CHAPTER ELEVEN

Qigong Meditation

It [the imagination] is a function or faculty that gives one access to an intermediary world between the realm of unfathomable and hidden mystery and the word of sensible and gross forms.

—ISABELLE ROBINET, TAOIST MEDITATION

Qigong Meditation includes two types of practices. The first and most important is called ru jing (“entering tranquillity”). Entering tranquillity means training the mind to be silently aware without any particular point of focus. It is nothingness. The mind is not thinking about but rather experiencing directly, immediately, without the mediation of thoughts and concepts. Ancient Daoist classics called this “the fasting of the mind.” To fast from food is relatively easy. But to fast from words requires perseverance and practice. A Daoist asked his teacher how to understand reality. The master said, “Listen to the stream.” It is not easy to just sit and listen, without letting the mind wander about or dance from thought to thought. Yet such listening is extremely satisfying and comforting. It is like tasting the food rather than reading the menu. “Thought is born of failure,” said biologist Lancelot Law Whyte. “Only when the human organism fails to achieve an adequate response to its situation is there material for the processes of thought, and the greater the failure the more searching they become.”1 A powerful critique of our intellect-obsessed civilization. The information explosion may be a sign not of progress, but of maladaptation!

Entering tranquillity should remain the goal and root of all qigong practices. Do not let yourself get lost in or entranced by the beauty of qigong techniques. Periodically go back to the experience of just Being. Practice silent observation. Observe an internal state, such as breathing, or an external object, such as a tree or passing clouds. A quiet mind can sense imbalance more easily and is better able to direct the flow of qi.

Seated Meditation from the Xing Ming Gui Zhi, “Pointing to the Meaning of Spirit and Body,” 1615. The text advises, “Sit tranquilly, lessen thoughts, reduce desires, expand the mind, nourish the qi, and preserve the spirit—this is the secret of physical cultivation.”

The other kind of qigong meditation consists of cun si: healing visualization and concentration techniques. By visualization I mean the conscious production of mental images, rather than images that arise spontaneously during dreamlike or visionary states. Spontaneous images, like dreams, are symbolic of our inner life. They can be helpful in diagnosing or describing an ailment. For instance, an arthritic patient tells his therapist that his fingers seem filled with sandy grit. This is imagery. Healing visualization, on the other hand, is therapeutic. The therapist suggests to his patient that with every inhalation, healing steam flows over and through the joint. With every exhalation, some of the “grit” dissolves and exits with the breath.

Qigong visualization is a training in imagination and volition. In qigong, imagination is not merely a flight of fancy or fantasy, but rather a way of sharpening awareness and correcting health problems by using the creative power of the mind. We learn to substitute positive images for negative ones. Instead of imagining that the body is diseased, rebellious, obstructed, or polluted, we imagine that it is the abode of archetypal forces: colored light, solar qi, and healing breaths. Healing visualizations might eventually result in the state of entering tranquillity, but they are primarily therapeutic and goal-oriented and based on a principle shared by qigong and psych​oneur​oimmu​nolog​y: if the mind can cause disease, the mind can also cure it.

Sensual reality is not an illusion. The illusion is confusing our ideas, projections, and values with that which is perceived. These ideas create another reality. Instead of seeing the apple, we focus on the idea “apple,” the label or word “apple.” If these ideas are positive, then eating the apple can have a healing effect. If the ideas are negative, if we believe that the apple is poisonous, then the apple may have toxic effects. Imagination can mean the difference between health and disease. As Mark Twain once said, “You cannot depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus.” Similarly, a self-image (idea about oneself) that implies hopelessness becomes weakened resistance to disease. Negative images affect health whether they are consciously held or unconscious—drifting to surface awareness in dreams or during times of crisis. Voodoo practitioners are expert at hypnotically suggesting such images to their victims.

But imagination can also cure disease. If burns are treated with an imaginary healing salve made of love and sunlight, they heal more quickly. If a patient imagines his immune cells destroying cancer cells, chemotherapy becomes more effective. Researchers have found that cancer patients’ drawings of how they see themselves are good indicators of treatment outcome. “Belief becomes biology,” said Norman Cousins. Belief causes physical changes, manifesting in the production of neurotransmitters, hormones, and immune cells and changes in the functioning of virtually all parts of the body.

This does not mean that imagination is the sole determinant of health. Rather, it is a powerful influence on health. Among infants and young children, the genetic program and a strong measure of chance (and perhaps fate or karma) outweigh imagination. An infant’s brain tumor is not precipitated by low self-esteem. But in adults, genetics and consciousness may be on equal footing. It is also important to remember a fact virtually ignored in Chinese qigong research: at any stage of life, environment and loving support are essential ingredients in healing. Although a newborn’s own imagination might be of relatively minor significance in his recovery, I have no doubt that the images, thoughts, feelings, and prayers of parents and other caregivers can be of vital importance. Parents do not need science to prove this fact.

On a mystical level, images are used to free the mind from the ruts of linear, discursive reasoning so that other dimensions of reality can present themselves. To the Daoists, the Image (Xiang) is the inner form of things, the primal idea from which physical reality later manifests. Although the mystic’s final goal might be to simply see the apple as an apple, if we can learn to perceive the qi of the apple, we are one step closer to the divine.

Healing visualization is a cutting-edge therapy in the West, increasing the effectiveness of other therapies and offering hope to those for whom conventional medicine offers no cure. In China, this modality is very ancient and widely practiced. The canonical work of Daoism (Dao Zang) contains hundreds of texts filled with healing and mystical qigong imagery. Only a few of these works have been translated into English, chiefly within obscure academic books or journals devoted to sinology or East Asian religion. They are still an untapped resource for mind-body medicine.

There is an important difference between qigong visualization and visualization as practiced in Western holistic medicine. Most qigong visualizations can be classified “end state imagery.”2 That is, the body is visualized as fully healed or nourished with healing energy. Western clinicians emphasize “process imagery”: tailoring images very specifically to the condition and the patient and adjusting the visualization as the patient’s condition changes.3

It is possible to integrate the two approaches. While using a highly personalized healing image, the patient can practice the qigong technique of directing healing qi to the diseased area. At the end of the session, the patient imagines the afflicted area as completely healed. For instance, a hepatitis patient might inhale fresh qi into the liver while imagining the virus as tiny dots on a blackboard. He uses a magic eraser to erase the dots, then visualizes the liver glowing with healthy green light. An arthritic patient with bony growths in his hip joint might imagine, as he directs qi into the bones, that he is inside his body polishing the femur, making it smooth. At the end, he practices a qigong “bone breathing” technique, imagining pearl-colored qi flowing through his entire skeleton, unobstructed, like drawing milk through a straw.

The Chart of Inner Luminosity

THE CHART OF INNER LUMINOSITY

In Daoism qi may be visualized as energy, breath, or luminous spirits. By practicing qigong, the spirits are well-nourished and happy and help to maintain the health of the body. The Chart of Inner Luminosity* is a symbolic representation of the human body and the spiritual forces that dwell within it. The bottom of the chart is the tailbone, the top, the crown. The Chart was carved in stone at the White Cloud Temple of Beijing (seat of the Quan Zhen Sect of Daoism) in 1886 by a Daoist priest named Liu Cheng-yin.

Reading the chart from bottom to top, qigong philosophy interprets it as follows:

The process of healing visualization can also be explored with the help of a therapist. In a typical interaction with a therapist trained in visualization, the patient usually supplies the first image. During a state of deep, quiet relaxation, aspects of the disease normally hidden to consciousness rise to the surface in the form of images. The patient describes what he sees. His therapist attempts to enter an equally deep and intuitive state of mind. The therapist helps the patient create an image that suggests a resolution or at least a clarification of the problem. This creative process is a wonderful addition to qigong self-healing practice. Qigong “end state imagery” may be used before or after the creative “process imagery.” Both techniques become more powerful and effective.

Described below are the foundation techniques of Qigong Meditation. I have only explained or translated methods that I, students, clients, and colleagues have personally used with favorable results. The meditations have an advantage over more active forms of qigong in being easy to learn, requiring no special instruction in varying postures or movements. The most effective way to practice is to ask someone to read the instructions to you or record them on an audiocassette and play them back. Make sure to include an appropriate closure to the session, as described below. It is also possible to hear many of these meditations on professionally produced qigong audiotapes. (See Qigong Resources at the end of this book.)

DO NOT ATTEMPT TO PRACTICE MORE THAN TWO OR THREE MEDITATIONS IN ONE SESSION. Think of these meditations as remedies in your medicine chest. You would not take all of them at once. Choose meditations that match your needs and interests. Some meditations can be practiced on an occasional basis as the need arises. For eyestrain, you might practice Brain Cleansing. To prevent a cold, you could practice the Alternate Nostril Breathing daily during flu season. If you are using a meditation as part of a treatment plan for a serious disease, you may, with your physician’s approval, follow the Chinese tradition of one hundred days of daily practice.

If your goal is to memorize and become proficient in a particular qigong visualization, then it is best to practice it once or twice daily for at least several days. The length of practice is generally about twenty minutes per session, though this can vary according to the type of meditation and your own experience with it. If the meditation is having pleasurable, healthy effects, then it is probably safe to gradually increase the frequency and/or length of practice sessions. If the meditation feels uncomfortable, try shortening the practice time. If you sense that the meditation is inappropriate for your condition, then cease practicing it. Use your common sense and trust your body’s inner voice.

At the end of the meditation, it is common to feel as though you are in an alternate reality (you are!), a dimension of extreme stillness and tranquillity. To bring yourself out of the meditation, let any images evaporate away as your awareness drifts to the surface of your body. Become aware of your skin, your clothes, the temperature of the room, the chair you are seated on or the ground upon which you are lying. When you are ready, slowly open your eyes. After deep rest, you may find that the world looks different. The senses have been washed clean. The mind is like a mirror without dust.

One of the clearest books on qigong in the Chinese language is Dr. Liu Gui-zhen’s Shi Yan Qigong Liao Fa (Experiments in Qigong Healing).4 Dr. Liu advises that before practice, students should keep the following points in mind: 1. Let go of troubles and worries. 2. Have a relaxed spirit. 3. Prepare a tranquil, quiet, and simple room for practice. 4. Since the breath is an essential part of many meditations, it may be necessary to take care of any illness that obstructs breathing (such as a cold) before practicing certain techniques. 5. Urinate and defecate before practice. 6. Loosen your belt and wear comfortable clothes; don’t force the breath; relax the body and lightly close the eyes. 7. Your sitting or lying posture should be natural and relaxed; if you are seated, find a position of comfort and balance. 8. In case of serious disease, it is best to refrain from sexual intercourse for one hundred days, and then resume appropriate and balanced sexual relations.

A. INNER NOURISHING QIGONG

Healing the Body and Mind

Inner Nourishing Qigong (Nei Yang Gong) is the most widely practiced method of Qigong Meditation in China today. Because it is extremely gentle, Inner Nourishing Qigong can complement any other qigong or healing therapy. It is said to strengthen all of the internal organs, reduce stress, and improve sleep and digestion. Inner Nourishing Qigong is indicated for a wide variety of problems, including chronic indigestion, ulcers, chronic constipation, asthma, neurodermatitis, rheumatism, chronic functional heart disease, irregular menstruation, and fatigue. It has the strongest curative effects on diseases of the digestive and respiratory systems. The technique began in Hebei Province toward the end of the Ming Dynasty. At first, it was a secret method handed down from a master to a single disciple, finally passing from Master Liu Du-zhou to a sixth-generation teacher, the eminent Chinese doctor Liu Gui-zhen. Dr. Liu began to teach it openly in 1947, both to the general public and to patients in the hospitals.

Inner Nourishing Qigong can be practiced while seated in a chair, lying on the back with the head or upper body comfortably propped up on a cushion, or while lying on the side. The technique coordinates breathing and the silent repetition of healing phrases. Breathe abdominally and, as you master the technique, keep the mind focused on the dan tian.

Variation A: All of the breathing, both inhalation and exhalation, is through the nose. First spend a few minutes breathing in a relaxed, natural fashion. Next, as you inhale, let the tip of the tongue lightly touch the upper palate. At the same time, think, “I am.” Then, for a moment, gently hold the breath, while thinking, “calm and.” Now let the tongue again rest in the lower jaw while exhaling and thinking, “relaxed.” Continue. Inhale, tongue up, “I am…” Hold breath, “calm and…” Exhale, tongue down, “relaxed.” You are coordinating the phrase “I am calm and relaxed” with the breathing.

After a few weeks of practice, you can gradually increase the number of syllables during the breath-holding phase. For instance, inhale, tongue up, think, “I am.” Hold the breath, “sitting calm and…” Exhale, tongue down, “relaxed.” Or inhale, thinking, “I am.” Hold the breath, “sitting calmly, body strong and…” Exhale, “healthy.”

These are translations of three phrases actually developed by Dr. Liu. “I am calm and relaxed.” Zi ji jing. “I am sitting calm and relaxed.” Zi ji jing zuo. “I am sitting calmly, body strong and healthy.” Zi ji jing zuo shen ti neng jian kang. When reciting in the Chinese language, the first syllable is with the inhalation, the last syllable with the exhalation. Whether you are using English or Chinese, do not exceed nine syllables during retention of the breath.

Variation B: If you are weak, ill, or have respiratory problems, practice a gentler method of Inner Nourishing Qigong. Breathe either only with the nose or with both nose and mouth (only slightly opened) during inhalation and exhalation. Here, the breath is held momentarily after exhalation rather than after inhalation. Inhale while expanding the lower abdomen and holding the tongue against the upper palate, thinking, “I am…” Then let the tongue relax and exhale naturally (not holding the breath), thinking, “calm…” With the breath out, think “and relaxed.” Now touch the tongue again to the upper palate; inhale while returning to the beginning of the phrase, “I am…” Continue.

Most of the words in the healing phrase should be recited after exhalation. Thus, the phrase should not be so long as to cause discomfort.

If you have high blood pressure or cardiac problems, it is inadvisable to hold the breath. In this case, you can just let the breath move naturally, coordinating the phrase with inhalation and exhalation, without purposely holding the breath at any point. You may also make up your own healing phrases. For example, after learning Inner Nourishing Qigong, a car accident victim decided to coordinate his breathing with the phrase “My spine is healing.”

B. BRAIN CLEANSING

Getting Rid of Mental Cobwebs

Here qi is visualized as a white mist, cleansing and invigorating the spine and brain. It is an excellent technique for headaches, eyestrain, and as an adjunct in healing any neurological condition. It also clears the mind, sweeping away clouds of thoughts and worries. I often use brain cleansing if I have been staring at the computer screen too long. It is an excellent way to take a break from homework or study or to relax and unstress before taking a test. It can give one a fresh start at the beginning of the day or help relax the mind and body before sleep. There are many varieties of this classical qigong meditation. We have qigong master Dr. Stephen Chang to thank for first making this technique available to the West, in both his lectures and his excellent books.5

Sit comfortably in a chair. Take a few minutes to just watch the breath, letting the breath deepen and slow down to its usual resting pace. Now, as you take a deep inhalation through the nose, imagine that the healing qi is a white mist. The mist descends to the lower abdomen, or, if you wish, to the base of the spine. As you gently hold the breath, the mist enters the spinal column, through the tailbone. Imagine that the spine is a hollow tube, a hollow conduit for the qi. Still holding the breath, without strain, let the mist rise up the spine. See it passing through the lower back, the midback, the upper back, through the vertebrae in the neck, until it finally reaches the cranium. It exits the spine and swirls about the brain. The qi moves like windblown clouds. Send it through all of the lobes, ventricles, tissue of the brain. Send it to any place it does not reach easily, any place that seems blocked or dark to your inner vision. Again, do not strain. When you need to exhale, even if this is only moments into the meditation, just let the breath fall away through the mouth. Exhale easily. The mist is now tainted, dark colored, blackish or gray. When the exhalation is finished, return to natural breathing. Let the breath come in and out a few times, then repeat.

Inhale white mist to the base of the spine. Hold the breath. The mist rises through the spinal column, entering the skull and swirling through the brain, cleansing and revitalizing. Open the mouth slightly and exhale the poisons—the mist dark and tainted. Again breathe a few natural breaths.

Repeat a final, third time. Inhale white mist to the base of the spine. Hold the breath and see it rising. Still holding, the healing qi moves through the brain. This time, as you exhale toxic qi through the mouth, imagine that you are blowing away the clouds that obscured a clear sky. Return to natural breathing, slow, deep, in and out through the nose. Direct your attention to the crown of your head. You have blown away the clouds, revealing a clear, unblemished turquoise blue sky. Hold this image of the blue color as long as you can. You may feel as though you have become the clear blue sky.

C. PURIFYING THE MERIDIANS

The Qi Superhighways

Qi travels through energy vessels known as jing luo, meridians. Jing means literally “to move through.” Luo means “a net.” The meridians are thus a network of channels. They carry various kinds of qi and fluids throughout the body, providing energetic nourishment and regulating the balance of yin and yang. In these meditations we will clear the main thoroughfares—the super-highways of qi—of any traffic jams and obstructions, so that the qi can reach and heal the parts of the body where it is needed.

Alternate Nostril Breathing

This is the Daoist version of a technique well-known to students of Yoga. The breath is inhaled through one nostril, held for a period of time, and then exhaled through the other nostril. At the same time, the qi is visualized as flowing through various internal channels: two parallel meridians on the left and right sides of the spine and a subtle meridian along the spine itself. The technique was adapted by Dr. Henry K. S. Wong. After more than half a century of clinical observation, Dr. Wong has found that alternate nostril breathing “can help correct any imbalance of hot and cold, yang and yin, in the body.” This means that it can aid in the cure of any disease, with the strongest effect on conditions that produce chills and/or fevers. Unlike the Yoga method, the qigong technique includes visualizing and moving the vital energy during the time that the breath is held. As Dr. Wong explains, “If you hold the breath without imagining that it is still moving within, then the qi gets stuck. This can create pockets of congestion and possibly cysts or tumors. Therefore I have improved on the Yoga technique and turned it into a qigong. It has helped many of my patients.”

Before starting the alternate nostril breathing, imagine three qi channels. See a hollow tube for qi energy in the midback, extending from the tailbone to the crown. Visualize a yin channel descending from the left nostril, bowing out slightly as it proceeds down the left side of the back, connecting with the central channel at the tailbone. Similarly, a yang channel descends from the right nostril, making a slight bow along the right side of the back and connecting at the tailbone. The three channels can be visualized at any depth, from the back’s surface to the center of the body.

Sit on a chair or on a floor cushion. Take a few minutes to observe how you are breathing and feeling before practice, so that after practice you can judge any changes that have occurred.

Close your right hand into a fist. Then open the thumb and little finger; these fingers will be used to alternately pinch and close the nostrils. Begin by holding the right nostril closed with the thumb, inhaling through the left. See the qi as either white light or mist, moving down the left channel, as though drawing milk through a straw. Now gently pinch both nostrils shut. As you hold the breath, see the qi entering the central channel and rising up, until it reaches the crown of the head. Still holding the breath, see the qi descending along the same route, back down the middle channel, until it reaches the tailbone. Now keep the left nostril closed with the little finger, opening the thumb. Exhale through the right nostril, visualizing the qi rising up the right channel and leaving the right nostril. Then, without changing the position of your right hand, inhale through this same right nostril, seeing the qi descending down the right channel. Hold the breath pinching both nostrils as qi rises up the center to the crown and then descends back to the tailbone. Now open the left nostril and exhale through the left channel and out the left nostril. This completes one round.

In left, hold, out right. In right, hold, out left. In left…Each time you hold the breath, you are moving the qi up, then down the central meridian. Do a total of nine rounds.

Important points: Regulate the breath so that the inhalation and exhalation are comfortable. There is no need to inhale or exhale completely. When you hold the breath, stay within your limits. If you are turning blue, you have less qi, not more! Never strain or force the breath. Visualize the qi moving through the respective meridians. Remember that during retention of the breath, the qi washes through the middle channel, moving first up, then down. You can increase control over the breath by counting. Inhale to a very slow count of four: one thousand, two thousand, three thousand, four thousand. Hold the breath, counting four from tailbone to crown and another four from crown back down to tailbone. Then exhale to another slow count of four. This way exhalation and inhalation are the same length. The period of holding is as long as inhalation and exhalation combined. A more advanced method is to count eight for the inhalation, thirty-two for the period of holding (sixteen up and sixteen down the middle channel), and eight for the exhalation.

Qi to the Four Limbs

In the meditations described in this section, do not try to direct the qi along any specific meridians. Rather, as you move the qi through the legs, arms, or torso, notice the path it naturally travels. Qi will find an appropriate route, like water seeking out a furrow in the ground. Inhale and exhale through the nose. The meditations can be practiced standing or seated on a chair.

Route 1: Inhale qi from the feet, up the legs to the perineum (the soft tissue between the genitals and anus). Exhale, sending the qi back down the legs to the feet. Continue nine times.

Route 2: Hold the arms in a rounded posture in front of the chest, with the palms facing toward the ground and fingertips a few inches apart. As you inhale, direct qi from the fingertips of the left hand along the arm to the spine. As you exhale, qi moves from the spine along the right arm to the fingertips of the right hand. Again inhale drawing qi along the left; exhale along the right. The qi is moving through the arms in a counterclockwise circle. Repeat nine times, then reverse direction. Inhale along the right arm to the spine. Exhale from the spine along the left arm. Again nine times.

Route 3: Now we will expand the circulation to include the torso. The route is more complex, but if you follow the directions slowly and carefully, you will see that it is not so difficult to practice. Inhale qi up the legs to the guan yuan acupuncture point, approximately three and a half inches below the navel. Continuing to inhale, qi moves straight through the body, reaching the ming men acupuncture point, opposite the navel on the lower back (below the second lumbar vertebra). Still inhaling, the qi current splits, moving in two currents around the waist, returning to the point below the navel. Now we are ready to exhale. As you exhale, qi moves from guan yuan, down the midline of the lower abdomen toward the genitals. From there, the current splits and moves down the legs. This completes one cycle. Again, begin by drawing qi up the legs to the lower abdomen, through the body to the lower spine, then around the waist and back to the lower abdomen. Exhale, down the front of the body and back down the legs. Continue nine cycles.

Route 4: Extend the arms in front of the body, at shoulder height, with the palms facing outward, away from the body. Make sure that the shoulders and elbows are relaxed. Inhale through the palms, directing qi along the arms. As you are still inhaling, the qi reaches the spine and then rises up the spine until it reaches the uppermost vertebra in the neck (anatomically, the atlas). As you exhale, qi descends down the spine, reaching the ming men. From there, with the continued slow exhalation, the qi splits into two currents, moving around the waist, reaching the guan yuan point below the navel. Now you are ready to inhale again. Inhale from guan yuan, bringing qi back around the waist to the ming men. Continue the inhalation as qi rises from the ming men straight up the spine to the top of the neck. Exhale from this place, moving qi slightly down the spine, then out the arms to the palms. You have completed one cycle. Repeat.

Inhale: qi from palms, along arms, meeting at spine, up spine to atlas (top of cervical vertebrae).

Exhale: down spine to ming men (lower back, opposite navel), around waist to guan yuan (3.5 inches below navel).

Inhale: from guan yuan, around waist to ming men, up spine to atlas.

Exhale: from atlas, down spine, and out along arms to palms. Continue for a total of nine cycles.

These are wonderful meditations. They bring immediate qi sensations of warmth and vibration and can be helpful in improving blood circulation in the limbs and possibly repairing damaged nerves. One of my most moving experiences as a teacher was when I taught a young paraplegic Route 3. After ten minutes the man began to cry, exclaiming that his legs were sweating for the first time since his car accident several years earlier. He could also feel some warmth in his legs. Even if normal functioning cannot be restored, it is important to move the qi through all body parts. Energy circulation is as important as blood circulation.

Small Heavenly Circulation (Xiao Zhou Tian)

This is a popular meditation, sometimes called “the Microcosmic Orbit.” Qi is directed through the most important yang meridian, the du mai “Governing Channel” in the back and the major yin meridian, the ren mai “Conception Channel” along the front. These meridians help to regulate the flow of yang and yin energy in the twelve organ-related meridians. Some texts also describe Governing and Conception Channels as part of a system of meridians that distribute yuan qi (original, constitutional qi: see Chapter 3, “The Three Treasures”). One of the goals of qigong is to create a strong flow of qi through these great rivers, so that more energy can reach the lesser tributaries (the organ meridians). Equally important, the two rivers must communicate with each other. The student learns how to circulate a continuous current of qi through the Governing and Conception Channels. Qi moves up the Governing Channel, over the crown, and then continues down the Conception Channel. As yin and yang harmonize, health and vitality improve; body, mind, and spirit feel more integrated.

Practice these meditations while seated upright on a chair, the legs uncrossed, with the feet resting flat on the ground. Rest your hands comfortably in your lap. Practice either Method A or Method B, choosing whichever produces the most pleasant and comfortable results.

Method A: Inhale and exhale through the nose. Inhale from the base of the spine to the crown of the head. The crown corresponds to the acupoint bai hui (“hundred meetings,” because all energy, yang and yin, meets at this point). Exhale from bai hui down the front of the body, to the perineum. Inhale from the perineum to the tailbone and again up the spine to bai hui. Continue nine cycles. Next, let the breath just go, moving naturally. Without any special coordination of inhalation and exhalation, use your intent to direct the qi continuously around the two meridians. It can go at any pace. For some, the qi moves at a low, gradual pace. For others, it goes quickly up the back and down the front. Keep the qi cycling as long as feels comfortable. If you feel as though there is too much energy or if you feel dizzy or uncomfortable in any way, stop the meditation. You may need to practice for a shorter period of time; or it is possible that this meditation is not appropriate for you at this stage in your qigong development.

Method B: Many qigong practitioners imagine a slightly more complex route for yang and yin qi, one that is more consistent with the course of the meridians as outlined in Chinese medicine. Imagine now that the Governing Channel begins at the tailbone (coccyx), follows the spine, proceeds around the head, and ends at the upper palate. The Conception Channel starts at the tip of the tongue and ends at a point in the middle of the perineum (the hui yin, meeting of yin). Thus, the circuit is open at two places, between the perineum and tailbone and between the upper palate and tongue tip. You will close the circuit during the meditation practice.

Let the tip of the tongue touch the upper palate during inhalation (through the nose), drop it to rest in the lower jaw during exhalation (through the mouth). Inhale from the tailbone up the spine, around the head, to the upper palate. Now drop the tongue and exhale gently through the mouth, directing the qi from the tongue tip, down the front of the body, to the hui yin point. As you begin the inhalation again, the tongue touches the upper palate. Contract the tailbone muscles slightly (or the anal sphincter if this is difficult) as you suck the qi up into the tailbone, directing the qi to continue up the Governing Channel. Again inhale the qi all the way around the head to the upper palate. The tongue now drops and qi continues down the front of the body to the hui yin. Touch the tongue upward, contract the tailbone, and inhale, continuing. Nine cycles.

Great Heavenly Circulation (Da Zhou Tian)

It is best to try this meditation after you have spent a few weeks practicing Alternate Nostril Breathing, Qi to the Four Limbs, and the Small Heavenly Circulation. In the Great Heavenly Circulation, also called the Macrocosmic Orbit, qi circulates through the entire body: the arms, legs, Governing Channel, and Conception Channel. Your posture is the same as in the Small Heavenly Circulation—seated on a chair, legs uncrossed, feet on the ground, hands resting on the lap. The tongue is lightly touching the upper palate throughout the meditation.

Breathe in a quiet, natural fashion, inhaling and exhaling through the nose. There is no need to match your breath with any particular phase of this meditation. You will use your mind-intent to direct qi through the body. First concentrate on your well of qi, the dan tian. Focus your mind there for about five minutes, experiencing how the dan tian moves with respiration. Then direct qi from the dan tian down past the genitals, around the perineum, and up the Governing Channel. It continues down the front of the body, reaching the dan tian. You have completed one round of the Small Heavenly Circulation, the foundation of the Great Heavenly Circulation.

Next, from the dan tian, qi moves again down the front of the lower abdomen, continuing down the outside of the legs (no particular channel— however you experience it is correct). Qi goes all the way to the feet, then winds around to the inside of the feet and is drawn up the inside of the legs. From there, direct qi up the back. As qi reaches the upper back, between the shoulder blades, the current splits and moves down the inside of the arms, winding around the hands and then moving up the outside of the arms, the current returning to the midback. Now qi continues up the back, around the head, down the front of the body, and then, again, down the outside of the legs, up the inside of the legs, up the back….Continue moving the qi as long as feels comfortable.

If it is difficult for you to move the qi with intent only, then you may use an image, such as white light or mist. Send light or mist along the body, as above. You will probably find that after a few weeks, the qi sensation becomes pronounced. There is a distinct feeling of warmth and/or electrical vibration. At this point it is possible to practice qi circulation without images.

D. THE SIX QI METHOD

Healing the Internal Organs

Also known as the “Six Word Secret” (liu zi jue), this is a classical system attributed to a Buddhist hermit of the sixth century, in which breath and sound purge the major internal organs of noxious and stagnant qi. The method has become very popular in modern China, thanks to the dedicated teaching of the late, renowned qigong master, Dr. Ma Li-tang.6 Dr. Ma had excellent results teaching his qigong to students and hospital patients.

You can practice from either a seated or supine posture. Meditate for a few minutes, observing how you breathe, the quality of the breath, and your general sense of bodily ease or discomfort. In each of the exercises below, fresh qi is inhaled through the nose, old qi is exhaled through the mouth while quietly chanting a sound.

1. Lungs: Focus the mind on the lungs. Locate the lungs with your mind. Inhale, imagine healing qi filling the lungs, reaching all of the air sacs, all of the tissues and lobes of the lungs. As you exhale through the mouth, make a barely audible prolonged chant, See-ahh. Repeat two more times.

2. Kidneys: Become aware of the kidneys. Feel them with your mind. Inhale fresh qi into the kidneys; exhale unneeded qi with the low chant, Chrroooeee. Repeat two more times.

3. Liver: Locate your liver internally. Feel it, be aware of it. Inhale healing qi into the liver. Exhale toxins with the chant, Shuuu. Repeat two more times. This sound should be like a “Sh” as though saying, “Hushhh, be quiet.” At the end of the sh, form your mouth into the U shape.

4. Heart: Be aware of the heart. Inhale fresh qi into the heart, letting the qi permeate all of the tissues, muscles, chambers, and valves of the heart. Exhale with the sound Ho. The sound is identical to hoo in the word “hook”. Repeat twice more.

5. Spleen: Locate the spleen with your mind. Feel it, a spongy organ just behind the stomach. Inhale healing qi. Exhale toxins with the sound Hooo, just like the word “who.” Repeat for a total of three times.

6. Triple Burner: The triple burner refers to a bodily function rather than a specific substance or organ. It is the aspect of qi that helps to control the balance of heat and moisture in three regions of the body: the head and chest, including heart and lungs (upper burner), the solar plexus, including the spleen and stomach (middle burner), and the lower abdomen, including the liver and kidneys (lower burner). Inhale pure qi into the entire torso. Exhale with the sound Seeee. While making the sound, form the mouth into a smiling shape and imagine a happy feeling pervading the body, as though your body is smiling. Repeat two more times.

It is best to practice all of the healing sounds in each session. If an internal organ is diseased, then you can emphasize this one by doing extra repetitions. If you have had the spleen removed in an operation, it is nevertheless important to practice the spleen qigong. According to Chinese medicine, the energetic imprint of the organ (like a phantom limb) is still there. The spleen meridian and the psychological and spiritual functions of the organ are disturbed but not removed.

The Six Qi Method is a powerful, ancient qigong that is begging for scientific inquiry and validation. My own enthusiasm for the technique was increased when, in 1982, I received an ecstatic letter from a man in Texas. Although I had never met him, he began, “Thank you for saving my life.” He claimed that several months earlier he had been hospitalized for “terminal” cancer of the liver and spleen. He adopted a macrobiotic diet and began to practice the Six Qi Method, following my East West Journal article on the subject.7 Although I would certainly never recommend substituting qigong instruction for doctor’s orders, he decided to reject chemotherapy and radiation. He wrote to me that whenever he made the liver and spleen sounds, he also imagined that his immune cells were knights in shining armor, lancing the cancer cells and throwing them out of his body with the exhalations. After three months, there was no sign of cancer left in his body.

Frankly, I did not believe this story until the editor of the Journal contacted me a few months later, stating that he had checked with the hospital and confirmed the man’s story. Although an anecdote does not constitute proof, I was certainly intrigued by the possibilities of this qigong.

E. COLORED LIGHT MEDITATION

Illuminating the Microcosm

The Daoist sage Lao Zi said, “Use light to develop insight.” Color and light are the most common elements in healing visualizations among all ancient cultures. In indigenous Hawaiian counseling, sessions often begin by imagining the body suffused by blue, green, purple, and white light, to bring peace and healing power to the body, mind, and spirit. Native Americans will sometimes imagine specific colors of light carrying their prayers to the patient.8 In China, the therapeutic use of color is systematized according to the theory of correspondence. Just as internal organs are related to various sounds, so they also correspond to particular healing colors. An individual can learn to see these colors internally, as though radiating from the respective organs. If the organs are diseased, they will generally appear a sickly black or gray. The patient trains to project the proper healing color, thus returning the organ’s qi to balance and harmony.

The meditation is similar to the one above, only this time we see a color rather than make a sound. Also, we will focus only on the five major organs, not including the triple burner. As above, we follow the sequence of the five elements-five organs. Metal (lungs) becomes molten, creating water (kidneys). Kidney-water grows wood (liver). Wood creates fire (heart). Fire creates ashes, representing the earth (spleen). From the earth, we dig metals (lungs). Thus, we are back to the beginning of the cycle. Inhalations are all through the nose, exhalations through the mouth.

Bring your mind to the lungs. As you inhale, draw a beautiful white light into the lungs. When you exhale, dark light leaves, but the beautiful white color remains in the lungs. Again, inhale into the lungs. White light suffuses the lungs, exhale dark light. As you look within, the lungs have retained even more of the white color. They are beginning to glow on the inside, like luminous pearls. A third time, inhale white light into the lungs, exhale the poisons. The healing white light remains within. You can repeat two more times, for a total of five.

Now focus on the kidneys. Inhale deep, ocean blue light into the kidneys. (In some texts, black is recommended. If you prefer black, imagine a healing gemstone color, like black jade or obsidian.) Exhale the toxins. With each cycle of the breath, the kidneys glow more brightly inside, like blue sapphires. Repeat a total of five times.

Your awareness rests on the liver. Inhale forest green light into the liver, like the green of spring leaves. Exhale the unneeded qi. Five repetitions. As above, with each cycle, the liver retains more of the green light. It glows like an emerald.

Bring your attention to the heart. Breathe healing red light into the heart. Exhale diseased qi. Five times. The heart is beginning to glow with a beautiful rubylike color.

The mind goes to the spleen. Inhale healing yellow light into the spleen, filling it. Exhale the poisons. As you continue, the yellow color becomes clearer and clearer, the spleen appears like a brilliant topaz. Five repetitions.

Now, while breathing in a relaxed, natural fashion, do a quick review of the internal organs, seeing them glowing internally, like five precious gems. With practice, you can hold all of the images in your mind simultaneously. The lungs white pearl, the kidneys blue sapphire, the liver green emerald, the heart red ruby, the spleen yellow topaz. Enjoy this image as long as you wish, then let them dissolve and disappear in simple awareness of the body. Notice if your internal organs feel different. How alive are you now, compared to the beginning of the meditation?

Anti-Cancer Variation

These colors—white, blue, green, red, and yellow—carry the energies of archetypal, primordial forces, five basic kinds of qi. As such, they can also be directed in sequence to other parts of the body that need healing and harmony, rather than to the particular organs to which these colors belong. For instance, one might send the five colors of light to a wound to help it heal more quickly or to inflamed bronchi to aid in recovery from bronchitis. Some external qi healers imagine that they are projecting colored light to the patient as the medium or vehicle for qi.

One of the most interesting variations of this technique is a method of Buddhist qigong found in Sarah Rossbach and Lin Yun’s excellent work, Living Color. The authors advise that as an adjunct to medical treatment for cancer, look at the following Six Colors—white, red, yellow, green, blue, black—and imagine their qi going in this sequence to the afflicted cancer cells.9 This color sequence derives from Buddhist philosophy, where it symbolizes the healing power of Guan-yin, the personification of Compassion.

F. THE PLANETS WITHIN

A Mystical Meditation

Not esoteric enough for you? Want to experience something out of this world? If your answer is No, then skip this meditation and proceed to the next.

Instead of journeying to the stars, Daoists preferred to let the stars and planets journey to them, nourishing the body with astral qi. Repeating the above meditation, you can add an additional element, imagining that the colored lights are coming from associated planets.

Inhale white light from Venus into the lungs. Exhale poisons.

Inhale blue light from Mercury to the kidneys. Exhale poisons.

Inhale green light from Jupiter to the liver. Exhale poisons.

Inhale red light from Mars to the heart. Exhale poisons.

Inhale yellow light from Saturn to the spleen. Exhale poisons.

Whether or not you believe in the correspondence between planet, color, and organ, the meditation, nevertheless, creates a wonderful feeling of connectedness, of belonging to the universe. And since you are not attempting to leave the body, the meditation is safe even for those who suffer from anima via phobia10 (fear of soul travel).

G. HARMONIZE WITH SEASONAL QI

Flowing with Change

Resistance to disease is lowered during times of transition, whether this be a positive or negative emotional change, a change of employment or environment or the change of seasons. An important benefit of qigong is an improved ability to flow with changing situations.

A classic meditation for attuning to the seasonal changes appears in the Daoist classic Bao Pu Zi (The Master Who Embraces Simplicity), by the fourth-century alchemist Ge Hong. Based on years of personal experience with this technique, I have adapted and expanded the meditation below. The meditation adds another element to the system of correspondences: the connection between color, direction, and season. Each of the five sections of the meditation is practiced on or shortly after the beginning of the season.

Spring equinox: Stand outdoors facing east. Imagine clouds of healing green qi flowing from the east and entering the body. You can inhale the qi, or imagine it entering through either the crown of the head or the pores of the skin. As green qi fills the body, the body is visualized as beautiful green jade.

Summer solstice: Stand outdoors facing south. See red qi swirling toward your body. Absorb it, as above, visualizing the body becoming red jade.

On a sunny day in late summer (so-called Indian Summer, considered a separate season in ancient China), face any direction you wish. Imagine yellow, earthy qi rising directly from the ground, up into your body. Your body becomes yellow jade.

Autumn equinox: Stand facing west. See clouds of white qi blowing toward you. You absorb it and become beautiful white jade.

Winter solstice: Dress appropriately and stand outdoors, facing north. Imagine healing black qi-clouds approaching you. The black qi fills your body, turning it into radiant black jade.

Practice the technique for five to ten minutes only, once at the beginning of each season. If you have difficulty maintaining balance, it is advisable to keep the eyes slightly open.

Review

Table 7 will help you remember or review the various correspondences used in meditations D–G.

TABLE 7: CORRESPONDENCES CHART

H. ABSORBING QI FROM NATURE

Healing Resources

The human body is not a self-sufficient system. If you do not believe this, imagine living in a chamber isolated from food, water, air, sunlight, and simple contact with natural environments. Independence? An impossibility! Interdependence is a more realistic concept. We need nature’s qi to live. Nature feeds us because it either is energy or it is converted into energy by the body. The problem is that although qi is everywhere present, the ability to assimilate it differs from person to person. Qigong visualization can increase awareness of external sources of qi and greatly augment the body’s ability to utilize this energy for self-healing and spiritual development.

The principle of absorbing qi is simple. Use intent (and, in some meditation, inhalation) to draw healing qi from any natural source. The most powerful and easily experienced sources are the “three luminaries”: sun, moon, and stars.

Sun Meditation

Stand outdoors on a warm, sunny morning. Your arms are resting at your sides, with the palms open and pointing forward. Face the sun, with the eyes shut. Feel the warmth and light on your face, body, and palms. Open your mouth and inhale the sun’s light. Exhale through the nose. Imagine your whole body filling with sunlight. Repeat three times.

Variation A: Stand facing the sun, as above. Inhale sunlight through the mouth, imagining that the sun’s healing light is mixing with the saliva. Then close the mouth, and as you exhale through the nose, swallow saliva, imagining it dropping into the lower abdomen, like a golden pearl sinking into the sea. After repeating for a total of three times, rest the palms gently over the lower abdomen and concentrate on deep, quiet breathing. The abdomen should feel pleasantly warm and full of healing energy.

Variation B: Sit on a chair, preferably outdoors on a pleasantly warm day, although the technique can also be practiced indoors. Breathe softly through the nose. Imagine the sun directly overhead. The golden light of the sun pours into the body through the crown of the head. The body is a hollow vessel, filling slowly with the light, from the feet all the way to the crown. As the light reaches the crown, it cascades down over the outside, flowing over the skin until it again reaches the feet. Another method would be to imagine the golden light pouring only over the outside of the body, as though taking a solar shower. Either technique is practiced only one time in any session, and not more than once a day. The length of the meditation can vary quite a bit, some students spending three to five minutes filling the body with sunlight, others requiring ten minutes or slightly more.

Variation C: While seated either outdoors on a warm day or indoors facing a window, imagine that your body is made of transparent crystal. Pleasantly warm sunlight moves easily through it.

All of these sun meditations add yang qi to the body and are excellent ways to improve vitality and create a more “sunny” disposition.

Moon Meditation

These meditations are similar to the sun meditations. Stand outdoors on a moonlit evening, ideally under the full moon. If the weather is uncomfortable, then stand indoors, facing a window. As above, the palms face forward and you sense the light and cool energy of the moon. Inhale silver moonlight through the mouth, visualizing the light filling the body. Exhale through the nose. Repeat for a total of three times.

Variation: In the evening, during any phase of the moon, sit on a chair either outdoors or indoors. Imagine the full moon overhead, shining down on your body. As you breathe naturally, inhaling and exhaling through the nose, silver moonlight enters the crown and slowly fills the body, from the bottom to the top, like filling a cup. Silver light continues to pour in. As it reaches the crown, the overflow pours over the surface of the body until it arrives at the feet. Then let the image go and just experience your body, now fully energized with the feminine, yin power of the moon.

The moon meditations energize the body with yin qi and are especially invigorating to the nervous system and the brain. They also improve intuition and expand awareness. Whereas the sun meditations create a sunny disposition, have no fear—the moon meditations will not turn you into a “lunatic.” To the contrary, they engender feelings of peace and inner quiet.

The Big Dipper

The stars of the Big Dipper Constellation (Ursa Major) have special significance in Chinese culture. In ancient China, each of the stars in this constellation was related to one of China’s provinces. If a court astrologer saw a shooting star moving eastward toward a particular dipper star, he might divine that the province of Chu was about to be attacked from the east. The dipper is also a cosmic timepiece; the handle of the dipper makes a complete 360-degree circuit during the course of a year. In the spring, the handle points east, in the summer south, in the fall west, and in the winter, north, thus exactly corresponding to the season-direction correspondence in Chinese Five Element Theory. In qigong theory, the dipper is a reservoir of cosmic qi, collecting qi from all of the other constellations and stars as it makes its yearly course.

This meditation can be practiced indoors, but it has more powerful effects if practiced outside under a clear, starry sky. First look at the actual constellation in the sky. Then sit down and close your eyes. Imagine the dipper overhead, the bowl of the dipper filled with zi qi, purple qi or amethyst-colored light. The dipper overturns, purple light pouring down. As it reaches your body, it flows over the crown, over the face, down over the shoulders, chest, and back, continuing until the whole body has been bathed in purple light.

Another technique follows the method of the sun and moon meditations. Let the dipper qi enter the body, filling it gradually up from feet to crown. When the purple qi reaches the top, it cascades back down over the outside of the body. The body is energized inside and out.

What a marvelous way to experience the universe’s healing gifts and graces! The dipper meditation never fails to fill me with a sense of awe, wonder, and vibrant qi. On an esoteric level, the dipper meditations are said to increase the strength of the qi field, the aura, protecting the body against negative spiritual forces.

Tree Meditation

The qi of trees is very compatible with that of human beings. Trees stand upright as we do. They drink water and require air and sunlight. They bloom in summer and retreat to quietness in winter. From the most ancient times trees have been symbols of spiritual growth. Their deep roots and high branches suggest an ability to connect earth and sky, the physical and the spiritual.

In a forest or park find a healthy-looking tree. It can be any type of tree, though the Chinese prefer mountain evergreens, such as the pine. Approach the tree respectfully, as though visiting a wise teacher. Make a mental request or prayer, asking the tree for permission to connect with some of its healing power. Stand several feet in front of the tree and close your eyes. Feel the presence of the tree. Inhale through the nose, intending that healing qi enter your body. Exhale through the mouth, releasing stagnation and disease. Do not send this disease back toward the tree. Rather release it as light or into the ground, as though you are turning your unneeded qi into compost. Practice as long as feels comfortable. Mentally thank the tree again before you leave.

An alternate method is to stand facing the tree, breathing slowly and deeply, in and out through the nose. Again sense the presence of the tree. Imagine that you are able to circulate qi between your own body and the tree. Inhale, drawing the tree-qi up your feet, through the body, following no particular pathway; wherever you experience it moving is correct. As the qi exits the crown, imagine it going to the tree, being absorbed by its branches and moving down through the trunk. As you see it exiting the roots and moving toward your feet again inhale, absorbing it into your feet and inhaling it once again up your body to the crown. Again, exhale as the qi is released from your crown and moves down through the tree. Repeat several times.

Then reverse the circuit. As you inhale, absorb the tree-qi through your crown, moving it down your body toward the feet. As it exits your feet, exhale and imagine the qi being absorbed by the roots of the tree and rising up, like sap, through its trunk. Then inhale again as the qi leaves the tips of the tree branches and moves toward your crown. Continue inhaling as the qi enters your crown and moves down toward your feet. Exhale as you send qi into the tree roots and up through the tree. Repeat several times.

After practicing the tree meditation several times, you may find that you can circulate the qi in this manner without coordinating the breath. Keep the breath moving at its own pace, while imagining a constant stream of energy moving from the tree up your body and back down through the tree. Then reverse direction. The energy can move as slowly or quickly as it needs to. After the tree meditation, stand for a few moments in silence. Perhaps you will feel as though you are more like a tree now, deeply rooted, yet standing tall with dignity and beauty.

I can only suggest here the range of meditations of this type. It is possible to absorb qi from any aspect of nature that you intuitively sense as healing: mountains, a campfire, lightning, sky, earth, clear streams, dewdrops, wild-flowers.11 Qi can be absorbed into the entire body or mentally directed to specific body parts that need healing. It is possible to circulate qi between yourself and nature, as in the tree meditation above. Or you can inhale nature’s qi and use it to drive pathogenic qi out the feet.

I have found that these meditations work best with an attitude of respect, kindness, and gratitude. Never take from nature; rather, accept her gifts and recognize yourself as part of her world.

I. UNIFYING HEAVEN AND EARTH

Inner Alchemy

This classic and ancient qigong visualization is called Tian Ren He Yi, “Heaven and Human in Harmonious Unity.” As in the sun and moon meditations, external yang and yin, in this case drawn from sky and earth, increase and stimulate internal yang and yin qi. The meditation also transforms the spirit, leading to a state of oneness with the cosmos.

Stand with the eyes lightly closed. If you feel unstable, you can open your eyes slightly. The arms are relaxed at the sides. Bring your mind to the dan tian, relaxing the breath. Now project your spirit and qi up through your body, until you imagine that your spirit is leaving from the crown and moving up into the heavens, as high as you can go. Then bring your spirit back down, willing it to enter your body and move down through it, until it exits from the bottoms of the feet. Project your spirit deep into the earth, as deep as you can go, perhaps all the way to the center of the earth. Then again draw your spirit upward into and through your body. It leaves from the crown, moving into the highest heavens. Continue for ten to fifteen minutes. When you finish, place your palms lightly over the lower abdomen and focus on the breath.

Some instructors teach that when your spirit-qi moves up, it follows along the back. Then, as you bring your spirit back down, it moves along the front of the body. However, I find it more effective to give the qi permission to follow whatever path it chooses. Don’t worry about any particular meridians.

J. CRANE, TURTLE, AND DEER BREATHING

Balancing the Three Treasures

In a state of vibrant health, the three treasures—sexual energy (jing), life energy (qi), and spiritual energy (shen)—are harmonious and abundant. I have already discussed the philosophy of the Three Treasures (Chapter 3). Now we will learn how to cultivate them.

The meditation has three stages, known as Crane, Turtle, and Deer, to cultivate qi, shen, and jing respectively. The same posture is used throughout. Assume the Standing Meditation stance, following all of the guidelines for qigong posture: feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, back straight and long, abdominal breathing. Whole body relaxed into the ground. Place your palms on the lower abdomen, with the thumbs on either side of the navel, the index fingers lightly touching, just a few inches above the pubic bone. The eyes are closed; open them only if balance is difficult.

First get a sense of how you are breathing and how the breath feels under your palms. Let your palms tell you something about the quality of the breath. Allow the breath to become slow and deep. After a few minutes of self-observation, proceed to Crane Breathing.

THE CRANE

As you inhale, feel the hands filling with the abdominal breath. At the same time, the upper body rocks back ever so slightly. The hips are pushing toward the front and the weight shifts a bit toward the toes. The back sways, like a willow in a breeze. There should be no strain in the lower back. The movement is very slow, and small. As you slowly exhale, press gently in with the palms, as though you are helping the breath out. At the same time, the upper body rocks and bends a little bit toward the ground. The hips are moving back; the weight is shifting toward the heels. Again the movement is very small, slow, and fluid. Continue, coordinating the swaying of the torso with the breaths. Inhale, the abdomen fills the hands, upper body rocks back. Exhale, press the palms in gently, upper body rocks to the front (figs. 18, 19). The upper body is moving as one unit. Be careful that the head stays in line with the spine. As you sway and shift with the breath, the neck does not bend. Practice the exercise for three to five minutes.

Figure 18

Figure 19

The Crane is ultra-relaxed, quiet, and contemplative. The Crane is a Chinese symbol of awareness and balance. She stands at the edge of a lake, perfectly balanced on one toothpick leg for an hour or more. You might assume that she is asleep, until a fish swims by. The Crane is relaxed, yet alert and full of qi.

THE TURTLE

Continue the basic rocking movement of the Crane. This time, as you inhale, rocking back, contract very slightly the muscles at the back of your neck, as though you are a turtle pulling your head into your shell. Imagine the movement, don’t use force! The chin does not physically move toward or away from the breastbone. The feeling is that as the breath expands into your palms, the head is being drawn down. Now, as you exhale, rocking toward the front and pressing with the palms, the muscles at the back of your neck release, like a turtle extending its neck. Continue. Inhale, rock back, hands fill, neck contracts down. Exhale, rock forward, hands press, neck releases. If you cannot physically contract or isolate the neck muscles, then just imagine the movement. Practice for three to five minutes.

The turtle lives long because he moves slowly and conserves shen during sleep by keeping his head in the shell. He is also constantly exercising his neck and spine.

THE DEER

We are still practicing the basic Crane movement. Now inhale, rock back, and contract the muscles around the tailbone upward, like a deer lifting her tail. If you cannot isolate these muscles, imagine the movement. Exhale, rock to the front, press with the palms and release, relax down the tailbone, inhale, lift the tail. Exhale, release. Coordinate with slow breathing and continue for three to five minutes.

The deer is a universal symbol of sexual vitality. Musk oil and musk incense, among the world’s oldest aphrodisiacs, are taken from the musk glands of the deer. The deer sleeps with one heel pressed into the perineum, thus stimulating the sexual glands.

To close the exercise, return to basic Crane Breathing. Inhale, the abdomen fills, body rocks back. Exhale, the palms press, body rocks forward. No contractions anywhere. Gradually let the movement become slower and smaller, until you rest in stillness. Keep the palms on the abdomen, feeling the movement of the breath. Very slowly and gently release the pressure of the palms on your body and allow the hands to float to the sides. Notice the feeling that remains in the abdomen. Do you still doubt that the dan tian exists? When you are ready, open the eyes and return to this alternate reality.

K. ALIGNING THE THREE DAN TIANS

Synchronizing Body, Mind, and Spirit

This method can be practiced at any time, though I have found the best results after Crane, Turtle, and Deer Breathing. The body is standing, relaxed, the arms at the sides, eyes closed. Or practice seated in a chair, with the hands on the lap. Imagine three spheres in the center of the body, at the level of the lower abdomen, the chest, and third eye. Notice if the three spheres are lined up, one over the other. Would an axle pass through the center of each? While visualizing the three spheres, will them to find a more balanced and perfect linear alignment. You will probably find that they are still slightly “off” (who isn’t?), but with practice and patience, the alignment will improve. The suggested practice time is ten to fifteen minutes.

This qigong was transmitted by Daoist priest Wang Zhenyi to a renowned Taiji Quan and Qigong Master, Wang Peisheng, in the 1930s.12 Aligning the Three Dan Tians creates a clear mind and opens the major qi channels. It can facilitate a stronger flow of qi in the Small and Great Heavenly Circulation. This qigong is also an excellent method to increase overall vitality and recover quickly from fatigue.

L. EMBRYONIC RESPIRATION

The Breath of No Breath

Embryonic Respiration is primarily a state of being that can occur spontaneously when the body and mind are relaxed, clear, and filled with qi. There are, nevertheless, various techniques that can help the student achieve this state more quickly.

Sit on either a chair or a cushion on the floor with the eyes lightly closed. The hands are resting on the lap, close to the lower abdomen. The left hand is on the right, with the left fist lightly enclosing the right thumb. This “yin-yang hand gesture” (yin yang shou jue) aids concentration on the breath and seals newly acquired qi in the body. Begin with a few minutes of quiet, natural breathing. Notice the depth, rate, and quality of your breath.

Stage 1. Deep Breathing: Inhale deeply, visualizing the whole body filling with fresh, healing qi. Exhale through the mouth, releasing all unneeded, stagnant, or noxious qi. Do this nine times. As you continue with the stages below, inhale and exhale only through the nose.

Stage 2. External Breathing: Inhale, imagining the breath and qi reaching the middle dan tian (the heart). As you exhale, the qi drops to the lower dan tian, in the abdomen. Of course, you will still be exhaling through the nose, but in your mind, the breath is staying within the body and dropping down. Thus with each cycle of breathing, the inner supply of qi is increasing. Inhale to the heart, exhale to the abdomen. Continue nine cycles.

Stage 3. Internal Breathing, Mingling Water and Fire: Now imagine that the breath-qi stays entirely within the body. As you inhale, qi rises from the lower dan tian to the middle dan tian. As you exhale, it sinks back down from the middle dan tian to the lower. Practice for nine breaths.

This method is called both Internal Breathing and Mingling Water and Fire (Shui Huo Xiang Jiao). As qi rises up and down, the energy of the kidneys (water) rises; the energy of the heart (fire) descends. According to the ancient Daoist theory of body-energy, this has several excellent benefits: Jing (sexual energy, related to water) and shen (spiritual energy, related to fire) increase and are prevented from dissipating. Fire and water meet, producing steam, that is, more qi. The area between the heart and kidneys, including the spleen, pancreas, liver, gallbladder, stomach, and adrenals are washed of impurities. Mind and body are harmonized.

Jing Guan “Tranquil Contemplation.” Flowing, “grass style” calligraphy common in Buddhist and Daoist art, by Tu Xin-shi.

Stage 4. Dan Tian Breathing: Now imagine that the breath stays in the lower abdomen. Inhale, gently expanding the lower dan tian; exhale, let it sink back. Allow the breath to become slow, long, deep, fine, and even. You need not count the breath. After five or ten minutes, you will naturally enter the next stage.

Stage 5. Embryonic Respiration: The breath becomes so slow, effortless, and smooth that you don’t even know you are breathing. Imagine that if a down feather were placed in front of your nostrils, the feather wouldn’t move. You have become the breath, the qi. Your mind is spacious and free, like the sky, yet deep, like the ocean. Enjoy this state as long as you wish.

M. SPONTANEOUS QIGONG

The Wisdom of Naturalness

Not all qigong consists in following preset, choreographed techniques. Recently the method of zi fa gong has become very popular in China. This can be translated “Spontaneous Qigong.” It looks like a kind of eerie improvisational dance, with some important differences. Western improvisational dance is expressive of ideas, aesthetics, dance motifs. Spontaneous Qigong is completely effortless. The inner movement of qi is allowed to become external movement. Spontaneous Qigong flows from the inside to the outside. Qi pushes the body into completely unique shapes and movements, opening blockages and tensions and creating a relaxed and alert state of body and mind. Here’s how it works:

Begin by standing in the qigong posture, relaxed and sunk, knees slightly bent, back straight, breathing with the abdomen. Practice with the arms at the sides or with the arms at the height of the forehead, chest, or abdomen, whichever position is most comfortable. The elbows should be bent so that the arms have a rounded shape, palms facing each other. The eyes are closed, though they can open slightly if necessary to maintain balance. The posture should feel light and flexible. The position of the arms, feet, or torso may change during practice to accommodate the movement of qi. For instance, the hands might begin at the height of the forehead, then move to the abdomen, the sides, or behind the body. Or you may need to place one foot in front of the other to allow natural shifting and swaying motions. There is no fixed rule. In Spontaneous Qigong, you are not moving the qi, the qi is moving you.

Now we are ready to begin. Imagine that you are projecting your spirit out of your body through the upper dan tian, into the universe. Your spirit fills the cosmos. After a minute or two, imagine that you invite the qi of the whole universe back into your body. It enters the upper dan tian and then pervades your being. You are one with universal qi. Your own ego has disappeared (don’t worry, you can reclaim it later). You have become a tranquil emptiness, without objects, without worries.

While maintaining this quiet state, become aware of any subtle movements in the body. Become aware of areas that feel as though they are vibrating or moving. These are places that obstruct or encourage the flow of qi. But for now, don’t worry about what your sensations mean. Just experience. After a few minutes, begin to exaggerate the internal movement ever so slightly. This should start the process of Spontaneous Qigong. For instance, you may feel as though the knees are stiff. Your body wants to sway slightly. Let yourself begin swaying; then the swaying will continue of itself. Or you may find that the neck is stiff; the head wants to roll gently and rhythmically, like a cork bobbing on a quiet sea. Perhaps the breath itself causes your hips to sway from side to side or front to back. Or your arms may wish to circle and sway. Movements can be as large or small as needed. Intend that they remain gentle and rhythmic. Do not make quick or violent movements.

In this qigong, you are becoming sensitive to the inner movement of qi. By exaggerating these movements slightly, your body may sway, bob, tremble, rise and fall, shift, rock. The feet are basically fixed, though you may take small steps or readjust the posture if this feels natural and necessary. The qi movements might continue for only a few minutes, switching to a new pattern; or the same movements might continue through the course of the qigong. There may be periods when your body rests in stillness and then begins to move again. The entire exercise should last twenty minutes.

Since you will be in an altered, timeless state during the exercise, it is best to set a timer or ask a helper to gently remind you when the time is up. If you experience pain or other indications that the exercise should end sooner, then finish the qigong at that time. When it is time to close, let the movements come to stillness and rest. Place your palms on the lower abdomen, concentrating on the breath and bringing the qi to rest and stability. Then slowly open the eyes.

If you enjoy this qigong, you can practice it daily, though no more than one session each day. Be patient with yourself. If movements do not occur the first time you try, they may occur during a later session. Master Liang Shou-yu, who originally taught me this technique, tells a humorous story of three skeptical physicians. Week after week they would stand, neither expecting nor believing that their bodies would sway or move of themselves. Then one day, all three began to bob up and down in synchrony, and then to laugh at themselves. Obviously their bodies were not designed to meet their expectations, nor to remain within the confines of accepted medical dogma.

N. THE MIND DIRECTS THE QI

Ultimate Simplicity

This method embodies the ultimate goal of all qigong: train the mind to send qi where it is needed. It is both the simplest and most profound method of qigong. Simply breathe into the place that feels uncomfortable or ill, imagining that you are sending healing qi to that area. If necessary, you can visualize qi as white mist or light. While exhaling, imagine that the poisons are leaving with the breath. The noxious qi can be visualized as dark light, a shade of black or gray.

For instance, if you have asthma, inhale qi into the lungs, exhale poisons. For eczema, inhale qi into the skin. For a systemic problem, such as lupus, let meditation and introspection guide you to the area or areas of focus. If you are anemic, you may find yourself breathing qi into the spleen, the bone marrow, or the entire circulatory system.

All of the different techniques of qigong are designed to refine the skill at moving qi. The more a student practices qigong, the greater the facility to move qi without following any specific technique. At an advanced level, it becomes unnecessary to use the breath as a medium for qi. Intent alone sends qi to the distressed region. You need more qi in the brain, just send qi there. Mental confusion? Expel confused qi. For those familiar with Chinese medicine, qi can also be directed to specific acupoints. Qigong becomes like self-acupuncture without the needles.

Lao Zi said, “The Dao follows the principle of Naturalness.” Remember that there may be times when your intuition advises allowing a disease to run its natural course. For some psychological trauma, denial may be a survival strategy. It could be dangerous to direct qi and awareness to repressed memories without the help of a therapist. In the case of myocardial infarction (heart attack), there is strong evidence that patients who are, at first, in denial of their condition, fare better than those who are either anxious about it or who try to aggressively combat it.13 Other conditions might require environmental rather than energetic solutions. For instance, if you suffer from hay fever or other allergies, it may be advantageous to move your residence, and then practice qigong.

I strongly believe that Nature knows best. Never let your belief in the supposed benefits of a therapy replace this natural wisdom. A good therapy makes Nature’s wisdom more accessible. It helps you listen to Nature’s voice. The purpose of qigong is not to become proficient in qigong, but to become expert at being more fully who you are.

* The name of this chart, Nei Jing Tu, is usually translated “The Chart of the Inner Texture of Meditation.” Jing (not to be confused with the homonym jing, meaning sexual energy) commonly refers to the warp and woof of a fabric. However, I believe that the author is making a deliberate pun on another word with a similar pronunciation that refers to the brilliant spirits (jing) sensed in meditation.