Cosmic Energy

Below is an exert from Daverick Leggetts book Recipes for Self Healing.
This book is not only an amazing cookbook based primarily on Chinese Medicine, Daverick spends a portion of the book explaining the beauty and magic of Qi and how it relates to our lives and health. Seeing the world through his eyes is poetic and sweet, ‘a living vision of the world as energy’.
I hope you enjoy this portion of the book as much as I do.

Cosmic energy

It is obvious that we receive energy from the sun. At a more subtle level, we also receive energy from the moon, stars and planets. This subtle energy is received through the body’s meridians and acupoints.
Each point on the body is an opening for the cosmic energy to pour through. This vibrational energy carries information and nourishment to every cell in the body, connecting the body to the Cosmos.

From the viewpoint of Qi Gong, which forms the root of Chinese medicine, the apparent separation of the body from the Cosmos is an illusion. As we turn our perception inward and explore deeper and deeper levels of our being, we reach a point where the distinction disappears. When we enter the molecular structure of the human body we find that ‘solidarity’ is composed mostly of emptiness, of space. If seen from this perspective, the human body would appear like a thick cluster of stars in the vastness of space. The mind too, in deep states of meditation, may dissolve its sense of separateness.

Trapped in the illusion of separateness it is easy to lose connection with and to be closed to the nourishment constantly entering us from the Cosmos. Within Chinese medicine, cosmic energy is seen as a source of life and within Qi Gong many meditation practices are intended to help us reconnect with the source and so remember our own true nature. A follower of Lao Tsu, the revered Chinese philosopher, once said ‘make love with the invisible subtle origin of the universe, and you will give yourself everything you need’. This origin is the ultimate source of nourishment.

We are constantly affected by vibrational waves of energy such as light, reaching our planet from space. We depend on light for the synthesis of certain vitamins and minerals and the regulation of our biological clock. Daylight entering the eyes is conveyed by the retina to the pineal gland and pituitary gland. These glands are important parts of the hormonal system and their functioning strongly influences our mood and vitality. It is ultraviolet light which is vital, and this is the portion of the spectrum not present in artificial light. It is also the portion of the light spectrum which is filtered out by glass and by air-pollution.

It may be surprising to learn that many of the mystical practises of meditation which focuses on developing the inner circulation of light in the body may have some basis in modern science. It has recently been discovered that photons (particles of light) circulate in the human body, specifically in the spine where they circulate in the cerebrospinal fluid. The subtle perceptions of Qi Gong also have their parallel in modern physics which understands how the most minute event inside an atom has an effect on every other atom in the universe.

Whereas it may be desirable to open ourselves to the subtle vibrational waves of the universe, there are also waves of energy which it would be better to shield ourselves from if we could. The spread of telecommunications has bought with it the increasing saturation of airspace with all sorts of wave frequencies, some of which are harmful to life; the nuclear industry has also increased exposure to low-level radiation which undermines human health, and electricity brings with it electromagnetic fields which can also be damaging.

An understanding of the energetic influence of the stars and planets also underlies modern day astrology. The subtle energetic forces of the planetary positions at the time of our birth, and the forces within the landscape, are influences on the quality of our Qi vibration. When we choose to see the world as energy, these are not difficult concept to grasp.

Consciously choosing to spend time absorbing sunlight and directly connecting to the vibrations of the moon, stars and planets may be considered part of our subtle nourishment. Qi Gong methods can also help us to amplify and circulate the light within the body.

– Daverick Leggett
Recipes for Self Healing