I just took the CORE I class with Jody over the past weekend. I am having trouble with the CORE breath. I understand the different diaphrams and can access them, but am not sure how/when to release the breath through my head. Do you breath in through the diaphrams and then on the release, release through the top of your head? Am I getting that right?

Okay from how I understand it, there's really just two parts to this. Well, 3 parts I guess with the diaphragms.

We have the Yin Breath which is pretty straightforward. And we have the Core-Point which is just that spot where we put our awareness onto. We simply "be" in that spot.

Now when you want to "open up" the diaphragms, less is more. You don't have to do anything per se. Just sit or lie down.

On the exhale be in the core point.
On the inhale, relax and don't worry about staying in the core-point.
If your eyes are always closed, you can easily relax out of the core-point during the inhale by simply opening your eyes as you inhale and close your eyes on the exhale and swoop back in the core point.

Now while you are doing ALL THIS (which isn't much, you see?)... lightly touch any part of your body that you want to be released. So just keep your hand lightly touching the top of your head as you just relax in (and out) of the core point. By simply touching anything, your subconscious mind splits its kinesthetic awareness to that area as well. This, in combination with the melting/relaxing/awesome feeling of the core-point, allows the diaphragms to release naturally.

Anyway, that's how I understood it anyway. Hope that helps.

Anto-
That's a big help. I think what I was having trouble with was holding on to the energy and not releasing it when you are doing the elongations. When we did the exercise with the towel, I got a terrible headache, which I think was because I didn't release the energy, so in moving through the diaphrams, you concentrate on each diaphram on the inhale and out the top of your head then when you exhale concentrate on the CP, is that how you perceive it? Thanks for you insights.
Anne

The headache could be caused by not releasing through the crown or it could be as simple as over focusing on the core point.

If, for example, you are trying to "see" the core point with your eyes, that is, going sort of cross eyed while trying to "find" the spot, then that can certainly cause a headache from simple eye strain. If this is the case try doing the breath with the eyes open. Or with the eyes closed, think of looking up and back instead.

All in all it sounds like your just trying to hard. Relax, see what you sense. Let go of expectations and just note the experience. Think of it as a journey to understanding rather than a must to have this second.

In an overview, 1. do the core breath
2. simply feel that
3. staying in the place behind the eyes lightly stroke the level you are interested in sensing.
4. Still being in the core space note it almost peripherally.
5. Let go of expectations and simple "feel"
6. Try the next one. If you "look down" as you do the breath you will leave the core point and the ability to note this somewhat subtle experience will be greatly reduced.

Play and experiment and see how it unfolds. Be who you are in the moment, then see how you unfold in the next. Doing and Being are easily confused in the beginning. Be first and then add to your next stage of being by adding a variable. In this case the variable is the different diaphragms.

Question, Alain -

My understanding was that you don't have to stop having your attention on the Core Point during the inhale - I thought it was just that, as you're getting used to the Core Point breathing, it's easier to focus from the Core point as you breathe slowly out, and breathing normally as you inhale simply because at first it can feel like a strain to maintain the very slow breath on both the inhale and exhale.

I found that after some months of doing the Core breathing, it no longer felt strained, and I could keep my attention on the Core Point during both inhale and exhale while using the very slow breath on both the inhale and exhale while feeling very relaxed, and that's what I now do.

Is that a correct understanding?

You are 100% correct Jocelyn.

Alain and Jocelyn-
Thank you both for your insight. Both comments are very helpful. It all seems so easy when the energy is high in class with the instructor right there to ask, then when you start to do it on your own, so many concerns pop up and you become over-involved with the "results". Since CORE is so different than the sweeping and breathing and we are not "giving" energy, how are we activating the energy field with CORE? Is it in our intention and in our relaxation that we can effect these changes. I have been working with a stroke patient and I can't tell what is happening without any feedback. I don't feel heat in my hands so I'm not sure if what I'm doing is effective, how do you know?

Anne

Basically you are "activating the energy field" as you say, by creating the state of quiet/release/opening within ourselves so that the client can entrain to that. I often tell what is happening by noticing how easy it is to find the flow within myself. When the problem in the client is "sticky" or resistant to change, my flow is not as easy. Then, as the client begins to change, my flow gets easier. That said, sometimes I DO feel heat in my hands, or in my body, even though I'm not "sending" any energy. And sometimes I don't feel or sense much, but I just continue to be as impeccable as I can in creating the state of flow and opening in myself while I am using whichever Core technique is appropriate.

I hope this helps. Please feel free to PM or email me if you need more!

Just wanted to chime in that when I do Core, I feel pretty much the same sensations as when I do the regular QT. If you ordinarily do feel sensations, but not when you're doing Core, you may simply be more tense when you do the Core work because you're more uncertain about it. I know this can be difficult when you're learning something new, but simply pay attention to any feelings of tension in your body and relax that part of your body as soon as you become aware of it. The more relaxed you are, the easier it is for energy to flow.

Good luck!

Jocelyn-
I guess that is my problem, I don't feel the same sensations in my hands and yet during the class people said that what I was doing was creating changes for them. I think it is just so new that I am not used to the different way to work. Once I experiment a bit and play with the different sensations and exercises, I'm sure it will come. Thanks for your help!!

anne