Real Qigong involves the following three things:

Relaxation – of the mind, body and spirit.  Let go of thoughts, worries, and concepts.  Relax.

Breathing – Slow, comfortable breathes, long slow exhales, deep inhalations without forcing anything.

Movement – Simple, flowing movements with little to no effort.  Muscles are not engaged.  Mind is barely engaged, if at all.

Of the three points listed above, the third is actually the least important of the three, yet it’s often considered the most important because it can be observed outwardly.

In order to be still on the outside, you must first truly be still on the inside.

This means you should primarily focus on relaxing and breathing, and not place much importance on the movements.  However, many people get caught up in trying to memorize the movements and to get them right.

Don’t fall into that trap. Learn to relax. Learn to breathe. Learn to pay attention to your body. 

Pay attention when it’s not easy to relax.  Where do you feel tension?  Why can’t you relax? Is it physical?  Is it mental or spiritual?  Whatever it is, it’s ok.  Don’t put any pressure on yourself to be any certain way – you are what you are at that moment – embrace it and become aware of it.

Once you become aware of the fact that you can’t relax, you can easily figure out why. Once you figure out why, you can make the physical or mental corrections to relax.  Maybe you just need a big deep exhalation.  How about a vocal sigh?  That usually does wonders for me.

Physical issues keeping you from relaxing?  Stretch a little.  Sit or lay down if that feels better.

Whatever it takes, learn your own body, then learn to relax. 

First, you can’t actively be part of the relaxing process. You can’t relax by doing. You can only relax by “not doing”. If you can grasp that, then you have all you need to begin practicing. While the theory is simple, actually being able to go into a state of “not doing” will take a little practice.

There are many things that happen when you attempt to enter into a state of non-doing. First, you might not feel relaxed or that you can let go. This is quite normal. There’s nothing that says just because you think you want to relax, you will. There are many other factors that go into a relaxed state of being.

Tension in your body, whether it be in the muscles, tendons, bones or organs, will dictate how well you can relax. With physical tension, you will reach only a superficial level of relaxation. It might not even feel good. So removing physical tension is a good first step to relaxing.

Most importantly though – you just want to become aware of how you feel without judging. This is a huge secret to the practice, and one you will definitely need to practice (possibly for years, depending on how stubborn you are). When we try practicing Qigong and we feel tense, we might judge and think “oh, this is hard” or “oh, I can’t do this today”. The simple fact that you have tension means you NEED to relax at that moment. It doesn’t mean it’ll be perfect. But you must take a step in the right direction.

So let go, and begin by performing a very deep exhale. Even an exaggerated exhale, and outright sigh. Make it vocal if you want. If it feels good, do it again. Relax your shoulders. Pay attention to your body, I guarantee you will begin instantly to feel some slight feelings of relaxation.

Once you’ve used a few breaths to jump into it, scan your body, and start noticing tension. Again, use your breath to release this tension in whatever part of the body it may be.

Finally – enjoy relaxing. If you don’t enjoy it, you won’t do it.

There are nights when I practice where my body is calling for relaxation, and it feels exactly right for the moment. When you can listen to your body and deliver what it needs, you will be on the right path.

I would be doing you a disservice if I simply listed some of the benefits of practicing Qigong.  This would make you goal-oriented, you then automatically be focused on the end result instead of the process of getting there, and you’d be unable to attain that goal.  The Daoist Master Zhuangzi addressed this in his poem “The Need to Win”:

When an archer is shooting for nothing
He has all his skill.
If he shoots for a brass buckle
He is already nervous.
If he shoots for a prize of gold
He goes blind
Or sees two targets-
He is out of his mind!

His skill has not changed. But the prize
Divides him. He cares.
He thinks more of winning
Than of shooting
And the need to win
Drains him of power.

Therefore, we should not practice with any particular goal in mind, rather practice with the understanding that many beneficial things will come when we let go and allow our body to return to it’s natural balance.  There is no forcing or attaining this natural balance, it comes from letting go of all the extra baggage we have.

So, you might be thinking “Well, why would I practice Qigong then if I’m not interested in results?”.  This question shows the limitations of the Western model of thought.  Let’s ask this…when one dances, is ithe point just to hurry and get to the end of the song, or is the best part the actual dance throughout the song?  Your spiritual path and personal healing is the same way, it’s not about getting to the end, but rather enjoying the process of getting there.

Absorb this teaching and think about it whenever you can.  If you can do this, you are on way way to understanding the true meaning of the practice, and all the benefits of the practice (ones you never even imagined) will start to become available to you.  As this happens, you will understand what I’m saying.  But your intellectual mind will not be able to grasp all this, you have to simply begin practice and experience what I’m talking about.

A personal story, this morning I woke up and for some reason was automatically in what we call the “Qigong state of mind”.  For me, this is something that’s been a great byproduct of my practice.  As you practice, you are training your body and nervous system to relax and calm down.  Over time, you are able to reach deeper states of relaxation and expand your body’s ability to relax on many levels.  Over time, your body begins to use this relaxed state as it’s normal state of functioning, so you are able to achieve the peace of mind that you feel after practice throughout different parts of your day, without trying.

However, my theory was tested this morning, as I was presented with an emotional and stressful situation in the middle of this nice calm.  Instead of holding my center, the situation scattered me a little bit as I became emotionally involved.  Likewise, I was irritated that it disturbed my inner peace (which, is actually my own fault, as I LET the situation disturb my inner peace).  However, realizing all this on the spot, I used my intention to let go and bring my body back into the Qigong state of mind, just like that.  So, the added bonus of the practice is that you learn how to control your mind and nervous system, and you can bring yourself into the Qigong state of mind whenever you want.  Of course, it’s easy to get wrapped up in emotional situations and get disturbed, so it takes inner spiritual strength to control yourself in those times.  But that’s what the practice is all about – learning to control your mind at will.

I’ll leave you with this to ponder – in tough situations, you can do one of two things – you can remove yourself from the situation, or you can remove your “self” from the situation.  Do you understand?

There are some common misunderstandings.  Some people think that it should be easy from the start, and if it’s not, they are not interested. In fact, when Qigong is not easy to do when you first start, it means you actually really need the practice.

See, Qigong is all about relaxing and learning to breathe.  When we can’t do either, we have low energy, get irritated easily and are very judgmental, about ourselves and others.  When we are relaxed, life is good.  So, Qigong is really learning how to relax.

When we practice Qigong, it’s not always easy to relax. And that’s the point…we are training ourselves to relax, even when it’s not easy.  Of course it’s easier to practice in our studio, where there’s peaceful music and other like minded people relaxing around you. But are you able to practice at home?  Why not?  Most likely there are too many things going on, and things are completely relaxed.

The secrets unlock when you apply these principles when you are not relaxed…magically you begin to feel better.  But it takes inital effort to learn how to relax in a controlled environment, then you practice at home, carving out time for yourself to relax, then it becomes easier.

Once you can relax, then you can dive deeper in the practice…or not!  See, everyone has a different goal when they practice, but I’m sure everyone has the initial goal of relaxing and reducing stress.  You don’t have to take Qigong to a high level.  Learn to relax with simple techniques and enjoy life!  Or go deeper.  The choice is yours (always, of course).

In reality though, most of us become interested in Qigong because of the positive benefits that natural result from the practice.  It certainly improves our immune system, reduces stress, and allows us to be more spiritually aware. 

However, this goal-oriented approach will not get you very far.  The practice is very subtle, and only works when we let go of expectations of what we might achieve or feel.  

The correct way to practice is to not expect anything special to happen; simply be open to all possibilities and listen to the feedback your bodies gives you.  4000+ years of Chinese practice has proven that if one practices like this, great things will happen automatically, it’s just the nature of things.

Another reason you don’t want to have expectations during your practice is that expectations can be limiting.  If I tell you that Qi should feel like when you practice, then you’ll be looking for that feeling, and might miss out on a more subtle senstation that I didn’t tell you about.  You also might have a slightly different senstation based on your body type, state of health or state of mind.  But…if you simply let go, stay open to all possibilities and practice with proper posture, breathing and mind state, you will discover the secrets.

Ultimately you must explore and experience the effects of Qigong for yourself, firsthand. Through patient and persistent practice, you will truly discover your inner nature and get in touch with realms of your existence you were never aware of.  We all have that potential inside us, we just need to relax and unlock it.

Common Pitfalls:

1.  Expecting Qigong to instantly change your life.  Qigong is a very subtle art, and it takes time to understand what it’s all about.  If you are seriously interested in all the benefits that Qigong practice can give you, then you need to be patient and not have expectations in your practice.

This is because Qigong is the art of understanding the subtle processes that happen in your body.  You learn to become more sensitive to these things, and over time your awareness grows.  It generally does not happen after practicing once.  And every day the practice is different.  So each day build on the previous day, and over time the practice will open up.

The healing promise of Qi is that if you practice sincerely and dilligently, you will obtain the benefits that you are deserved.  But you have to practice, and you have to have faith that this 4000+ year old system, proven to work by millions of people, will work for you.

2.  Becoming distracted while practicing.  It happens. In fact, in it is agreed that the first 2 years of practicing Qigong you are learning simply how to relax.  Reaching a meditative state whlie practicing is the ultimate goal, but not easy in the beginning.  Don’t worry. Embrace the distractions as feedback to what you can work on in your practice. Let go. 

Some days it’s easier than others to relax the mind, but just work on it little by little.   There will be days when you can’t relax the mind, and that’s ok.  Just let go and allow the mind to relax, and it will happen.  Little by little, you will catch glimpses of what the real practice is like, and that should further encourage you to keep going. 

Letting go is the first step in getting rid of distractions.  Forget about the noises outside, things that bothered you earlier, or things you have to do later.  When you are truly in the moment, ideas of past and present do not exist.

The real secret to Qigong is what happens inside the body, not out.  When you relax and breathe naturally, your body shifts into a state of natural healing, moving your vital life energy into your organs and all the internal areas that call for more energy.  This is not a conscious process – this is the design of the human body and happens only if you relax and breathe and let it happen on it’s own.  Any conscious attempt to relax or circulate the energy is not genuine, and the mind will get in the way of this process.

The external movements of Qigong can facilitate your meditative practice.  As you slow down your breathing and co-ordinate your external movements to your breathing, your body comes into balance, harmonizing the inside and outside of your physical and energetic body.  At this point, you will naturally feel more relaxed and at peace, and thus you are halfway to a meditative state!

I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to cultivate inner stillness.  Qigong is a special time where we can turn our focus inward and work on this inner stillness, but we must begin carrying this inner stillness over into our everyday life.  Today, being the Chinese New Year, start making the effort today to cultivate calmness and stillness in your everyday life. Take 10 seconds to shut out everything around you and just breathe.  10 seconds!  We all have 10 seconds of free time throughout our day.

If you have difficulty meditating, talk to me after class or email me, and I’d be glad to offer some inspiration.  You can also attend one of Lisa’s classes (she has Thursday night meditation class as well, see www.healing-alternatives.org for a complete class schedule).  But most importantly, you must begin working on meditation every day.  No excuses!  If you want to learn, the only way is to start trying.  Be patient, walk the path slowly, and remember, there is no end goal - walking the path is enlightenment itself!

So, last weekend in class we talked about some specific methods that you can use anytime to reduce stress.  These should be the foundation of your practice, and something you should do before going to bed, in the middle of a stressful day, or anytime you feel any tension at all.

• Focus on your natural breathing (bringing your mind’s awareness down to the rise and fall of your belly). 
• The Qigong exercises for the neck (turning left and right, side to side, and small circles)
• Gentle tapping all around the head to release the stress under the surface the skin.

These methods above are so powerful, but like any movement, you really need to practice them over and over before you can really understand how powerful they are.  Focusing on your breathing is actually the most potent of them all, as it triggers so many physiological changes in your body and puts you in an automatic state of healing. The other method we talked about was using the GB21 acupressure points on the tops of the shoulders to physically and energically release stress and
tension. ***NOTE:  Don’t use the GB21 points if you are pregnant***.  Start by holding the GB21 points on both sides of my shoulders The GB21 point is easy to find, in most people it is quite tender.  Don’t press too hard on it.  Push the points on both shoulders with light pressure and simply focus on your breathing, feeling the rise and fall of your belly.  Don’t worry about getting the exact
point, if you find a point that is tender that will work.  Hold for any amount of time 10 seconds to 2 minutes, whatever feels good.  Then massage the area around the GB21 points. Of course, listen to your own body, don’t press to hard on the points, and if you feel any discomfort, relax, massage the area and return your focus to your breathing. Keep working with these simple yet powerful methods, you will begin to see amazing results. 

Yes, it’s likely the most challenging aspect of the art. You’ve heard me say it’s important to
practice every day, and I could even say it’s imperative to practice everyday if you really want to discover the deep secrets of the practice. But how does one fit it into a busy life?

The first problem is that our lives become too busy as it is.  Qigong is mental downtime, and we often don’t seem to schedule that into our day.  I was advised by a Daoist priest from SF (Liu Ming) to examine my everyday life and find things are unnecessary or time wasters.  You might or might not find something you could cut out.  Remember to be objective, when you are too attached to your lifestyle, you won’t want to really look at it and won’t want to give stuff up.

The above advice was given to me, follow it only if it interests you.  Here’s the advice that I give to you:
1.  Morning and night practice are ideal.  Why?  Nighttime has all the Yin qualities…the energy of the night is quiet, relaxing and healing.  This is compared to the daytime, which has Yang qualities of being bright, active, full of energy (both from the sun and from the collective buzz of 3 billion brains thinking).  Midnight is considered by Daoists to be the ultimate time to meditate, it’s pure Yin.  Morning is good because Yang (ie. the sun) is just starting to have an influence, but Yin is still pretty strong.  It’s easiest to practice during these Yin times. 

2.  When you can find even just a few minutes in nature, use that time to connect with the Earth energy (again, Earth is Yin, ie. nourishing and healing).  If you find yourself in a tranquil setting, take advantage of it and relax and breathe and absorb the energy around you.

3.  You can practice your deep abdominal breathing anytime. When you find yourself nervous or anxious, try and remember to focus on your breathing. It helps immediately.  You can also use this if you’re around stressed out or negative people. By focusing on your center (ie. dantien, belly breathing), you can keep your energy strong and not be affected by the energy around you. If your energy is weak and you don’t hold your center, you can be affected by other people’s energy.  Waiting a long stop light is a great time to breathe – it’s often a place where we can become impatient.

4. Watching TV is not the most ideal time to practice, but you can easily mute the commercials and do some of the Opening the Channels exercises.  Massage the hands, stretch the spine, do some of the exercises to release tension from the neck and shoulders, use tapping to reduce tension around the head and face.  Heck, you can even do some of these while you watch TV.  Remember, Qigong is about opening your energy gates, so gentle strecthing and massage are great techniques for this.  Better to fit some in during commercials than to do none at all.

Hope this helps you on your path.  Thanks to all who attended class this weekend…there was some strong healing energy from all of you.  I actually felt some really intense magnetic energy during the opening and closing of the hands at my dantien, so strong that all I had to do is relax my arms and hands and the magnetic field moved my hands for me.  Strongest I had felt in a very long time.  For some it takes years to feel that stuff, others feel it quicker. Relax, don’t have expectations for
what you will feel – just experience exisiting without judgement; and you’ll soon start to unlock the secrets.

I’m sure you have all heard me talk about how important it is to practice Qigong daily. Most Chinese masters will tell you that you must practice a movement or set every day for 100 days (without skipping a single day) in order to begin to obtain the benefits of the practice.  While I certainly believe great things happen when you practice daily, I also understand the challenge of being able to practice daily.

I know everyone’s day is probably jam packed from beginning to end.  Having a 2-year old daughter and a full-time job pretty much consume most of the 24 hours I’m allowed in a day.  Tonight a friend/student said some profound words that are quite worthy of repeating.  He was talking about snowboarding, and how he could see it relating to Qigong in that you are at one with nature, your movements down the hill are slow and circular, and how on a mountain top you are breathing in fresh, qi infused air.  He couldn’t be more right, our practice is all around us.

Qigong can be translated many ways, but the typical translation is “Energy Work” or “Energy Cultivation”.  When you become aware of Qi or simply move it around, you are doing Qigong.  Every minute of every day is an opportunity to practice.  Many movements can be practiced as you walk around.  Everytime you move, it’s an opportunity to be co-ordinate your breath with your movement and experience the constant process of “Yin changing to Yang” and “Yang changing to Yin”.  Look for your own ways of discovering Qi in your daily life and have fun with it.

The byproduct Qigong practice that can be used in our everyday life is the increased awareness that comes with the practice.  Qigong is moving meditation which quiets the mind and turns our focus inward, making us more aware of ourselves, and in turn the world around us.  When we practice Qigong, that is it. We are simply practicing…but when we enter back into the real world again, we re-enter it with a clearer mind and the possibility for a new perspective.  What are the new things that you noticed today, that you didn’t notice yesterday?  This awareness is the result of your practice, and it will honestly come even if you are not able to practice daily.

The truth is that in the beginning it’s difficult to carve out the time to practice daily.  If you persist in your practice, even if it’s once a week, you will slowly become more drawn to practicing as you see and experience the increased awareness and the new state of mind the practice brings.  Over time you will find yourself automatically creating that time to practice and you will dive deeper into Qigong.