Daoist qigong is a spiritual
discipline that cultivates body
and mind simultaneously.
Originally called daoyin,
which means “guiding the
flow of internal energy (qi)”,
it has been practiced for over
two thousand years in China.
Laozi, the founder of Daoism,
was said to have been the
first to practice techniques of
conserving, gathering,
cultivating, nourishing, and
transforming energies that
are the source of a healthy
body and a clear mind.
~ Eva Wong
Introduction
Qi, often translated as energy, is more of a verb than a
noun -- it means relating. It’s the result of yin and
yang coming into being. When a being arises, yin and
yang arise and interact, and qi is formed. Gong is the
circulation of energy produced by the relationship of
yin and yang.
So the practice of qigong is cultivating a relationship
with energy -- becoming aware of the energy that
circulates and flows through your being.
Perhaps originating in shaman dances based on animal
movements, qigong is a modern term that
encompasses more than 1,500 different styles of
to Qigong
Awareness of the movement of energy in the bodymind
• Qi is always moving, not just when you do qigong. So the basis of the practice is feeling
energy move, and moving in ways that don’t block energy or awareness.
• Rest in the experience of what’s happening in your body. Qigong is the practice of exploring
how energy is in your body.
• Don’t try to move “correctly”; the external movements are done to enhance the internal
movement of energy.
Relaxed, soft, no strain, no pain
• Relax throughout; relax while standing and while moving.
• Minimize muscular tension up. Let your skeleton hold you up. Let the earth support you.
• Feel and use energy from your belly to move your torso and limbs.
• Let your whole body participate in moving. When you turn, turn from your hips and pelvis,
and let your head, shoulders, collarbones and ribcage participate.
• Don’t lock your elbows, knees, finger or toe joints; keep them flexible and slightly bent.
• Don’t strain your knees, your ankles, your back, or your neck.
• The knees should not extend beyond the toes.
• Let your eyes gaze softly at your entire field of vision.
Grounded and centered
• When standing, relax and sink into the ground. Feel the bubbling wells in the soles of your
feet resting on the ground. Feel your center of gravity in the area below your navel.
• When moving, lead with the field of elixir below your navel (lower dantien), letting your
torso and limbs follow. Pivot from the dantien below your navel while staying grounded on
both feet.
• When extending or leaning, only go about two-thirds as far in any direction as you could go.
Energy follows intention
• Use intention rather than muscle. “Qi follows yi” -- energy follows mind/intention.
• Much of the benefit of qigong is intentional; the movement of the body is done to enhance
your intention.
Cautions
Practicing qigong is deeply helpful to mind and body, but there are a few points to remember:
• Avoid doing qigong on a full stomach.
• Because qigong generates energy, you may have difficulty sleeping if you practice after dark.
• Starting and stopping energy practices suddenly is not good for the body. Build up gradually
over several weeks in repetitions of three. If you decide to stop practicing
spiritual, martial and health exercises.
Qigong evolved to encompass frameworks such as
yin-yang (the two primal complementary polar
energies); qi (breath, vital substance or energy), the
upper, middle and lower fields of elixir in the body,
the channels and meridians, and acupuncture, herbal
and mineral medicine.
Qigong is practiced in different ways as a spiritual discipline, in martial arts, and for health and
longevity. There are many forms of qigong; perhaps the best known form is tai chi chuan.
The qigong described here is designed to raise and balance energy for the cultivation of
awareness. What’s the connection between awareness and energy? The habituated physical,
emotional, and cognitive patterns that cause suffering are dismantled by attention. Attention is
intentional energy. Raising
