How do you know when you’ve finally arrived, when you’ve reached the vaunted status of Qigong Master? You get a fancy certificate from the Interstellar Federation of Qigong Masters, of course!
Just kidding! Please stop sitting by the mailbox waiting for yours to arrive.
But seriously, what does a “master” of any art look like? In this Walk-and-Talk, we’ll dive into what qigong mastery is and isn’t.
What I hope you’ll remember most from today’s post is this:
Mastery is a journey, not a destination.
Write that down on a sticky note and put it where you can see it!
Click play, and let’s talk about what the mastery journey looks like.
Now I’d love to hear from you. Are you a master of another art? Are you on the path to mastery with qigong? Leave me a comment below! From the heart, Sifu Anthony
Ny all means, take away the mysteries! I find after an hour of a class that mostly focuses on Yang Tai Chi forms, my legs are tired and I can’t keep going. My teacher has us do 8 Brocade and form sets – 10, 16, 24 Yang as of now. I’m working on details of forms – pushing off ball of foot during press, turning but not yet moving forward during press and a few other things. Keeping a journal on form details for proper execution. I inquired my teacher on Dr. Yang Jwing-Ming’s forms. He said Yang is teaching a different variation of Yang Style.
I need longer and more consistent practice. Thanks again Shifu Anthony.
FYI, there are many, many variations of Yang Style, which of course is just one of many variations of tai chi.
Videos are nice (especially with scenery) but very time-consuming. I skimmed this one but it’s still a long time to get a fairly simple point that i might have got more fully by reading a short article. That woud also give the benefit of quickly recapping. There is so much info available that even with emails etc, I need to cut down.
Hi Garry. Thanks for the feedback. Here are my thoughts.
First, we are working on transcripts for all of these videos. Subtitles too.
Second, many people are the opposite. They prefer watching videos than reading. For years, I only wrote blog posts and did very few videos. And for years, I got emails from people asking for me to shoot videos instead!
The transcripts will hopefully satisfy both groups.
In the meantime, you can turn up the playback speed to 1.5x. That will help you save time.
On the other hand, Americans watch an average of 4.9 hours of TV per day, and Britons watch 3.8 hours. So maybe time isn’t the real issue for some people. 🙂
Very well said! Keep up the good work. 🙂
You made a very good point about mastery. One aspect is time, have you put in enough of it (10 000 h).
But the main point is, what is it you have mastered?
Form?
Skill?
And does “qigong master” imply that I have mastered all the methods I use, or just one where my teachers or my peers recognize me as such?
I have practiced more than one tradition myself, but there is only one where I can dissect it and show how that particular method is supposed to be put together, from basic to advanced levels.
I wanted to add to this if I may. About 5 years back or so I began to have an existential crisis because at this point. I saw how empty and meaningless or shallow in the way everyone was going. So much focus on material wealth and things. I knew none of these could ever make me happy or context. Neither was the journey to obtain these things. My perception had started to shift away and towards searching for substance. That’s the beauty of these arts. Their roots have deep hidden spiritual meanings behind the journey. That’s the beauty of seeking mastery. You taught me to seek what the masters sought. Not their experiences. I feel the same way about the word and the context that people put behind it. It would feel empty and meaningless if it was the end. There was never no room to improve or to keep going. If that was true it would put me back in that situation 5 years ago. That’s a place I don’t want to be. That is scary thing to me. But thankfully that’s not the case. Because I feel like I always have something to look forward to. Something new to learn. A chance to grow and to change. That is a worthy and meaningful goal. That makes me excited to see what could happen next.
I happen to be bed-ridden, and am very productive within my apparently limited circumstances, doing a great deal of art and songwriting, even now working upon my 507th song, which is about the spacial exploration within the country of India, I adore your “walk and talk” discussions, and derive so much knowledge from your discourse. I do regularly, several times each day—Fireworks, and also Lift the Sky. I follow health methods of Deep Breathing, and usually feel much stronger and more relaxed after my Qigong exercise. I want to thank you, Master Anthony, for the time and intelligence you share with others! Gratefully, Helene Layton,songwriter
Dear Sifu, Namaste!
Can I differ on ‘Qigong is just an art’? I agree with demystifying things and putting those up simply and objectively.
I don’t see creativity in Qigong in terms of producing something tangible. Yes, when I leave all forms I have learned aside and I move as my body may want to by letting the mind take over, I find interesting movements manifesting itself on its own. But, like any art form, I am not creating anything tangible. The same movements seldom appear again, they’re always new.
Qigong and Tai Chi are not just art, not to me. They are most definitely an art and beyond it too, depends on the individual how to take it. I am just so eager that you mentioned this, your words are important because you have manifolds more experience than I have.
I might be wrong, but art to me is always something external coming to me or something in me going out to the world.
Qigong and Tai Chi is something starts within me and remains moving inside me for myself so privately that it is not even possible to share it with anyone.
I love and respect all Tai Chi and Qigong masters.
No. I am still practicing your free Qiqong
No one is a master until they master their sexual energy! But in the mean time you can do some good stuff. Practicing qigong since 2014.
Hi Antonio. You seem pretty sure of yourself despite the fact that you’ve only been practicing for 5 years. Let me know how your perspective changes once you reach 10,000 hours of practice.
Hello Sifu. I meant that I have not really mastered myself(especially the sexual energy thing). I think I am past 10,000 hours there are highs and lows in the practice. I am physically healthy but not psychologically yet per say. But picked some interesting tidpoints from 3 to 4 different masters from qigong to Kun Tao. Still refining I will let you know when I am at the highest point spiritually.
Hi Antonio. Do you practice 5.5 hours a day?
More like an 1 hour average and on a really good day- 3 hours. There are rest days though when I have to study but use the mentality. I guess I did not do 10,000 hours? Sure felt like it.
Me again. I feel like I can sense my qi a little better now and I can feel those laogongs from time to time. Trying to visualize my qi actually got in the way a bit of sensing it. My question, which is pertinent to this video, is that as a qigong newbie I am a little intimidated by how many exercises there are. If I just do internal qigong based on clearing out energy blockages and getting a better flow of qi through the meridians and elsewhere is that likely to work out well? How much do I need the exercises? If I should also do exercises do I need to do many of them in your opinion as a master of qigong? Thank you again for these blog posts by the way!
Hi Sifu,
thanks for a good video. Just discovered qigong and really like it. My master is as old as you are, at least I assume 🙂 He teaches very slowly each excercise but when he practices it is really dynamic and it looks perfect. You can see how he feels and control every movement.
Once we spoke about qi and other stuff and he told me that practicing qigong helped him to not only feel qi but see it, moreover help cultivate in other people and heal. It also opened his third eye.
Is this really possible?
Thanks
johny