My Impression of the Five Animal Metaphor Balances
Renate Wennekes (Germany)
Dec. 21, 2012
“The symbolic power of the animals is amazing.” This was in the article of Regina Biere, a participant in Amy Choi’s course “Five Animal Play Metaphor Balances: Living with a Playful Heart” in the IKL-institute in Damme, Germany in November, 2012.
I was deeply impressed with this course. In exercising the animals, I got wonderful knowledge about the way how Qigong works. I was impressed about the effects and the intensity of the exercises. In doing the movements, I felt the power of the animals and the deep influence to the energy flow. I had the feeling that they create harmony on a very deep level.
It was interesting to feel the difference when you did the movements with a specific goal. Suddenly they were difficult. After doing the movements for some time, the flow came back and then the energy changed around the problem too. The readiness to face the challenge was there and there was a KIND OF LIGHTNESS:
The qualities of the animals and the elements are as follows:
Tiger – Leader, power, strength, wildness, to recognize your chances – wood element
Raindeer – Inner energy, resources , anxieties, interaction with yourself and others, gentle, light, free and happy – water element
Bear – Centering, stability, contentment with yourself – earth element
Monkey – Agility, intelligence, creativity, to enjoy your creations and to play – fire element
Bird – Dignity, stepping forward, letting go of what is not needed anymore – metal element
I chose to have these five animals as my regular company. I think to exercise them on a daily basis is a good prevention. When I have challenges I chose an animal with the qualities I want to have to master the situation.
Amy will probably come again in 2013 or 2014. I am looking forward to this a lot. She will teach the classical Chinese Tendon Transformation Yi Jin Jing Metaphor Balances: Living Out Your Greatness. A Chinese proverb says: lengthen your tendons one inch and you lengthen your life for 10 years.
