Meridian theory is at the heart of qigong, acupuncture, and other forms of Chinese Medicine. It is the common thread between all Chinese healing arts. This ancient theory is robust, sophisticated, and deep.

But are the meridians even real? If so, where are they?

Naturally, I get questions like this all the time. I’ve already written two articles about the meridians, which you can read below. These articles will answer many of the questions that you might have.

• Qigong Students: Here’s How to Make Sense of the Meridians
• Acupuncture Meridians: What Qigong Students Need to Know

In today’s video blog, I give my thoughts about the meridians and whether or not they are real.

In the video, I mention the discovery of a “new organ” in 2018. Here are just a few of the articles published on that topic:

• National Geographic: New Human ‘Organ’ Was Hiding in Plain Sight
• Scientific American: Meet Your Interstitium, a Newfound “Organ”

I also mention the fascia, which is a topic of great interest to me. Modern research on the fascia is hugely important for qigong practitioners. In particular, the parallels between the fascia and the Chinese concept of the Triple Burner (sanjiao, 三膲) should be of interest to every qigong practitioner, as well as every acupuncture physician.

If you’re new to the idea of the fascia then this quote will be of interest:

“Our biomechanical regulatory system is highly complex and under-studied — though new research is filling in the gap. Understanding fascia is essential to the dance between stability and movement — crucial in high performance, central in recovery from injury and disability, and ever-present in our daily life from our embryological beginnings to the last breath we take.” [Taken from the Anatomy Trains website.)

Watch the video blog here:

From the heart,
Sifu Anthony

The post Are the Qigong Meridians Even Real? appeared first on Flowing Zen.

I was not born with a lot of qi.

For whatever reason, I was born with less vitality than most people, including my older brother.

You might even call me the runt of the litter. (Sorry mom!)

For example, I’m much shorter than my older brother, and I’ve had way more health problems over the years.

And you know what? That’s okay.

It happens. Often. Lots of people are born with less qi. Millions, possibly even billions.

If you’re like me — and you probably wouldn’t be reading this if you weren’t like me — then this video is for you.

Thanks to qigong and tai chi, it’s hard to tell that I was born with less qi. In fact, many of you are probably surprised to hear me mention it. You probably thought that I was bursting with qi.

And I am. But the qi that I have now is not the qi that I was born with.

In this video, I’ll examine 2 ancient theories:

• Pre-Heaven Qi (Yuan Qi 元氣)
• Post-Heaven Qi (Houtian Zhi Qi 後天之氣).

More importantly, I’ll frame these theories in a way that’s useful for the 21st-century practitioner.

Check it out:

From the heart,
Sifu Anthony

The post How Much Qi Were You Born With? 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.

Question from a Student

“I have a miserable cold. Is it wise to do qigong during this time and if so, which forms might be better?”

My Answer

First of all, I’m sorry to hear that you’re not feeling well. Get well soon!

With Flowing Zen Qigong, it’s not only okay to practice while sick — it’s recommended!

If you know it, and if you have the strength, then do the 5-Phase Routine.

Stick to simple exercises like Lifting The Sky, Swimming Dragon, or Pushing Mountains. Avoid advanced exercises like the Small Universe, zhan zhuang, One Finger Zen, Sinew Metamorphosis, and Bone Marrow Cleansing.

But don’t force it! If you don’t have the energy for the 5-Phase Routine, then do the 2-Minute Drill instead. Just get up from your bed or from the couch and do 2 minutes. Simple.

The goal with the 2-Minute Drill is to engage the Wei Qi, which is the energy that powers your immune response and your lymphatic system.

Flowing Breeze Swaying Willow

Different qigong schools have different approaches to this. Some schools recommend that you do not practice qigong while sick, especially with a high fever.

Obviously, I disagree with this approach. But why the disagreement?

The difference can be boiled down to one thing: Flowing Breeze Swaying Willow.

Most schools do not teach this skill. It’s not their fault. It was kept secret for centuries.

I happened to win the qigong lottery by learning this technique, and I don’t hold it against other teachers who haven’t.

But Flowing Breeze Swaying Willow makes all the difference and allows us to do things that schools without it simply can’t do.

Let it Flow

With Flowing Breeze Swaying Willow (FBSW), we stimulate the qi so that it flows freely in the body.

Then — and here’s the important part — we ALLOW it to flow. In other words, we allow the body’s own wisdom to do the healing.

If you’re sick and you go to an acupuncture physician, then she’ll have to do a diagnostic to determine exactly what is wrong with you. Once she knows what’s wrong, she can choose a treatment plan.

For example, colds and flus are common categorized in Chinese Medicine as either Wind Heat or Wind Cold.

But which one is it?

If you’re treating yourself with some types of qigong, then you need to know the answer, which means that you need a diagnostic.

But with FBSW, we don’t need to know. This is because we don’t direct the qi to any particular organ or meridian or system. Instead, we just get the qi flowing, and then let it flow.

But what about the 2-Minute Drill? In that routine, we don’t do FBSW. Is it still safe?

Yes, it’s safe because the dosage is so small. It’s true that the exercise that you choose, like Lifting The Sky or Pushing Mountains, will direct the qi to certain meridians. But because the session is so short, the qi doesn’t really get directed very much. The overall effect is simply a small boost to the ENTIRE system.

Feedback from Students

Why do I give this advice about practicing qigong while sick?

In a word: evidence.

When I make a decision to implement a teaching or a methodology in my school of qigong, it’s based on evidence.

I’m not just talking about scientific research. Sure, that’s important too. (Click here for a free infographic on the 13 proven benefits of qigong and tai chi.)

But I’m also talking about actual, real-world feedback from students.

For example, many of us have followed the advice above, and we’ve found that it works. Practicing a little qigong while sick typically kicks it out faster than usual.

“I continued Qigong while I had a cold/fever. And I believe that helped me recover faster. Thanks Sifu for the advice.” – George from the US 

“When I have been sick, Qigong is a lot harder, but I still do it, and I’ve felt a lot better because of it. Also: I’ve had magic results with Shooting Bow and Arrow helping breathing related symptoms.” – Charles from the US

Other Tips

The post Is it Wise to Practice Qigong While Sick? 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

The post Which Qigong Exercise Should You Practice For [Insert Problem]? appeared first on Flowing Zen.

If you’re like most 21st century humans, then you make your resolutions in January.

It never works, but you do it anyway.

Oh, don’t worry. You’re not alone. The failure rate for new year’s resolutions is about 92%.

What if I told you that the problem wasn’t with your willpower, but rather with your timing?

There is a better way to make resolutions — a method based on the wisdom of the ancient Chinese masters who discovered qigong, acupuncture, and feng shui.

If you want to learn about this method, then this article is for you.

What is a Resolution?

First, let’s define “resolution”:

resolution

noun

1. the act of resolving or determining upon an action, course of action, method, procedure, etc. 

In other words, a resolution is simply a firm decision that leads to action.

Humans are capable of making firm decisions that lead to inspired actions.

Although we normally associate resolutions with the new year, we can make them any time of year.

In fact, January is a terrible time to make a resolution!

This is good news for you! You didn’t fail because you’re broken; you failed because your timing was wrong!

The Ancient Chinese Approach

To better understand our failure with New Year’s Resolutions, let’s look through the lens of an ancient Chinese paradigm called The Five Elements.

Once you look through this lens, you’ll not only understand why you’ve failed in the past, but you’ll immediately understand how to flip your failure into success.

The Theory of The Five Elements is a philosophy that is central to many Chinese arts, including qigong, tai chi chuan, acupuncture, herbal medicine, therapeutic massage, and feng shui.

You’ve already heard of the grandmother of the Five Element Theory.

It looks like this:

That’s the symbol for the Theory of Yin and Yang, and it’s closely tied to the Theory of The Five Elements.

See the colors surrounding the yin-yang symbol above? Those actually represent The Five Elements.

When I was in acupuncture college, we spent months learning about the interrelated theories of Yin and Yang and The Five Elements. These theories form the foundation of Traditional Chinese Medicine, so they’re super important.

But luckily, you don’t need a deep understanding of The Five Elements in order to benefit from it. 

For example, I bet you’ve already gained perspective at least once in your life by viewing things in terms of a balance of yin and yang, right?

Maybe it went something like this:

“My work/life balance is unhealthy. I need to find more of a yin-yang harmony between them.”

Or this:

“That type of exercise is too yang for me. I need something more yin.”

We’re going to do something similar right now, but using The Five Elements instead.

A Quick History of The Five Elements

First of all, you need to understand that The Five Elements are not really elements. This is not a periodic table containing elements like hydrogen and oxygen.

The ancient Chinese masters didn’t believe that the cosmos was made of only 5 physical elements. 

The Chinese term Wu Xing (五行) is actually really hard to translate. Here are a half dozen translations, which I hope will help to give you a broader perspective:

1.            The Five Elements
2.            The Five Phases
3.            The Five Agents
4.            The Five Movements
5.            The Five Processes
6.            The Five Stages

The Chinese masters discovered that a wide variety of phenomena in the universe could be explained by a 5-phase paradigm.

These 5 phases were described using symbols: Fire, Earth, Metal, Water, and Wood.

You’ll typically see The Five Element chart presented in this order:

If you want to learn more about The Five Elements, then please let me know in the comments section, and I’ll write more about them in future articles.

For the purposes of this article, all you need to know is this:

Each element has an energy to it, and each of those energies is associated with a season.

So for example, the Water Element is associated with an energy that retreats. In the Water Element, we see stillness and storage, like a bear hibernating in the winter.

The Wood Element, on the other hand, is associated with an energy that grows and sprouts. With this Element, we see new vitality and budding life, like flowers beginning to blossom in the spring.

The Wood Element

If you want to start eating healthier, then that’s a new habit that you want to “sprout”. That’s the energy of the Wood Element.

And here’s the crux of this article: New plants don’t sprout in January.

The Wood Element is one of growth, which is ideal for adding new habits. And the season for the Wood Element is springtime, not January.

I bet that you can feel the truth of this.

For example, here in Florida, spring has already sprung, and it’s something that you can feel all around you.

In other parts of the Northern Hemisphere, spring will come over the next 1-2 months.

(If you’re in the Southern Hemisphere, then you’ll have to wait to feel it.)

As spring blossoms, try to feel the energy.

• Do you feel more alive?
• Do you notice the morning air not only filling your lungs, but inspiring you?
• Do you have more energy to do things?
• Is it easier to make decisions?

There’s a reason why houses and desks are more likely to get cleaned out during the spring. Spring cleaning is a perfect example of the energy of the Wood Element!

And THIS is precisely the energy that you want for your resolutions, not the energy of winter and the Water Element.

When to Let Go of A Bad Habit

Notice that I specifically mentioned adding a healthy, new habit, not letting go of a bad one.

The energy of The Wood Element is for new growth, not for letting go.

The energy of letting go belongs to the Metal Element, like trees letting go of their leaves.

If you want to let go of of a bad habit like smoking, then your chances are better if you wait for the energy of the Metal Element in autumn.

The same goes for letting go of bad relationships, or quitting a job that is killing you.

By all means, make a firm decision this spring.

Decision making is associated with your Liver and Gallblader Meridians, both of which are part of the Wood Element.

That’s why it’s easier (but not necessarily easy) to make big decisions in the spring.

But if you want to let go of a bad habit, I strongly recommend that you don’t decide now, and then wait for autumn.

Remember that resolutions are not just about decisions, but about following a decision with action.

Make the decision now to quit that habit in autumn, but take action now — action that will support your habit later.

Why Adding a Habit is Better Than Subtracting

The research on habit-building shows that it’s far easier to add a good habit than to eliminate a bad one.

In other words, even if you decide that you’re going to quit a habit this autumn, you’re going to need all the help you can get.

Why not add a habit this spring that can help you to better let go this autumn?

I truly believe that qigong is one of the best habits that you can add, and that now is the time to do it.

Research is mounting that shows that mindfulness can help you to be more motivated to make big life changes.

And when it comes to mindfulness, it’s hard to beat qigong.

Even just 2 minutes a day of qigong will help you to be better prepared to make other, healthier changes down the road.

So if you want to let go of a bad habit, don’t just wait for autumn, but add a good habit right now.

Make a Smart Decision

Look back, and you’ll see that some of the biggest and best changes in your life came after making a strong, clear decision.

But you also DID something after making that decision. In other words, your decision or resolution was followed by action.

If you’re inspired to make a decision this spring, that’s wonderful! Just be careful not to write a check that you can’t cash.

Here’s an example:

“I read this great article online, and I’m inspired to make changes! I’m resolving to go to the gym 5 days per week, starting tomorrow!”

If you’re already going to the gym 3 days per week, then this is doable.

But chances are, you’re not going 3 days per week, or even 3 days per month.

If haven’t been to the gym since January 4th, then this kind of decision is a mistake.

Decisions can be powerful, but they have to be done right. Don’t just make a decision; make it a smart one.

The Beauty of Tiny Habits

As research grows on habit making, you’ll be hearing more and more a about tiny habits.

I’ve been talking about tiny habits for years, and I’m happy to see that the research is catching up.

In fact, a tiny habit saved my life years ago. That tiny habit was simple: 2 minutes of qigong every day, no matter what.

I recommend that you use the energy of the Wood Element to pick a tiny habit that requires little to no willpower.

Here are 9 life-changing habits that require zero willpower.

There are a bunch of options in that article, but I still recommend that you choose qigong.

Make A Change, Starting Now

If, right now, you decide to practice qigong for 2 minutes per day, and you follow through on that decision — then you will forever alter the rest of your life.

2 minutes isn’t a high enough dosage to give you the amazing results that my students get, but you’ll still get results.

And more importantly, it’s a habit! The #1 reason students fail with qigong is because they fail to make it a daily habit.

So start with 2 minutes.

Click here to start learning qigong right now, for free.

(If you’ve already got a 2-minute qigong habit, then resolve to do 4 or even 8 minutes per day — no matter what.)

It’s easier if you do this with a friend. Share the free course with them, and then the two of you can be accountability partners.

You don’t need to live near them. Just check in every week and keep each other honest with your tiny habit.

Or you can join our Facebook community and share your wins and struggles there. We’ve got a great group!

But act now. Take the energy of the Wood Element, and use it to sprout a new, healthy habit in your life!

Start now, with a clear conscience. Now that you know that it wasn’t your fault, now that you know your timing was off, you can let go of all your guilt from past failure.

What tiny habit will you add now that your slate is totally clean?  

From the heart,
Sifu Anthony

The post Why Ancient Chinese Masters Saved Their Resolutions for Springtime appeared first on Flowing Zen.

Drew was a longtime student, and also a concerned father-to-be. I could see the fear written all over his face. He was worried about his wife and his baby.

I knew where the fear was coming from. In the world of qigong and tai chi, there are some pretty scary ideas about practicing while pregnant.

“Getting in a car while pregnant is far more dangerous than practicing qigong,” I said.

This surprised him, in a good way. Sometimes, a little perspective is all we need.

While it’s true that some caution is advised when you are growing a brand new human in your belly, it’s also true that qigong can be incredibly safe and beneficial.

In fact, qigong is one of the best things that you can give to your brand new human!

In this article, we’ll take a modern look at the dos and don’ts of practicing qigong while pregnant.

Although I don’t have children, I want you to know that I’ve helped usher many “Qi Babies” into this world.

While working with an acupuncturist, I’ve worked with: couples who struggled to conceive; breach births; overdue pregnancies; and post-natal care for both the baby and the mother.

I’m proud of these Qi Babies and I’m happy to share my experience with you in this article!

I’ve also included some helpful quotes from Angelika Fritz, who is a tai chi colleague as well as a member of my online qigong program.

Angelika runs a popular blog on qigong and tai chi. Unlike me, she has direct experience with being pregnant! I’m grateful for her contributions, and I hope you’ll visit her blog to show your support!

Here are 16 guidelines for practicing qigong while pregnant:

Guideline #1: Stick to Medical Qigong

There are 5 major categories of qigong:

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

Of these, Medical Qigong is the safest choice. (If you want to read more on this subject, take a look at my article, History of Qigong: The 5 Categories of Qi Cultivation.)

For example, there’s a form of Martial Qigong called Iron Shirt where you systematically strike the torso with harder and harder objects. As you can imagine, this might not be the best choice when you’re preggers!

There are ways to safely practice Vitality Qigong, Scholarly Qigong, Martial Qigong, and Spiritual Qigong — but not without close supervision by an experienced teacher. Remember that tai chi can be considered a form of Martial Qigong.

Guideline #2: Forget About Dantian

In most schools of qigong, including mine, you bring your qi and your awareness back to the lower dantian at the end of the session.

Certain qigong exercises use dantian even more intensively. For example, a technique called Dantian Breathing focuses on cultivating a ball of qi at dantian.

The lower dantian is your natural energy center, located about 3 finger breadths below your navel, and about 3 finger breadths inside your abdominal wall. (If you want to read more about dantian, check out my article, Where in the World is Dantian?)

As you probably noticed, this energy center is located almost exactly where your brand new human is being nurtured!

When you’re pregnant, there’s already plenty of qi at dantian, so there’s no need to add more. To be extra safe, I recommend that you completely avoid focusing energy at the lower dantian while pregnant (see below).

Guideline #3: Use Mingmen Instead

Instead of using dantian, close your qigong session by focusing your awareness at mingmen (命門)

This energy center translates to The Gate of Vitality. It’s located on the midline of your spine, below the spinous process of the 2nd lumbar vertebra (L2).

To locate it, find the shallowed part of the natural curve of the lower back. This should be almost exactly opposite your navel.

There is some discrepancy about the location of mingmen among qigong schools. The location I described is the one I learned in acupuncture college, and the one that feels right to me when I practice.

However, whenever we’re talking about energy fields like dantian or mingmen, we’re talking about an area, not a tiny little point.

To start feeling energy at mingmen, rub the area with a finger, and then close the eyes and try to feel some warmth or activity there.

If you can’t feel any activity, don’t worry. Just try to feel the lingering sensation of where you rubbed your finger. That gentle awareness is more than enough!

Guideline #4: Use Your Intuition

Pregnant women are known for eating intuitively. For example, they’ll suddenly crave a strange food, and gorge themselves on it.

This is the body’s own innate wisdom telling you to get certain nutrients for you and the baby.

You should use the exact same approach with qigong.

Trust your gut. Listen to your intuition. If you feel like doing a particular Medical Qigong exercise, then do it.

If you feel like skipping a practice day, then skip it.

Don’t get carried away with intuition. Don’t use it as an carte blanche to ignore the guidelines listed in this article. But learn to trust your intuition for the expert that it is.

Do the exercises you feel most comfortable with. Being pregnant is a great time to get in touch with your body! I particularly liked circling my pelvis and used that move during labor too! – Angelika Fritz

Guideline #5: Consult Your Physicians

This is a no-brainer, but notice that I used “physicians” plural, not singular.

I’m assuming that you already have an obstetrician in the equation. But do you also have a primary care physician to help in other ways? An acupuncturist might also serve this function. (In the state of Florida, acupuncturists are primary care physicians.)

But don’t stop at physicians.

I’m a big fan of creating a wellness team. Consider adding a midwife, a massage therapist, a mental health counselor, or even a spiritual coach to your team. Together, your team can help you to make better decisions about your health.

If it turns out that one of the members of your wellness team isn’t working out, then you can simply replace that team member, while keeping the rest of your team intact!

Surround yourself with people you like and who can help you with your questions. I specifically want to recommend a midwife (to answer all your questions about you and your baby), a TCM doctor/acupuncturist (to help you balance your new life), and other moms (to have allies during sleep-deprived days). – Angelika Fritz

Guideline #6: Use A La Carte Qigong

Qigong can help with many of the common issues that women face during pregnancy, like indigestion, constipation, hypertension, insomnia, back pain, and nausea.

Sometimes, all you need is a few repetitions of Plucking Stars to get rid of your nausea. If it works, then great! I call this a la carte qigong.

Normally, students are taught to do a longer, more comprehensive qigong routine.

For example, with Flowing Zen Qigong, we use the 5-Phase Routine as our standard practice.

Some pregnant women will prefer to use shorter, a la carte routines. And that’s exactly what they should do, rather than trying to force a longer routine.

(If you want to try a 3-minute, a la carte qigong routine, then check out my free online course: Beating Fatigue & Exhaustion with Qigong.)

Guideline #7: Understand the Risks of Pregnancy

Many qigong masters are extremely cautious when it comes to pregnancy. Some of them will tell you not to practice at all. Others will refuse to accept new students who are already pregnant.

I believe that some of these masters are actually trying to reduce their own liability. Many couples don’t understand the risks of pregnancy. A grieving couple might blame qigong for the miscarriage. To avoid this problem, some masters try to preemptively cover their backs.

Miscarriages are a common risk of pregnancy. This has absolutely nothing to do with qigong. Qigong is safe even if you don’t follow all of these guidelines. But if you follow these guidelines, then it’s even safer.

You can even talk to your OBGYN about this. Show them this article, or talk to them about qigong and ask them if it’s safe. (Hint: it is.)

Guideline #8: Practice After Giving Birth

In the Chinese tradition, women are expected to rest for at least a month after giving birth, and preferably more. During this period, family and friend take care of the new mother.

If you’ve given birth in the U.S., you might want to sit down for this one. In China, new mothers are not even allowed to dress themselves. Buttoning a shirt is considered too strenuous. The extended family chips in to help the new mother rest and restore.

After giving birth, your qi, your vital energy, is severely depleted.

Of course, many women feel great during and after pregnancy. Nevertheless creating another human being from scratch undoubtedly drains your qi.

We all know that maternity leave in the U.S. is awful. There is tremendous pressure on women to get back to work ASAP. Even women who can afford to take time off often succumb the peer pressure created by our society.

It would be better if, as a society, we encouraged women to take plenty of time after giving birth. And of course, we need to encourage them not just with words, but with paid maternity leave!

Rest as much as you possibly can with a newborn. Prepare food in advance or find a good delivery service — there are even some that cater specifically to new moms! Just stay in bed. You don’t need to get back into your (qigong) routine immediately. If you want, a good time to practice in your head is while you feed your baby! – Angelika Fritz

Guideline #9: Squat Well (Or Not at All)

Some masters will tell you not to squat. This advice was also common in the West for a while, but that advice is changing.

Today, the general advice is that squatting is safe when done correctly.

And this makes sense. For millennia, humans have been squatting to poop and cook. In fact, billions of humans still poop or cook that way!

The key is to squat correctly. If you don’t know how to squat, then pregnancy might not be the best time to learn.

Squatting should involve zero sharp pain in the knees, ankles, or hips.

Human hips vary a lot, and you need to adjust your squatting to your own hips. Adjust your feet, adjust the width, and avoid sharp pain like the plague (see Guideline #10).

You can squat with the feet flat, or you can raise the heels like in the image above. But again, remember that you need proper instruction before attempting either of these.

I personally did not like to squat during my pregnancies. I avoided any exercises that come with a wide stance or which go DOWN (physically and mentally) until I was sure I wanted to get the baby out! (And by that time my belly was too big for proper squats anyway) – Angelika Fritz

Guideline #10: No Pain, Good!

“No pain, no gain!” is part of Western culture. It’s in your subconscious whether you like it or not. This mentality is especially dangerous for pregnant women.

I’m certainly not one of those sexist old-timers who thinks that women shouldn’t exercise at all during pregnancy. That kind of thinking is outdated. But there’s a difference between exercise, and “no pain, no gain”.

If you push yourself to failure and fatigue, then you are draining your qi.

There’s a simple rule for this: You should have MORE energy after you exercise than before. If not, then you’re draining your qi.

Qigong is the perfect solution because it allows you to exercise gently, without draining your qi.

Guideline #11: Go Low Impact

Tai chi and qigong are generally considered low-impact or no-impact exercise options.

But this isn’t strictly true. There are jumping kicks in tai chi, and exercises where you bounce or shake in qigong.

Nevertheless, the vast majority of qigong and tai chi exercises can be considered low or no impact.

Choose those exercises.

Never shake a baby, even when it’s in your belly!

Guideline #12: Work Directly with a Chinese Medicine Expert

Personally, I think it’s wise to have  someone who understands Chinese medicine on your wellness team. This could be an acupuncture physician, a licensed herbalist, or even a qigong master who has studied Chinese medicine.

Remember that qigong is a branch of Chinese medicine. The underlying theories of acupuncture and qigong are the same, so she can help you even if she’s not a qigong expert.

Guideline #13: Stop if…

As I said, it’s highly unlikely that qigong would cause any problems, but just to be safe, stop if you experience any of the following:

•         dizziness
•         pain
•         vaginal bleeding
•         shortness of breath
•         racing heartbeat
•         chest pain
•         vaginal fluid leaking
•         uterine contractions
•         severe muscle cramps

These are cues that you should go speak to your OBGYN. Of course, these cues also apply to Western exercise, as well as to other mindfulness practices like yoga.

Guideline #14: Avoid Complex Visualization

Visualization is a big part of some qigong schools. I separate visualization into two categories: simple, and complex.

In my school, complex visualization is reserved for advanced students. For example, The Small Universe involves complex visualization.

I teach beginners to focus on simple visualizations, like Smiling from the Heart.

Visualization is a subtle skill, and it’s easy to mess it up. Since we don’t need complex visualization to get remarkable results with qigong, I encourage beginners to leave it out entirely.

I wrote a longer article about visualization which you can read here: The Simple Truth About Qigong Visualization

I should mention that Positive Visualization can be a powerful tool for pregnancy. This is a simple visualization technique where you visualize (and feel) the positive outcomes that you want to happen in the future.

This is safe because it’s simple.

For example, using Positive Visualization to imagine the smooth delivery of your healthy baby is safe, whereas visualizing a cool, moon-like orb of silver energy at the huiyin energy point (near the perineum) is risky.

Guideline #15: No Five Animal Play

My version of Five Animal Play is different than in other schools, so keep that in mind as you read.

You can read more about my version of Five Animal play in my article: The Secret of Energy Flow.

In my school, the Five Animal Play involves a vigorous, internal flow of qi that can also release deep-rooted emotional blockages. It’s a powerful technique, and one that I hope you’ll learn some day.

But just to be safe, it should be avoided during pregnancy because of the vigorous nature of the energy flow. If you accidentally do Five Animal Play a few times, don’t worry. Remember, qigong is already safe, but we’re trying to be extra safe.

Guideline #16: Move Qi Down During Your Third Trimester

Some qigong exercises lift the qi upward, and some sink it downward. Can you guess which direction you want to send the energy as you get ready to give birth?

Down and out. That’s what you want your energy to do.

Exercises like Lifting The Sky should be avoided in the 3rd trimester because they lift the energy up. (But for the exact same reason, Lifting The Sky is great for the 1st trimester!)

Similarly, exercises like The Bear Walk, which drive the energy downward, should be saved for the final trimester.

Exercises like Pushing Mountains are more neutral, which means you can do them safely.

Some of this can be felt. Learn to trust your intuition about which direction the qi is moving.

Does the exercise make you feel more grounded and rooted? Then it’s driving the energy down.

Does the exercise make you feel lighter and uplifted? Then it’s driving the energy upward.

Getting the baby out is not only a physical shift, but also a mental shift. Being pregnant, one focuses on KEEPING the baby mostly. However, during the last 2-3 weeks (once the doctor told me it would be ok if the baby comes now) I focused on letting go. Just sitting, relaxing, and smoothing my body was a big help not only for my body, but also for my mind. – Angelika Fritz

Takeaway

I want you to feel more relaxed after reading this list article, not more stressed.

This list is designed to educated you. I want to shine some light on the confusing darkness and fear that sometimes surrounds the issue of qigong and pregnancy.

Remember: These are guidelines, not strict rules.

You don’t need to follow every guideline in order to have a healthy and happy child! In fact, I doubt that anyone in the history of baby-making has ever followed all of the guidelines!

Relax, and enjoy the amazing process of creating a new human and giving birth.

Also, if you’ve practiced qigong while pregnant and have any advice to add, please share it in the comments section below! 

From the heart,
Sifu Anthony

The post 16 Guidelines for Practicing Qigong While Pregnant appeared first on Flowing Zen.

“Should I lift the tip of my tongue to the roof of my mouth?” Gina asked.

“Why would you do that?” I asked.

“Because that’s what I learned from another qigong teacher,” she said.

“Yes, but WHY?” I asked. “Why did she tell you to do it, and why are you doing it now?”

Gina stared at me, blinking.

“I just thought that’s what you’re supposed to do in qigong,” she said.

I see this all the time with students. There’s a ton of confusion about the tongue in qigong. (Hey, that rhymes!)

In this article, I’ll explain why some qigong teachers tell you to lift the tongue.

I’ll also make a strong argument for why you might want to stop.

Asking Questions: A Modern Innovation

When I teach, I not only allow students to ask questions, but encourage them to do so.

Like most modern educators, I know that this is an essential part of good teaching.

But that’s not the traditional way of teaching qigong. Not even close.

Throughout most of the history of qigong and tai chi, students probably asked very few questions.

Here’s why.

Let’s imagine that a student is learning qigong in China roughly 200 years ago.

And let’s imagine that the Sifu (or teacher) tells the student to lift the tip of the tongue to touch the roof of her mouth.

“Sifu, why do we lift the tongue like this?” the student asks.

The student would probably receive one of the following answers from her Sifu:

1. “Because I said so!”
2. Silence, followed by a lightning-fast whack from the Sifu’s walking stick.

To the modern teacher, this probably seems like terrible pedagogy. And it certainly would be today in the West.

But we shouldn’t be so quick to judge masters who taught like this.

Past masters in China wanted to encourage their students to answer their own questions through practice, rather than through intellectualization.

They were also teaching in a totally different setting — one where secrecy was the norm, and the goals of practice were significantly different.

As times changed, so did the way that questions were asked and answered.

A 20th Century Answer

As qigong and tai chi migrated to the West, traditional teachers quickly realized that they couldn’t teach the old way.

So they did what humans do best: they adapted.

For example, let’s imagine a student learning qigong in the US in the 1970s.

And let’s imagine that, just like the example above, the Sifu tells her to lift the tip of the tongue to touch the roof of her mouth.

“Sifu, why do we lift the tongue like this?” the student asks.

Since the Sifu can’t give the student a good whack for an answer, and since “because I said so,” probably wouldn’t cut it either, she opts for a curt answer instead:

“Because it connects the ren mai and du mai,” she responds. Then she walks away, preventing further questions.

A 21st Century Answer

Now let’s imagine a modern, 21st century student learning from a Western teacher.

And let’s imagine that, just like the 2 examples above, the Sifu tells her to lift the tip of the tongue to touch the roof of her mouth.

“Sifu, why do we lift the tongue like this?” the student asks.

This time, the Sifu responds as follows:

“Lifting the tongue to the roof of the mouth connects the Ren Mai  (which runs from the chin down the centerline to the perineum) to the Du Mai (which runs from the perineum up the centerline of the back, around the head, and down to the upper lip), which is one of the steps toward opening an energy circuit called the Small Universe, sometimes called the Microcosmic Orbit, or Xiao Zhou Tian in Chinese.”

That’s a pretty thorough answer! But is it helpful?

Meh. Not really.

It’s interesting enough, and it will probably satisfy the Western mind.

But what we really need is a follow-up question.

For example:

“Sifu, why am I practicing the Small Universe?”

Now we’re getting somewhere!

Why Practice the Small Universe?

The Small Universe (小周天) is one of the oldest qigong techniques known.

A text dating back to 300 B.C. called The Circulating Qi Inscription (Xing Qi Ming, 行氣銘) describes the technique almost exactly the way it is practiced today.

But what is it, and why would anyone want to practice it?

It’s a powerful qigong method that transforms and “mixes” the energies of the human body in a way that is exceedingly useful for both martial artists and spiritualists.

For martial artists, the Small Universe will give you more power and more stamina.

For spiritualists, the Small Universe will help to refine your energy in a way that will make spiritual experiences more frequent and more intense.

Sounds good, right?

Not so fast.

The Small Universe isn’t just ancient; it’s also advanced.

In addition to asking WHY we should practice the Small Universe, we should also be asking WHEN.

When Should We Learn the Small Universe?

Some schools of qigong teach the Small Universe early, even to relative beginners.

This baffles me. For the life of me, I can’t find a good reason to do this.

Meanwhile, I can find many reasons NOT to do it.

As I said, the Small Universe is an advanced technique.

It requires a combination of many different advanced qigong skills, like directing the qi, consolidating the qi, and purifying the qi. (Click here to read more about the 12 main qigong skills.)

If you practice the techniques of the Small Universe too early in your qigong development, you won’t have the skill to get the benefits from this powerful method.

What’s worse, you might even hurt yourself.

Years ago, I wrote about about the dangers of practicing the Small Universe without proper training.

To this day, I still receive emails from students who attempted the Small Universe, and hurt themselves doing so.

Luckily, the damage is reversible with remedial qigong techniques. But why take such a risk in the first place?

[Edit: simply lifting the tongue doesn’t count as practicing the Small Universe, so it doesn’t carry the same risk. But there are other problems with lifting the tongue, as I explain below.]

Is the Small Universe Necessary?

You can’t master the art of qigong without practicing the Small Universe.

But many students mistakenly think that the Small Universe is necessary for healing.

This is totally untrue.

As I said, the Small Universe is great for martial artists and spiritualists.

But when it comes to healing pain and illness, there are options that are both safer and more efficient than the Small Universe.

In fact, there is an entire category of qigong dedicated to healing pain and illness.

It’s called — big surprise — Medical Qigong!

Choose the Right Type of Qigong

Remember Gina from the beginning of this post?

She assumed that qigong was just qigong, and that you always lift the tongue.

But Qigong is actually a modern, umbrella term for many different types of qi cultivation.

All styles of qigong trace back to China, and all share a the concept of qi, but HOW they go about cultivating that qi is different.

And their goals are different too.

There are 5 different types, or categories, of qigong:

1. Medical Qigong
2. Vitality (or Longevity) Qigong
3. Scholarly (or Intellectual) Qigong
4. Martial Qigong
5. Spiritual Qigong

Each category also tells you its main goal:

• Medical Qigong aims to heal pain and illness.
• Vitality Qigong aims to keep you healthy and full of vitality for a long time.
• Scholarly Qigong aims to improve memory, concentration, and creativity.
• Martial Qigong aims to improve power and performance in martial arts.
• Spiritual Qigong aims to cultivate the mind and the spirit.

Here’s something that many people don’t understand:

Most of the qigong taught within the tai chi tradition is Martial Qigong!

This isn’t surprising because tai chi is a martial art. (If you didn’t know this, then click here to watch a quick video and learn more.)

Now we can see why so many students are taught to lift the tongue — because they learned within the context of tai chi.

In other words, they learned Martial Qigong.

And the Small Universe is a major part of most types of Martial Qigong.

The 12 Primary Channels

Medical Qigong is a branch of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), making it a cousin of acupuncture.

According to TCM theory, you have 12 Primary Channels:

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)

Some of those may be confusing, but I’m sure you noticed that there are some pretty important organs listed in there.

You also have what are known as the 8 Extraordinary Vessels:

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 Small Universe deals with the first two of these vessels — the Ren Mai and Du Mai.

In other words, it ignores all of the 12 Primary Channels, and ignores 6 out of the 8 Extraordinary Vessels.

If you want to heal from pain and illness, then you should choose the right tool for the job.

Medical Qigong, which focuses on the 12 Primary Channels, is a better choice than the Small Universe, which focuses on the Ren and Du Vessels.

What Happens if You Rush to the Small Universe

If you jump to the techniques of the Small Universe too early, you may end up diverting energy away from the 12 Primary Channels in order to feed the Ren and Du Vessels.

This can happen especially if you haven’t gathered enough qi into your system — something that takes time — or if you haven’t cleared enough of the energy blockages in your system.

Even though the vessels and channels are connected, it’s a bad idea to divert energy away from your 12 Primary Channels.

For example, the Heart Channel is considered the Emperor of the entire system.

Starving the Heart Channel of qi by diverting it to the Ren and Du Vessels could potentially wreak havoc on your energy system.

Why take the risk?

Most people come to qigong because they have chronic pain or illness. They want to be healthier, have more energy, and be happier.

We can accomplish all of that without the Small Universe.

Later, once you’re healthier, once you’ve spent time circulating and gathering your qi, then you can start to learn advanced techniques like the Small Universe.

So What Should I Do With My Tongue?!?

Okay, we’ve established that you probably shouldn’t be practicing the Small Universe if you’re a beginner who is working on chronic pain and illness.

But what if you lift the tongue when you’re NOT doing the Small Universe?

If you have tension in your tongue or your jaw — both of which are common for beginners — then lifting the tongue can actually block the flow of qi, not only through the Small Universe, but through all 12 channels.

Does that sound like a good idea? Nope. It’s not.

While it’s not the worst mistake in the world, you’re probably better off keeping the tongue and the jaw relaxed.

Of course, once you start learning and practicing the Small Universe, you’ll need to start lift your tongue. But by then, you’ll be better at releasing tension.

If you’re already learning from a Sifu who asks you to lift the tongue and you feel that you can ask a question without being rude, then go ahead and ask why! Be polite, and give your Sifu the benefit of the doubt, especially if they are from an Eastern culture.

And if you already have the habit of raising the tongue, then make sure there’s no extra tension in the tongue (usually caused by pressing upward too hard), or in the jaw (usually caused by clenching the teeth or holding the jaw rigidly).

In my qigong style, we typically breathe in gently through the nose, and out gently through the mouth. So the exhalation naturally causes you to disconnect the tongue anyway.

If you’re using this breathing method, then gently lifting the tongue during the inhalation is not a problem at all.

What it Feels Like

Let me be clear that I love practicing the Small Universe, and I do it often.

My hope for you is that you’ll one day experience the true power of this technique. To do that, you need the proper training, skill, and sensitivity.

When you’re ready, when you begin to practice the Small Universe — amazing things start to happen.

I wish I could describe the feeling when you lift the tongue to the right spot and connect the circuits of the Ren and Du Mai.

But words fall short. I’m sorry. I can’t describe it.

I hope you’ll keep practicing so that you can experience it for yourself one day. It’s worth the wait.

Takeaway

Lifting the tongue to the roof of the mouth is only necessary when practicing an advanced qigong method called The Small Universe.

If you’re a beginner, then it’s better to work on relaxing the tongue and the jaw in order to relax the entire nervous system.

If you’ve got chronic pain or illness, it’s best to focus on Medical Qigong exercises, like the 18 Luohan Hands.

If you want to learn a wonderful Medical Qigong exercise for free, click here.  

From the heart,
Sifu Anthony

The post Why Qigong Students Should Stop Lifting The Tongue appeared first on Flowing Zen.

I quit Facebook because it was making me angry. The politics, the racism, the hatred, the pointless arguing that never convinces anyone.

All of this was making me angry. It wasn’t good for my Liver Qi.

Some people think that a qigong teacher like me shouldn’t get angry in the first place.

This makes me angry too.

Jesus got angry at the money lenders, the Buddha got angry at his monks, but somehow I’m expected to be 100% free of anger?

Someone once asked the Dalai Lama if he ever gets angry or outraged. He said:

“Oh, yes, of course. I’m a human being. Generally speaking, if a human being never shows anger, then I think something’s wrong. He’s not right in the brain. [Laughs.]” [source]

I totally agree with him. And believe it or not, so does qigong philosophy.

The 3 Types of Anger

Qigong philosophy, which is based on Traditional Chinese Medicine, tells us that there are 3 types of anger:

1. Excess Anger
2. Insufficient Anger
3. Appropriate Anger

Two of these are unhealthy. Can you guess which ones?

If you guessed #1 and #2, then you get a gold star!

Think of a see-saw. One side of the see-saw can be up (excess anger), or it can be down (insufficient anger), or it can be perfectly balanced (appropriate anger).

Or if you want another analogy, think of Goldilocks.

Anger can be the bed that’s too hard (excess), the bed that’s too soft (insufficient), or it can be the bed that’s juuuust riiight (appropriate).

Let’s look at each of these different types of anger separately.

1. Excess Anger

Too much anger is the obvious one — the one that gets all the attention. It’s also the reason that anger gets such a bad rap.

You’ve seen this type of anger in action at some point in your life, and it probably wasn’t pleasant.

To illustrate the problems with excess anger, let’s take the example of an abusive husband.

He’s seething with anger, and he frequently lashes out with verbal and physical abuse toward his wife, his kids, and even the dog.

There’s no question that this is unhealthy for everyone involved, including him.

His anger is unbalanced in a way that leads to violence and abuse.

In the see-saw analogy, his anger is up. In the Goldilocks analogy, his anger is the bed that’s too hard.

2. Insufficient Anger

The idea that someone can have too little anger is downright confusing to most Westerners. This confusion is connected to the false idea that anger is always bad.

Westerners tend to think, “the less anger, the better”.

But less anger isn’t necessarily healthier.

Let’s take the same example from above, but this time let’s look at the wife.

If she has been enduring her husband’s abuse for years, then hers could be an example of insufficient anger.

Why doesn’t she leave him, or take steps to protect herself, the kids, and the dog?

It’s not because she’s weak. Her “fed up” switch isn’t working properly.

You’ve probably been in a situation where you finally got fed up. Once that happened, once the “fed up” switch was flipped, you suddenly had the energy, mental clarity, and motivation to make changes.

That’s precisely the energy that the abused woman is lacking.

Her anger is unbalanced in a way that leads to numbness and inaction.

In the see-saw analogy, her anger is down. In the Goldilocks analogy, her anger is too soft.

3. Appropriate Anger

Appropriate anger, sometimes called “righteous anger,” is not only healthy, but essential to human life.

This is the energy that fuels action, the energy that enables people to right wrongs, the energy that fights for justice.

For example, the energy that led Martin Luther King to fight for civil rights — that was righteous anger, especially since it was non-violent.

Another example is the anger that led Susan B. Anthony to fight for women’s rights.

Righteous anger is appropriate to the situation, flows naturally, and then resolves itself.

If you look at the example of the abusive husband and the abused wife — they both represent opposites sides of an anger imbalance. Neither one of them shows appropriate anger.

Anger and the Five Elements

Traditional Chinese Medicine has a core theory called The Theory of Five Elements.

Basically, there are five energies that are represented by fire, earth, metal, water, and wood.

Each of these energies has a list of correspondences. For example, the Water Element is associated with the season winter, the color blue, the putrid odor, and the emotion of fear.

Don’t worry. You don’t need to memorize the chart above — unless you go to acupuncture school, in which case you have to memorize a much bigger and more complicated chart!

(And if you’re already an acupuncturist, please understand that I’m simplifying the Theory of Five Elements here for the sake of clarity.)

For our purposes here, we only need to look at the Wood Element, and the corresponding organ and emotion.

As you can see above, the emotion for the Wood Element is anger, and the corresponding organ is the Liver.

So what does all this mean for you and your liver?

Facebook vs. Your Liver

I mentioned earlier that Facebook was bad for my Liver Qi.

Can you see the connection now?

Facebook was making me angry, which was affecting my Liver Qi.

Eventually, this could affect my entire Wood Element, throwing my whole energy system off balance.

Yes, Facebook is one of the many things screwing with your qi!

Remember that it’s nearly impossible to have appropriate anger on Facebook. The same is true of reading a newspaper.  You simply can’t take meaningful action against every issue you see on Facebook or in the news.

Sorry. Sharing an article on Facebook doesn’t count as a meaningful action.

The anger that I was feeling while scrolling through my Facebook feed was going nowhere. It was just getting stuck. And that’s not healthy.

So I quit. I still use Facebook for Flowing Zen, but I no longer scroll through my news feed.

And my liver is happier for it.

The Two-Way Street

Here’s the fascinating thing about these Five Element correspondences: they work in both directions.

For example, if you injure your liver, perhaps by drinking too much alcohol, then you can actually make yourself angrier.

The Liver Qi gets disrupted by the alcohol abuse, which then disrupts the balance of anger.

In other words, anger can injure your liver, or injuring your liver can make you angry.

If you’re thinking, “That seems like a vicious cycle,” then you’re exactly right! The connection between anger and your liver can snowball in some pretty unhealthy ways.

Balance Your Wood!

By now, I hope you’re starting to see that anger management is really about managing the Wood Element.

When your Wood Element is in balance, then you’ll experience more and more appropriate anger.

Similarly, you’ll experience less and less of the imbalanced versions of anger, like rage or numbness.

In the example above, if we were to harmonize the energy in the wife’s Wood Element, then she would develop the balanced, righteous anger necessary to leave or stand up to her husband. (I’ve actually seen this happen with my students.)

If we were to harmonize the energy in the husband’s Wood Element, then his anger would calm down, and he would gradually find ways to express himself without being verbally or physically abusive.

This is all well and good, but how do we actually do it?

How To Develop Appropriate Anger

If there is something better for managing anger than qigong, I haven’t yet found it.

Acupuncture is great, and a good acupuncture physician should help you to diagnose and treat the imbalances in your Wood Element.

Yoga is also great, although it doesn’t use the Five Element theory. I also think that, when it comes to anger, qigong packs more of a punch, literally and figuratively (see below).

I assume that the Dalai Lama uses sitting meditation, and techniques like Loving Kindness Meditation.

(Click here to read my article about Loving Kindness Meditation, including a free audio — but make sure to READ the article before sending me hate mail. Thankyouverymuch!)

Punching Your Way to Appropriate Anger

I mentioned that qigong packs more punch. That was actually a bit of a qigong joke. I’ll explain.

There’s a famous qigong is called Punching with Fiery Eyes. This exercise happens to be excellent for harmonizing the Wood Element.

This technique is found in both the 18 Luohan Hands and 8 Pieces of Brocade qigong sets. The picture above shows a bunch of my certified instructors doing the technique (with Simon leading the charge).

There are lots of qigong techniques that will harmonize the Wood Element, but this one is a great example.

Slow and Soft, or Hard and Fast?

Punching with Fiery Eyes can be practiced slowly and gently, like tai chi.

Or it can be practiced more forcefully, like karate.

If you have excessive anger, then practicing the softer version, with a gentle punch and soft breathing, can help to soften your anger.

If you have insufficient anger, then practicing the harder version, with a forceful punch and a shouting sound, can help to raise your anger to a healthier level.

Whether the energy of your Wood Element is too hard or too soft, qigong exercises like this one can really help to bring it back into balance.

Personally, I just love that the same technique can be used for both types of imbalanced anger. It’s yet another reason to fall in love with qigong.

From the heart,
Sifu Anthony

The post How to Get Angry Like the Dalai Lama appeared first on Flowing Zen.

“So what you’re telling me,” Brian said, “is that eating a pint of Ben & Jerry’s Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough every night is screwing with my qi?”

He was smirking. It was obvious that Brian already knew the answer.

Even if you’re unfamiliar with the concept of qi (or vital energy), you probably know that ice cream isn’t exactly health food.

Think of qi as the natural flow of all your body’s systems — including the flow of blood, lymph, hormones, and information. Anything that screws with this flow also screws with your health.

Brian already knew that ice cream was screwing with his qi. But he didn’t know why.

Was it the sugar, the dairy, or something else that he hadn’t even thought of?

And that’s precisely why he came to see me.

In fact, Brian had a specific goal.

“I know you will get to the bottom of this,” he said, “and I’m betting that you’ll find a way for me to keep some ice cream in the mix.”

I’ll talk more about Brian’s story in a little bit, but first, let’s look at all the surprising things that can screw with your qi!

17 Surprising Things Screwing with Your Qi 

This list is not exhaustive, but instead focuses on some of the biggest issues that my wife and I have seen over the years.

Rather than list EVERYTHING that screws with your qi, I’ll discuss the things that might not even be on your radar.

I’ll also give you ideas for managing these things.

1. Sugar

Okay, this one isn’t surprising. You already know that sugar is bad for you. In qigong terms, this is because it messes with your Stomach Qi.

Cutting out sugar ain’t easy. I know because, for most of my life, I had a terrible sweet tooth. I finally kicked the addiction when I did a 30-day detox program called the Whole30. You can buy the book, or get tons of information on their website for free. They’ve really got the program down to a science. 

There are a ton of sugar detoxes out there. Find one that works for you. For me, the 30-day detox made it EASY to say no to sugar.

2. Prescription Drugs

It’s a sad state of affairs when medicine that is prescribed by a physician can also harm you, but alas, that’s the world we live in. Here are some of the worst offenders:

Opioids are lifesavers, but they are also dangerous. I’ve seen opioids wreak havoc on the lives of students and clients. Please educate yourself about opioids, and only take them when absolutely necessary. It’s such a big issue that I’ve written an entire article on the subject. 

Synthetic hormones like birth control pills may contribute to something call “leaky gut”, and also suppress your natural biorhythms (by design). I’m not saying you need to stop taking the pill, but you should be aware that it does screw with your qi.

Antibiotics are overprescribed in America. Period. Even when they are absolutely necessary, they still screw with the beneficial bacteria in your digestive system, thus inhibiting your immune system. A good probiotic will help, but remember that you need to take them for up to 6 months to restore the gut flora. 

Anti-depressants can be a godsend, but they can also raise your risk of suicide, which is so ironic that it hurts my heart. However, getting off anti-depressants is tricky business, and should always be done with medical supervision. And of course, you will need an alternative to manage your depression. My book tells my own story of depression, and how I used qigong to treat it. The book also comes with a free online course that will teach you the basics of qigong.

3. Non-prescription Painkillers

Many people still don’t know that Advil and Tylenol can be dangerous. Yes, they are sometimes necessary, but if you are popping 800mg of Advil every day, the you are screwing with your Liver Qi and your detox mechanisms.

I’ve wrestled with chronic pain, and I empathize with the struggle. I know that painkillers often feel like an absolute necessity to sleep or just get through the day.

Luckily, there are better and safer solutions to pain, like qigong and acupuncture. Make it a goal to cut down on over-the-counter painkillers. Your liver will thank you.

4. Gluten

If you are sensitive to gluten, then cutting it out can make a huge difference.

Gluten is just a protein, but it can trigger or exacerbate autoimmune issues. It also contributes to leaky gut syndrome.

The problem is that gluten is ubiquitous in the West. Many people don’t know whether or not they are sensitive until they quit for 30 days.

A Whole30 (see #1) will help you get to the bottom of this and other food sensitivities, and also teach you how easy it actually is to avoid gluten.

5. Cell Phones

It took me a while to accept this. I’m a techno-junkie. I love my iPhone.

At present, there’s no conclusive research that cell phone radiation causes definitive harm. But there’s also no conclusive evidence that it doesn’t.

Cell phones are big business, and there is a lot of money at stake. Like with tobacco, I believe it will take time for researchers to challenge the big money of cell phones.

You should know that this isn’t some sort of woo woo conspiracy theory. There’s already research that says that  “the regular and long term use of microwave devices (mobile phone, microwave oven) at domestic level can have negative impact upon biological system especially on brain.” [PubMed Source]

I’m sensitive to my own energy, so I was able to do my own experiments with my cell phone. I’m now convinced that the 3G signal screws with my qi. I have no idea how MUCH it screws with my qi, but I’m not taking chances.

That’s why I bought an anti-radiation case for my phone. I also keep it on airplane mode as often as possible.

6. Bad Feng Shui

Qigong is all about the flow of qi through humans.

Feng shui is another Chinese art, but it’s all about the flow of qi through spaces and buildings.

We all know that some rooms just feel right. And some rooms feel wrong. That’s feng shui.

If you live in a house or work in a place that has terrible feng shui, then it might be screwing with your qi.

Unfortunately, it’s very hard to feel the bad energy if you’ve been living or working there for a long time. This is yet another reason to go on a mindfulness retreat.

Getting out of your regular environment and into a new environment with amazing feng shui (like our retreat center in Costa Rica) can be a game changer.

Feng shui is greatly misunderstood in the West, but if you are curious to learn more, then I recommend this book as a primer.

7. Ejaculation

Sorry boys, but if you ejaculate too frequently, then you lose qi.

On the other hand, if you ejaculate too infrequently, your qi stagnates.

How are we to solve this conundrum? 

Two thousand years ago, the Su Nu Jing (素 女 經) , a classic text on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), advised how frequently a man should ejaculate to maintain optimal health. The following chart shows the guidelines from that classic text.

Your miles may vary.

8. Pregnancy

Some women feel fantastic during pregnancy. Some women don’t.

Either way, creating another human being from scratch undoubtedly drains your qi.

In China, women are given a least 1 full month, and often much longer, to rest and restore their qi. During this time, they are waited on like queens. Often, they aren’t even allowed to dress themselves because it is considered too strenuous!

We’ve got a lot of catching up to do in the West! Maternity leave here in the U.S. is awful. Women are hardly given any time to replenish their qi.

While it’s a testament to the inner strength of American mothers that they can give birth and then go back to work 2 weeks later, I think we can all agree that it would be better if they were given plenty of time to replenish their qi.

Regardless, practicing qigong after giving birth is the #1 way to replenish the qi that you’ve lost.

9. Structure

According to Chinese medicine, the proper alignment of your body matters. And this alignment depends on bones, muscles, tendons, ligaments, fascia, and also qi.

For example, if you are lordotic (abnormal lumbar curve) or kyphotic (abnormal thoracic curve), if one shoulder is higher than the other, if one leg is longer than the other — then your structure is off.

And when your structure is off, it blocks many other forms of treatment, including acupuncture and qigong.

In my qigong school, we address this issue with exercises that align the qi.

Here are some other good ways to work on a healthier structure: massage therapy, cupping therapy, yoga, pilates, and foam rolling.

10. Vampires

No, not the movie kind. I’m talking about [cue scary music] ENERGY vampires. 

You know the type — those people who suck your energy dry. They don’t necessarily do it on purpose. They can be good people.

But this is a real phenomenon.

If you don’t draw healthy boundaries., if you let the vampires continually drain your qi, then you’ll constantly be depleted.

Qigong also helps by strengthening your energy field, replenishing your lost qi, and by giving you the courage to draw healthy boundaries.

11. Cold Stuff

In Chinese medicine, the human metabolism is likened to a furnace. If too much of your food and drink is cold, then the body will need to use extra qi to heat it up before it can be metabolized.

If you eat a lot cold cereal, ice cream, or raw veggies, or if you drink a lot of iced beverages, then you may be screwing with your metabolism and your digestive system.

This is why acupuncturists will often tell you to stop putting ice in your beverages, or to cook your vegetables instead of eating them raw. 

12. Insomnia

According to Chinese medicine, sleep is a natural form of qigong that replenishes, harmonizes, and restores your qi.

If your’e not getting quality sleep, if you don’t wake up every morning feeling incredibly well rested, then you’ve got insomnia.

In the West, sleeping poorly has become the norm. We just accept it.

Thankfully, sleep hygiene is becoming a bigger issue, even in corporate America. Arian Huffington wrote an entire book on the subject of sleep.

Two things really help with improving sleep hygiene.

First, get yourself a pair of blue blocker goggles and put them on at dusk. My wife and I look ridiculous wearing them at night, but we don’t care.

Second, cut out all caffeine after 1pm. It ain’t easy, but it definitely helps.

13. Nutritional Deficiencies

Your body can’t generate qi without the right nutrients.

In other words, what’s screwing with your qi is something that you’re NOT getting, like vitamin D, B12, folate, vitamin K, or magnesium.

Sometimes, this is caused by a genetic issue, like with the MTHFR genetic mutation, which requires proper supplementation. Sometimes, you’re just not getting enough B12. Sometimes, you aren’t getting nearly enough sun. 

But one thing is for sure — the deficiencies will show on your blood work.

Often, you’ll need to ask for (and pay for) an expanded blood test in order to get to the bottom of these deficiencies. You also need someone who can interpret them correctly.

14. Hair, Skin, and Beauty Products

Modern makeup can have some awful stuff in it.

For example, lipstick often has lead in it. Yes, that poisonous substance that we go to great lengths to protect our children from — you’re putting it on your lips!

Other beauty products like perfumes and hair products often contain terrible things too, including carcinogens.

All of this junk screws with your immune system and your hormones.

Check your products here for a toxicity score.

15. Smoking & Vaping

Okay, this one isn’t surprising. People know that smoking is bad for you. But what’s surprising is that nicotine products are still legal and easily available.

I quit smoking ages ago and it was one of the best things I ever did. Here’s the method that I used.

16. Alcohol

This one surprised me. Of course, everyone knows that too much alcohol is bad, but what about all the research that says a glass or two of wine is good for you?!?

It may or may not be true, based on the latest research. But one thing is for sure: If you can’t take 30 days off alcohol, then it’s not healthy. Try 30 days off and see how you feel.

17. Thoughts

Your thoughts affect your biology. Read Bruce Lipton’s work if you want to learn more about how this works.

In short, your thoughts affect your emotions, which affect your nervous system and your body chemistry.

In my experience, the single most effective way to change deep-rooted thoughts is to practice qigong (including sitting meditation).

Brian Lives Happily Ever After

I’m curious: How many of these were surprise for you? Let me know your score in the comments below.

As for Brian, he lived happily ever after.

I actually found a nice compromise that allowed him to continue eating ice cream.

First, I encouraged Brian to take a 30-day break from ice cream using the Whole30 method described above. This gave his body a chance to detox.

Afterward, with the help of an acupuncturist, I figured out that dairy and sugar weren’t the real culprits (even though they were also screwing with his qi).

It turns out that the cold from the ice cream (see #11) was strongly aggravating Brian’s digestive system.

Thanks to the 30-day detox, Brian was able to easily cut down his portions of ice cream. He also eliminated iced beverages from his diet — a trade he was happy to make in exchange for ice cream.

And of course, I taught Brian specific qigong exercises to help heal and nourish his digestive system.

Brian does a Whole30 every year now, but otherwise, he is able to enjoy a small bowl of ice cream every night.

[cut to Brian riding off into the sunset with a bowl of ice cream] 

From the heart,
Sifu Anthony

The post 17 Surprising Things That Are Screwing with Your Qi (Energy) appeared first on Flowing Zen.