I attended a Daoist gathering a few weeks back and talked with some incredible people. I wanted to share one of the great moments of the event. A Daoist Priest named Liu Ming from Oakland was speaking on the roots of Daoism and methods of Daoist meditation
There are many definitions for the practice commonly known as “Qigong”. Actually the term “Qigong” is less than a century old. Throughout it’s long history it has taken on many different Chinese names. Regardless of the name, the core practice has always been the same. Every great book on the subject has addressed in some way what the practice is. …
A student once asked his teacher “Master, are you enlightened?”. The teacher replied “When you see the folly in your question, you too will become enlightened”. And at that moment he was.
Chapter 48 of the “Dao De Jing” Consider this passage from Laozi’s Classic “The Dao De Jing”: The follower of knowledge acquires as much as he can every day; The follower of Tao loses as much as he can every day. By attrition he reaches a state of inaction Wherein he does nothing, but leaves …
There was a man who studied the Dao for many years. He practiced Daoist meditation and came very close to the Dao on many occassions, often getting a glimpse. One day, in reading a passage from the scriptures, he began to think that really the Dao is nothing special, and rather boring. He began to …
You’ve heard me say that Qigong is a way of life, not just a practice. We call it a practice because the only way to learn the art is to practice it. It becomes a way of life once you have internalized the principles and you realize that you can use elements of the art …
Have you ever thought about where you really come from? Not in terms of physically where you came from, but spiritually. What were you before you were you? Consider Chapter 14 of the “Dao De Ching”: Look, and it can’t be seen. Listen, and it can’t be heard. Reach, and it can’t be grasped. This …
Qigong and breathing exercises help us to relax and sense inner tension we have in our body. The more sensitive we become to this, the sooner we can recognize stress and tension affecting us and we can adjust to it. If we don’t see stress coming on and causing physical issues soon enough, we can become depleted more susceptible to illness. However effective these methods …
“Sometimes the student is the teacher. Sometimes the teacher is the student.” In Qigong, we don’t place any importance on titles, levels, achievements, etc. All those ideas are concepts of the ego, man-made labels to place us into categories in order to satisfy our ego’s need to classify and compare things.
A Daoist runs into a man of religion one day on his way into town. They stop and greet each other, and chat for a bit. The religious man is very anxious to tell the Daoist about his religion. The Daoist says “I would love to hear all about your faith and philosophy. Although I am on …
Non-Doing. It’s a Daoist thing. And often mistranslated and misunderstood, non-doing sounds pretty lazy! Daoism is actually the science of how the universe works (and us included, since we are part of it). We’re starting to learn that Daoism dates back to before there are written records in China, which makes it 7000+ years old. …
Learning Qigong online has many benefits and may fit your needs perfectly. First, it’s important to note that if you have access to live Qigong classes- you should attend them in person! There is a shared energy in the room when you practice Qigong with others. However, it can be hard to find good, local …
How many times have you been at work thinking “I don’t want to be here right now, I’d rather be somewhere else”? It’s natural to have this feeling. When we live in the dualistic world of “work” and “play”, we are bound to experience this.
Real Qigong is not complex. There are very few rules, if any. There are no chants to remember and no special level of knowledge or achievement needed. Real Qigong involves the following three things: Relaxation – of the mind, body and spirit. Let go of thoughts, worries, and concepts. Relax. Breathing – Slow, comfortable breathes, long slow …
In our Nei Shi system of Qigong (Art of Looking Inward), we say that Qigong practice is three things: breathing, relaxing and moving. Let’s take a look at relaxing and how to actually accomplish it. First, you can’t actively be part of the relaxing process.
This was written by a friend and student, The Once and Future Poet. To Travel Well I am as a stone in the ocean of the Dao. I am thrown into it to make ripples that I cannot conceive. My ripples reinforce some but dissolve others. But only when I take the intention out of …
We all love the gentle movements of Qigong. Not only does it provide gentle stretching for our muscles and tendons, but it circulates vital Qi and blood to all areas of the body, re-energizing every cell. In the beginning, the external movements are the easiest to see, and we can sometimes mistakenly think these movements …
I’m sure you have all heard me talk about how important it is to practice Qigong daily. Most Chinese masters will tell you that you must practice a movement or set every day for 100 days (without skipping a single day) in order to begin to obtain the benefits of the practice. While I certainly believe great things happen when …
A Master was asked the question, “What is the Way?” by a curious monk. “It is right before your eyes,” said the master. “Why do I not see it for myself?”
Starting off practicing can be difficult, or it can be easy if you understand the basics. If you really want to discover the secrets of Qigong (and ultimately the secrets of yourself), then the only way to begin is to start practicing, on your own, using whatever forms you know. In reality, the forms are
Qigong is a practice. By definition, a practice is something that you do over and over again to fully understand and master it. Qigong is certainly a practice, in that the more you do it, the more you get in touch with the subtle aspects of your existence. There are some common misunderstandings – very …
How To Properly “Practice” Qigong And Obtain Benefits Read More »
This soup below is like your Qigong practice. The ingredients are simple, common. When the ingredients are high quality, the soup is very high quality. The soup, like your practice,
This is a great question, because Western society does not teach us about Qi growing up, so naturally it is a foreign concept to us. However, if you grew up in Asia, you would understand this concept since Traditional Chinese Medicine uses Qi in it’s proven system of healing and prevention. So, how does one …
This line of thinking will get you in a lot of trouble. What is easy? What is hard? They are really just comparisons, dualistic thoughts that support each other. It’s seemingly a way we can gauge the difficulty level of something, yet, it sets up limits.
“As you become more sensitive to Qi in your Qigong practice, you will become more sensitive to Qi in your everyday life.” Qigong can be translated many ways, but the typical translation is “Energy Cultivation”. When we practice Qigong,
Oftentimes in life, we look to teachers to bestow knowledge upon us. This might work for static knowledge, like history or a language, but Qigong is different. Qigong, being a subtle art, is difficult to teach directly. You must learn the essence of the practice and then work with it yourself to really figure it …
Stress reduction is vital to radiant health, happiness and general well-being. I have taught many students simple methods that can be used anytime to reduce stress. These methods are so simple and effective and can be used anytime – before going to bed, in the middle of a stressful day, or anytime you feel any …
It’s tempting to mistake Qigong Theory for actual practice. There is no substitute for actual practice. In fact, there really is no theory when there is real practice. What’s the secret?
In general, you should strive to not have any drugs – whether it be caffeine, nicotine or other drugs – in your system before practicing. You’re goal is to have your body and mind be in a natural state so that you can work with that part of your consciousness and spirit. However, the most …
Is It Ok to Drink Coffee Before Qigong Practice? Read More »
There are many definitions for the practice commonly known as “Qigong”. Actually the term “Qigong” is less than a century old. Throughout it’s long history it has taken on many different Chinese names. Regardless of the name, the core practice has always been the same. Every great book on the subject has addressed in some way what the practice is. …
What is Qigong (and why you should practice it!) Read More »
The “Hua Hu Ching” is a collection of the oral teachings of Laozi, an ancient Daoist master and considered the founder of Daoism. The teachings in this book are laid out in chapter format, similar to the “Dao De Jing”. While the Dao De Jing is more poetic in nature, the Hua Hu Ching is …
Qigong is really meant to be practiced with no goal or expectation in mind, after all, when we have expectations, we can become disappointed. Daoism teaches us to release all expectations and to surrender to “The Dao” or the natural flow of things. In reality though, most of us become interested in Qigong because of …
I attended a Daoist gathering a few weeks back and talked with some incredible people. I wanted to share one of the great moments of the event. A Daoist Priest named Liu Ming from Oakland was speaking on the roots of Daoism and methods of Daoist meditation (actually, Daoist meditation is simply sitting and forgetting, …
The subject has come up recently regarding “What results can I expect from consistent practice?”. This is a popular question, and there are many answers to the question.
Qigong is more than just the outward forms that are usually associated with the practice. Real Qigong practice happens inside the body, and involves proper breathing, proper mind state (detached from expectations and results) and the ability to truly relax. The benefits of Qigong are many, but the general practice with the inclusion of specific techniques …
How Does Qigong Facilitate Weight Loss and Digestion? Read More »
When to practice? Yes, it’s likely the most challenging aspect of the art. You’ve heard me say it’s important to practice every day, and I could even say it’s imperative to practice everyday if you really want to discover the deep secrets of the practice. But how does one fit it into a busy life?
What is Qigong? Let’s break down the Chinese word into it’s 2 parts, Qi and Gong. The concept of Qi (pronounced “Chee”) is a Chinese concept that predates written history. It is translated into “life energy” and is present in all things in the universe. Chinese scholars and doctors have had the longest history researching Qi, and have …
The Qigong forms and movements, like martial arts forms, are designed as a framework to teach you how your body’s energy (Qi) works and circulates. In addition, the movements stimulate certain acupuncture points on your body, enhancing Qi flow and removing blockages. These forms can be practiced for the rest of your life and are wonderful …
Oftentimes we think the more complex something is, the more effective it is. This is absolutely false! As my Sifu used to say, “After 30 years of practicing Kung Fu, doing fancy moves, tornado kicks and strikes that could take out a group of people – the most effective move is still the simple straight …
Ideas of results from our Qigong practice get in the way of real practice. Desires engage the mind and distract us. Let go of those thoughts and simply practice. Now, I know what you might think. “Why practice Qigong if you’re not looking to gain something from it? Isn’t that the point of practicing, to …
Let Go and Forget About “Attaining Something” in practice Read More »
Correct posture is essential to feeling good during and after practice. Learn the basics in this video.
Want to really feel the effects of Qigong, to see if it’s something you’d be interested in long term? In this video we give the secret to discovering the effects of Qigong. It’s so simple, it might surprise you, yet remember the goal is to simplify, therefore the simplest is best.
Learning Qigong is a process where simultaneously relax, breathe and do simple movements to circulate energy. Learning to relax is a core part of the practice, and without the relaxation component, Qigong is much less effective. When you relax, you allow energy, blood and other fluids in the body to flow freely. When you are …
I created a technique called “The One Breath”, and it’s something I discovered by exploring Qigong many years ago. At anything in life, you might have a hard time “getting started”. Sometimes tasks overwhelm us, or we are just not in the right mind state to accomplish whatever it is we’re trying to do.
After practicing Qigong, people report they are in a “good state of balance”. It’s more of a feeling than it is something you can describe, but I’ll explain how that actually works, and give you one simple exercise to practice to feel this “coming to balance” that you strive to experience during your practice.
Sometimes when I am having trouble motivating myself for practice, I practice this exercise below. I might be tired mentally or physically, or not have a lot of time, distractions, etc…but still want to get my practice in. This practice is so simple, you literally have no excuse not to practice it.
There are some movements in Qigong that are timeless. These movements appear throughout many different styles of Qigong, and are essential to the practice. When we discover these movements, they are true treasures. Simple, basic, and at the root of all Qigong practice that has ever been created. Your first Qigong movement should be this …
Your First Qigong Movement – The ONE BREATH Technique Read More »
Qigong practice, like all arts, is improved and enhanced through repetition. All art forms have ways of making these repetitive actions fun or interesting to promote further practice. In Qigong, every practice session is different for a number of reasons.
When learning Qigong, it’s easy to get wrapped up in the details of “what moves should I learn”, “am I doing this right”, and “what benefits am I getting”. However, those thoughts all lead you down the wrong path. This is called “goal-oriented practice” and keeps you at a superficial level. You must simplify to …
Practicing with eyes open or closed is more of a personal preference. There are Qigong forms that use the “gazing of the eyes” to circulate energy in a particular way, however, most exercises are not dependent on the eyes open or closed. Most people, especially beginners, report that eyes closed reduces mental chatter by removing …
The answer is simple: practice Qigong daily. Imagine any other activity – playing piano, learning a language, or learning to read. Achievement is not instant in the activities above, it comes over time. Like learning a language, once you practice Qigong for years, it becomes second nature, like speaking a native language. If you don’t …
Many people I talk to are interested in Qigong because they want to reduce the amount of stress in their lives and be more relaxed. And you have good reason to want to reduce your stress – research has shown that 60% – 90% of all illnesses are stress related. Reducing stress not only leads to a happier …
How many times have you been at work thinking “I don’t want to be here right now, I’d rather be somewhere else”? It’s natural to have this feeling. When we live in the dualistic world of “work” and “play”, we are bound to experience this. In Daoism, we strive to get rid of all duality …
