My Life of Practice
by Thomas Silvani
When I was 19, I picked up a book entitled Buddhism Plain and Simple by Steve Hagen, an American Zen Buddhism teacher. I became obsessed with the text, reading it on loop and considering its passages constantly. The essence of the book was both simple and profound. There is something beyond the mind’s chatter and this something is worth paying attention to by taking up a wakeful posture to the present moment.
A few years later, I finally took up the practice recommendations in the book: sit in meditation every day; work with a teacher; and, sit with others. I took up meditation studies with Barbara Dahlman (AKA “Bobbi”) at Cold Mountain Dojo in Toronto, Ontario, and practiced with the group there. A couple of years later I began qigong studies with David Mott at the same dojo. David studied qigong with Ken Cohen, who authored the western qigong classic, The Way of Qigong. David was also a master of karate and music (I studied music composition with David as well). I remained a student of Cold Mountain Dojo for about 8 years until it closed in 2016, continuing studies with Bobbi and David for a few more years as they entered semi-retirement outside of the city. During my time at the Dojo, I found myself there as much as five times per week for sessions and classes of various kinds, eventually moving to an apartment right down the street. I worked stone masonry during this time with a fellow dojo student, and we applied the various mindfulness and movement practices to our work. David eventually granted me blessing to teach qigong. As the Dojo closed, I took up additional practice and studies with a Way of the Heart meets Zen community based in southern Ontario. My relationship with this “Heart” community lasted about 5 years and provided me an opportunity to observe and partake of another spiritual community, including the invaluable experience of learning what taking a meditation retreat is all about, from the simple healing benefits of stepping away from busy daily life to the profound insights which come from prolonged spiritual practice over a period of days.
I have trained extensively in sitting meditation and qigong in dedicated communities for over 15 years, and was granted blessing to teach from qigong master David Mott. I draw from Zen Buddhism, Taoism, the bhakti and devotional traditions, and Chögyam Trungpa’s Shambhala work as well as his buddhist teachings. I present “Qigong on the Go,” a concept my teacher worked with where the qigong practitioner infuses his daily life with brief moments of practice. I also teach the following qigong sets: seven animal frolics (Crane, Dragonfly, Monkey, Deer, Snake, Tiger, & Bear), Bedrock Hands Standing Set, Opening the Breath, and Eight Pieces of Brocade. I hold an M.A. in Music Composition where my emphasis was towards achieving a state of playful flow in practicing and performing. I have studied and practiced spiritual disciplines alongside stone masons and musicians whilst in work and in play. I believe energy work is intimately tied to the work we do in the world and the fashion in which we do it. I believe this work resonates from inside out, making the “kitchen sink” level of practice most profound and potent.
So, I invite you to join me in this journey of qigong on the go: join me in Qigong Studio; order a booklet, or book a private class with me..
Books I Love
by Thomas Silvani
My first meditation teacher, Bobbi, saw that I was keenly interested in reading spiritual texts and, while she didn’t see such reading as a necessity (she would often say, “everything you need is right here”), she was keen that I receive guidance that was of the highest spiritual value. So, she gave me three names to focus my energy: Chögyam Trungpa, the colourful spiritual master from Tibet who has probably spread the teachings of Buddhism farther and wider than any other individual; Sri Aurobindo, the sage from India who took in Western culture at a young age and worked for an evolutionary spiritual transformation of the world and Consciousness; and, Suzuki Roshi, the Zen meditation teacher who came from Japan and seeded a strong and gentle presence of practice into the California scene of spiritual seekers. Here are three of my favorite books associated with these individuals:
- Shambhala: The Sacred Path of the Warrior by Chögyam Trungpa
- Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind by Shunryu Suzuki
- The Integral Yoga by Sri Aurobindo
And, of course, a qigong text! This book was written by my qigong teacher’s teacher, Ken Cohen. It is a masterful and comprehensive work, highly recommended. Reading it is a lot like doing qigong since the words and phrases describe the qigong state of practice so beautifully. A western qigong classic:
- The Way of Qigong by Ken Cohen
A few more:
- Buddhism Plain and Simple by Steve Hagen
- Best Apocalypse Ever by James True
- The Life Divine by Sri Aurobindo (Aurobindo’s complete works are available on pdf here)
My Musical Project
