• 15Jun

    Living in the Moment

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    As a trainer in the field of interpersonal skills I was used to talking to delegates about “being in the moment” and understanding “what was going on in the moment.” However, it wasn’t until I had children that I really understood what this term meant. Children, particularly young children, are totally in the moment: they’re happy “in the moment”; they fall and hurt themselves and cry “in the moment” and in the next moment jump up and carry on playing! I’m sure a lot has been written about this, but aren’t children the best teachers of genuinely living in the moment? They know nothing else. Their concept of time is very different to ours and they don’t have the hang-ups about the past or the need to plan for the future that adults have.

    So next time you find yourself mulling over the past (which cannot be changed), plotting the future or getting caught up with something like an argument for too long, remind yourself of this:

    Children teach us how to really live in the moment.

    How wonderfully freeing and a good lesson for us all.

  • 22May

    Nine Star Ki v. Western Astrology - An Example

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    Here’s a real live example to add to the post on 19th May. This is a real situation discussed with someone I met recently as part of the Frome Healthy Living Trail. I have to say that I am not an Astrologer in the western sense and I only know a little about the 12 star signs. So the information here is brief and taken directly from the person in the example, rather than my research.

    In Western astrology this person and their best friend are “opposing” signs but this doesn’t seem to explain their great relationship. The person found it confusing to read about relationship incompatibility when there is a lot of support and likemindedness.
     
    In Nine Star Ki terms, their numbers (1 - water and 3 - wood) are in the “supportive cycle” – see The Relationship Map on the Ki Training website. This means that there is a sense of being on the same wavelength as the other person, with understanding and support (water nourishes tree.) Of course this is two-way, so support and respect flow both ways.  While the act of supporting can be draining at times, there is an overriding harmony in this relationship.

    Of course this is a very tiny example which arose out of a short conversation but a quick illustration of how relationships may be viewed in Nine Star Ki and Western Astrology terms.

  • 19May

    How is Nine Star Ki different to Western Astrology?

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    A question I get asked a lot is “How is Nine Star Ki Astrology different to Western Astrology?”

    Whilst both systems work from your date of birth, that’s pretty much where the similarities end and the differences occur.

    Nine Star Ki actually reflects the interaction of the forces of nature (wind, water, earth etc) in the environment and our co-existence with these energies, rather than the observable position of the stars and planets. Therefore it is more grounded. Ancient civilisations believed that all universal energy was channelled to earth via nine stars. They also understood that energies emanated from the earth and rose towards the heavens. People, of course, are in the middle of this interaction of energies.

    Ancient peoples observed nine distinctive states or transformations in nature, occurring in a repetitive pattern in cycles of nine (days, months and years). These cycles impact all life; plant, animal and human. In studying human behaviour and affairs more closely, it was observed that each transformation influences our perceptions and reactions, giving rise to certain physical and psychological characteristics.

  • 18May

    Unlocking Potential through Stories

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    I’ve recently started a story club for Toddlers and their carers – a place for them to come and enjoy listening to stories, bringing stories to life with props and actions and telling their own in a relaxed and creative environment.

    A toddler group? A story club? How does this fit with what you’re doing at Ki Training I hear you ask?

    Well, there’s a pretty close fit actually! Story-telling plays an important part in the development of communication and creativity, important ingredients in Ki Training programmes and coaching sessions. More than that, engaging with stories and making them up can develop confidence, imagination, idea connection, concentration, curiosity and much more. These are all attributes that adults need to refresh from time to time, and we are in a time when we need to be more creative and resourceful.

    StoryStair (as the club is called) is about getting pre-school children to tap into their creativity and potential. Ah so you see, it all comes back to the ‘P’ word – ‘Potential’ and you’re never to young to unlock it!

    Stacey.

  • 13Mar

    The Chinese Five Elements Explained

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    The Chinese Five Elements theory is a natural science that tells us that the Universe consists of five basic elements which created all life – Wood (actually all living things), Fire, Earth, Metal and Water (or more precisely, all fluids). The Five Elements represent the five transformations in the cycle of life from birth to death – Creation, Gestation, Consolidation, Maturation and Dissolution. All things in nature, including human thoughts, go through all five phases:

    WOOD / CREATION – think of the Spring, new shoots of grass and seeds sprouting

    FIRE / GESTATION – think of the Summer, the growing seed and budding flowers

    EARTH / CONSOLIDATION – think of late Summer, fruit forming and the earth nourishing

    METAL / MATURATION – think of Autumn, the full ripening of fruit

    WATER / DISSOLUTION – think of Winter, the fruit dropping to the ground and the new seeds which hold the potential of what is to come.

    This is where the cycle begins again. In fact, sub-cycles of all five stages were observed within each phase.

    In terms of Nine Star Ki, all transformations are represented within the nine year cycle, with one being more accentuated at any given time. Thus the Chinese Five Elements theory tells us a lot about the human process of transformation and the characteristics we are likely to display:

    WOOD – Active, pushing forward, breaking new ground, strong, ideas, outgoing, impatient, chaotic

    FIRE – Bright, radiant, passionate, clarity, active, competitive, ungrounded, hasty, superficial

    EARTH – Energy, effort, nurturing, practical, changeable, stubborn, submissive

    METAL – Maturity, stability, confidence, leadership, critical, expectant

    WATER – Reflective, bubbly, independent, inquisitive, insecure, vague, uptight.

    Going even further, the way in which each of the Five Elements interact also helps us to understand the dynamics of our relationships and interactions with others, both personal and professional. The theory explains why some interactions flow while others seem challenging but reminds us that all relationships provide us with opportunities to grow, develop and unlock our potential. See The Relationship Map on the Ki Training website for further information.

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