“Look, the qi doesn’t have to be so mysterious,” I said.

I was catching up with an old friend over coffee. He was having trouble understanding the core ingredient of my work — the qi.

“Anyone can learn to feel it,” I continued.

“Even me?” he said, laughing.

“Hey, if I can do it, anyone can,” I said.

“That’s true. I remember back when you were quite the skeptic about this stuff!”

It was good to hear someone acknowledge this fact, someone who has watched me change over the years.

These days, people often assume I was never skeptical about the qi, that I believed in it from the beginning.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

My Introduction to Qi

My introduction to the ancient concept of qi (or life energy) happened in 1994.

I had the opportunity to study with a high-ranking Japanese karate master named Teuro Chinen.

Sensei Chinen taught us a traditional kata (a series of karate moves) called Sanchin Kata.

I picked up the moves and the breathing easily. But he kept talking about using something called the ki.

I had no clue what he was talking about.

I later learned that ki is the Japanese word for qi. In fact, the concept of qi was imported to Japan (or rather Okinawa) from ancient China.

Here’s an old (and terrible) image of me practicing Sanchin Kata, c. 1995.

I now understand that Sanchin Kata is actually a form of qi cultivation (or qigong). But back then I didn’t really understand it.

And nothing annoys me more than not understanding something.

My Scientific Study

Ever since learning from Sensei Chinen, I’ve been curious about the whole qi thing.

He sparked something in me, and I grew determined to understand the concept.

So I began an investigation.

And not just any investigation, but a scientific one.

Some people think that science and arts like qigong and tai chi are mutually exclusive.

Is that true?

What does it mean mean to be scientific?

Webster’s defines the scientific method as follows:

 ….the systematic pursuit of knowledge involving the recognition and formulation of a problem, the collection of data through observation and experiment, and the formulation and testing of hypotheses.

In other words, to be scientific means that you study the world through experimentation and observation.

That’s exactly what I’ve been doing for the last 22 years.

My Qi Hypothesis

My friend in the coffee shop remembered my original hypothesis.

My original hypothesis from 22 years ago can be summed up as follows:

“I think qi is probably bullshit.”

I’m not joking. That’s what got me started on this journey.

I was a skeptic, and I was out to bust the myth of qi.

Fast forward 22 years, and I’ve dedicated my life to teaching what I once thought was bullshit.

Karma is interesting, isn’t it?

My Data-Driven Conclusion

If we use Webster’s definition of the scientific method from above, then I started with this:

Problem: I don’t understand the phenomenon of qi.

Hypothesis: I think qi is probably bullshit.

This is where most people stop.

In the 21^st century, we are used to having other people (i.e. researchers and scientists) prove things for us.

The concept of running an experiment for and on yourself is downright foreign.

Somehow, at the tender age of 22, I knew that I would need to run my own experiment if I was going to get to the bottom of this qi thing.

Running the Experiment

After doing some research, I decided that the best way to run an experiment was to practice the art of qigong.

I started reading books. Then I started looking for teachers. And I eventually found myself wandering around S.E. Asia.

Needless to say, I’ve collected quite a bit of data in 22 years.

Continuing with Webster’s definition above, we arrive at the following:

Data:

1. 10,000+ hours of personal qigong practice.
2. 1500+ hours of acupuncture training (which also uses the qi).
3. 5000+ hours of teaching.

After collecting a ton of data, I came to the following conclusion.

Conclusion: My hypothesis was incorrect. The qi is not bullshit.

Why Scientists Can’t Measure the Qi (Yet)

Let’s go back to the coffee shop conversation.

“Why can’t scientists measure the qi?” my friend asked.

He wasn’t being rude. I consider this a fair question from both friends and students.

“I’ve thought about this a lot,” I said. “Before I answer, I need to ask you a question. Are you aware that science doesn’t yet fully understand the human sensory system?

“I read your article on the subject. Does that count?”

The article he was referring to was this one: The Big Secret to Sensing Your Qi.

You can read that article later, but here’s the most important part:

It turns out humans might have as many as 20 senses. Whether we have 8 senses or 20 depends on which scientist you ask.

The only thing agreed upon by the research is that there are definitely more than 5 senses.

Understanding this information is critical.

Once you accept this information, then you must also accept that your way of viewing the world might need to change.

In other words, once you realize that humans have more than 5 senses, you can suddenly view the concept of qi with new eyes.

(Ha! See what I did there?)

A High-Tech Device for Measuring Qi?

We’ve established that science still doesn’t fully understand the human sensory system. Heck, scientists don’t even know how many senses we have!

With that in mind, here’s the answer to my friend’s question about why science can’t measure the qi:

“What if the only device currently capable of measuring a complex, multi-faceted phenomenon like qi is a human being?”

In other words, what if researchers can’t find the qi because they are looking for it with the wrong equipment?

The Missing Ingredient

The equipment I’m referring to, of course, is the human sensory system.

But it’s more than that. You need more than just your senses.

Or rather, you need more than just your 5 senses.

There is a key ingredient that is often overlooked by skeptics.

I’m referring to what is called The Zen Mind.

The Zen Mind is simply a different state of consciousness than our everyday, normal consciousness.

(You can experience a taste of the Zen Mind with the free audio found in this blog post here.)

When you are in a meditative state, when you are in The Zen Mind, then you perceive things differently.

The lesson here is that you need meditative skill in order to truly run the qi experiment on yourself.

You need to be in The Zen Mind to feel the qi.

Why I Can’t Take Skeptics Seriously

The first question I ask hardcore qi skeptics is this: “How many hours have you meditated?”

A big problem with skepticism is that it is purely intellectual.

Skepticism happens in the frontal cortex of the brain.

But meditation involves other parts of the brain.

In other words, you can’t be skeptical and also be meditating.

It’s like trying to write poetry from the analytical part of the brain. It’s possible, but the result is some very bad poetry.

A skeptic who refuses to explore outside ofthe frontal cortex will never understand meditation.

And someone who doesn’t understand meditation will never understand qi.

Discovering the Qi

Recently, I’ve been writing about the 12 Dimensions of Qi Mastery.

I have plans to write in depth about all 12 dimensions (which are just ways of cultivating the qi).

What you may not yet realize is that this entire article is actually about the 1st Dimension — Discovering the Qi.

Discovering the Qi is a lifelong journey.

But beginners don’t need 20 years, or even 1 year to feel the qi.

They just need proper instruction, and proper practice.

Some people might look at the 12 Dimensions and wonder if it’s really possible to direct the qi to various parts of the body.

It’s possible — but not if you skip the 1st Dimension.

And that’s what many skeptics do, unfortunately.

If you use the right equipment, if you use some of the hidden human senses, and if you use them in a deep meditative state — then you can feel the qi.

I’ve taught thousands of students to do this.

Many of them had been practicing qigong or tai chi for years prior to learning from me.

After learning from me for a few hours, they were able to feel the qi better than ever.

Why?

Because I taught them how to discover the qi.

Summing Up

I can sum up this article in 4 sentences:

1. The human body may be the only thing capable of measuring the qi.
2. To measure the qi with the human body, you need meditative skill.
3. To gain meditative skill, you need proper instruction and proper practice.
4. Go practice.

What about you? Can you feel the qi? What do you feel? Let me know in the comments below. 

From the heart,
Sifu Anthony

The post The Skeptic’s Guide to Feeling the Qi appeared first on Flowing Zen.

These days, there’s more and more talk about External Qi Transmission (EQT).  Even the Mayo clinic is doing a study. So what’s all the fuss about?

Typically, when I talk about qigong, I’m talking about self healing. Most of my work involves helping people to get the body’s internal energy (or qi) flowing, and thus maximize their natural ability to heal.

But there’s another aspect of qigong, and one that I actually have quite a bit of experience with. Some masters, after practicing  for many years, can also transmit qi to another person. This enables him or her to maximize healing in another person.

Before we go further in, let’s talk briefly about terminology.  There’s a slew of different terms being used, and this can get confusing.  I’ve seen all of the following terms in common usage:

• External Qi Therapy
• External Qigong Treatment
• External Qi Transmission
• Emitted Qi
• Energy Healing
• Qi Transmission
• Medical Qigong Therapy

All of these phrases point toward the same phenomenon: The technique of projecting bioenergy outside the human body, typically for healing purposes. 

I use the term “External Qi Transmission” because I think it’s the most accurate of the bunch.

External Qi Transmission is nothing new. It’s as old as Qigong itself, which of course is thousands of years old.

But it seems like, over the past few years, there is more research being done not just about qigong and tai chi, but specifically about External Qi Transmission.

Personally, I think that this is a good thing, and I fully support it. If the studies are crafted intelligently, and the masters chosen carefully, then I have no doubt that the studies will demonstrate not only the reality, but the effectiveness of External Qi Transmission.

If you’re raising your eyebrows right now, if your world view doesn’t allow for energy to be projected from one person to another — well, I can relate. 

Once upon a time, I myself didn’t believe in this kind of mumbo jumbo either.  So I can’t say that I blame you.

However — your disbelief doesn’t change the fact that energy projection is very real.

I’m not saying that all examples of External Qi Transmission out there are real. I’ve seen some pretty sketchy examples on YouTube. But that’s just the way of the world. Some examples are fake; and some are real (even on YouTube). C’est la vie.

Below are some of my own, real-life experiences with the phenomenon of External Qi Transmission.

Story #1: Qi vs. a Table

In late 2005, I was attending a seminar in Miami with my former teacher, Sifu Wong.  I drove down from Gainesville, and I brought a few of my students along with me.

I was a fledgling Sifu (teacher) at the time, and although I had a good amount of qi built up from many years of training, I didn’t know how to apply it for healing others.

At the time, I was also a graduate student in acupuncture college, so I was highly interested in the subject of External Qi Transmission.

I asked my Sifu about transmitting energy. “You already have plenty of Qi,” he said.  “And you’re also healthy, which is important. Now you need to learn how to transmit qi for healing.”

He taught me how to project Qi using special hand postures, breathing techniques, and visualizations.  Then he showed me how to use my energy to open specific points and meridians on the body.  (I already knew the points and meridians because of my acupuncture training; I just didn’t know what to do to them!)

A few days later, while having breakfast, my Sifu suddenly said, “Try transmitting qi to your student’s hand.”

My student, Chris, had joined us for breakfast.  Although he was (and is) a dedicated student, he was relatively new at the time.

“No pressure,” I joked. Sifu Wong liked to test me by putting me on the spot. As much as I hate to admit it, this can be an effective teaching method.  Nevertheless, I silently hoped that I wouldn’t mess it up and possibly lose a good student in the process.

My Sifu asked Chris to hold out both of his hands and to close his eyes.  I summoned up my qi, and then projected it using a hand posture called the “Sword Finger”.  The idea was for Chris to feel which of his palms, the left or the right, was receiving the qi.

Actually, he was able to feel it surprisingly easily.  He said that it was quite obvious to him, and he was able to guess the correct hand repeatedly.  “Whew,” I thought to myself, happy that I wasn’t going to lose a good student.

“Now through the table,” my Sifu said, sipping his coffee, smiling, and enjoying himself thoroughly.

So Chris held his hands below the restaurant table, and I repeated the qi transmission.

Same result. In fact, it seemed like the table had zero effect on the transmission whatsoever. Chris was able to feel the energy in his hand even with the table in the way.

Story #2: Seeing is Believing

After my wife had surgery for cancer in 2005, she suddenly started getting severe menstrual cramps. When I say severe, I mean sobbing-and-moaning severe. The pain was intense, despite all of her efforts to heal it.

At the time, my wife was an intern at one of the best acupuncture colleges in the country, and she had access to several senior acupuncturists.  Acupuncture and herbs helped a bit with the pain, but not enough. She was desperate, so I decided to give it a shot using External Qi Transmission.

We did several sessions in the clinic at the acupuncture college (where my wife and I met). Using External Qi Transmission, I was able to alleviate her pain better than any other therpy. 

My theory is that the qi was able to penetrate deeply into her tissue, just like it went through the table.  Once it penetrated the tissue, it was able to help the body’s energy to heal itself.

After one of the sessions, an acupuncture physician who was watching said the following to me: “If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn’t have believed it.”

Story #3: Freaking Out a Friend

Speaking of disbelief, I once completely freaked out a skeptic who also happens to be a dear friend of mine.

In 2008, I went back to New York for a visit. I had moved to Florida in 2004 to attend acupuncture college, but I still had friends and family back in NYC.

While there, I saw an old friend — one whom I had known since high school. While cooking dinner, she accidentally burned herself. Later that evening, she complained about the pain from the burn.

“I can probably fix that for you,” I offered casually. She looked at me like I was crazy. But then again, she was an old friend and already knew that I was crazy. So she agreed, albeit reluctantly.

I charged my palm with qi, and then held it over the burn for about 5 minutes. This was another technique I had learned. It’s slightly different than opening the energy points with the Sword Finger, but very effective.

After 5 minutes of holding my palm above her burned skin, the pain was gone.

Completely gone.

My friend was quietly freaking out, and got up to go pour herself a glass of wine. When she sat down, she looked visibly shaken.

“You just got rid of my pain — without touching me,” she said after a pregnant pause. 

I had underestimated her skepticism. Over the years, I had gotten more and more casual with the reality of External Qi Transmission. To me, it was no longer mysterious. It was a natural, if unexplained, phenomenon.

But my friend wasn’t on the same page yet. At the time, she worked in bioscience research at a prestigious university. External Qi Transmission was not something that was in her window of possibility. In fact, I had seriously challenged her world view by taking away her pain.

As I watched her sip her wine, it occurred to me that the pain of having her world view shattered was probably worse than the pain from the burn.

To be continued?

This post turned out to be longer than I expected.  I’ve still got several more stories to share, as well as my own thoughts about the phenomenon of External Qi Transmission.  Shall I continue in another post later?

UPDATE: You can read part 2 of this article here.

The post Real Stories of External Qi Transmission appeared first on Flowing Zen.