Applying the Empty Mind

by Adam Wallace

Qi Magazine - Issue 88

Fall 2008

The concept of ‘empty mind’ is realised through deep relaxation, attained spontaneously or through training (meditation). It means to be fully aware of the presentand surroundings and forget the self, which removes all hindrance to physical possibilities.

My first experience of this occurred before I had even heard of the concept, before beginning my journey into martial arts and Qigong. It actually occurred during my driving test over twenty years ago now. As a learner I never felt nervous or caused drama on the road but within one minute of being in the car with the invigilator I made a cardinal error. Following his instruction to make a right turn out of the test centre I put my foot down on the accelerator and turned the steering wheel too leisurely, resulting in the car mounting the kerb (on his side no less!). I did not dare to look at his face. In my mind I had already failed so the weight of worry and feeling of apprehension lifted away and the mind became a blank slate.

As he continued to issue his list of commands in a monotone I performed them perfectly, like an automaton.We returned to the test centreafter three-quarters of an hour (which felt like an eternity) and as we came to a complete stop the instructor closed his file and said, “Mr. Wallace……you have passed”. I responded, “You’re joking, right?”, nonplussed, believing him to possess some sadistic sense of humour. (I discovered later that instructors allow errors in the first five minutes due to ‘test nerves’.)

In 1998, I entered into a Pushing Hands competition for the Wenxian International Taijiquan competition. In the evening before the opening, I learned that my randomly picked opponent was the Chen family member who had been my training partner in my previous week’s stay in Chenjiagou (Chen Village). I felt deflated, knowing he was one of the top athletes under Master Chen Bing and Grandmaster Chen Xiaoxing. He was more skilled and losing to him in the firstr ound would mean my early exit from the tournament (or so I thought at the time as the rules had not been adequately translated).

This began to eat away at me, causing my Qi to literally disperse. At breakfast I had to force myself to eat and felt uneasy. After lunch I returned to my room with butterflies in my stomach, awaiting the moment of truth. Instead of resting in bed I began practising Zhan Zhuang (Standing Pole) and after half an hour I sat down to meditate. By the time I arrived at the stadium I felt transformed and invigorated. My mind was so calm (a contrast to the competitors that go to great lengths ‘psyching themselves up’), my Qi was stable (adrenaline under control) and fully restored, and I felt deeply centred. Gone were all the doubts and insecurities. At the end of a very close match I was declared the winner, all due to‘empty mind’.

Othertimes when empty mind practice has come in handy is when I train jumping. There is a wall in the park where I used to practice that reached my waist level. A few times, to challenge myself, I would jump onto it from a stationary position; difficult enough even with a running start. Each time I would stand facing the wall considering the height and pondering clearing the distance too much, I would prevent myself from doing it as if my feet were nailed or glued to the ground.

Whenever I would finally stop thinking and say to myself, “Just do it”, I always succeeded.When it comes to physical training and Qi it does not do to overintellectualise what is happening internally. It is more important to feel the experience rather than think or try to make sense of it. Some people find the idea of ‘No Mind’ hard to get around. It seems like a paradox. It is important for the skill taught to be absorbed by the body and not to remain only in the head. Consciousness of self is the greatest impediment to the execution of physical actions. 

Most accidents occur and chances are missed because of pensiveness and hesitation to act, or else in acting rashly or emotionally. In combat, when an opponent commits to launching an attack he creates an opening and becomes vulnerable for a split-second. This window of opportunity, the potential to counterattack, must be ‘felt’ instinctively. There is no time to think because by the time the eyes see it and the brain sends the message to the limbs to counterattack, the opportunity is lost. The opponent would have returned to a defensive position or retreated out of range (closing the ‘window’) or renewed his attack, presenting a whole new set of problems to solve and answer.

The mind, unchecked, creates irrational and unwarranted fears, self doubt and anxiety. In this situation it can literally become our own worst enemy. It creates barriers, physically (between us and our bodies and achieving our goals) and subtly (between us and other people and nature.) The ‘empty mind’ enables us to see things without prejudice, as they really are, and enables us to achieve far more physically than we might think possible.

You and Your Qi

by Adam Wallace
Qi Magazine - Issue 87
Summer 2008

Your Qi is your life. Abundant Qi ensures good health and vitality, speedy recovery from illness, and quality of life. Deficient Qi spells listlessness and illness, and no Qi means death, literally.

When your Qi is full you feel comfortable inside, no matter the weather. On extremely cold days you may feel the temperature on the surface of the skin, but inside you will feel warm, so the extremities and joints do not suffer. When Qi is deficient, you can even feel cold internally on warm days. This is why the elderly fear winter especially.

Your Qi level is directly related to how you see the world and respond to it. When your Qi is full and stable you will feel balanced, vibrant and confident, with a deep sense of peace and harmony. Mental clarity, wisdom,  and mood all depend on the Qi level, so when Qi is low you will not only feel physically weak, vulnerable and insecure, but also become cantankerous, melancholy, anxious or fearful and suffer negative and confused thinking. When Qi is unstable you may experience severe mood swings, become easily enraged, or suffer manic depression (bi-polar disorder).

Many people suffer heart attacks or strokes because they are not sensitive to their Qi or do not know how to control it through regulating the breath. The attack often occurs when the body is stressed and the mind is preoccupied or ‘out of the body’. Qigong regulates and balances Qi with the mind and breath and so prevents Qi becoming overstimulated and stuck. I would wager that no one has nor ever will suffer a stroke or heart attack during their Qigong practice as they are mindful of the internal body. If they practice every day (especially twice or more), they need never worry as the effects of training last for many hours, so regularity maintains order.

Many people today complain of having no energy. They work, come home, collapse and repeat this day-in and day-out. They run themselves into the ground, literally. The way we feel, in general, is a reliable barometer for what is going on internally. Before we become seriously ill, we will generally feel an overall sense of malaise. This is a warning signal. Over time, if nothing is done to remedy the situation, we then become fatigued, burned out and run down. When Qi level is weak the immune system too is weak. So when fatigued, sickness invariably follows. Then comes the enforced rest at home or in hospital and the ubiquitous medication that must be taken until the last days of life. Medications interfere with Qi but the average person taking these medicines can be too disconnected from his body to even notice.

Your Qi level, as it is at this very moment, is the result of your parents’ combined Qi (the good and the bad), together with that gained since birth, from food, water, air and exercise/rest. (The more you exercise the body with breathing fresh air and relaxation, and without exhausting it, the more it recharges, just like a car battery.) So you can take the Qi your parents gave you, use it wisely to go beyond life expectancy or you can squander it hastily.

Everything we do in life uses Qi, so we must spend it wisely. Eating the wrong food, in large amounts, uses a lot of Qi for digestion and this results in the feeling of heaviness and sleepiness. Even breathing can waste Qi unnecessarily when it is not natural. Reading, especially at the computer, uses our Qi and weakens our vision, so it is important to take frequent short breaks in order to let the eyes recover and avoid eyestrain. Many men complain of exhaustion and their doctors cannot diagnose the problem, but Chinese medical doctors would be able to detect that they have weakened kidney Qi through immoderate sexual intercourse. People complain of symptoms but remain unwilling to restore balance themselves by making necessary recommended lifestyle changes, especially if it involves depriving themselves of pleasure.

Many patients today undergoing chemotherapy use Qigong and/or Chinese medicine to help remedy the symptoms of treatment (aching muscles and coldness in the bones) instead of using Qigong as the primary treatment. During the days they practice they feel better because their Qi level has been elevated but after the ensuing chemotherapy session they feel terrible as the treatment damages the kidneys and erases all the good Qi cultivated from practice. So, the patient takes one step forward and three steps back. No matter what the illness may be, the only way to truly recover is to bring up the Qi level so the body has sufficient Qi to combat and overcome the illness. When the Qi is not strong enough, illness gains ascendancy and ultimately triumphs, resulting in a weakened state of health or death.

The factors that determine our Qi are (mostly) under our direct control. Therefore, largely, our lives are the result of our choices.

Principles of Qigong Practice

by Adam Wallace

Qi Magazine | Issue 64 | Dec 2002

Success with Qigong depends on following certain principles. Failure to do so not only diminishes the positive long-term effects but can even cause unwanted side-effects.

Qigong trains the mind, breathing, and body (posture) so these are the three essentials. The mind must remain calm and clear with a positive attitude. This is dependent on sinking the Qi to the Dantian, where it is stored and developed. If Qi remains in the upper body you may feel pressure in the chest, causing difficulty with breathing, which leads to anxiety. If it remains in the head you will feel pressure, and suffer headaches or insomnia, and find total relaxation impossible to attain. Only when Qi is stable within the Dantian do you feel comfortable and balanced.

Without proper breathing Qigong is merely stretching exercises, and the benefits are limited. Generally, breathing is through the nose, which connects with the Dantian, facilitating deep respiration and sinking of Qi. The mouth should remain closed to help reconnect the Ren and Du channels (broken at birth) and reform one unbroken channel, Xiao Zhou Tian (Small Heavenly Circuit). A maxim of Chinese medicine also states, “All disease enters through the mouth." The nose filters the air and warms it before it reaches the lungs.

When the back is straight the internal body can relax. The Baihui point (at the crown of the head) and the Wuyin point (between the legs) should form a straight line. This smoothes the Chong channel (running through the very centre of the body), which connects with the Dantian. Chinese medicine states, "If the posture is not correct, the Qi cannot flow freely. If the Qi does not flow freely the mind cannot become tranquil. If the mind is not tranquil the Qi will disperse.”

The body’s fluids belong inside the body, especially the vital substances such as the blood and semen. These essences are the foundation of health; there is no spirit without vitality, and no vitality without essence. Physical exercise which causes dehydration, through profuse sweating, is contradictory to Qigong theory, and even excessive bouts of crying leave a person feeling exhausted.

For the best results, Qigong should be practised at regular times (so your body becomes accustomed to the routine) and at the same place (as you create a Qi field which benefits your practice). Ideal times are early morning (when yin energy changes to yang) or in the evening. These hours are more conducive to Qigong as the air is cleaner, the energy is calmer, and the environment is quieter. 

Persistence is the key to success. This requires self-discipline. It is said that Qigong masters practice 24 hours a day, which is not to be taken literally but means that even when they are not exercising or meditating they are following the principles (i.e. maintaining a calm mind, deep breathing, and good posture) whether at work or at home relaxing, while walking and eating, etc.

Qigong training means to test your Qi and occasionally experience adversity. This makes the body stronger internally and enables the body to adapt to changing situations. Too much comfort makes the body weak and dependent on certain conditions. Begin in small amounts and increase as your body becomes stronger. Between 3 and 4 a.m., when most people are sleeping, the body is at its weakest. If you can practice at this time you will find it beneficial and your level will improve. Also it is vital to cultivate good moral character. You must train with a good heart and a pure mind. Benevolence, humility, honesty, and other virtues must be maintained. Over time Qigong does improve the student’s character and nature, but a bad student (one who cannot give respect or is selfishly motivated etc.) without strict guidance will never develop a high standard.

You should never be impatient for quick results as this causes restlessness and anxiety, which is contrary to the principles and therefore impedes your progress. There are no short-cuts. Qigong is an evolving process, not a quick fix like a weight-loss or body-building programme. The hardest lesson is to just to relax, and let everything come naturally in its own time. Also, even if your time is limited you should never rush your own practice. Save your energy, using it only when necessary, and balance rest with activity. If you always follow the natural way, maintain a balanced and positive mental attitude, and adhere to the principles then you are assured success with Qigong which is a long life spent in good health and happiness. Qigong is more than exercise: It is a philosophy, a way of life.