An Introduction to Qi and Qigong
Written by Silala Towler
"There are energies that move in our body. No one knows whence. They come from something transcending our consciousness. We can't even conceive of them."
Joseph Campbell
Qi
Modern physics now agrees with the ancient teachings that what we think of as solid matter is really energy in constant motion. The natural energy of the universe has been called by many different names--vital force, prana, orenda, shakti, and spirit are just a few. The ancient Taoists called it qi (chi).
As Hua Ching Ni says: "How can the universe be alive? Because it is the
continual transformation of primal chi, the pivotal energy and living soul of
the universe. By understanding that all things in the universe are just
different expressions of chi, one can see why the sages have always said, 'All
things are one, and one is all things.'"
Qi
can be thought of as basic life force. Ted Kaptchuck calls it "matter on the verge of becoming energy or energy at the point of materializing." Mantak Chia describes it as "the glue between our body, mind, and spirit, the link between our perception of the inner and outer worlds." Qi may also be thought of as electricity. It can't be seen, yet it can most certainly be felt.In some ways, it is the very stuff of life. It is what animates us, what gives us life in the energetic sense. It warms us, keep our organs in their places, and directs all of our movements.
There are different kinds of qi with different jobs to do. There is protective qi , or wei qi , the Chinese version of the immune system. It lies like an invisible electrical shield between the skin and the muscles. Its job is to keep out invading pathogens. When our wei qi is low, our resistance to colds, the flu and more serious viral invasions is weakened.
Another type of qi is organ qi . This type of qi is responsible for maintaining the strength and integrity of each organ in our body. When this type of qi is weakened, our organ functions suffer and we are likely to have trouble breathing, digesting our food or sleeping. We may also feel a general feeling of fatigue.
Yet another type of qi is meridian qi , which travels the pathways (called meridians or channels) throughout our bodies, linking organs with each other and to organ systems and helping the blood move and stay within its channels. Meridian qi is what acupuncturists tap into when they insert their needles.
The human body is in reality an energy system. You can even think of the body's meridians as an electrical system, complete with junctions, fuse boxes and miles of wiring, all connecting up in one great multi-dimensional energy circuit.
Qigong
Since the entire universe itself is made of the very same qi of which we are made, we can utilize the energy of the universe in our own healing work. This is the premise of qigong , the ancient Taoist art of energy work. By tracking and building up our own internal energy and then mixing it with the "heavenly" energy as well as the "earthly" energy, we can become more vital, more healthy and more spiritually realized beings.
There are literally hundreds, if not thousands, of different qigong exercises. Many of these are integrated into a whole system, usually called by an evocative and poetic name such as Soaring Crane Qigong, Wild Goose Qigong etc. All involve some sort of special breathing, specific movements and an inner visualization of where the energy is focused or moving.
Through qigong , as Bob Flaws says: "we can manufacture qi more efficiently, store qi more effectively, and circulate our qi more smoothly. In addition, we can circulate our qi to particular places or organs in our body to bath those areas in healing, revitalizing energy."
Qigong
can be done in a moving form, such as in Taiji Quan, or by sitting or even lying down. There was a famous qigong master in China in the 800's named Chen Tuan who perfected a sort of sleeping qigong . He was said to be able to sleep for months at a time, neither eating nor drinking, then awaken perfectly refreshed and energized!An important facet of qigong is that while there are often outer movements, at least 75% of what is going on is on the inside. Visualizing the energy flow, meditating on certain energy centers or spiritual centers (such as tien mu , the third eye or bai hui, the crown chakra or dan tein , in the lower abdomen) is just as important, if not more so, than doing outer movements. In the beginning the practitioner guides the qi with his or her mind in a relaxed, non-forceful manner. It is said that qi follows yi , or that energy will follow the mind. (Western medicine is discovering this also as the relatively new branch of medicine called phsyconeuroimmunology.) Eventually, the qi will move on its own without the practitioner needing to guide it.
Qigong is
very popular in China, with millions of people practicing it daily, but mainly
for health benefits. Only recently has the spiritual aspects of qigong
been taught, although traditionally qigong has always been used for both
physical and spiritual growth. Here in the West people are, of course,
interested in both. But traditional Taoist wisdom teaches that it is very
difficult for one to do intense spiritual work when one's energy or health is
compromised. There is simply not enough qi to do practices or even
to read and understand inspiring books. Therefore, the first step is to do qigong
to raise the energy level in order to become a healthier, more vital person.
Then one can begin deeper self cultivation practices.
Written by Solala Towler. For information please email her at solala@abodetao.com.
For a simple exercise in Qi Emission, follow the hyperlink below to the "Qi Emission" page.
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