The first association they make is to the practice of Tai Qi. Tai Qi has been pretty mainstream in the English speaking world since the 1960’s.
Now Qigong is the new kid on the energetic block, and although it may be new for many people here in the U.S., Qigong has ancient roots that pre-date both Tai Qi and Acupuncture, and is commonly referred to by practitioners as the oldest branch of chinese medicine.
Qigong literally translates as ‘work on one’s life force’, and there are a few different Qigong training schools: martial, spiritual, and medical.
A little from all three is the most attractive for me, and although I am more drawn to the spiritual advancement in Qigong and to my ability to contain larger amounts of ‘healing Qi’, I don’t deny the importance of having a strong defense and the ability to apply Qigong to its martial uses as well.
This is because these ancient practices are extremely powerful and if practiced incorrectly will further exacerbate any conditions or ‘Qi Deviations’ in your body.
These patterns can be altered, and this is simply meant to make you more aware of HOW you are practicing.
Basically, if Qi is flowing in the wrong direction before you start a practice, and you begin to increase that flow through your daily practice, does this mean you are correcting the Qi Deviation, or merely enhancing your own wrong actions? We may not know we are in fact moving in wrong action, but in the end your body will not lie.
1 FINDING THE RIGHT TEACHER This is probably the single most important thing before starting a Qigong practice.
Look for someone who has 20 plus years of experience in the practice.
If you happen to have a propensity for anger and would be diagnosed as someone who has ‘Liver Yang Rising’, then it would be in your best interest to not practice movements that increased the Yang energy in the body, and you would never know to stay away from running the Fire Cycle.
Having a set place for your practice is really important and will help you to discipline your practice when just starting out.
Having your own indoor studio space is definitely a luxury and will come in handy in extreme weather, but there is something really special about being outdoors and practicing in such close contact to the elements of nature, the universe, heaven and earth, the cosmos and all that universal Qi force surrounding you.
A large percentage of our physical make-up is water and sipping water during your breaks in practice will go a long way for your longevity and stamina while practicing.
The practice of Qigong opens the body, and allows you to absorb universal energies that will begin to hit deeper levels of our bodies: blood, nerves, organs, bones, marrow, and the entire cellular matrix.
6 A NOTEBOOK You may never know when you will have those moments of inspiration and will truly experience shifts in your practice.
Moments where you truly connected to the CORE ENERGY OF EARTH, or moments when you felt deeper movements of Qi in your Belt Vessel, or times when you felt deep ancestral sadness in your Lungs finding a voice and clear expression through your Po. You will wish you had a notebook handy when you begin to chart the growth and development of your practice, and you will definitely want to dictate material and knowledge from the time that you have with your master.
One of my favorite quotes from the Huang Di Nei Jing states: “When the spiritual powers are passed on and transmitted they can no longer turn back; and when they turn back they cannot be transmitted, and then their moving powers are lost to the universe. In oder to fulfill destiny man should go beyond that which is near at hand and consider it as trifling. One should make public upon tablets of jade that which was hidden and concealed in treasuries and storehouses, to study it from early dawn until night, and thus make known the precious mechanism of the universe.” #7 THE RIGHT PAIR OF SHOES Having the right pair of shoes is pivotal for your practice.
Just be careful to inspect your practice zone for any sharp objects, metal, dog st, or other such hazardous material.
We talked earlier about how our cells open up during practice due to the increased flow of Qi, blood, and all the extra intake of oxygen going into our system.
You may ask me, ‘Paul, why do you consider your connection to God such a strong influence in your practice?’ My response to that is, ‘Because it keeps me humble, safe, and supported.
Find Balance in your local area
