The Art of Qi Gong

“Simplicity without a name
Is free from all external aim
With no desire, at rest and still,
All things go right as of their will.”
Lao Tzu: Tao Te Ching, (trans. J. Legge)

The following is a short piece that aims to give the reader enough information to start his or her study in the art of qi gong. There are many books already that tell of its history and theory so I have left these aspects somewhat neglected. There are of course many written also that concern themselves with the practical side of the art (some more useful than others) so I do not make any pretence of covering that aspect in any great detail. I have written enough here to give you a glimpse of this most beautiful and holy art, I have given you enough to start practicing, I have given you enough to become interested. Thenceforward I shall leave you in the hands of my betters.

“The shen depends on life form;
The ching depends on sufficient qi,
If these are neither depleted or injured
The result will be youthfulness and longevity.”
The jade emperor’s mind seal classic (trans S. Olson)

The Nature of Qi

In its simplest form the Taoist system of categorisation splits man up into three parts; Ching, Qi (pronounced chi) and Shen. These should be thought of as arbitrary divisions as opposed to things in themselves. Similar nomenclatures can be seen throughout most mystical and magical systems; they often overlap: prana for example is generally considered to equate roughly with qi.

To put it rather simply ching is the physical body, qi is the etheric body (the body of light, LVX, Prana, Neshamah etc…) and overlaps with the ching slightly insofar as it has a very close affinity with the breath and blood, and shen is the spirit – the highest aspect of man - and has no real corporeal aspect; it is the pure and formless fire of Zarathustra. The relationships and interplay between these, although fascinating, is too intricate and prolific for me to discuss here so I shall leave ching and shen behind and concern myself solely with the practical methods of inducing qi flow. The serious practitioner will quickly gain some understanding of the benefits; it is suffice to say that one can expect improved health, both physical and mental.  

“The sages awaken through self-cultivation.
Deep, profound, their practices require great effort.”
The jade emperor’s mind seal classic (trans S. Olson)

Practice

Qi gong can be powerful, but it can also be dangerous. I highly advise that anyone seeking real and effective results seek out a master. There are many reasons for this, the main being that a good master does not simply teach - he transfers skills. This is hard to explain but it is something of which I have personal experience; I was able, after only five minutes with a truly great master, to achieve at will results that in two years of unaided practice I achieved only once. Further it now takes but a minute as opposed to three hours.

That said, one must be careful; there are a lot of charlatans out there. Qi gong is a magical art, NOT light exercise. Few people teach true qi gong and fewer still teach it well.

I intend now to discuss and demonstrate a qi gong technique called “lifting the sky.” This is here mostly to display the nature of qi gong, it is not really meant as an instruction. I am not an instructor, I am but a student and I highly recommend that you buy a book by a competent master or, as I have just said, find such a master to train with. You do not even necessarily need to train regularly with such a person, if s/he is good as little as a day can be enough to make your practice considerably more effective and safe. However, I will add that this is something I have done, it works for me, if you wish to follow me in this practice then you are more than welcome. Illo dicto igatur Incipemus!

“When distant winds blend together
Within one hundred days of spiritual work
And morning recitation to the Shang ti,
Then in one year you will soar as an immortal.”
The jade emperor’s mind seal classic (trans S. Olson)

Lifting The Sky

At first this exercise should be performed as a purely physical activity, once confidence is gained the breathing should be coordinated with the movements and finally visualizations are added.

Lifting the sky (1)

Before this exercise you should spend five to ten minutes in standing meditation (with the feet close together, arms at sides and back straight). Unless you enter a meditative state of mind this exercise will never progress beyond the mere physical.

From this standing position the hands move slightly in front of your body with the palms facing down (photo 1). The head is then tilted to look at the hands. Next the hands are slowly raised in an arc, the arms kept straight, until they are almost directly above you - the palms face up and your eyes should follow their course (see photo 2).  Relax and hold this position for a moment before gently pushing up with your palms, as though lifting the sky, then lower your arms to your side while also lowering the head and straightening the body. Repeat this no more than ten times to begin with, as you progress however you can increase the number of repetitions.

Lifting the sky (2)

When you are ready you can add the breathing aspect of the practice. Essentially you breathe in while lifting your arms, hold while they’re at the top, breathe out when lowering them and hold again at the bottom. You should breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth, which should be kept open at all times – this allows negative energies to escape. Finally the tip of your tongue should rest upon your upper palate, just behind the teeth. I shall leave it to you, my dear reader, to find out why this is.

Once this is mastered, probably after a couple of months of daily practice, you can start to visualise ‘good’ cosmic (or heavenly) energy flowing into you when you breathe in and raise your arms and then this energy flowing down through your body cleansing you while you breath out. At first this will only be in your mind but eventually, after prolonged practice, it will become real.

The practice should be finished by standing again in mediation for five or so minutes before rubbing your hands together and massaging you eyes. During this meditation you should focus on your tan tien, a space two to three inches below your navel. It is wise however to wait a few minutes and see if you experience automatic qi flow. In reality the parts hitherto commented upon are but the opening to most important part of the practice. The movements and visualizations are done to initiate the flow of your qi, once it is flowing it will move throughout your body automatically, fixing any problems and breaking through any blockages (physical manifestations of psycho-spiritual dis-ease). If this occurs your body will simply start moving on its own accord and you may make strange noises or start singing or shouting or even barking (I have been known to jump around making monkey noises in the past). [Ed. – And that’s without the Qi Gong…] Relax and allow it happen; if you feel uncomfortable or are worried you might fall or disturb someone simply ask your qi flow to stop. It’s as simple as that. Once this has gone on for ten minutes, or if you wish to stop, focus your mind on your tan tien then perform the normal meditation. If this is practised regularly and sedulously you should start to experience a whole plethora of sensations and feelings, physical, mental and spiritual. [Ed. – Hence the monkey noises?!]

A Few Final Tips

• It is best to practice outside. If you practice inside I recommend opening a window so the negative energy can escape.
• Don’t force any visualizations, they should always be done in a relaxed and gentle manner.
• Make sure you have plenty of space in case your qi movements are move vigorous than you expect.
• Although some negative symptoms and pain may be experienced as your body is cleansed remember qi gong is meant to improve your health. If it is making you consistently ill, tired or groggy or if any other seriously negative symptoms occur stop your practice immediately. They should clear up. I did warn you to find a master.  NOTE: the symptoms might indeed be an entirely good sign but without a master you cannot be sure so it is safer to stop.

“Appear on the throne of Ra!
Open the ways of the Khu!
Lighten the ways of the Ka!
The ways of the Khabs run through
To stir me or still me!
AUM! Let it fill me!”
A. Crowley: Liber Al Vel Legis

I shall finish by wishing you the best of luck in your practice and by leaving you with the wise words of Erasmus of Rotterdam:

Festina Lente!