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.

Central Principles of Daoism

Qi Magazine

Issue 59 | February 2002

By Adam Wallace

Daoist philosophy, which dates back almost 5,000 years, is so ingrained in Chinese culture that it forms the basis of its cosmology, sciences and medicine, folklore, mysticism, poetry, painting, calligraphy, martial arts, and Qigong

Daoism is not strictly a religion but a way of life which allows the follower to reconnect and live more closely with nature. Unlike religious worship of a Supreme Being, Daoism recognises a ‘supreme state of being’ which everyone can achieve through their own personal efforts. Dao is eternal, infinite, and beyond all time and space. It is the source of all being; the mother of the universe. It is the invisible thread which connects and permeates everything in existence. Laozi, the Sage, reluctantly termed it the Nameless (as well as The Unknowable, The Void, and The Way) as he knew words limit and Dao is limitless, beyond all description. Void is the very nature of Dao and to say that it exists is to exclude that which does not. Dao gave birth to One (the Universe or Unity), which created Two (Yin and Yang - the entire spectrum of complementary opposites including light and dark, male and female, mountains and valleys, etc.), which created Three (the Three Treasures -essence, energy, and spirit) which gave birth to the multitude of living things.

Dao is seen as a ceaseless flow, changing every moment. Yet the changes proceed in orderly cycles.We can predict day following night, the changing order of the seasons, and even Halley’s Comet which passes once every seventy-six years but other cycles are longer and harder to comprehend. Investigation into nature’s patterns allows us to predict events which is how the Daoist ‘Yijing’(or ‘Book of Changes’) was created. Daoists follow the principle of Non-action (Wu Wei) which is to act without forcing, moving in accordance with nature’s flow, and following the path of least resistance, like fish swimming with the current or a plant bending towards the sunlight. Stillness, which is central to Daoist philosophy, is to return to the original state of being. Meditation is the tool to achieve this. Activity should always alternate with periods of stillness and never be pushed to the point of strain. This is the principle of balance, necessary for a long and healthy life. The practitioner’s heart and mind should constantly remain calm. Anger, anxiety, desires, frustration etc. all disturb inner peace so it is best to reject them. The emotions should not be suppressed but transcended.The 5 Elements (wood, fire, earth,metal, and water), or five energies, exist everywhere in the universe. They are represented by the colours, directions, seasons, emotions, flavours, internal organs, climates etc. None is superior as each exerts a mutually creative(supporting) or destructive (restraining) influence upon the other. The Three Treasures have various manifestations within the cosmos. Within the confines of the human body Essence (Jing) is the seminal fluid and blood, Qi is vital energy, and Spirit (Shen) relates to the mind. These become weaker and coarser due to bad living habits and unrestrained desires, or lighter, purer and more refined if they are conserved and cultivated. Alchemy is the process of refining the spirit, generally disguised as the quest for converting base metals into gold. Daoists sought to refine a ‘goldenpill’ which bestowed perpetual youth, resistance to disease, and immortality(or immense longevity). Some ingested experimental compounds of cinnabar (sulphide of mercury), gold, silver, jade,pearls, silver, and even arsenic, many of whom died from poisoning. The highest form of Daoist alchemy is Qigong, which is natural and requires no external aid. The refining process involves conserving Jing, or bodily essences (the raw materials), and fusing it with Qi (the catalyst) through breathing practices and meditation, to develop Shen (unified mind, breath, and spirit).

There are essentially two goals in Daoism. The first involves living in accord with Nature. The second is the process of cultivation. The ego places a barrier between us and Dao so it must be dissolved until we become Selfless. This is to return to the Source, like a rain drop falling into the ocean. In death, the physical body (coarse matter) is discarded, like a snake shedding its skin, and if the consciousness (pure energy) has been developed to forge a strong ‘astral body’ it is free to become One with the Universe, and transcend death. So Daoists meditate to develop the mind in the quest for immortality, but a healthy body is necessary otherwise all the Qi is spent on healing, leaving none spare to develop the spirit. Speculation aside, on a truly practical level those who follow‘The Way’ and Daoist health regimens unquestionably attain longevity and in China 100 years in good health is tantamount to ‘Immortal.’