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,
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 practice every day, what happens?
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 important rule of Qigong applies here:
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 and more content life, it could even save your own.
Qigong chips away at stress on many levels. Want to know how it works?
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 tools for health, healing and longevity.
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 start the process of “understanding Qi”?
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, there’s no complex method or much to talk about!). He made it a point to say
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.
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 can dramatically improve digestion, elimination and facilitate weight loss.
First, the core of the practice is
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. While I don’t know if this definition has ever been included in a book, it’s the best way I can describe this practice.
Qigong is the “Science of the way the human body works, in relation to the environment surrounding it.”.