I began a practice that changed everything for me. It all began with a simple phrase: “Open your heart to the whole universe.”
This practice, Sheng Zhen meditation, focused my mind and strategically moved my body. Where there was once awkwardness, it was replaced with love. Love for myself, love for my body, love for my mind.
Sheng Zhen was once called the “qigong of unconditional love.” However, Sheng Zhen is more than just Qigong. Sheng Zhen meditation’s main function is to cultivate Qi (also known as energy or life force), together with Love. Consisting of both moving and non-moving forms, Sheng Zhen helps to relax the body, quiet the mind, open the heart, and elevate the spirit.
A new life began. I left my old life behind. Continuing my movement explorations, I began sampling other movement modalities. I fell, head-over-heals, in love with ecstatic dance. I had never danced before, always thought “dance” was not for me. I felt awkward, especially on the dance floor. However, with ecstatic dance, there are no “correct movements” and more importantly, there were no “wrong” dance steps. There was just move-your-body, however your Spirit was moved to do so. The ecstatic dance community welcomed and accepted me – my social anxieties and awkwardness melted away
I wanted more. Through this community, I somehow found and fell into Shibari: A Japanese art of erotic rope tying. Shibari has been described as similar to bondage, but better. It’s basically just a really great way to bring healthy communication, trust, and spice into your bedroom game, centered around tying ropes around someone’s body. I began combining Shibari with my open-hearted practices, and KNOT LOVE was born. KNOT LOVE is my own special blend of everything I’ve learned through Sheng Zhen, Aikido & Shibari. It is what I love to teach the most, and where I bring the most joy and passion into my life, by sharing and teaching it to others.
My new life looks so different than my old one. I feel at home in my body, a sense of belonging in community, and a deep understanding of my connection to the earth and all of life. My body has become healthier and more relaxed, my anger and other difficult emotions cleared, and, I DANCE!
It is my deepest wish, that you join me in this dance, called life. Let’s move together, let’s learn together, Let’s DANCE.
Kick off those awkward, uncomfortable, impossible dancing shoes and join me, barefooted, and open-hearted, on the mat,
~Edward Wiley