FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT QIGONG

I've been practicing Qigong for a number or years. Years ago I began practicing with people in parks and community centers. 

Let's get to the bottom of this Qigong business.

What is Qigong?

Qigong is an ancient Chinese mind-body movement practice that restores wellness, builds mental and emotional stamina, reduces stress, and increases vitality. 

• We stretch and strengthen muscles. 
• We use breath and movement to tonify internal organs.
• We create space in the joints. 
• We encourage movement of blood, lymphatic fluids, and Qi: the bioelectricty that circulates through your body.  
• It is one branch of Traditional Chinese Medicine. The others are acupuncture, herbalism, diet, and massage. 

How do you say it? 

What's with the "Q"?

It is pronounced "Chee Gong." 

Written Chinese does not use an alphabet. The Chinese use characters or logograms. "Qigong" is a transliteration of two characters. Qi and Gong. 

Qi = bio-electricity. Gong = Cultivation. 

The transliteration of the Chinese word 氣功 varies. These Romanized transliteration of Chinese characters is called "pinyin." You may have seen:

• qigong
• qi gong 
• chi gong 
• chi gung
• chi kung 

There are many ways to pronounce the "CH" sound in Chinese. The letter "Q" was chosen maybe because the original Pinyin guys ran out of ways to represent the "CH" sound. 

Is Qigong the same as Tai Chi?

There is an overlap, but no. 

• Tai Chi, sometimes spelled Taiji is a form of martial arts. That being said, it's a slow, meditative practice. There are strikes and blocks and attempts to knock your opponent off balance. 

Hey wait, Qigong is also a slow, meditative practice. 

• It all comes down to intention. First off, we don't have opponents during our Qigong practices. Qi is being cultivated and moved through the body with a healing intention. Both Taiji and Qigong are based on movements inspired by nature. 

Many Qigong practitioners also practice Taiji. And vice-versa. 

What is a practice going to look like?

Practices will most likely never look just the same from one time to the next. 

Qigong imitates movements of nature, of animals, of the elements. You may see a group practicing slow, flowing movements. We may be practicing with TaiJi rulers or TaiJi balls. There may be young people and elderly people practicing together. Some may sit while others stand. I adapt forms to fit physical needs of the participants.

I LOVE practicing outside in parks, out in the elements, out amongst people enjoying the parks. Ponds, trees, grass, blue sky, a creek runs through one of my favorite parks. 

Colorado weather will eventually necessitate practicing indoors. 

 

• We begin a practice by warming up, maybe continuing to uncover what you need or want to learn.  
• We purge our bodies and minds of old stuff we don't need to carry around. Lofty ambition, I know. But, just setting that intention really helps. 
• We practice breathing. I know, why practice something we do automatically? That's the trick. We learn to guide our breath. 
• We practice slow gentle movements that address your needs. 
  
• Then, we close by grounding and talking about what you can do after our practice.

Are there different types of Qigong?

There are. I practice primarily Taoist Qigong. 

• Qigong is practiced and taught also in Buddhist temples. The Shaolin Buddhist Temple teaches a type of Qigong that appears to move towards the Martial end of the spectrum. 
• It is also common to see Medical Qigong practiced in hospitals in China.  
• There is also a Spiritual Qigong, which is even more meditative. And Alchemical Qigong... but let's not get ahead of ourselves. 

So wait, is this a religious thing?

No. 

• I practice Taoist Qigong. Taoism is a philosophy based on observations of nature. While there are those who acknowledge and pay reverence to Taoist deities, that's something different.
• I do refer to "heaven" during a practice. But I'm referring to the energy of the sun, the pull of moon, the inspiration of the stars, the movement of the clouds... But please feel free to also give "heaven" a religious significance. Up to you. 
• You'll hear me talk about Yin and Yang, often associated with Taoism. Again, I am making reference to nature, sunlight and shade, active and passive. 

I've seen videos of elderly people practicing Qigong in parks. Do I have to be a certain age to practice?

Heck no. 

• Qigong practices support health, vitality and resilience – this is useful for everyone, young and old.
• Athletes find that practicing Qigong supports their physical performance, focus, and recovery. 
• Young people experiencing attention challenges learn to focus. 
• Office professionals learn how to take short breaks by focusing on breath, or simple stretches or movements even while at their desks. 

What do I wear to a practice?

Fear not, you don't need to go shopping for a pretty silk outfit. 

• We wear comfortable clothes that allow us to move freely. 
• You can wear shoes as long as your toes have room to breathe. You can also practice barefoot.   

Do I have to have any experience before our practice?

No! 

• I will lead you through movements (called "forms") and work with you to adjust to fit the form to your needs. 
• Most people feel benefits after their first session. But as with all studies, I can't "fix" you in an hour, it'll be up to you to practice. 
• I'll give you resources and practice recommendations after each session. 

How can I learn more before I dive in? 

I've written many articles in this very blog. There are also many resources on-line. I like this one:

The Healing Benefits of Qigong by Sifu Bodhi Batista

Be well, be happy, and follow your bliss
Brian

THE BEAR/DEER CONUNDRUM

Look at various books or watch videos and you will see animal Qigong forms being associated with seasons and elements. One teacher may associate the deer with winter, another with spring. The tiger forms, are they spring or fall exercises? It’s a conundrum.

Taoist practices draw inspiration from nature, movement, the elements and the seasons. Each season is associated with an element, a color, a sound, an emotion, an organ… The organs associated with winter are the kidneys, the element is water. It is especially important to nourish the kidneys during this time. The kidneys store fear but also our self-confidence.

The earliest Taoist practices were inspired by the ways of animals. Shamans drew inspiration from the stars. They saw green dragons, vermillion birds, yellow snakes, white tigers, and black turtles. Eventually these mythical creatures of the heavens were joined by animals walking the earth or flying in the sky. These animal forms were eventually standardized, becoming the Five Animal Frolics.

A previous post called Listening to Trees explores the Five Element and Five Season models commonly used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). But, where do the Five Animal Frolics fit in? Metal is always the element of winter, fire is the element of summer, water is the element of winter… but the animals? The animals take some twists and turns. Literally and figuratively. Get ready to think outside of the box. 

Model #1: Five Elements/Seasons/Organs with the five animals. Reminder: the fifth season is what some call "harvest." Others call it late summer, we used to call it Indian summer. 

Model #2: Five Elements with Five Animals, but the animals are in a different order. 

The inconsistency among these models? Animals. Time to frolic and dance. 

Animal Frolics imitate movements of the tiger, the deer, the bear, the monkey, and the bird. Let's look at the bear. 

Mimi Duo Deemer in her book Qigong and the Tai Chi Axis describes the bear forms: 

"The forms... draw on the power and strength of the bear, but also use twisting and rotational movements that directly stimulate and release tension from the area of the kidneys and adrenal glands." 

The forms that she demonstrates release tension in the back, build suppleness in the waist but also strength the  legs and arms. We release fear and embrace self confidence, "...make me feel powerful and full of perseverance." 

Winter is the season of maximum Yin, time to rest. Winter is when nature lies fallow. Energy is conserved. Plants store resources deep in the earth. 

If we as humans were to follow our natural inclinations, we would seek out cozy, warm havens to settle in for the winter. 

I join some others relating the bear to the harvest season and those "in between times" that occur before each equinox and solstice. Time to gather our resources and prepare for the upcoming season. The Chinese Health Qigong Association describes the bear as clumsy, heavy and slow. The bear sways, the bear lumbers. Focus is placed on the area of the stomach and spleen, organs of the harvest season and the metal element. 

Swaying motions affect the epigastric region, back to the stomach and spleen. During the harvest and fall seasons the bears need to put on weight to prepare for winter and hibernation. This process is called hyperphagia. During hyperphagia bears live for food, don’t get in the way. 

We practice movements imitating these qualities of the bear. Movements nurturing the stomach and spleen. Movements rooting us to the earth. But we’ll also nurture the kidneys and the water element by turning and twisting the waist. 

And now, the deer.

The deer also conjures images and movements of the winter. Deer spring into action, but then they stand still and alert. Yesterday in Colorado we had a snow storm, action. Today feels quiet and withdrawn, stillness. 

Many deer forms utilize lateral flexion and rotation of the waist, home of the kidneys. The kidneys are the organs of water, of winter. 

But then, there are movements that elongate the gall bladder meridian and strengthen the muscles along the liver meridian. 

Gall bladder and liver, organs of the spring and of the wood element.

Mimi Kuo Deemer describes the deer forms as related to the spring. 

“… they follow coiling pattern through the spine that suggest the movements in spring, which are to spiral upwards and outwards. The deer represents grace, sexual vitality and spirit.”

Let’s bring it all together: 

During the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-250 CE), an esteemed doctor named Hua Tuo formalized movements imitating the instinctual patterns of animals. He called this practice Wu Qin Xi, or Five Animal Frolics. 

Hua Tuo practiced acupuncture, surgery, herbology and movement. “Movement is the only reason that teeth are falling out and tongue is not!” and that “moving water can’t become stale and that worms can’t be found in door hinges.” 

By moving with intention we learn to trust our inborn animal instincts. We learn and imitate their rhythms and movements as they adapt to the seasonal changes.

Hua Tuo prescribed an order for learning the Animal Frolics: tiger, deer, bear, monkey and bird. While many have theorized an association with the seasons, his learning order does not reflect a seasonal order.  

Honor the bravery and ferocity of the tiger, the sereneness and attentiveness of the deer, the ponderousness and heaviness of the bear, the nimbleness and smartness of the monkey, and the lightness and grace of the bird. 

The Chinese Health Qigong Association states:

“Wu Qin Xi is not designed just for superficial imitation of the outer attitudes of those animals… the postures and movements of the exercises are elegant, so as to stimulate enthusiasm for learning and practicing the exercises… after a certain period of practice, both physical and mental health are improved.” 

Think and move like the tiger, the deer, the bear, the monkey and the bird.

Become these animals. 

Resource time!

The 5 Element Theory and the associations of each element. The animals listed on this table are from the 5 Sacred Guardians, yet another set from the old days. These are mythical creatures based on Astrology.  That’s for another time. 

Videos to practice with:

Deer Forms, Chinese Health Qigong Association

Bear Forms, Chinese Health Qigong Association

The following four videos are by Alex Hui

Qigong with Kseny

The outline for my upcoming practice

Be well, be happy, respect your instincts, frolic, and follow your bliss.
💗

Brian

HUNYUAN QIGONG

 

During our Tuesday morning practices we’ve been exploring Primordial Qigong. I wrote an article a couple of weeks ago about this set of forms. But, I’ve found another important resource. It’s attached at the end of this post. 

But first, I began our practice today by defining Hunyuan, thereby explaining Primordial Qigong. 

Hun describes a world not divided into concepts. A world without words. We can experience it as an inner silence.

Yuan refers origin. 

The Taoist creation story. 

The Tao gives birth to One. 

One gives birth to Two. 

Two gives birth to Three.

Three gives birth to all things.

Tao Te Ching,  Chapter 42

Lao Tzu 

Translated by Stephen Mitchell

The Tao is expressed as Wuji, emptiness. From emptiness comes Heaven: Yang, and  Earth: Yin. Heaven and Earth, Yang and Yin are combined to create the Taiji axis. 

Taiji, sometimes spelled Tai Chi, means Polarity. 

Hunyuan, Primordial Qigong draws on the Qi from Heaven: the stars, the sun, the moon, the breeze, the clouds… and the Qi from Earth: the elements of metal, wood, and water… and combines them, creating existence, life force, polarity. 

Diagram by Roger Jahnke

    

Next, we talked about Yi: intention, Qi: Energy and Li: Force or Movement. To give these seemingly simple Primordial forms meaning, we focus on the intention which leads the Qi which leads the movements. The plot thickens. 

Since this is Primordial Qigong Part Two, I’ll just hand over some resources. Enjoy!

Click on the link for an in-depth look at Hunyuan Qigong

Hunyuan Qigong by Feng Zhiqiang

More resources are available on-line. I would attach them here but want to respect Copyright laws. 

Be well, be happy, and follow your bliss

Brian