EIGHT EXPRESSIONS OF QI

I’ll begin by saying when I lead Qigong practices I don’t call myself a teacher. Why?

Every time I practice with friends I learn something new. They are my teachers.

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 are currently practicing a set of forms called The Eight Expressions of Qi. A new friend has just joined our practices. He’s new to Qigong.  

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 stir this pot of hot rice.

Notice the rising steam.

The steam expands.

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

Our satisfaction transforms into light and illuminates outward. We share. 

Now, feeling that upward expression of the steam, place the lid back on the pot. 

Qi, just like steam, naturally rises. Lower the Qi, and just observe. 

We then disperse, digest, eliminate, let go, make room. 

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. 

Let’s get back to our new friend, new to Qigong. I describe that reversal of breath as “we are inhaling as though we’re placing the lid back on the pot, steam is creating slight resistance.” 

New friend: “As I’m lowering my arms and inhaling it feels like I’m pushing the Qi from the front of my body but it’s rising up the back, like I’m displacing water.”

Oh boy, new kid just described the Microcosmic Orbit and one of the Energies of Tai Chi. 

He’s never practiced Tai Chi. 

Think water. Spreading evenly as it expands, flowing back to a state of contraction, being pushed through a nozzle, and being displaced by outward pressure. 

Peng: expansion, spread evenly

Lu: contraction, receiving 

Ji : Forward press, focused into a nozzle, straight 

An: displacement, down one side to lift the other. 

I’m going to leave it up to you to practice this set, and feel for yourself: expansion, contraction, pressing, and displacing. Leave a comment if you like. Teach ME! 

Thank you new kid for enlightening me and our group. 

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

I wish you happiness and good health.

Brian