EIGHT EXPRESSIONS OF QI

During our Qigong practices we use words to describe the movements of Qi. We are familiar with moving Qi along channels and meridians in the body: up, down, and transverse expressions. 

Lifting from the Bai Hui, the crown.
Sinking, rooting in our feet.
Spiraling up the spine.
Circling around front to back to front to back.
Rotating a Qi ball in all directions.

We move the Qi with our breath.

We can express these internal sensations externally. Our movements of joints and soft tissues circulate Qi and blood along meridians and channels.

Let’s begin by finding Wuji, “emptiness stance. Take a deep breath into your lungs and observe the subtle movements. Inhale, exhale. Feel lift from your crown, and expansion in your ribs. Feel your feet on the earth, rooting. Feel space in the shoulders, the hips, the vertebrae of your spine. 

We are currently practicing a set of forms called The Eight Expressions of Qi.

The character for Qi combines the symbol of air, and the symbol for rice. 

The image is cooking rice, rising and expanding steam.

Review Qi in other posts on this blog:

Frequently Asked Questions about Qigong

The Eight Expressions of Qi. 

Picture a large pot of cooking rice. Imagine you gather a scoop of this hot rice.

Notice the rising steam.

The steam expands.

Hungry for the taste and scent of the steaming rice, we compress and draw a spoonful towards us, joy and satisfaction. 

Our satisfaction transforms into light and illuminates outward.

Now, feeling that upward expression of the steam, place the lid back on the pot. Qi, just like steam, naturally rises. Lower the Qi. 

We then disperse, eliminate, let go, make room for our next scoop. 

Practicing this form, you’ll notice that we’re exhaling as we lift our arms and inhaling as we lower them. This may feel backwards to you. 

You may have practiced what’s called Taiji (Tai Chi) Opening. 

We inhale the arms up, and exhale down. 

Lift on the inhale, settle on the exhale. This most likely feels very natural. 

We begin the practice of the 8 Expressions by gathering Qi. Stirring the pot of rice. Then we exhale as the arms follow the rise of the Qi, the steam. Our breath is simulating the release of Qi, steam, upwards. 

At the end of the practice, we inhale as we press down. We are creating tension by pushing down rising steam. Then, with a mighty exhalation, we disperse Qi. We purge. We let go. 

This set is easy to learn, has a nice flow, and is quite evocative. Go for a ride. Explore!