CHAPTER 1
FOUNDATIONS
People know when they are sick; they also know how they feel whenthey are well. This is a matter of awareness of what the Chinese call"Qi." The practice of Qigong (pronounced chee-gung) focuses on refiningthis awareness. Which part of the body is sick? What is wrong with theQi? Is it stuck? Is there too much or too little? Through the meditationsand exercises of Qigong, we can answer these questions—and learn howto remedy problems. By practicing them, we can experience and createvibrant health.
Just as we know in our bodies when something is not quite right, wecan also feel differences in the weather, as well as in people, even beforethey speak. All of this awareness involves energy. The ancient Chinesedevised a universal system to describe the various forms of energy, notonly in the human body and in the weather, but also in space (in landscapeand geography) and over time (in history and astrology). By understandingthat everything in the cosmos is an expression of Qi, from the material tothe insubstantial, one can glimpse the ultimate truth of the universe andcome to a deep understanding for and appreciation of the natural world,including one's own true nature.
The core text of Chinese philosophy is the I Ching, or the Book ofChanges. Its basic premise is that energy evolves from the unmanifested tothe manifested realm. These manifestations maybe broadly described as Yinand Yang. Beyond Yin and Yang, all manifestations may be more precisely(but still generally) described in terms of the Five Elements. Beyond that,there are the "ten thousand things," all of which are permutations of thesebroader concepts.
Health is an expression of the smooth flow of life-giving Qi in the body.Disease manifests when the flow of Qi is blocked or stagnant, or when thereis too much or too little. Physical and mental exercise can clear blockages,dissolve stagnation, reduce excess, and supplement deficiency. I will usethese terms "excess" and "deficient" often throughout this text because theseare the terms used in Chinese medical theory. They describe conditions inwhich there is too much of something, i.e., when an organ is hyperactive,or when there is too little, i.e., the organ is weak or hypoactive.
In these chapters, we will learn how to interpret the signs and signalsof the body in terms of these patterns and how to correct and improve theflow of Qi. That is the practice and purpose of Qigong. It can benefit youas well as your clients or patients if you are a health practitioner.
Centers of Energy: The Dan Tians
Three is a number often used to describe or tosimplify the complexity of our human experience.In Christianity, the aspects of God are described asFather, Son, and Holy Ghost. In Chinese metaphysics,the components of the universe are described asHeaven, Earth, and Man. In the human body, Chinesemedical theory sees three "Dan Tians" (pronounceddahn tee-ens), or energy centers, corresponding to thephysical, emotional/mental, and spiritual aspects of aperson's being. These vital energy centers are locatedalong the midline of the body and store energy muchthe way batteries do.
Upper
The Upper Dan Tian relates to our spiritual being. It roughly comprisesthe upper and posterior portions of the skull. In Western medicine, theUpper Dan Tian corresponds to the central nervous system, which, throughnerve impulses, controls the functions of all the organs.
Middle
The Middle Dan Tian relates to our mental/emotional state and isassociated with the heart center in the middle of the chest.
Lower
The Lower Dan Tian relates to the physical aspect of our being andis located about an inch below the navel in the center of the body. This isthe center most people refer to when they speak of "the Dan Tian." As allphysical energy is stored and used from this region, we will refer to it oftenin our Qigong practice.
Basic Guidelines for Practicing Qigong
Practical Aspects
The goal of Qigong is to harmonize and develop your energy. If youdo what you can to harmonize the physical aspects of the practice—yourbody and the environment—you will achieve your goal more quickly andto a much greater extent. When your body and mind are nourished, rested,calm, and relaxed, you will be in a natural state of equilibrium. Smoothflow of vigorous Qi will be expressed in your health and vitality.
Time and Place
1. Practice in a clean, well-ventilated place.
2. Practice at a time and in a place where you will not be disturbed.
3. Practice regularly—ideally in the same place at the same time.
4. Avoid eating meals thirty to sixty minutes before practice. At thesame time, do not practice when hungry. Your body should becomfortable and relaxed.
5. If you do heavy anaerobic exercise, such as weight lifting, on aday you do Qigong, be sure to stretch before and after to keep themeridians open.
Lifestyle
6. Get proper rest and sleep.
7. Avoid drinks that are ice cold.
8. Avoid drugs and alcohol.
9. Moderate your sexual activity.
10. Women: Stop practice during your monthly period, or, if you dopractice, shift focus to the middle Dan Tian.
The Three Regulations
Breath
Breathing should be natural, slow, smooth, even, and deep. Allow theabdomen to relax so that it rises with each inhalation and falls with eachexhalation. Do not use force. At the end of the exhalation, the body itselfwill initiate the inhalation. Always breathe through your nose.
Mind
Like the breathing, the mind should be relaxed. At the same time, itneeds to be focused because visualization is used in most of the meditations,and later, the mind will be used to guide Qi. Balance relaxation with alertcuriosity as to what is happening in your body and with firm but gentledetermination to maintain your attention and intention.
Wu Ji Posture
Proper body alignment provides the ways andmeans for smooth energetic flow. In Tai Ji and Qigong,this proper body alignment is called the Wu Ji Posture,where "wu" means none, and "ji" (the same "ji" ofTai Ji or Tai Chi) means extreme. Hence this is theway of standing that has no extremes. It is sometimescalled the "emptiness" posture. It is commonly usedfor beginning and ending movements, and it can alsobe used alone, as a standing meditation. Here are thesteps to achieving the Wu Ji Posture:
1. Stand with your feet approximately shoulders-widthapart; toes pointing straight ahead.
2. Allow your knees to relax; do not lock them.
3. Roll the tip of the sacrum under as if sittingdown. This subtle movement lengthens the spine and opens theGate of Life point (Ming Men, located on the spine opposite thenavel).
4. Drop the shoulders and allow them to spread, like wings, wideningthe back.
5. Tuck in the chin, and imagine the top of your head (the CrownPoint) being pulled upward.
6. Feel your weight pressing down through the balls of the feet tostimulate the kidney meridian.
7. Breathe slowly, smoothly, evenly, and deeply, inhaling and exhalinglike a balloon through your lower abdominal region.
8. Empty your mind.
9. Place the tip of the tongue on the roof of the mouth behind theteeth, as if saying "N."
As mind, breath, and body become calm and centered through thesethree regulations, notice yourself becoming more alert. This is the flowof Qi.
Pulling Down the Heavens
The practice of "pulling down the heavens" is a staple of Qigongpractice. I recommend doing it before and after every practice. It is asimple, sweeping movement.
1. Starting from the Wu Ji posture, as you inhale, raise or float yourarms wide to the side, palms up, gently curved.
2. At the top of your reach, as you begin to exhale, turn your palmsover and bring the arms down, palms passing in front of yourabdomen.
3. Do this three times, in a continuous sweeping motion. On thefirst sweep, you might picture pure white light flowing down theoutside of your body; on the second sweep, imagine pure whitelight flowing through the inside of your body; and on the thirdsweep, imagine pure white light flowingboth inside and outside—suffusing yourentire body.
4. End the sequence by returning to the WuJi posture.
White Pearl Meditation
This meditation will help ground your energy aswell as restore your vitality; it specifically enhancesKidney Essence, which will be discussed in Chapter10. It is good to do anytime you feel depleted. It isalso a good basic daily practice. The White PearlMeditation is also available on CD or on iTunes.
1. Assume the Wu Ji posture; remember the Three Regulations.Check your alignment, head to toe, and look for any tension. Relaxdown the body, front, back, and center.
2. Pull Down the Heavens three times.
3. Breathe through the nose into the lower Dan Tian, located aboutone inch below the navel. Keep your breath long, smooth, even,and deep. Allow and feel the breath simultaneously expanding theabdomen to the front, back, left, and right. This expansion andcontraction will fill the lower Dan Tian with both breath and Qi.
4. Imagine your lower Dan Tian as a white luminescent pearl ofincredible beauty. As you breathe, the energy from the heavensand your tissues fills the lower Dan Tian. See and feel thispearl becoming brighter and denser with each inhalation andexhalation.
5. Now use this energy to restore the "battery" of your own energysystem, the kidneys. As you inhale, see and feel the pearl expandwith pure, luminous white light. As you exhale, see and feel theenergy from the pearl fill and restore the left and right kidneys.
6. Continue this breathing pattern for 10–15 minutes.
7. To finish, Pull Down the Heavens three times.
Notes
1. In step 5, you may place your hands on your abdomen. You mightfeel warmth all around your waist, as this corresponds to the BeltVessel (an Extraordinary Meridian).
2. The most common error people make in doing this exercise is notpulling the breath down deeply enough. If you don't pull it downinto the abdomen—that is, if you breathe only into the chest—youmay experience gas and discomfort in your stomach.
3. In breathing, feel your lower abdomen (one inch below the navel,roughly corresponding to the Lower Dan Tian) expand in alldirections—front, back, right side, left side. This means it is totallyrelaxed. (Actually, it is good to breathe like this all day long.)
4. While best done in the Wu Ji standing posture, the Pearl Meditationcan also be done sitting or lying down. For sitting, be sure to pressup the Crown Point of the head; in both cases, remember to touchthe tip of the tongue to the upper palate of your mouth behind theteeth. If you are tired it is better to sit and do the meditation thannot to do it at all.
5. This is a good general practice, beneficial after any other dailyroutine or meditation.
CHAPTER 2
THE NATURE OF QI
In Chinese metaphysics, Qi is the subtle energy that creates, sustains,activates and animates the universe. It is said to be present in inanimateobjects, like rocks, as well as in living things like plants and animals, aswell as in the subtle states of immaterial things like the air, light, sound andthought. It is said to have different qualities or to be of different types; someof these are positive and nurturing for living beings, others are negative.
In our bodies, our overall Qi can be subdivided in different ways.At conception there are four influences: Heavenly Qi, which is the basisof human consciousness; the natural vitality of the sperm and egg ofthe parents; and the energy of the time, place and environment. This issomewhat comparable to the Western concept of genetics.
Prenatal Qi is the general name for the energy you were born withand is expressed in the Kidney Qi. In other words, in Chinese medicineyour constitution is expressed in the energy of your Kidney, which wewill discuss later. If your parents and ancestors were healthy, then you arelikely to be healthy. After birth, you are nourished by what the Chinesecall Postnatal Qi, which is derived from the Qi of the food you eat and theQi of the air you breathe. All of these energies are part of our overall Qi.The quality of each individual component contributes to the overall stateof your health.
Essentially, if the Qi is strong, flowing and coherent, life flourishes.In the Chinese understanding, a person basically lives on two sourcesof energy: Prenatal Qi, the amount and quality of which was fixed atconception, and Postnatal Qi, which is under your control. The more youcan conserve your Prenatal Qi, the longer you live and the better thequality of your life. The better your Postnatal Qi is, the less you use up ofyour Prenatal Qi. In other words, if you eat well, breathe clean air, live ina good place, you will thrive on Postnatal Qi. But if you eat fast food, liveerratically, indulge in anger and anxiety, without enough Postnatal Qi, yourbody will use Prenatal Qi instead, ultimately degrading and shorteningyour life. Whenever your Qi becomes stagnant, deficient or scatters, thisopens the door for disease and, ultimately, for death.
The purpose of Qigong practice is to harmonize and nurture our Qi.The first step is learning to feel Qi. First, we become aware of what ishappening in our bodies—especially in individual organ systems. Thisawareness does not come overnight; developing it is a lifelong practice. Buteven at the beginning, you should get a flash of it, a sense of the possibilities.Then, through meditations and exercises, with steady determination andregular practice, you can nurture that flash of light into a beacon. Once youare aware, you can take the second step, which is to act appropriately. Thiscourse will give you exercises to develop your sensitivity to Qi, and alsomethods to balance the disharmonies that you encounter.
Interestingly, as you become more aware of what is happening in yourown body, you will become more sensitive to the Qi around you, in theenvironment, for example, and in other beings—people, animals, plants.As your sensitive self grows, your intuitive and psychic selves grow aswell. You then have the chance to improve your health on all levels. AllQi is connected.
BODY AWAKENING EXERCISES
The following three Body Awakening Exercises are another foundationof my Qigong practice. I recommend doing these before any Qigong sessionto help bring body and mind together, in a centered state and to help loosenthe body to allow the free flow of Qi. It will make all your subsequentpractices more effective.
1. Begin by assuming the Wu Ji posture, and remembering the ThreeRegulations.
2. Pull Down the Heavens three times.
Tossing a Stone
1. From Wu Ji posture, lift your arms out to the side until they areshoulder height, palms down ("T" position). Inhale.
2. As you exhale, turn your upper torso to one side and swing theopposite arm, palm up, as though tossing a stone, while the otherarm swings behind you.
3. Inhale as you return to the "T" position.
4. As you exhale, repeat on the other side. In other words, if you turnto the right, your left arm will swing in front and to the right asthough tossing a stone, while your right arm will swing behindyou.
5. Repeat in a continuous rhythm, synchronized with your breathing,first one side then the other. Do this 3-9 times on each side.
6. End by Pulling Down the Heavens three times.
The Heel Drop
7. From Wu Ji posture, begin lightly bouncing on the balls of yourfeet.
8. As you bounce, mentally visit each major joint of your body andrelease any tension there. Picture the tension descending down andout of the body. Start with your ankles, then move up to knees,then hips, and end at the heart center. Then go to fingers, andtravel up the arms, through wrists, elbows, and shoulders, endingat the neck.
9. Stop bouncing. Imagine gold light rising through your body.
10. Rise up on the balls of your feet, inhale, pulling the light up to andbeyond the top of your head. Then, suddenly, sharply drop on yourheels, releasing all tension into the earth.
11. Repeat this 3-9 times.
