nagging inner voice that tells you immediately, “That won’t work,” or “That is stupid,” or any other self-sabotage bad habit that keeps you stuck right in the dysfunction. People get used to the dysfunction, pain, and/or negative situation that they know, making positive change seem out of reach. Please know that it is not.
Physically, the body has meridian lines that both begin and end at the tips of your fingers. EMTs know that if someone is appearing to have a heart attack, it helps if they apply pressure from their knee as they kneel next to the patient, on the patient’s ring finger of the left hand, a heart meridian point. This kind of technique also works with Baoding Balls.
Baoding Balls are metal balls small enough to hold in one hand. They are also known as Chinese “balls for ball practice” exercise balls, Chinese health balls, Chinese meditation balls, and Chinese medicine balls. Baoding Balls are used by rotating two or more balls repeatedly in the hand. They are intended to improve finger dexterity, relax the hand, or aid in the recovery of muscle strength and motor skills after surgery. Baoding Balls have helped people suffering from arthritis, stress, and stroke to practice kung fu, play sports, and play music. Baoding Balls work similarly to Western stress balls.
For the Mind – When your mind is stressed out, you have trouble focusing and relaxing. Stress can cause you to age faster and the effects on your health are very negative. Baoding Balls are unique because the way you use them is very rhythmic and relaxing. Rotating the balls is very calming and releases healthy energy by stimulating acupressure points. Baoding Balls also can have musical chimes, when rotated, produce a pleasant melody helping you meditate achieving Zen and harmony.
For the Healthy Body – In our modern world, Baoding Balls for the body is likely more relevant today than before. Our daily lives task our body with repetitive motions. Joints and muscles risk injury by overuse when working at our desks and doing other activities. This has led to conditions like carpal tunnel syndrome, tendinitis, arthritis, nerve damage, etc. Baoding Balls stretches the tendons and muscles and works the muscles in balance so one muscle is not overused. The motion of the exercise increases circulation and reduces inflammation on the nerves. Baoding Balls also incorporate the healing effects of Chinese medicine by targeting the meridians of your hand. These elements can be explored further on our website.
For the Stronger Body – Just as there are Baoding Balls great for stress management, Baoding Balls are also made for strength and hand coordination. In ancient times they would use stone or iron balls to build hand and arm strength. It was often used with martial arts. Today, stone balls still exist with iron balls replaced by the more popular steel balls. People greatly interested to build strength and dexterity would start with 2 balls and increase the speed or the number of balls they could work with. There are methods and techniques to go beyond 5 balls in one hand. It really is amazing.
For Long Life and Longevity – The longest living emperor of China, emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty, attributed his long life to his daily practice with Baoding Balls. They were prescribed by his personal doctor and the results were a leading reason for the spread of the practice. A healthier mind and body will be beneficial to your longevity and lower stress will keep you feeling younger.
For the Environment – Baoding Balls can be a work of art, often given as gifts to elders. Baoding Balls are painstakingly hand designed by craftsmen featuring beautiful cloisonne artwork and hand painted artistry. Another technique is by hand engraving elegant designs on metal balls. They are functional and beautiful to look at. Similarly, Baoding Balls made from gemstones such as jade can be a stunning and eye-catching piece to your surroundings while bringing in the positive metaphysical energy of the gemstone. Keeping one of these kinds of Baoding Balls is like adding a piece of art to your environment while being functional at the same time. As in feng shui, beauty triggers positive feelings and positive changes.
Namaste
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