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Chi Kung (Qi Gong) means literally,
"Energy Cultivation," and refers to
exercises which improve health and longevity as well as increase the sense of
harmony within oneself and in
the world. There are thousands of such exercises. In fact, anything you do with
the intention of benefiting
your energy can be considered Chi Kung. All Chi Kung contains common principles -
mind, eyes, movement and
breath. Another way to express this is - the mind is the presence of intention,
the eyes are the focus of
intention, the movement is the action of intention, the breath is the flow of
intention. These are the
"secrets" of Chi Kung - and they are often taught at the beginning of training.
Of course it takes years of
exploring these ideas in practice to begin to truly grasp their significance.
Kung Fu (Gung Fu) means "Progress Achieved
through Discipline." Discipline means learning through action. The word discipline in English
is related to the word disciple -
one who learns. In the West the idea of Kung Fu is commonly thought of
only in terms of martial arts. In
fact the term applies to any activity in which paying attention and
practicing to improve are important -
in other words just about any worthwhile aspect of life.
Chi Kung is actually a specific example of a larger category of
exercises called Nui Kung
(Nei Gong) (literally - "Inner Cultivation").
Nui Kung encompasses a large variety of
practices including standing, seated, moving, static and even
dreaming exercises. "Internal" martial arts
such as Tai Chi Chuan (Tai Ji Quan), Ba Kua (Pa Gua) and Hsing
I (Xing Yi) are also included within this
general
category. In their advanced levels Nui Gong exercises cultivate
access to energies commonly outside of the
human experience. Obviously, if it is possible for humans to
access these energies, they cannot truly be
outside of human experience, perhaps only outside of commonly
perceived consensual reality. Advanced sets of
Nui Kung exercises focus on different specific aspects of
experience, including altering states of
consciousness, opening to universal energies, and manifesting
unusual abilities and powers. Many of these
advanced exercises included within Nui Kung are considered
dangerous if taught to the unprepared and all of
them must be treated with respect to avoid possible
difficulties resulting from their practice.
Healing with Chi
Recent articles have emphasized the use of Chi energy for healing others.
This is referred to as
"External Chi Healing," (External Qi Kung) or Chi Sao. Chi energy is directed
through the hands or eyes
towards the patient. Often, "miraculous" improvements in health are cited as
a result of a Chi Kung
practitioner working with an ill person. External Chi healing is historically
one of the main applications
of Chi energy cultivation.
If you are going to cultivate Chi and apply it in healing work with others
there are important precautions to
heed. The most important of these is to remain clear of personal attachment
to the process. Nothing will
deplete energy faster than seeking ego gratification with the "power" of your
healing work. Fortunately for
most, these tendencies usually get worked out early in the process, particularly
if they are working with a
teacher who is themselves clear.
There are also numerous levels and depths of this healing ability. Certain healers
using externally-directed
Chi seem to have better effects with some illnesses than others. Ultimately it may
be that to truly master
the art of directing Chi in the healing process you must develop a wide spectrum of
abilities and be able to
apply them in a variety of types of imbalances in body, emotions, mind, soul and spirit.
The Path of Qi Gong
Finally, although you may find books or teachers professing to teach you the secrets
of Chi Kung and the
power of it's applications, it always comes down to what you, yourself are willing to
practice and
experience. The layers are there for you to explore when you make yourself available
for the learning. At
the same time, it doesn't hurt to learn whatever you can from those who have stepped
through the doors before
you. In the words of the Zen poet, Basho,
(c) 1995 Bruce Eichelberger
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