In this edition of Ask Sifu Anthony, you’ll find questions about the number of repetitions in qigong, practicing qigong under stressful circumstances, practicing tai chi and qigong together, neigong vs. qigong, qigong for insomnia, and a timeline for future Flowing Zen projects!

I believe that students should be able to get the answers that they need. That’s why I work so hard answering questions in our Facebook group, inside my online programs, in our webinars, and here on the blog.

Seeing other students asks questions that you might have asked yourself – and then reading the answers – helps too! This helps us all to feel connected to a global qigong community. It also helps those who are too introverted or too shy to ask a question.

Question 1: Asandra

Although I don’t know your specific version or practice, I studied with Qigong teachers for 9 yrs in California & have been practicing a total of 11 yrs. My question is: I practice 5 to 7 days a week and worked up to 36 repetitions for each movement. I generally do a total of 9 movements so probably similar to what you teach. How many repetitions do you advise for each movement?

Hi Asandra. First of all, congrats on practicing qigong 5-7 days per week. That’s wonderful! Keep up the good work.

The way that I teach is quite different than what you’ve described. The heart of my method is called the 5-Phase Routine, which is described in my book and also taught in the bonus course that comes with it.

The actual qigong movements go in Phase 2 and make up just 1/5th of this routine. With the 5-Phase Routine, we don’t worry about the number of repetitions. Instead, we devote a rough amount of time to the entire routine, and then divide that among the phases. Keep in mind that these are rough estimates. For example:

How many movements do we do in Phase 2? Typically, I advise the following:

• Beginners should choose 1-3 favorite qigong patterns.
• Intermediate students should choose 1-6 favorite qigong patterns.
• Advanced students should choose 1-12 favorite qigong patterns.

So if you’re a beginner, you’re doing 1-3 movements in roughly 5 minutes. If you’ve been practicing for a year or two, then you’re doing 1-6 movements in 10 minutes. And so on.

But how do we split the time? It depends on the qigong pattern. Some patterns can be done for several minutes, like Lifting The Sky or Hugging Tree. Others are too challenging to do for more than a minute or two, like Iron Bull Ploughs Field.

If you’re using one of my guided meditations, then I time the transitions for you and tell you when to change. But with experience, you’ll discover which exercises you enjoy doing a little longer or a little shorter. Over time, you’ll develop a natural feel for each session without the need to count repetitions.

Qigong schools that don’t use the 5-Phase Routine will typically need:

1. more patterns per session
2. more repetitions per session

Why do they need more patterns? Because they don’t practice a rare technique called Flowing Breeze Swaying Willow (FBSW) in Phase 3 that circulates the energy freely through the meridians. Because they don’t practice FBSW, they need to rely on the qigong movements (Phase 2) for circulation, which isn’t as efficient.

Why do they need more repetitions? Because they don’t take enough time to enter into a Zen state of mind (Phase 1). Instead, they rely on the qigong movements to slowly get them into a meditative state. Again, this is less efficient.

Question 2: Mark

Hello, I’ve recently been scammed out of my life savings and worked up huge debts. Total amount being £79,000. Is there anything I can do with dealing with my stress and emotional struggle and pain that I’m feeling? My time is so limited so I don’t have much available. Any advice would be great.

Oh god, that’s awful Mark. That must be incredibly stressful. I’m sorry that you’re going through this.

Right now, your Monkey Mind is probably obsessed with the past and the future. It probably rushes from thoughts of being scammed and the things you could have done differently, to worrying about the future. This back-and-forth between the past and the future is part of why you’re experiencing so much emotional struggle and pain.

Mindfulness is the solution, and qigong is a wonderful way to practice mindfulness while also getting health benefits. From your submission, I know that you’re in your 30s, you’re relatively healthy, and you haven’t yet learned the 5-Phase Routine. With this info in mind, I think we have a clear direction to go.

Read my book, learn the 5-Phase Routine, and then begin to implement it. This is a small investment of time with a potentially huge return over the remainder of your life. The value of this investment is impossible to calculate, but I can say with confidence that it’s worth far more than £79,000.

Once you finish the book, all you’ll need is about 15-20 minutes per day to start feeling the effects. I wish you luck on this journey!

Question 3: Amy

Should I separate my classes, Tai Chi & Qigong or mix the arts together? I’m currently only teaching Tai Chi. Once I have gotten your 101 class under my belt, then I’ll have enough to go forward with more Qigong. Thanks for your help.

Hi Amy. In my opinion, tai chi should never be taught separate from qigong. Without some skill in the cultivation and manipulation of qi, tai chi is just a strange, slow-motion dance. It will still bring you some benefits, but these will be about the same as going for a walk or learning to dance.

However, many of the so-called “warm up” exercises that are taught in tai chi schools are often just qigong exercises in disguise. Do you have your students rotate their knees, or swing their hips, before doing the tai chi form? If so, those are both qigong patterns!

If we’re not careful, then qigong can also become a slow-motion dance without much energy cultivation. The key is to teach it as an internal art. If you want to know what that looks like, then my book is a great choice.

You don’t need to wait for the 101 to reopen in January. Instead, you can join the 201 when it reopens in June. But first, read the book and go through the free mini-course that comes with it. That will get you up to speed for the 201!

Question 4: Steve

Qigong is based on physical forms worked in a relaxed state of mind and body. It seems to smooth the passage of qi through the body. Neigong seems more alchemical: a means of opening your orbits and extraordinary meridians, and sublimating jing to qi etc. My question is, how is it that the Neigong methods I have been taught seem almost identical to those of qigong, but with an emphasis on ‘feeling’ your qi? Or are my assumptions all wrong?

Hi Steve. This is really just a matter of semantics. The answer to your question depends on how a particular teacher defines neigong and qigong. Let’s look at the two words:

neigong
內 (inner ) 功 (cultivation)

qigong
氣 (qi) 功 (cultivation)

As you can see, the 2nd character (gong) is the same for both words. In both cases, we’re talking about cultivating a skill over time through personal practice.

But qigong is a more modern term. Since 1949, it has been used as an umbrella term for many different qi cultivation arts. I myself use it as an umbrella as well. For example, I call the Small Universe (Xiao Zhou Tian, 小周天) qigong rather than neigong. But if anything qualifies as neigong, it’s the Small Universe.

Some teachers use qigong to refer to dynamic qigong exercises, like Lifting The Sky and reserve neigong for more quiescent exercises with less obvious movement, like the Small Universe. Again, this is just semantics.

I can’t really criticize teachers for using different terms. For example, Lifting The Sky and the Small Universe are pretty different even though they both fall under the umbrella of qigong. So if teachers want to call one of them qigong and one of them neigong, that’s their prerogative.

As an aside, I think that Lifting The Sky is more useful for regular people. The Small Universe is powerful and sophisticated, but it takes years to master. For a beginner who just wants to be healthier and move their body more, the idea of sitting cross-legged while imagining a stream of energy that they can’t even feel go around a loop of meridians that they don’t understand isn’t very helpful. In this sense, it doesn’t matter whether we call it qigong or neigong; the key here is pedagogy.

Question 5: Tanya

The post [May 2022] Ask Sifu Anthony appeared first on Flowing Zen.

In this edition of Ask Sifu Anthony, you’ll find questions about cancer, pain, self-compassion, qigong fasting, long-covid, and dantian theory.

I believe that students should be able to get the answers that they need. That’s why I work so hard answering questions in our free Facebook group, inside my online programs, in our webinars, and here on the blog.

Seeing other students asks questions that you might have asked yourself – and then reading the answers – helps us everyone feel connected to a global qigong community. It also helps those who are too introverted or too shy to ask a question! Plus, you can add comments and questions below the post!

Question 1: Dave

I’ve got a large recurring liposarcoma on my thigh. I’ve tried almost everything I can think of to get rid of it. No matter what I do, it slowly keeps growing and I have to keep getting the same surgery. Help! “

Hi Dave. From your submission form, I understand that you haven’t yet learned the Flowing Zen 5-Phase Routine. So it would seem that you haven’t tried quite everything! Gotcha!

But seriously, many students come to me having already tried “everything”, often for decades. And many of them find that qigong is the puzzle piece that they were searching for. Or rather, I should say Flowing Zen Qigong because many students had previously tried other types of qigong that did not work for them.

I think you’re a perfect candidate for Flowing Zen Qigong. Many therapies require a clear etiology in order to be effective, but Flowing Zen Qigong is not one of them. 

You have a diagnosis, but there is no etiology. Experts aren’t sure how soft tissue sarcomas develop. [Source]

In other words, we know that you have a recurring liposarcoma, but no one knows why. Luckily, the why doesn’t matter.

In my qigong school, we use an amazing technique called Flowing Breeze Swaying Willow (FBSW) to circulate the energy freely through the 12 Primary Meridians. Because of this, the healing energy flows where it needs to go, no etiology needed. This is why cases like yours often do well with Flowing Zen Qigong.

Before my book came out in March, you would have had to pay $100-$500 for one of my online courses in order to learn FBSW. Now you can learn it for $10 (Kindle) or $18 (paperback). That’s because the book comes with an online mini-course that will teach you the 5-Phase Routine.

I need to be clear that I’m not a doctor, I’ve never played one on TV, and that it is literally illegal in the US for me to claim that qigong can cure cancer. However, in Chapter 5 of my book, I talk about what we can and cannot heal with qigong, and I use cancer as a theoretical example. I think this section will be of particular interest to you. Please keep us posted on your progress!

Click here to buy my book.

Question 2: Tina

Note: after receiving this submission, I emailed Tina to ask some follow-up questions. Because of this, I know more about her situation that might be revealed in her question.

Hi Tina. I understand that you ruptured your achilles tendon back in 2019 and had surgery to repair it. I also understand that you developed a chronic pain syndrome after the surgery and that doctors are not offering you good solutions. You mentioned that you believe your pain can be cured, but that you haven’t yet found a healer who understands what is going on.

I want you to know that I do understand what’s going on and I believe that qigong can help you to reclaim your life.

When it comes to chronic pain, Western medicine does yet not have good answers. That is changing with the rise of Mind-Body medicine, but the change is slow – too slow for you. Luckily, we don’t have to wait.

The first question we need to answer is why your body is saying no to qigong. It’s great that you’re in tune with your body and can hear when it cries out. But why is it saying no to qigong?

I suspect that a part of your psyche is saying no to qigong because it feels unsafe.

Why would something like qigong feel unsafe? Because qigong involves relaxing the nervous system and unblocking emotions that may have been stuck for years. Part of you probably feels that these emotions are too big to unblock. So that part of you resists.

If my theory is correct, then the solution is self-compassion. In the Zen tradition, we call this “metta”, or loving-kindness. The best way I’ve found to practice metta is to talk or write to the wounded part of myself as if it were a child.

Speak to this part of yourself with kindness, compassion, and understanding. Listen to it if you can. See if you can figure out why part of you feels unsafe with qigong. Make this self-compassion your practice until you feel safe enough to resume qigong.

As you resume your qigong, continue to be kind to yourself. The goal is to practice daily, or even twice daily, but this doesn’t mean that we should shame ourselves if we fail to reach that goal immediately. It might take a few months or even a few years to accomplish this goal. The more self-compassion you practice, the faster you’ll go.

On days when you feel a resistance to practicing, ask yourself if it’s okay to practice the 2-Minute Drill. It’s only 2 minutes. Would that be okay? Usually, the psyche will agree to this.

From there, try to do the 5-Phase Routine a few times a week. You can do a combination of sitting and standing. If you only stand for one phase, make it Phase 3. This article will give you some tips on doing qigong from a chair.

The combination of patience + self-compassion will inevitably lead you to a daily practice of the Flowing Zen 5-Phase Routine. And once you can do that 5-6 times per week, you will be well on your way to relieving your chronic pain and reclaiming your life.

You can do this! It’s okay to go slow as long as you do not give up.

Question 3: Lilly

Hi Lilly. I understand that you just learned the 5-Phase Routine a few weeks ago. Good for you and welcome to the Flowing Zen family!

I’m not a doctor, but it sounds to me like long-covid might be one possible explanation for your breathing problems. Have your doctors mentioned this? Remember, the latest research shows that you can get long-covid even if you had an asymptomatic case of covid.

Luckily, it doesn’t matter if it’s long-covid or anxiety or something else. It’s always good to work with medical professionals to rule out acute or serious problems, but you’ve already done that.

Now it’s time for you to contribute to your own healing process with qigong. The beautiful thing about Flowing Zen Qigong is that we don’t need a diagnosis. By practicing the 5-Phase Routine, which you can learn in the bonuses that come with my book, you will get all of your body’s healing processes flowing again.

Here’s my promise to you: Do the 5-Phase routine for 30 days in a row and you will see progress.

This doesn’t mean you’ll be 100% fixed in 30 days, but rather that you will see clear signs of progress. You might breathe a little easier, or feel that you don’t lose your breath as easily when sitting. Or you may feel that your overall energy levels have improved, along with your mood.

Make sure to use the Qi Chart that is included in the book bonuses. And remember – it’s not easy to practice the 5-Phase Routine daily. Be gentle with yourself as you take on this challenge. Use the 2-Minute drill to start, and work up to the 5-Phase Routine. Everything you need to start healing can be found in my book and the accompanying bonuses!

Question 4: Julie

Do you think fasting (aka Bigu fasting) is helpful or unnecessary? Asking as a cancer survivor.

Hi Julie. First, congrats on beating cancer! And I applaud your effort to continue making healthy lifestyle changes, including qigong. Good for you!

For those who don’t know, bigu (辟穀, pronounced “bee goo”), or “grain avoidance”, is an ancient Taoist fasting practice that was typically practiced by spiritualists. Some people interpret it as avoiding all food (aka water fasting) and others interpret it as fasting from carbohydrates (aka a low-carb or ketogenic diet). I think there are good arguments for both interpretations.

The last I checked, research was being done on the efficacy of water fasting for cancer outcomes. I am not sure if there is conclusive evidence yet. I know that a fasting-mimicking diet helped cancer patients survive and get over chemotherapy quicker [source], but I don’t know if further research has been done since then.

From a qigong perspective, there’s no question that fasting boosts the flow of qi. Spiritualists and ascetics have done this for years in order to focus the mind and cleanse the body. The Shaolin Monks probably practiced something like this for centuries. They probably ate once per day around noontime. Many Buddhist monks still follow a similar schedule. This in itself isn’t reason enough to copy them, but I think it’s interesting.

I myself have experimented with fasting for years, and so have many of my students. Even just a 12-hour fast from 8pm to 8am the following day can boost the flow of qi during qigong sessions..

This is an experiment that you can run yourself, assuming that it’s medically safe for you to fast for 12 hours. Limit your eating window to 12 hours on some days. See how you feel. Assuming that you’ve been practicing qigong previously, does it change the flow of qi in your body?

If fasting improves the flow of qi, then it’s safe to assume that it also has a general salutary effect. And this is, in a nutshell, what the ancient Taoists were saying.

I’m not recommending intermittent fasting per se, although I myself do it often. I am, however, saying that intermittent fasting helps with the flow of qi. I think there is also growing research being done on intermittent fasting. Here’s an interesting podcast on the subject by Andrew Huberman, Ph.D., a neuroscientist and tenured Professor in the Department of Neurobiology at the Stanford University School of Medicine.

If you decide to try intermittent fasting, just do your normal 5-Phase Routine during the fasted period. If you get hungry, do the 2-minute drill and then drink some water after. This simple equation can make a 12-hour fast incredibly easy.

Question 5: Jonathon

If my dantian was already formed, then it wasn’t strong enough to feel until I did lots of qigong. Or if I formed it with qigong, then what’s the difference, practically speaking? I now have a pearl of qi at dantian. Et voilà!

In my school, we cultivate dantian in Phase 4 of the 5-Phase Routine. Later, adding zhan zhuang (the Warrior Stances) will also help. And later still, you can add Dantian Breathing and Small Universe Breathing.

Get to work on that dantian and then you can decide for yourself!

Question 6: Anonymous

I am on a healing journey. Detox for body health (not addictions). Insomnia 20 years (no sleep aid meds). I made a decision to do nothing till better. In early 2019, I worked with and on many things like Wellness Chiropractor and Integrative Manual Therapy (IMT). So question would be what self healing Ideas would you have? Yes I know I have to make Qigong a regular practice. Detox has made feet and hands painful. I look forward to your thoughts and insight.

Hello there. You say that you know that you have to make qigong a regular practice. But knowing is not enough. You have to act.

In my book, I talk about my own repeated failures while trying to make qigong a regular practice. It’s not easy to put all of your own failures on display for thousands of people, but I did it because I want my readers to know something important: If I can do it, you can too.

Making qigong a regular habit is not easy. As a teacher, I don’t just tell my students what to practice; I also help them to develop the HABIT of practicing. This is something that everyone struggles with. If you are human, then you will struggle as well.

From your submission, I know that you are in your 50s, your health is bad, and you have not yet learned the Flowing Zen 5-Phase Routine. My book contains all of my best thoughts, ideas, and insights into self-healing. It is the culmination of 30 years of practice and 17 years of teaching. It also comes with videos teaching the 5-Phase Routine.

If you understand English well enough to read it, then that is my recommendation. If you cannot understand my book, then I recommend that you read my blog and use a translator. My blog has 3 books worth of material. It is not as good as my book, but it’s free and you will learn a lot about qigong and self-healing!

From the heart,
Sifu Anthony

The post [April 2022] Ask Sifu Anthony appeared first on Flowing Zen.

“What does he think she is, a G.I. Joe action figure?” I said to myself.

I was taking a tai chi workshop and the teacher was poking, manipulating, and downright manhandling a 60-something student into what he dubbed “proper alignment.”

It wasn’t working, not by a long shot. And no wonder. The woman obviously had what we call kyphosis, an excessive curving of the upper spine that causes a slight hunching. With kyphosis, the muscles, tendons, ligaments, and fascia gradually adjust to the hunched posture over a period of years. Kyphosis is very common and although it can be reversed, it’s not a quick fix. It’s certainly not something that can be solved in a weekend workshop.

Meanwhile, this teacher seemed convinced that, with enough prodding, he could fix this poor woman’s posture NOW.

Is Proper Alignment Necessary?

If you’re learning qigong and/or tai chi, then “alignment” is a word that you probably hear often. You probably hear instructions like this:

• “Your nose should be aligned with your navel…”
• “Sink the shoulders, drop the elbows…”
• “Keep your knee aligned with your toe…”
• “Sink the chest…”
• “Don’t lean forward…”

What are we to make of all this alignment talk?

“Alignment is critical,” the teacher said to the woman and the class as he adjusted her. “Without proper alignment, we can’t do tai chi.”

Is what this teacher said true? Must our alignment be perfect in order to do tai chi? What about qigong?

Clearly, this woman’s alignment wasn’t anywhere close to perfect. Nor was it going to improve much over the span of a weekend. So was she just wasting her time in the workshop?

During one of the breaks, I had a little chat with her. It turns out she had been doing qigong and tai chi for a few years. More importantly, she’d been getting pretty good results.

In other words — she’d been getting results DESPITE her poor alignment.

Functional vs. Aesthetic

Alignment isn’t limited to qigong or tai chi. Alignment matters in virtually all movement arts and sports.

If your alignment is bad, your golf swing will suffer and your arabesque won’t look right.

However, I think it’ll be helpful to differentiate between “functional” and “aesthetic” systems. Golf is a functional system whereas ballet is an aesthetic system.

What’s the difference?

In golf, it doesn’t matter how your swing looks as long as you get the ball in the hole. If someone invented a totally new golf swing that worked better, it wouldn’t matter how the swing looked. People would adopt it because it works. And eventually, this new swing would be considered “beautiful” because of how beautifully it functions.

The same is NOT true of ballet. An arabesque is, first and foremost, aesthetic. How it looks is what matters most. The aesthetics of ballet dictate the form.

In functional systems like golf, alignment is based on results. You can win The Masters with an ugly swing as long as you get the ball in the hole faster than your competition.

In aesthetic systems like ballet, the look is everything. You’ll never get chosen as a principle dancer if your alignment is ugly.

What’s Your Function?

Qigong is pretty to watch. So is tai chi. There’s just something about the flow that is aesthetically pleasing.

But we need to be absolutely clear here: Any aesthetic beauty that we perceive in qigong or tai chi is a bonus, not the primary goal.

What’s the primary goal? That depends on the type of qigong or tai chi that you’re practicing.

Let’s look at the functions of 3 different types of qigong:

• Medical Qigong is designed to help people heal themselves from pain and illness, to prevent future illness, and to promote vitality and longevity.

• Martial Qigong is designed to improve performance and power in martial arts.

• Spiritual Qigong is designed to help you wake up to the nature of true reality.

Now let’s also look at different types of tai chi, as well as other Internal Martial Arts:

• Health Tai Chi is any form of tai chi that has diverged from its martial arts roots. The function is similar to Medical Qigong. It aims for health and vitality and is unconcerned with self-defense. This is, by far, the most common type of tai chi practiced today.

• Tai Chi Chuan (Taijiquan) is any form or style of tai chi that retains its martial roots. In these forms, the martial aspects supersede the medical aspects. Health and spiritual benefits are a bonus, not the primary aim.

• Xingyiquan is an internal martial art that has little-to-no spiritual aspects. It was designed purely for self-defense. Health is a bonus.

• Shaolinquan has both internal and external versions, but both are martial arts. Since this type of kung fu was practiced by Shaolin Monks, spiritual cultivation was also a goal.

As you can see, these are all FUNCTIONAL arts. Aesthetics are not a primary aim in any of them.

Pretty Tai Chi

However, in the 21st century we’re witnessing the rise of tai chi tournaments. There are even qigong tournaments now!

Tai chi tournaments focus on aesthetics. Alignments are adjusted not for martial arts, but for the judges. For example, many of the stances done in tai chi tournaments are impractical for self-defense. Ironically, these stances also inhibit the flow of qi because they are so extreme.

So you’re left with a version of tai chi that is not as good for the health, is totally useless for self-defense, but looks really really pretty!

Actually, I disagree that it looks pretty. To my eye, the alignments look ugly because they are so empty of meaning. To each their own.

Do You Need Good Alignment?

Let’s come back to our question from earlier: Is it necessary to have proper alignment in order to get results?

The woman I described above was practicing Health Tai Chi. She had zero interest in self-defense. The only thing she was interested in combatting was her arthritis. And she was doing a pretty good job!

Was her alignment good? Hell no. But was she getting results? Hell yes!

Although she called it tai chi, she was really practicing Medical Qigong. In other words, the primary aim of her practice was medical, i.e. arthritis.

We need look no further than this example for an answer to our question about alignment. People with poor alignment can  absolutely get results with Medical Qigong or Health Tai Chi.

The truth is that most modern humans have bad posture and thus bad alignment. And it’s not just the older folks. The younger generation has bad posture too, largely because of cell phones. There’s even a condition now called “Text Neck”. You can guess what that looks like!

If qigong could only be practiced by people with perfect alignment, then none of us would qualify, myself included.

Working With What You’ve Got

I would guess that 90% of my students had alignment issues when they came to me. I’m being conservative with that estimate. The number is probably closer to 99%, but let’s just use 90% to be safe.

If perfect alignment were necessary in order to get results, then 90% of my students would have failed! And yet, my students have gotten remarkable results with qigong.

And you know what? Even after years of practice, even after getting results that doctors described as “impossible,” many of my students STILL have poor alignment.

The tai chi teacher who was trying to poke and prod the woman’s hunched back — he refused to acknowledge how long it can take to restructure the body. It takes years, and sometimes it can take a decade.

And yet, we can and should work on our alignment, no matter how old we are.

Teachers who admonish against bad alignment aren’t wrong about the negative effects. Poor posture and poor alignment definitely block the flow of qi. (Click here to read a related article: Fix Your Posture, Fix Your Qi, Fix Your Biochemistry)

But that’s just life! Everything we do blocks the flow of qi, from the crap we eat to the way we sit. Pointing out things that block the flow of qi is easy!

Start where you are, and work with what you have. Whatever hand you’ve been dealt, qigong will significantly improve it.

What about Internal Martial Arts?

When it comes to Internal Martial Arts, then alignment is more important simply because we’re dealing with self-defense.

For example, the Yang Style Tai Chi pattern commonly called “Warding Off” is basically a defense against a punch to the face. If your alignment is off, then you won’t block the punch! Ouch!

These days, tai chi has lost its martial roots. Very few people can use tai chi for self-defense. And that’s fine as long as they acknowledge that they’re basically doing Health Tai Chi, which is really just a form of Medical Qigong.

In other words, it’s important for teachers to be honest about WHY the alignment should be this way or that way.

Mediocre Form, Great Results

In my 20s, I taught the violin to young kids. It’s truly incredible what a 4-year-old can do with a violin, but let’s be honest — it doesn’t sound very good for a long time! That’s just part of the process.

In any style of tai chi, no matter how athletic you are, your form is going to suck for the first few years. There’s just no way around it.

And yet, you can get remarkable health benefits despite having crappy form. This is even truer with qigong.

In my qigong classes, I actually encourage my students to butcher the form. And they do! If you were to watch my students doing a simple qigong exercise like Lifting The Sky, it wouldn’t be pretty!

And yet, my students get results. You’ll be hard-pressed to find qigong students who consistently get better results than mine. And results are what really matter.

My students don’t give a shit about how pretty their form is because they are busy beating depression, anxiety, chronic pain, and other serious issues.

Aligning the Qi

In my teachings, I talk about the 12 different skills that can be cultivated through qigong. These skills are as follows:

1. Discovering the Qi
2. Circulating the Qi
3. Aligning the Qi
4. Gathering the Qi
5. Protecting the Qi
6. Purifying the Qi
7. Mobilizing the Qi
8. Directing the Qi
9. Consolidating the Qi
10. Transforming the Qi
11. Unifying the Qi
12. Transmitting the Qi

As you can see, Aligning the Qi is one of the early skills.

Notice that I speak of Aligning the Qi, not Aligning the Body. This is critical. Aligning the body is not only impossible for some of us, it’s also unnecessary. The truth is that we can better align the qi even if the body is out of alignment.

And this makes perfect sense. This is why people with kyphosis get a wide range of health benefits before they fix the hunching in their back. The same is true of any alignment issue, whether it’s lordosis (excessive curvature of the low back), scoliosis (abnormal lateral curvature of the spine), or something as simple as a hip hike.

I speak from experience. I have the world’s flattest feet. While this may not seem like a big deal, your feet are your root. The angle of your ankle determines the angle of your knee, hip, and pelvis, which in turn determines the angle of your spine.

In that sense, my alignment has never been perfect, and it probably never will be. And yet, I get amazing results from qigong.

I’m able to align my qi despite my flat feet. This is how qigong works in the real world. This is how my students use it.

We’re not perfect. We’re all just trying to make the best out of the cards we’ve been dealt.

And I can’t think of a better art to do that with than Qigong.

How does your alignment affect your qigong or tai chi practice? Share your experience and let’s chat about it in the comments

From the heart,
Sifu Anthony

The post Does Alignment Really Matter in Qigong and Tai Chi? appeared first on Flowing Zen.

“You should face east when practicing qigong!!”

If you’ve been doing qigong for a while, then you’ve probably heard this from a teacher or two. Or perhaps you read it in a book along with some other crazy qigong rules (like the no-sex rule).

Or maybe you heard that you should face south instead of east. I mean, one of my teachers even told me to face north!

Well, which is it? Or does it even matter?

That’s the subject of today’s Walk & Talk. I’ll discuss the importance of the direction you face while practicing qigong. I’ll also give you a simple way to make sure you’re always facing the right direction during a qigong session, no matter where you are!

From the heart,
Sifu Anthony

The post Qigong Students: What Direction Should You Face? appeared first on Flowing Zen.

Ah, teaching. You teach me so much.

They say that to teach is to learn twice. I like that phrase a lot. The more I teach, the more it rings true.

Recently, a prospective student asked a question in our Facebook group. This happens all the time, almost daily.

But sometimes, a question catches me off guard. Something about the question forces me, as a teacher and also a practitioner, to look with fresh eyes.

In the Zen tradition, we call this Beginner’s Mind (shoshin, 初心). The more you advance in an art, the more important it is to cultivate Beginner’s Mind.

The question that this student asked did exactly that for me. It made me pause and look at the issue from a new perspective.

Today’s vlog (that’s a video log, as opposed to a blog, which is a web log) is the result of that student’s question, plus the Beginner’s Mind that it caused in me.

I hope you find it helpful. I certainly did!

In this video I cover:

1:04 – The question that inspired this video

2:33 – Do we really need to understand how Qigong works?

5:18 – 2 requirements for success with Qigong

6:00 – The 13 proven benefits of qigong & tai chi (click here for the free PDF)

8:09 – Why it’s critical to ask the right question

8:36 – How qigong works from an Eastern perspective

9:38 – How qigong works from a Western perspective

12:13 – What I really want for you

13:15 – IMPORTANT! Cure or Help?

Scroll down for the video, or click the button below to toggle the transcript.

Now I’d love to hear from you. Did this explanation make sense? Did it spark something? Or do you have a followup question? Let me know in the comments below.

From the heart,
Sifu Anthony

The post How Qigong Helps You Heal: What You Really Need to Know appeared first on Flowing Zen.

“This isn’t the 18th century,” I said.

Jason looked puzzled by my statement, as if it had nothing to do with our conversation. He had asked me about picking the best qigong exercises for his situation.

“I feel like I have so many exercises to choose from,” he had said. “I want to plan the ultimate qigong routine, but I don’t know which ones to pick.”

That’s why my reply confused him. His look said, “Has Sifu lost his mind?”

Allow me to explain to you what I explained to Jason.

In the 18th century, if you were lucky enough to learn qigong — which would have been like winning the Powerball — then you would have probably learned just a handful of exercises during your first 3 years of study.

You were also expected to practice several hours per day.

In other words, there was no choice. You simply practiced all of the exercises every day. For hours on end.

21st Century Learning

In the 21st century, things are different. For example, in my Qigong 101 Program, I teach over 45 different qigong exercises over a period of 13 months. (It’s a 12-month program, but there’s a bonus month.)

Comparing these two teaching methods, we have:

• 18th century = learn 5 exercises over 3 years and practice 3 hours per day.
• 21st century = learn 45 exercises in 1 year and practice 15-30 minutes per day.

At first glance, this might seem backward. If modern students practice less, shouldn’t they learn fewer exercises?

My answer is clear: nope!

Times have changed, and it’s time for students to embrace that change.

Ancient Chinese Secrets

The old method for teaching qigong and tai chi involved a level of secrecy that is hard for the modern student to grasp.

From a teaching perspective, it was not a good pedagogy.

Pedagogy is an art and a science. Good teachers — of all subjects —  strive to improve their methods and thus maximize their students’ learning.

This increased efficiency means that modern students can now learn at a much faster rate.

But the traditional Chinese method was the opposite. It intentionally slowed things down in order to test the student’s commitment. In that sense, it was anti-pedagogical.

During your “probation” phase, secrets were intentionally held by the master. Students were NOT given critical information that would help them progress faster.

No More Secrets

Believe it or not, the tradition of secrecy is still alive today.

There are still teachers, both Asian and non-Asian, who keep secrets from their students.

In other words, they intentionally withhold information that would help their students progress faster.

I’ve never been a teacher who keeps secrets. I’m the son of two teachers, and I take pride in being a skillful educator. I’ve been teaching various arts since 1989, and I’ve always been fascinated by pedagogy. (If you’re curious, I’ve taught tennis, the violin, karate, and kung fu.)

In other words, I am always working on new ways to help my students to learn qigong in a more efficient way.

Liberal Arts Qigong

Let’s go back to Jason’s question. He wanted to know how to choose from the many qigong exercises that he knows.

I graduated from Columbia which is known for its Core Curriculum. Basically, during my first two years in college, I had to read every major piece of Western literature and philosophy.

In fact, a bunch of ancient names are carved into the top of the library: Homer – Herodotus – Sophocles – Plato – Aristotle – Demosthenes – Cicero – Vergil

I read all of those authors and countless more. They’re all on my bookshelf somewhere.

Now here’s my point: I don’t remember everything that I’ve read. I probably don’t even remember 25% of it.

Did I waste my time reading all those other books?

No, absolutely not.

Reading hundreds of books not only stretched and strengthened my mind, but it also helped me to figure out which authors were my favorites.

Naturally, this way of learning stuck with me. Decades later, I see tremendous value in bringing this liberal arts approach to the art of qigong.

The Food in Spain

Years ago, I visited a friend who lives in Spain. He’s originally from NYC like me, so we both have a high standard for food.

“The food is terrible here,” he warned. “But they all think it’s the best in the world.”

After a few meals, I started to believe him. The food was decidedly mediocre.

“Watch this,” he said. We were sitting in yet another mediocre restaurant, and he struck up a conversation with a couple at a nearby table.

“How’s the food here?” he asked in fluent Spanish.

“Excellent,” they both said.

“How’s the food in Spain?” he asked.

“Best in the world!” they both said enthusiastically.

“Do you travel much?” he asked.

“No, we’ve lived here all our lives.”

Do you see why I’m telling you this story? Because I don’t want you to be like that Spanish couple!

Broadening Your Horizons

In the qigong world, we often find teachers and students who, like that Spanish couple, believe that their style is the best in the world.

I’ve been guilty of this in the past. It’s human nature. We want to believe that our city, our sports team, our food, our religion — whatever it is that we are doing — MUST be the best in the world.

If you’ve only learned one style of qigong, or if you’ve only learned one qigong set with 8 to18 exercises — then how do you know if it’s the best?

What do you have to compare those exercises to?

As a teacher, I want to help you to broaden your horizons, to learn many different qigong exercises, and also many different types of qigong.

For example, I teach a variety of different qigong sets:

• The 18 Luohan Hands
• The 12 Qigong Treasures
• Sinew Metamorphosis (Yi Jin Jing)
• The 8 Brocades
• The 18 Arhat Arts
• The 18 Qigong Gems
• The 10 Neigong Exercises
• One Finger Shooting Zen

I’ve also practiced the following styles of qigong:

1. Shaolin Hunyuan Yi Qigong
2. Chu Style Nei Kung (aka Eternal Spring Qigong)
3. Yan Xin Qigong
4. Yi Quan
5. Chaoyi Fanhuan Qigong
6. Wild Goose Qigong
7. Primordial Qigong
8. Dragon and Tiger Qigong
9. Zhineng Qigong
10. Spring Forest Qigong
11. Holden Qigong

So when you learn Flowing Zen Qigong (the name of my style of qigong), you’re not just learning one style.

Actually, Flowing Zen Qigong is more like a university. I aim to give my students a liberal arts education in qigong.

In the end, I want you to figure out not which style of qigong is best, but which sets and skills are best for YOU.

How Big is Your Repertoire?

When selecting which exercises to practice, it’s good to have a large repertoire.

Years ago, I used to prescribe exercises for my students. Since I’m trained in Chinese Medicine, I would ask them a series of questions, and then select the best exercises for their situation.

But often, these students didn’t know the exercises that I wanted to prescribe. (Side note: this was one of the reasons that I originally started putting videos online — so that my students could have access to exercises they had not learned.)

I felt like a Chinese herbalist who only had access to a limited supply of herbs.

It was MUCH easier to prescribe exercises to students with a large repertoire. Often, I would be able to prescribe not just one, but a handful of exercises specifically working toward their goals.

Writing Your Own Prescription

Coming up with customized practice routines for students takes time. I have to ask a bunch of questions, try to figure out what’s going on, and then come up with a prescription based on the exercises that they know.

Since it takes up a lot of my time, it also costs money. But not all of my students could afford to pay me for my time.

Luckily, I discovered a method that didn’t require a prescription.

When students used this new method, they still got great results.

This method is simple, and you can start implementing it immediately, assuming that you have a good repertoire of qigong exercises.

Here’s the secret: choose favorites.

Choosing Favorites

In other words, the most cost-effective method I’ve found for targeting specific health conditions is as follows:

1. Teach the 5-Phase Routine
2. Teach 24-48 different qigong exercises (including different skills)
3. Encourage students to choose their favorites.

Why are favorites so important?

It’s like a pregnant woman choosing food intuitively. She and the baby need some specific nutrient, but she doesn’t need to read labels.

She may have no clue about the nutrient, and her doctor might not know either — but her body knows.

This is how you should approach qigong. Choose favorites like a pregnant woman with cravings.

Like the pregnant woman, your cravings may change from week to week. That’s fine. Keep following those cravings.

By choosing your favorite qigong exercises, you will:

• Be much more likely to practice, thereby increasing the dosage of qigong.
• Be much more likely to ENJOY your practice, thereby following the 3 Golden Rules.
• Gradually settle on exercises that are a perfect fit for your energy and your body.

Advantage, Online Learning

I started teaching this method before I started teaching online.

Now that I teach mainly online, I discovered something else.

When it comes to choosing favorites, online learning has an advantage over in-person learning.

For example, when I would prescribe exercises to students in my brick-and-mortar studio, I often found that even though they had learned the exercise a few years earlier, they had forgotten it.

Then, as I started giving my students review videos, I kept hearing the same thing over and over. “I forgot about _____ exercise. It’s my new favorite!”

With online learning, you have on-demand access to a library of exercises.

For example, by the time you finish my Qigong 101 program, you’ll have learned 45 different qigong exercises.

Obviously, you’ll have forgotten many of them over the span of 13 months.

But unlike in-person learning, you can go back and review at your leisure.

This doesn’t mean that online learning is better than in-person learning. They both have advantages and disadvantages.

But don’t listen to people who say that qigong can’t be learned online. It’s nonsense. 

The Key is the 5-Phase Routine

This method of choosing favorites may not work as well for every type of qigong.

The reason it works so well for my students is that they know the 5-Phase Routine.

Phase 3 of that routine is called Flowing Breeze Swaying Willow. This is a rare qigong skill that generates a palpable energy flow through the meridians.

Flowing Breeze Swaying Willow is unique because it doesn’t direct the qi, but rather, taps into the body’s natural healing wisdom.

When you practice specific qigong exercises, you are basically directing the energy to certain organs and meridians.

For example, when you practice Plucking Stars, you are directing the energy to the Spleen and Stomach Meridians.

That might sound good, but Chinese Medicine is more complicated than that. Maybe the problem SEEMS like it’s in your digestive system, but it’s actually in your Kidney Meridian instead.

What happens if you send qi to the wrong meridian?

The 5-Phase Routine is the great equalizer. Even if you choose exercises that send qi to the wrong meridian, the qi will redirect to the proper destination during Flowing Breeze Swaying Willow. It’s like an automatic guidance system.

If you’d like to learn the 5-Phase Routine, I teach it in the following online courses:

• Quiet Mind, Healthy Body: An Intro to Qigong
• Battling Depression and Anxiety with Qigong
• Qigong 101: The Art of Healing for Busy People

Summing Up

If you want better results from your practice, then you follow this advice:

1. Learn the 5-Phase Routine (my book is the most affordable option)
2. Learn a bunch of qigong exercises.
3. Pick your favorites.
4. Practice

You don’t need to learn 100 exercises. Maybe later, you can have fun learning that many. I’ve learned well over 300, but I’ve been doing this for a while.

Remember that this is a lifelong journey. Even if you’re 70 years old, you can still enjoy qigong for many, many years to come. There’s plenty of time to learn new material!

Questions? Comments? Let’s have a chat below. 

From the heart,
Sifu Anthony

The post The Real Secret to Planning the Ultimate Qigong Routine appeared first on Flowing Zen.

“You don’t find all this history and theory stuff painfully boring?” I asked.

The year was 2012, and I had just finished a lecture on Chinese Medicine theory in my brick-and-mortar studio. In order to make sense of the theory, I also had to teach some history.

“Not even a little bit,” she said.

This surprised me. For years, I had assumed that students weren’t interested in esoteric Eastern theories, and that they DEFINITELY weren’t interested in history.

I mean, I LOVE both the history and theory aspect of qigong, but I’m an outlier. Or am I?

In a previous article about the acupuncture meridians, I asked my readers if they wanted to learn more. The answer was loud and clear: YES!!

Apparently, I’m not an outlier. Thousands of you enjoy learning about history and theory, just like I do.

So my fellow nerds…shall we get this party started?

The Qigong Meridians?!?

In my previous article, I used the term Acupuncture Meridians, but not because it’s correct. I used it so people would have some clue what I’m talking about!

If I used the term “Qigong Meridians”, many people would be confused, especially people who are more familiar with acupuncture.

Actually, both terms — Qigong Meridians and Acupuncture Meridians — are equally INCORRECT.

As I’ve said, the Chinese term is jingluo (經 絡, pronounced jing-low), which translates to “channel”.

But here’s what you need to understand. For thousands of years, the meridian system has been shared by MANY Chinese arts, including:

• qigong (click here if you’re new to qigong)
• acupuncture (the use of sterile needles to stimulate the flow of qi via acu-points)
• acupressure (same as acupuncture, but uses fingers instead of needles)
• moxibustion (the burning of the mugwort herb on acupuncture points to promote healing)
• Chinese herbal medicine (the use of oral herbal decoctions and tonics)
• kung fu (Chinese martial arts, including tai chi)
• shiliao (Chinese food therapy)
• Taoist bedroom arts (Chinese sexual practices that promote longevity)
• tuina (Chinese massage therapy)
• die da (Chinese traumatology for bruises and breaks)

In other words, we could just as easily use the term Qigong Meridians, Acupressure Meridians, or Tai Chi Meridians. All of these terms are equally inaccurate.

Needling and Moxibustion

It gets worse! The term acupuncture meridian is actually a DOUBLE misnomer!

Not only is the term “meridian” a poor translation of jingluo, but the term “acupuncture” is just utter Western nonsense!

The Chinese term for acupuncture is: zhenjiu (針灸, pronounced jun-geo)

Zhen (針) means needle, and jiu (灸) means moxibustion (see above). So zhenjiu literally translates to “needling and moxibustion”.

I know what you’re thinking: Where the hell did the word “acupuncture” come from?

It’s a good question. The term “acu” comes from the latin for “needle”. So they got that part right.

But “puncture”? Where did that come from, and who thought that this was a good idea?

Talk about bad PR! I can’t think of a worse word to scare off confused Westerners.

Unfortunately, the word stuck (pun definitely intended). Not only that, but the term “acupuncture”has become an umbrella that refers to several branches of Chinese Medicine, not just acupuncture.

For example, most acupuncturists today also practice Chinese herbal medicine. Traditionally, these were two separate arts. But today, they often all under the same moniker of “acupuncture”.

The Influence of Chinese Medicine

Here’s a simple way to make sense of all this: It’s all Chinese Medicine!

Qigong, acupuncture, acupressure, herbal medicine, tuina — these are all branches of Chinese Medicine.

By Chinese Medicine, I’m referring to the 5000-year old system that originated in what we now call China.

The traditional term is zhongyi (中醫, pronounced jawng yee) which translates nicely to “Chinese Medicine”. This ancient medicine not only influenced all of the Chinese arts that I listed above, but also influence arts in much of Asia.

Here are some examples of non-Chinese arts that were heavily influenced by Chinese Medicine:

• The Bubishi, an ancient Japanese manual that is often called “The Bible of Karate”
• Korean Acupuncture, which focuses more on the hand (and traditionally uses copper needles, but now uses sterile, single-use needles)
• Japanese Acupuncture, which often uses extremely thin needles, and sometimes uses needles without even breaking the skin (see, no puncturing!)
• Shiatsu, a form of Japanese bodywork that uses the principles of Chinese Medicine
• Reiki, a form of energy medicine that involves transmitting ki (or qi) for healing

In other words, Chinese Medicine is everywhere! Today, it’s not just in Asia, but all over the world.

Jingmai vs. Luomai

Enough history. Now that it’s clear that we’re really talking about Chinese Medicine rather than just qigong or acupuncture, let’s dive into some theory.

The meridians are divided into 2 main categories: the jingmai (經脈, pronounced jing-my) and the luomai (絡脈, pronounced low-my).

The jingmai consist of:

1. The 12 Primary Meridians
2. The 8 Extraordinary Vessels
3. The 12 Divergent Meridians

The luomai consist of:

1. The 15 Connecting Collaterals
2. The Muscular Collaterals
3. The Superficial Collaterals

In qigong, we’re mainly concerned with the 12 Primary Meridians and the 8 Extraordinary Meridians, which is why I put them in boldface.

The 12 Primary Meridians

According to ancient Chinese Medicine theory, you have 12 Primary Meridians (十二经脉), as follows:

1. Taiyin Lung Channel of the Hand (手太阴肺经)
2. Shaoyin Heart Channel of the Hand (手少阴心经)
3. Jueyin Pericardium Channel of the Hand (手厥阴心包经)
4. Shaoyang Sanjiao Channel of the Hand (手少阳三焦经)
5. Taiyang Small Intestine Channel of the Hand (手太阳小肠经)
6. Yangming Large Intestine Channel of the Hand (手阳明大肠经)
7. Taiyin Spleen Channel of the Foot (足太阴脾经)
8. Shaoyin Kidney Channel of the Foot (足少阴肾经)
9. Jueyin Liver Channel of the Foot (足厥阴肝经)
10. Shaoyang Gallbladder Channel of the Foot (足少阳胆经)
11. Taiyang Bladder Channel of  the Foot (足太阳膀胱经)
12. Yangming Stomach Channel of  the Foot (足阳明胃经)

You’ll notice that each meridian is associated with an internal organ.

You don’t need to memorize the 12 meridians (unless you’re an acupuncturist, duh), but if you take away once concept from this article, it should be this one:

The meridian is NOT the organ.

It’s tempting to the Western mind to hear “Heart Meridian” and just think of the physical organ that we know of as the heart.

That’s a mistake, and if you think that way, you’ll never understand Chinese medicine.

Yin and Yang Organs

In Chinese Medicine, the organ-meridian association is called Zang-Fu (臟腑, pronounced zahng foo).

In Zang-Fu theory, the organs fall into 2 main categories: yin and yang.

The Yin organs are:

1. Heart
2. Liver
3. Spleen
4. Lung
5. Kidney
6. Pericardium

The Yang organs are:

1. Small Intestine
2. Large Intestine
3. Gallbladder
4. Urinary Bladder
5. Stomach
6. Sanjiao.

(Note: the Sanjiao is an organ not yet recognized by Western Medicine. However, resent research, like this discovery of a “new organ”, is bringing Western Medicine closer and closer to the concept of the Sanjiao.)

If you think of the Zang-Fu simply as organs, like we do in the West, then you’ll get confused.

It’s better to think of each organ as a SYSTEM.

In Western Medicine, we have systems like the Circulatory System, the Endocrine System, the Nervous System, etc.

But in Chinese Medicine, the systems are different. For example, instead of the Circulatory System, we have the Heart Meridian. (This analogy only goes so far, so please don’t get carried away with it. They are not identical systems.)

The Circulatory System involves more than just the physical heart, and the same is true of the Heart Meridian.

Pale And Tan, Yin and Yang

Yin Meridians run down the more yin part of your arm.

That makes perfect sense. But what part of your arm is more yin? Here’s an easy way to figure this out:

• The tanner parts of your body are more yang
• The paler parts of your body are more yin

For example, the palm and the inner forearm are less than than the back of the hand and the back of the forearm.

The same is true of the legs. The inner thighs are paler than the outer thighs.

This will simplify things when trying to understand where the meridians are located (see below).

Where are the 12 Primary Meridians?

If you’re in acupuncture college, then you’ll need to memorize all of the meridians (not to mention the points along them.)

Luckily, this isn’t necessary for most people, and it’s definitely not necessary for qigong students.

Nevertheless, it’s good to have SOME idea about the meridians. Here’s a super simple explanation:

(Note: all of these meridians are bilateral, which means that they are located on both sides of your body.)

1. The Lung Meridian runs from your chest, down the inside (yin and pale) part of the arm, and ends at the tip of your thumb.
2. The Heart Meridian starts in your chest and runs down the inside (yin and pale) part of the arm to your pinky finger.
3. The Pericardium Meridian runs from your chest, down the inside (yin and pale) part of the arm, and ends at the tip of your middle finger.
4. The Sanjiao Meridian starts at the tip of your ring finger and runs up the outside (yang and tan) part of the arm, around the shoulder, and ends above the ear.
5. The Small Intestine Meridian starts at the the tip of your pinky, runs up the outside (yang and tan) part of the arm, and ends near the entrance to the ear canal.
6. The Large Intestine Meridian starts in the tip of the index finger, runs up the outside (yang and tan) part of the arm, and ends next to your nostril.
7. The Spleen Meridian starts at your big toe, runs up inside (yin and pale) part of your leg, up the torso, and ends near the front of your shoulder.
8. The Kidney Meridian starts at the bottom of the foot, runs up inside (yin and pale) part of your leg, up the belly, and ends near the clavicle.
9. The Liver Meridian starts at the tip of your 2nd toe, runs up inside (yin and pale) part of your leg, and ends on the front of the torso.
10. The Gallbladder Meridian runs from the outer corner of your eye, down the side of your head, down your body, down the outside (yang and tan) part of your leg, and ends in the 4th toe.
11. The Bladder Meridian starts at the inner corner of your eye, runs up the head, all the way down the back, down the outside (yang and tan) part of the leg, and ends in the pinky toe.
12. The Stomach Meridian runs from just below your eye, down your torso, down the outer front (yang and tan) part of your leg, and ends in the 2nd toe.

And here’s a helpful image if you want to geek out on the meridians. Click the image to enlarge it.

Whew! And that’s just an overview. Now, do you see why acupuncture college requires 4 years and thousands of hours of training?

The 8 Extraordinary Meridians

You also have what are known as the 8 Extraordinary Vessels (奇經八脈):

1. Conception Vessel (Ren Mai, 任脈)
2. Governing Vessel (Du Mai, 督脈)
3. Penetrating Vessel (Chong Mai, 衝脈)
4. Girdle Vessel (Dai Mai, 帶脈)
5. Yin Linking vessel (Yin Wei Mai, 陰維脈)
6. Yang Linking vessel (Yang Wei Mai,陽維脈)
7. Yin Heel Vessel (Yin Qiao Mai, 陰蹻脈)
8. Yang Heel Vessel (Yang Qiao Mai, 陽蹻脈)

The Ren Mai and Du Mai are the two that we’re most interested in.

The Ren Main runs from your chin down to your perineum, and the Du Mai runs from your perineum, up your spine, over the top of your head, to your upper lip.

If you’ve ever wondered why many teachers tell you to lift the tongue to the upper palate while practicing qigong, it’s to connect these 2 meridians. (Here’s an entire article about whether or not you should lift the tongue in qigong.)

When you connect these two meridians and direct lots of qi into them, you get what is sometimes known as the Small Universe, also called the Small Heavenly Circuit or Microcosmic Orbit.

I like the idea of a circuit because that’s what it is. It’s a powerful energetic connection.

This connection is HUGELY important for martial artists. In fact, I would go so far as to say that the reason most people in the 21st century have little internal power (neijin, read more here) compared to past masters is simply because they don’t have the Small Universe.

Let me be clear that many people PRACTICE the Small Universe, often for years or even decades, but they don’t HAVE it.

And the main reason they don’t have it is because they haven’t spent enough time with more fundamental techniques.

I’ve written several articles about the Small Universe, which you can read here:

•  The Real Truth About the Small Universe Qigong;
•  7 Secrets of the Small Universe Qigong.

What are Acupuncture Points?

We can’t talk about meridian theory without also talking about the “points”.

Some people believe that there are over 2000 different points. Modern students of acupuncture typically learn 300-400 points.

In 1992, The World Health Organization (WHO) developed A Proposed Standard International Acupuncture Nomenclature Report, which identifies 361 acupuncture points.

But what are acupuncture points?

As I’m sure you will have guessed by now, the term “acupuncture points” is no bueno. Not only are they used outside of acupuncture, but they aren’t even points!

For example, my qigong students often feel a tennis-ball-sized vortex of energy at laogong (勞宮), which is located in the center of the palm.

In other words, they feel not a tiny point of energy, but a vortex. And this happens in qigong, not acupuncture.

Actually, vortex is a good word because it gives us a better idea of what acupuncture points really are.

In Chinese, the two most common terms are:

• xuewei (穴位)
• shuxue (腧穴)

Those words give us the idea of a cavity or depression where “movement” takes place.

What kind of movement takes place in these depressions?? The movement of qi, of course!

Summing Up

Whew! We covered a ton of ground in just one post! Anyone ready for recess?

Remember, you do NOT need to memorize this information in order to have a healthy, thriving qigong practice.

Here are the things that I hope you take away from this post:

1. Chinese medicine has many branches, including acupuncture and qigong
2. The 12 Primary Meridians are important (but not worth memorizing)
3. Two of the 8 Extraordinary Meridians are important (especially for advanced qigong students)
4. The Meridian is a system, not just an organ.
5. Acupuncture points are not tiny points, and aren’t just for acupuncture

I hope this post helped you to better understand the meridians and how they relate to your qigong practice, even if it’s just food for thought.

Many of my students enjoy having a better working knowledge of Chinese Medicine theory, and our Facebook group has become a great place to discuss these topics. Why not join us over there! It’s free!

You can also post your questions and comments below.

And as always, if you think that this post will help someone, then please click the share buttons below.

From the heart,
Sifu Anthony

The post Qigong Students: Here’s How to Make Sense of the Meridians appeared first on Flowing Zen.

I stared at the question in my inbox, blinking for at least 10 seconds. “So ignorant!” I thought to myself.

The question came from a sincere student, and what it revealed was not his ignorance, but my own.

Here’s the question:

Dear Sifu Anthony,

How can I balance my meridians and remove blockages? Or how can I keep them flowing and strengthen them? Do they self balance and clear with daily qigong practice? Thank you for your time in advance! It is appreciated.

-Joshua

Let me be clear: I know the answer to Joshua’s question. That’s not the ignorance I’m talking about.

Ignorance can mean a lack of knowledge or information, but it also means a lack of awareness.

In my case, I don’t lack the knowledge or information to answer the questions above. But I did lack the proper AWARENESS.

As a teacher, it’s my job to be constantly aware of what qigong looks like through the eyes of my students, including fresh beginners.

That’s not always easy. Like most teachers, I’ve been doing this for a long, long time. Decades. Maybe lifetimes.

I’ve studied with masters from all over the world, read hundreds of books, practiced for thousands of hours, and I even went to acupuncture college to deepen my understanding.

And yet, as I read Joshua’s email, I saw my own ignorance, my own lack of awareness.

Concepts like “meridians,” “energy,” and “blockages” are still completely foreign to most people. It’s MY job as a teacher to make those concepts clearer.

And that’s what I’m going to do in this post.

What Are Meridians?

Let’s start with the word “meridian”. This word is widely used in acupuncture, qigong, Chinese herbal medicine, and tui na (Chinese massage therapy).

Unfortunately, the word “meridian” is a poor translation from the Chinese word:

經 絡 (jīngluò)

The simple translation is “channel”, like a channel that water runs through. In this case, it’s qi, or vital energy, that flows through the channels.

But there’s an additional connotation here.The 2nd character, 絡, means “net-like”. So the jingluo are a net-like series of channels through which qi flows.

Think of a highway system, with big Interstate highways and smaller roads, all forming a complex network. Except that instead of cars, it’s qi that flows along the network.

Note: Even though the word “channel” is a better translation, I’m going to continue to use the word “meridian” because it is already in common usage. Hell, even Google translates the Chinese word to “meridian”. I’m too busy with my teaching to pick a fight with Google right now!

What is Qi?

I mentioned that your meridians are a net-like series of channels through which qi flows.

But what is qi?

Qi is THE central theme in qigong, acupuncture, and Chinese herbal medicine. It’s also central in feng shui and tai chi chuan.

I’ve written about this in the past (for example here and here), but let’s keep things simple.

Qi is your life energy or life force.

Whether that’s the energy that moves food through your digestive system, or the energy that mobilizes your immune system, or the energy that powers your cells — all of that is qi.

Qi is also information — like data running through an internet network. For example, the information that signals the production of a hormone, or that tells certain genes to turn on or off — that is also qi.

This is the “substance” that flows through your meridians.

How Does Qi Flow?

Most of the classics talk about a “flow” of qi. A common analogy is to compare it to the flow of water.

In fact, some of the Chinese Medicine classics compare the flow of qi to water flowing from bubbling springs, streams, rivers, seas, or oceans.

It’s important to remember that the concept of qi is ANCIENT. It’s thousands of years old.

Back then, they didn’t know about protons, neutrons, or electrons. They had no electric lights, no electric cables, and (gasp!) no WiFi.

In the 21st century, it’s natural to think of qi as a form of energy, like a current running through a wire.

And that’s fine as long as we remember that the ancient masters didn’t have this paradigm. They had a close connection with nature, so that was where they looked for analogies. And I think that these analogies still work today as long as you don’t take them too literally.

Where are the Meridians?

Speaking of taking things too literally, skeptics love to point out that the meridians can’t be found and therefore don’t exist.

It’s true that if you dissect your leg (please don’t do this), you won’t see any acupuncture meridians. But that doesn’t mean they don’t exist.

Don’t let 21st-century hubris block you from benefitting from this ancient wisdom. Just because we haven’t understood something yet doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.

Open-minded researchers are doing interesting studies into the meridians, and I believe that the next 10-20 years will confirm their existence.

For example, this study looked at wave-induced flows in the meridians. This is a bit obtuse, but the study concluded: “that the strong light propagation and optical properties along the meridian channel comprised a histological structure correlated with interstitial fluids.”

And this study tried to document a new micro-circulatory system that corresponds to classical acupuncture meridians.

Not convinced?

What would you say if I told you that researchers just recently discovered a whole new organ in the human body?

It’s true. In this new study, researchers discovered not only what they think is a new organ, but the largest organ in the body!

The new organ, the interstitium, contains tiny fluid-filled structures that can be found just about everywhere in the body.

Will this discovery eventually lead to a deeper understanding of the Chinese meridian system? Who knows, but it’s definitely an exciting time to be alive!

How Were Meridians Discovered?

This raises an important question: How did ancient masters discover the meridians?

After all, they didn’t have microscopes or high-tech equipment. How could they possibly have known about such a complex, invisible network in the human body?

Years ago, I taught qigong at an acupuncture college. I had both students and professors in my classes.

After practicing qigong for about a year, one of the professors had an epiphany.

“I can feel my Gallbladder Meridian!” she said excitedly.

The same thing sometimes happens in acupuncture. I’ve seen patients talk about a strong sensation running down an arm or a leg. If you ask them to trace the sensation, they’ll trace the meridian almost exactly! How cool!

In qigong, feeling acupuncture points along the meridians is quite easy. Most of my students can start to feel this within 1-2 years of practice, especially my Qigong 101 students.

For example, acu-points like laogong (P 8) in the palm, baihui (GV 20) at the top of the head, or hegu (LI 4) in the web of hand — all of these points are can be felt even by beginners.

At more advanced levels, techniques like the Small Universe Qigong give you a clear and obvious perception of acupuncture meridians.

Back to the question about how the meridians were discovered: I believe that ancient mystics began to perceive the flow of energy in their own body. It’s likely that they transmitted their discoveries through oral traditions, and eventually through writing.

Creating Harmony and Clearing Blockages

Let’s come back to Joshua’s questions. His original email contains 3 related questions:

1. How can I balance my meridians?
2. How can I remove blockages in my meridians?
3. How can I strengthen my meridians?

If we’re talking about Acupuncture or Chinese Herbal Medicine, then the answer is simple: leave all of this to your physician. In other words, don’t try to self-diagnose what your meridians might need. (That’s a subject for a future blog post.)

But qigong is a self-healing art, especially the category called Medical Qigong. With the right qigong method, you can heal yourself, even without a proper diagnosis.

Notice that I said “with the right method”, not “with the right exercises.”

My students are always asking me which exercise they should practice for _____ problem. I’ve written about this in depth (click here to read more), but the takeaway is the same.

To balance, strengthen, and clear your meridians, you should practice the following routine:

1. Entering Zen
2. Smiling from the Heart
3. Lifting The Sky
4. Pushing Mountains
5. Carrying the Moon
6. Flowing Breeze Swaying Willow
7. Flowing Stillness
8. Washing the Face with Both Hands
9. Combing the Hair with the Fingers
10. Massaging the Vital Points
11. Rubbing Two Coins
12. 24 Heavenly Drums

The above routine will simultaneously balance, strengthen, and clear all of your meridians. (I teach this exact routine, and much more, in my Qigong 101 program.)

Because of the way this routine is organized, you don’t need a diagnosis, and you don’t need to worry about which meridians are blocked, weak, or unbalanced.

But you do need to practice diligently!

The 12 Dimensions

Does that mean you only need the above routine to heal anything and everything?

No. It doesn’t.

In the world of qigong, there are many different styles and methods, but there are only 12 different things that you can do with your qi.

In my teachings, I call these the 12 Dimensions of Qi Mastery. (Click here to read more about the 12 Dimensions.)

Different teachers may use different names, but when you boil everything down, the skills are the same.

The routine I listed above focuses on the first 4 of the 12 Dimensions:

1. Discovering the Qi
2. Circulating the Qi
3. Aligning the Qi
4. Gathering the Qi

I call these The 4 Pillars of qigong because they form a stable foundation for any holistic qigong practice. If you don’t have this foundation, then advanced qigong skills will continue to elude you.

The 8 remaining skills are:

5. Protecting the Qi
6. Purifying the Qi
7. Mobilizing the Qi
8. Directing the Qi
9. Consolidating the Qi
10. Transforming the Qi
11. Unifying the Qi
12. Transmitting the Qi

As you become more skillful in qigong, you can use more advanced skills to continue balancing, strengthening, and clearing your meridians.

For example:

1. To balance the meridians, you can use: Circulating the Qi (#2), Aligning the Qi (#4), and Mobilizing the Qi (#7).
2. To remove blockages, you can use: Purifying the Qi (#6) and Protecting the Qi (#5).
3. To strengthen your meridians, you can use: Gathering the Qi (#4), Consolidating the Qi (#9), and Transforming the Qi (#10).

In other words, focus on learning and mastering the 12 Dimensions and you will have ways to balance, clear, and strengthen your meridians for the rest of your life!

(Read more about the 12 Dimensions here, here, and here.)

Remember that these are skills, not techniques. The techniques may differ from teacher to teacher, but the underlying skills are the same.

Want to Learn More About Meridians?

I hope you found this article helpful. As always, if you have questions, post them below.

If you’d like me to write more on the subject of meridians, then please let me know in the comments below.

Honestly, I only scratched the surface here. I didn’t talk about the 12 Primary Meridians, the 8 Extraordinary Meridians, or the Yin and Yang Organs.

There is a ton of Chinese Medicine theory and philosophy that I can write about, but I need to know if you’re interested in this stuff! So whadaya say? Are you interested?

The post Acupuncture Meridians: What Qigong Students Need to Know appeared first on Flowing Zen.

“I tried qigong, but it didn’t work for me,” she said.

This is my nightmare. This is what wakes me up at night screaming “NOOOOOOO!” like Luke Skywalker after he found out that Darth Vader was his father.

I want people to fall in love with qigong. I want them to have an amazing, positive experience with this beautiful art. I want them to get the many health benefits of qigong for themselves.

And they can do exactly that, but there are some pitfalls to avoid along the path.

If you avoid these traps, then qigong will work wonders for you.

In Western civilization, one of the biggest traps is treating qigong like calisthenics.

In this article, I’ll explain why qigong is fundamentally different than calisthenics, and how to avoid this common trap so that you can get the benefits you deserve.

What Are Calisthenics?

First, let’s define calisthenics:

cal·is·then·ics

n.

exercises consisting of a variety of gross motor movements—running, standing, grasping, pushing, etc.—often performed rhythmically and generally without equipment or apparatus. They are, in essence, body-weight training. They are intended to increase body strength, body fitness, and flexibility, through movements such as pulling or pushing oneself up, bending, jumping, or swinging, using only one’s body weight for resistance; usually conducted in concert with stretches. [from Wikipedia]

Let me be absolutely clear that calisthenics are a good thing.

Many, many people — especially in the US where obesity and inactivity are becoming epidemics — could benefit from calisthenics.

But I didn’t dedicate my life to the art of calisthenics. I dedicated my life to the art of qigong, and with good reason.

Calisthenics Didn’t Heal My Depression

Calisthenics didn’t save my life. Qigong did.

Specifically, it saved me from an illness that has killed more people in the 21st century than all of the global wars combined.

I’m talking about Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), or clinical depression.

Although there’s evidence suggesting that regular exercise and calisthenics can help with depression, those things didn’t work for me.

I was in my 20s when I was diagnosed.

At the time, I was already a black belt in Karate, I could crank out 50 knuckle pushups like it was nothing, and I probably could’ve gotten a job modeling men’s underwear because I had amazing, washboard abs.

I also had depression, low-back pain, a weak immune system, and anxiety.

Calisthenics are great, but they didn’t help me to heal.

It was qigong — REAL qigong — that helped my body to finally heal, not calisthenics.

The Yoda of Yoga

Before we talk about what real qigong is, let me tell you what it isn’t.

To do that, I’ll tell you a quick story.

I heard this story from a friend who, interestingly, now practices qigong rather than yoga. Since I seem to be on a Star Wars theme today, we’ll call him Luke.

A long time ago, in a galaxy far away, Luke was living in an ashram in India. He was there to learn from a famous yoga master.

While he was there, a young American yoga teacher came to visit the ashram. We’ll call him Han.

Han requested an audience with the guru, and it was granted. While the guru and many disciples watched, Han proceeded to demonstrate several advanced yoga postures.

You know — those pretzel-like ones that you and I will never be able to do.

After getting into one of these poses, Han would glance at the guru, presumably looking for approval.

This went on for a while, with the guru saying nothing. The silence was thick and tense.

Finally, the American stopped posing and asked, “Master, what did you think of my yoga?”

The master paused for a moment before responding. Then he spoke.

“I have not seen you do any yoga yet,” he said.

BOOM! Best answer ever! That guru was like the Yoda of yoga. 

If this answer confuses you, then here’s what he was conveying with his ingenious comment:

• Yoga is more than just going through poses.
• Yoga is an internal art.
• If you’re constantly glancing at someone while doing poses, then you’re obviously not practicing it as an internal art and thus you’re not really doing yoga.

That Ain’t Qigong

These days, yoga has gotten so muddled with calisthenics that the guru’s message is almost completely lost. It’s sad, but many people view yoga as Indian calisthenics, completely ignoring the internal aspects of the art.

And the same thing is starting to happen with qigong.

Qigong is becoming more and more popular, and that’s a wonderful thing! In fact, I believe qigong will one day be bigger than yoga.

But popularity brings its own problems. 

Like with yoga, many people don’t understand that qigong is an internal art.

When someone says, “I tried qigong, but it didn’t do much for me,” it makes me want to scream because what they did most likely wasn’t qigong.

They were just doing bad calisthenics.

Often, these are the same people who ask which exercise they should practice for X problem and then expect that exercise to fix their problem in just 3 weeks.

Gentle Calisthenics?

In the West, we have no point of reference for an art like qigong.

When we see the slow, gentle exercises of qigong we have nothing from our culture to compare it to. So we just compare it to calisthenics.

Here’s an example from my recent retreat in Costa Rica:

From a Western perspective, an exercise like this makes no sense. How could something like that make you healthier?

It’s too gentle, too soft, and too simple.

Even when compared to yoga, qigong is gentler.

With yoga, if you ignore the guru’s advice from above and you practice it as calisthenics, you’ll still get some health benefits.

Anyone who has accidentally wandered into an “All Levels” yoga class knows just how challenging it can be.

That shit is hard!

I think that many people who practice yoga KNOW that they’re just doing it as calisthenics rather than an internal art.

But they’re still getting results because calisthenics are good for you! Duh.

The Secret of Both Qigong and Tai Chi

With qigong, it’s different. There are many styles of qigong, and some are more vigorous than others.

But all of them are built on a foundation of softness and relaxation.

If you were learning qigong in Mandarin Chinese, then virtually every teacher would say the same 2 words over and over, regardless of the style:

fang song (放 松)

This simply means “loosen and relax”.

Even if you were doing a tai chi form, which is more complex and usually more vigorous than qigong, you would still hear fang song repeated over and over.

(If you’re not clear about the difference between qigong and tai chi, then this article will help.)

Both tai chi and qigong aim to get the qi, or internal energy, flowing smoother and smoother.

And to do this, to get your qi flowing smoother, you need to practice fang song.

Softness vs. Calisthenics

This concept of softness is not found in calisthenics nor in yoga.

Savasana (Corpse Pose) is the closest thing I’ve found in the yoga tradition, but it’s characteristically different because it’s done lying down rather than standing.

If you try to fang song (loosen and relax) in yoga like we do in qigong, your teacher will not be happy.

And fang song is even more foreign in calisthenics.

Relax while doing pushups? No way! Tense yours muscles and your core!

Keep heart rate low? No way! Get it up into the target zone!

Really, qigong and calisthenics couldn’t be more different in their approach.

This is good news for people who hate calisthenics.

The truth is that many people come to qigong precisely because they hate calisthenics. And that’s fine!

As long as you’re doing REAL qigong, you’ll still get results even if what you’re practicing is super gentle.

What Is Real Qigong?

What is qigong then? I’m glad you asked! Let’s start with a simple definition.

qigong

n.

An ancient Chinese mind-body practice that cultivates the internal energy, or qi, to restore wellness, build mental and emotional strength, reduces stress, and increases vitality.

The key words in there are:

• mind-body
• qi
• cultivate

This is similar to what the guru was trying to tell the American about his yoga. And that’s what I’m trying to tell you.

Here’s a simple way to tell if you’re doing REAL qigong, or just calisthenics.

Can you get results with a simple, gentle exercise like Gathering Qi from the Cosmos?

(If you don’t know this exercise and you’d like to learn it for free, then click here for lifetime access to an online mini-course.)

This exercise is a good example because there’s no real stretching, no squatting, and no complex movement.

If you can get health benefits with an exercise like this, then you’re doing REAL qigong.

Essence, Mind, and Energy

In Chinese, there’s an ancient phrase that nicely sums up the difference between calisthenics and qigong:

nei lian jing shen qi
wai lian jin gu pi
(内練精神氣外練筋骨皮)

This translates to:

Internal training cultivates essence, mind, and energy;
external training cultivates tendons, bones, and flesh.

(It sounds better in Chinese. It even rhymes!)

Here’s another way to say this:

With internal arts, the most important stuff happens on the inside!

The Best of Both Worlds

Of course, not all qigong exercises are easy.

Some of them are downright challenging, even if you’re in good shape.

For example, Lift Heels Bend Knees (#18 from the 18 Luohan Hands) involves a full squat while balancing on the toes.

If you practice this as calisthenics, then yes, you’ll get the benefits of calisthenics.

But why would you want to do that when you can have the best of both worlds?

Here’s a profound truth that all great martial artists throughout history have known:

You get the best results if you train both internal and external.

Internal Vs. External Martial Arts

Tai Chi is considered an internal martial art. It focuses on cultivating essence, mind, and qi. This is why it’s so closely related to qigong.

Karate, on the other hand, is considered an external martial art. It focuses on cultivating tendons, bones, and flesh (i.e. muscles).

But is it really true?

What if you practice tai chi devoid of the internal aspects? Is it still an internal art?

Similarly, what about the tiny Okinawan Karate master that I met 23 years ago who showed me an exercise to train energy and mind? (I didn’t realize what it was until many years later, sadly.)

The truth is that internal and external overlap more than many people realize.

Ideally, you want is to train BOTH internal and external together.

People who train tai chi but can’t do 10 pushups are only training the internal side.

People who train karate but can’t feel their qi are only training the external side.

Train both, and you’ll not only be a better martial artist, but you’ll be happier and healthier too.

Qigong For The Win

But this article is about qigong, not martial arts.

For many people, qigong provides us with a simple solution to this problem.

No matter what, qigong should be practiced as an internal art. But it can also be practiced as calisthenics.

It gives us a simple way to train the internal side at least, plus the external side if we want to.

But don’t fall into the trap.

There are 3 possible ways to train qigong:

a) practice it as an internal art;
b) practice it as an external art;
c) practice it as both an internal and external art;

By now, you should realize that b) is the trap that too many people fall into.

Don’t be one of them.

More Internal Training, Please

In the 21st century, what the world needs is more internal training. Perhaps more than ever before, we desperately need to train essence, mind, and energy.

We don’t need another external art. We’ve already got plenty of those.

If you want to train qigong as BOTH internal and external, great. That’s option c) from above. That’s what I do.

The same goes for tai chi. If you want to use it as both internal and external training — great. I do this too.

But if you had to choose ONLY one aspect, if you had to choose between internal and external — then make sure you choose the internal aspect. That’s choice a) from above.

You can use other arts for your external training if you like. If you enjoy yoga, use that for calisthenics. (Just don’t tell Yoda.)

If you have a calisthenics routine built into your martial art, use that.

Or if you absolutely love the elliptical at the gym — go for it.

Just make sure that you’re also training the internal side.

So How Do You Train Internally?

If you’re interested in learning the true internal skills of both qigong and tai chi, then you’re in luck.

It just so happens that I teach these skills online. What an amazing coincidence!

In a recent article, I mentioned the 4 primary skills of qigong:

1. Discovering the Qi
2. Circulating the Qi
3. Aligning the Qi
4. Gathering the Qi

Different masters might use different terminology, but these skills are universal to all forms of qigong.

If you want to train qigong (or tai chi) as an internal art, then you need to learn to relax your body (fang song), clear your mind, and feel your qi.

You need to learn how to get your qi circulating through the 12 primary meridians so that it can heal your body (and mind).

You need to learn how to align your body properly so that the qi is able to flow.

And you need to learn how to gather more qi into your system.

And that’s exactly why I spent so much time and energy creating my flagship online course called Qigong 101: The Art of Healing for Busy People.

If you want external training, then this course is NOT for you. But if you want to learn the internal side of qigong, if you want to learn the 4 primary skills, then consider joining us.

Registration opens in November, but the 12-month course doesn’t officially begin until January so you can start the new year right.

I say “officially” because you’ll get lots of goodies to hold you over, including a special module on beating holiday stress with qigong.

If you’re not already on the waiting list, then you can join at the bottom of that page. Here’s that link again.

And keep an eye out for my free video training series that I’ll be releasing in a few weeks.

I’ll teach you some of the internal secrets of qigong in that series — for free. Yes, you read that right. FREE!

In the meantime, do you have a question or something to add about the internal nature of qigong? Comment below, let’s converse!

From the heart,
Sifu Anthony

The post Why Qigong and Calisthenics are NOT the Same appeared first on Flowing Zen.

“I’ll answer your question,” I said.

Here’s what I didn’t say: “This answer is going to get me into trouble!”

I was in Orlando, Florida speaking with a new student. I’ll call her Martha.

We were breaking for lunch during one of my qigong workshops. She approached me to ask a question.

“Which qigong exercise should I practice for ______ ,” she asked.

I don’t remember her exact condition, honestly. It was years ago, and I get this question so often that they all start to blend together.

For example, here are some common variations:

• Which qigong exercise should I practice for chronic knee pain?
• Which qigong exercise should I practice for Irritable Bowel Syndrome?
• Which qigong exercise should I practice for anxiety attacks?
• Which qigong exercise should I practice for diabetes?
• Which qigong exercise should I practice for Parkinson’s Disease?

The examples above are from actual emails, messages, and voicemails that I’ve received in the past month.

If I receive that many in a month, just imagine how many I’ve received since I started teaching in 2005!

A few!

X Exercise for Y Problem?

Look, Martha’s question was fair. And so were all the similar questions I’ve received over the years. 

And I want to answer these questions honestly. I really do!

But I know you’re not going to like the honest answer.

You want my answer to sound something something like this:

“Yes, if you practice Black Crow Teases Miniature Schnauzer for 10 minutes per day, then your _____ problem will magically go away in 6 weeks!”

But I’m not going to say that because it’s not true.

It’s more complicated than that.

The reason it has taken me almost 10 years to write a blog post on this subject is because the honest answer is also the more complex answer.

The honest answer is not only complex, but it will also get me into trouble.

Like it did with Martha.

The Inconvenient Truth

Look, I know you just want to get results with ____ problem.

To do that, to actually get results in the real world (as opposed to fantasy land), we need to dig a little deeper.

Back to Martha.

Before the workshop, Martha mentioned that she had already learned qigong from a Chinese teacher.

Here’s what you need to know about Martha’s qigong: It was truly awful.

I’m not talking about her form. I couldn’t care less about that.

A student from another teacher can have totally different techniques than mine, but I can still recognize the skill underneath — if it’s there.

With Martha, it wasn’t there. Nada.

Maybe she was just a new student, or maybe she hadn’t learned deeply enough from her other teacher.

It was clear to me that she was practicing qigong purely on a physical level, with zero awareness of the internal aspects.

This is ironic because that’s the exact opposite of how I teach.

If you’ve ever done a workshop with me, then you know that I often say this:

“You have my permission to butcher the form!”

Despite this, Martha was STILL obsessed with the form. She kept opening her eyes during meditative sessions, watching me like a hawk as I demonstrated the exercises, and asking irrelevant questions about the physical form.

All of my teaching about the internal secrets of qigong were lost on her.

We can, and should, learn from Martha’s mistake.

Here’s the lesson to be learned:  There is much more to qigong than just the physical form.

I’ll explain that in a moment, but first, let’s back up a bit.

The 5 Categories of Qigong

There are thousands of styles, but all of them fall into one or more of the following 5 categories

1. Medical Qigong
2. Longevity Qigong
3. Scholarly Qigong
4. Martial Qigong
5. Spiritual Qigong

Lots of schools, like mine, cover all five categories. Other schools focus on just two or three categories (which is not a slight on them at all).

If you are practicing the 1^st category, then your art should follow the principles of classical Chinese Medicine.

Makes sense, right?

But how do you know if it’s Medical Qigong?

If you’re asking me questions about medical conditions, then it’s Medical Qigong!

For example: “Which qigong exercise should I practice for acid reflux?”

That’s a medical condition.

By default, if someone asks me which exercises to practice for _____ problem, then they’re asking about Medical Qigong.

How Chinese Medicine Gets Me Into Trouble

Here’s where I often get into trouble.

If you’re teaching Medical Qigong, then you’re practicing a branch of Chinese Medicine.

Good! I believe the world could use more Chinese Medicine, especially Medical Qigong!

But if you’re simply telling students that X exercise will fix Y symptom, then you don’t know squat about Chinese Medicine.

Chinese Medicine is many things with many branches and many variations, and not everyone agrees on all of the classical principles.

But if there’s one thing that everyone agrees on, it’s this:

Chinese Medicine is holistic.

In fact, this is the defining characteristic of the medicine. Thousands of years before we in the West had any clue of holistic medicine, the Chinese were perfecting it.

What does holistic mean?

ho·lis·tic

If you are prescribing physical qigong exercises for symptoms like back pain, if you aren’t treating the whole person and taking their mind and emotions into account — then it’s not holistic.

And if it’s not holistic, it ain’t Chinese Medicine.

I’m not saying anything radical here. Pretty much any professor from any acupuncture college would agree with me.

But it still gets me into trouble with other qigong teachers and students.

Here’s why: The truth raises uncomfortable questions about qigong teachers and their understanding of Chinese Medicine (or lack thereof).

But My Master Said…

Martha was aghast after I tried to explain all of this to her.

Her response was a typical one: “But my master said that….”

I’d be happy to discuss her master’s theories and compare them to the fundamental principles of Chinese Medicine. But that’s not really what she was saying.

What she was REALLY saying was this: “I refuse to believe that my master, who is Chinese and has a really cute accent, could possibly be wrong!!”

This is a widespread phenomenon in the qigong and tai chi community.

(To be fair, this phenomenon also exists in many martial arts, yoga, and sitting meditation communities as well.)

And it’s not just the students. It’s the teachers too!

Far too many qigong teachers are brimming with ego and bravado. I know of one qigong master who — as a matter of policy — never admits when he’s wrong. He firmly believes that it’s bad for the students’ morale if they see that he’s fallible!

Yikes!

With attitudes like that, no wonder Martha was unable to accept that her teacher might be wrong!

As you might expect, these teachers and their students don’t really take kindly to me raising uncomfortable questions about their methods.

Sadly, the reaction from them is almost always the same: Mudslinging.

Have at it. Stick and stones. I’ve developed a thick skin over the years.

Here’s a pro tip for you: When a teacher presents himself as infallible, when the students believe he’s never wrong, and when all of them choose to sling mud rather than discuss theory and philosophy — that’s your cue to walk away.

That is — if you want the truth. If you prefer a comfortable lie, then, by all means, stop reading now because I am DEFINITELY not the teacher for you.

What REALLY Matters in Qigong

Some teachers might argue that ALL qigong is holistic and that prescribing X exercise for Y condition still follows the principles of Chinese Medicine.

Actually, I almost agree with this argument. Almost.

Here’s my corrected version of that argument:

All medical qigong that is practiced as an INTERNAL ART is holistic.

If you’re practicing Medical Qigong exercises, but you’re just doing the physical motions — then it’s not an internal art, and it’s not holistic medicine.

Here’s what really matters: With qigong, what happens on the inside is FAR more important than what happens on the outside.

This is a fundamental truth about qigong that people like Martha seem to miss.

An analogy may help you to understand.

Imagine 2 people practicing zuo chan (sitting meditation). One of them is sitting in the perfect double lotus meditation posture. The other is sitting on a chair.

Which one of them will get better results?

The answer is that it depends on who is actually meditating!

What if the person in the perfect lotus posture is just thinking with his eyes closed?

Just like in qigong, the physical aspect of sitting meditation is the least important thing for getting results.

With Martha, I knew that even if I gave her the absolute best qigong technique for her problem, it wasn’t going to help much.

I knew that she would take that technique and perform it on a physical level, ignoring the internal aspects of qigong.

In other words, I knew that she was barking up the wrong tree.

The 4 Primary Skills

All this talk about X exercise for Y problem ignores the elephant in the room — the issue of skill in qigong.

Skill is invisible and internal, but it’s what REALLY matters if you want to get results with qigong.

Do you want to get health benefits from your qigong? Then ask yourself the following 4 questions:

1. Are you able to relax your body, clear your mind, smooth your emotions, and tune in to your qi (energy)?
2. Are you able to get your qi circulating through the 12 primary meridians?
3. Are your meridians, your limbs, and your vertebrae properly aligned?
4. Are you able to gather more qi into your energy system?

All of these things are skills. In fact, those 4 questions highlight the 4 primary skills of qigong, which are:

1. Discovering the Qi
2. Circulating the Qi
3. Aligning the Qi
4. Gathering the Qi

(Note that other teachers might use different terminology, but we’re all referring to the same fundamental skills.)

“Gathering the Qi” is not a technique. It’s a skill. If you have that skill, then you can use any of the following techniques to gather more qi:

1. The Wuji Stance
2. Hugging the Tree
3. Monk Gazing at the Moon
4. Holding the Full Belly
5. Dragons Embracing the Sun
6. Unicorn Holding the Moon
7. Playing the Lute
8. White Crane Spreads Wings
9. Golden Bridge
10. One Finger Shooting Zen
11. Cosmos Palm

These are just techniques from my school. Other schools would have dozens of other techniques for gathering the qi.

In other words, the skill of Gathering the Qi is not imprisoned inside a specific technique or posture.

Here’s a quote that I love:

”For the unskilled, the best technique won’t help. For the skillful, even an inferior technique will suffice.” – Ke An Dao

Like that quote?

I like it too. That’s because I made it up. Ke An Dao is my Chinese name.

So Wait, Which Exercises Should I Practice?!?!

This isn’t my first rodeo.

Even after this lengthy explanation, I know that people will send me emails asking what exercise they should practice.

Want a simpler answer?

Let’s pretend that you’ve just asked me which qigong exercises you should practice for ______ condition.

Here’s my answer, no matter what you put in that blank:

For ______ condition, you should practice the following 12 exercises:

1. Entering Zen
2. Smiling from the Heart
3. Lifting The Sky
4. Pushing Mountains
5. Flowing Breeze Swaying Willow
6. Flowing Stillness
7. Consolidating Qi at Dantian
8. Washing the Face with Both Hands
9. Combing the Hair with the Fingers
10. Massaging the Vital Points
11. Rubbing Two Coins
12. 24 Heavenly Drums

My students will get the joke here. It’s a trick answer.

The exercises I just described form the basis of my 5-Phase Routine. Except for #3 and #4, we do all of these exercises during EVERY practice session.

Instead of #3 and #4, we might insert several other exercises. In fact, my best advice is for you to chose your favorite exercises.

But we always do the other 10 exercises.

Meanwhile, far too many qigong practitioners and teachers are ONLY concerned with #3 and #4. That’s it. Just those 2 parts of the larger equation.

In other words, they’re focusing on 1/6th (i.e. 2/12ths) of the equation. And that 1/6th isn’t even the most important part!

Looking at the exercises above, most of them focus on INTERNAL skills rather than external ones.

• Entering Zen and Smiling from the Heart get us into a meditative state.
• Lifting The Sky and Pushing Mountains are dynamic qigong exercises that help get our energy flowing.
• Flowing Breeze Swaying Willow is a subtle skill that circulates the qi through the meridians.
• Flowing Stillness and Consolidating Qi at Dantian help us store qi at or natural energy center.
• And #8-12 are part of what we call the Closing Sequence, a self-massage sequence that helps us transition back from a meditative state and also brings energy to the eyes and face.

I should mention that all of the exercises/skills listed above are taught in my online program called Qigong 101: The Art of Healing for Busy People.

People absolutely love this program. No really. Here’s some unsolicited praise from students in the program:

“I appreciate your systematic way of teaching. I have tried learning qigong from two other instructors in the past without great results. With your method, I feel I am making real progress and things are starting to make so much more sense to me!” – Holly Blackburn

Practical Next Steps

We’ve covered a lot of theory in this article. In a follow-up article, I’ll talk about practical next steps.

I’ll tell how to choose exercises appropriate for your situation, and also which 2 questions you should ask yourself before making any decisions.

Questions? Comments? Have something to add to the discussion? Go ahead and comment below, I’d love to hear from you! 

From the heart,
Sifu Anthony

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