Many qigong students experience a frustrating paradox: The more desperate you are to heal, the longer it takes.
I’ve experienced this frustration myself in my own healing journey, and it breaks my heart when I see my students going through the same thing.
In this article, and the accompanying meditation below, I’m hoping to shift your perspective so that you can get the healing that you deserve.
The first step is to recognize that you are stuck in a Western paradigm. In the West, we’re conditioned to believe that more effort equals faster results. We’ve all heard phrases like “no pain no gain,” or “the bigger the sacrifice, the greater the reward.” But when it comes to an Eastern art like qigong, this approach doesn’t always work.
Let me try to shift your perspective with a classic Zen story from the East:
A student, eager for enlightenment, approaches a Zen master.
Student: “If I join your temple, how long will it take me to reach enlightenment?”
Master: “About 10 years.”
Student: “Well, what if I work really hard and double my efforts?”
Master: “In that case, 20 years.”
What’s going on here? Why would more effort mean more time?
In qigong, as with Zen meditation, we’re dealing with the subtleties of the human mind. When we try too hard, we inadvertently create tension in the body and send signals of danger to our nervous system. This is the opposite of what we want, whether our goal is healing or enlightenment.
Qigong is about softening the body and the mind. This process is what allows the healing energies to start flowing. It shifts our nervous system from sympathetic (fight or flight) to parasympathetic (rest and restore). In qigong terms, we open up the energy channels, allowing the qi to flow.
So, how do you balance the need to practice diligently with the need to not push too hard? What if you’re desperate to heal, like I was?
Guided Meditation: Healing Through Surrender
The meditation below is something that I wish I had had in my own healing journey. It’s a bit different than the meditations that come with my book or in my programs. It is designed to help you catch a glimpse glimpse a new paradigm.
You can do this meditation sitting or standing. You can do it whether you’re a complete newbie to qigong, or you’re a seasoned veteran. The question is: can you surrender?
Give it a try. And if you don’t succeed at first, then try again in a week or two. As always, if you have questions or comments, please drop them in the section below.
Click Here to Download the MP3 File (Free)
From the heart,
Sifu Anthony
Thank you Sifu Anthony. This blog resonated with me. I have to accept that patience is the way.
I’m so glad that it helped you, Tyrone!
Thanks a lot for this. I think I am trying too hard right now in my practice. I am trying to find a way to do enough but not too much. Because I really need feeling a bit better.
This meditation was very special. There were moments where I cried a bit but there were also moment where I almost had a smile on my face.
Thank you for this, I am going to try again next week.
“Lighten up” was a phrase that I told myself a lot when I was trying too hard. It worked for me.
I’m glad that the meditation helped you. It sounds like you are ready to embrace the power of surrender!
Namaste
This could not have come a better time! thank you.
Oh good! I’m glad it helped!
I did this meditation and found within the surrender, feelings of sadness and insecurity that were like layers. Then did my morning Qigong session and found that I was much lighter and was able to deepen my practice. Thank you for this meditation…It is most helpful especially at this time in my life.
I’m so glad it was helpful, Marica. Keep up the good work!
Hi Sifu Anthony, not sure if this is the right place to post these questions as I avoid FB. I really enjoyed your book and am now learning the 5-phase routine. I’m looking forward to joining one of your longer courses.
Re: Flowing Breeze Swaying Willow. I think I’ve done something like this a few times before, almost as a natural progression after other forms of relaxation. Often I feel my whole trunk winding/falling and head almost snapping down/around, like a snake (un)coiling. It’s bordering on violent and yet it feels good. Is this normal?
Re: Zhan Zhuang integration. I’ve already been practicing zhan zhuang as part of my tai chi practice. Where would be the best part of the routine to integrate a 5-20 minute zz session?
Hi Jen. Yes, some people unlock FBSW on their own. It’s a natural process, and that’s probably how past masters discovered it. Like anything, it works even better if you have some training.
What you’re describing actually sounds more like Five Animal Play than FBSW. There’s a section in my book that explains the difference. In short, Five Animal Play is a vigorous version of FBSW that often involves the catharsis of stuck emotions.
In my school, zhan zhuang goes in Phase 2, but it’s best done using something we call Intermittent Flow. This simple means that we use FBSW intermittently between different qigong exercises in order to circulate the qi. So you would do some dynamic qigong exercises, then some FBSW, then some zhan zhuang, then some more FBSW, then maybe some flexibility exercises, then some more FBSW, and a tai chi form could be inserted here as well. Does this make sense?
yes, thank you for clarifying, that does make sense. even though zz is a way of ‘building’ qi, I was thinking of it as a form of ‘energy consolidation’ (phase 4). now I understand I need to treat it as a form of ‘energy cultivation’.