I want to talk about healing other people (and pets) with qi. There’s a lot of confusion on the subject, so I want to make it clear where I stand, what I believe, and what I teach.

I’ll be teaching two different Qi Transmission techniques in my upcoming Qigong 301 program:

• Opening Vital Points (OVP)
• Running the Qi (RTQ)

Both of these techniques are safe to learn and implement, and they also provide a big bang for your buck. But what are they exactly?

Medical Qigong or Qi Transmission?

In the 21st century, healing others using qi is sometimes called “Medical Qigong.” In my first book, I briefly mention how this is historically inaccurate. I’m not sure when the term got co-opted, but it seems to have happened over the last 20-30 years.

Medical Qigong traditionally referred to self-healing practices — like what I teach in my 101 and 201 programs. In other words, Medical Qigong helps the body heal from medical issues like depression, anxiety, chronic pain, etc. It’s a legitimate branch of Chinese medicine, just like acupuncture or Chinese herbal medicine.

On the other hand, Qi Transmission involves two people: the healer and the recipient. I refer to this as Clinical Qigong Therapy in my book, but I’m using the term Qi Transmission here for two reasons:

1. The word “clinical” doesn’t always apply. For example, those who complete my Qigong 301 program will be able to help friends and family using the techniques described above. So there’s no clinic involved.
2. In my “12 Skills of Qigong,” I use the term “Transmitting The Qi” for Skill #12. I’m staying consistent with that here.

Common Terms Used for Qi Transmission

The classical term for Qi Transmission is Emitting Qi (fā qì, 發氣). I prefer to translate fa (發) as “transmit,” but I acknowledge that this is not a common translation. Honestly, there’s no perfect word in English, so we have to compromise no matter what.

Here are some other terms used in the 21st century:

• Eternal Qi Therapy
• Qi Emission
• Emitting Qi
• Qi Transmission
• Qigong Massage
• Medical Qigong
• Clinical Qigong Therapy
• Empty Force

Other Modalities Similar to Qi Healing

There are also energy-transmission arts that aren’t directly related to qigong, at least not overtly. Here’s a non-comprehensive list of other arts that are similar to Qi Transmission, in no particular order:

• Reiki
• Healing Touch
• Pranic Healing
• Quantum Touch
• Therapeutic Touch
• Chakra Balancing
• Energy Healing
• Polarity Therapy

Of these modalities, Qi Transmission is the oldest. This doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the best, but it’s important to have a historical perspective on the topic.

Are We Really Transmitting Qi?

Some of you might not believe in the idea of transmitting qi – and that’s okay! The science on Qi Transmission is still limited, but I think it will catch up.

Nevertheless, there are interesting studies being done, like those from the HeartMath institute, that show how the human heart generates an electromagnetic field that can influence others.

More importantly, we know that relaxing the nervous system shifts us from a sympathetic (fight-or-flight) state to a parasympathetic (rest-and-digest) state – something that both ancient wisdom and modern science agree is crucial for healing.

Also, we now know that fascia and the interstitium represent exciting new fields of research. I talk more about fascia in my book, but here’s an excerpt that’s relevant:

– Fascia is the most abundant tissue in the body.

– Fascia is intimately tied to the nervous system.

– Fascia has ten times more sensory receptors than muscle tissue.

– Fascia interpenetrates and surrounds all organs, muscles, bones, and nerve fibers.

– Fascia forms a 3D, contiguous matrix of structural support in the body.

– Fascia is a force transmitter, dispersing external forces and helping to prevent injury in particular muscles, joints, or bones.

– Mood influences fascia, and vice versa.

– Fascia is an electrical conductor and resistor, generating its own piezoelectric energy.

I put the final fact in bold face because it’s relevant to the topic of Qi Transmission. Is fascia one medium through which we transmit qi? I don’t know, but it’s obvious that it needs to be studied.

My Approach

My approach is to use the two techniques above – OVP and RTQ – to “transmit” energy to another person. I put “transmit” in quotes because, in some cases, it’s probably more accurate to say “rebroadcast.” I’ll explain more below.

My approach is based on traditional Chinese practices. For example, in Dongpu’s Annals (Dongpu Zhi Lin, 東坡志林), written during the Song Dynasty (960-1279), it says:

“When the Qigong practitioner practices well enough for himself, he is able to emit Qi to other people. Daoist priest Li Ruozhi in Du Xia can do so, namely spreading the qi. Ruozhi sat opposite my son Dai, who was weak since his childhood, and emitted Qi to him. My son felt warm in his abdomen as the sunshine in the morning.” (from Chinese Medical Qigong by Tianjun Liu et al, p. 291)

This ancient description is very similar to what we do with Running the Qi.

Running the Qi

When you perform Running the Qi, you’re not really transmitting your own qi. As I said above, I think it’s closer to “rebroadcasting.” You’re essentially practicing zhan zhuang (the warrior stances) and letting the recipient absorb qi from the energy field that you create. But there are some key points:

• The recipient is also in a Zen state—something you need to learn to facilitate for them. This calms their nervous system and puts them in a state where they’re ready to receive energy.
• You are standing behind them with your hands on their shoulders. They are seated. Physical touch further relaxes the body. I believe it also facilitates the “rebroadcasting” phenomenon.
• You are not diagnosing or treating specific issues.
• You are not actively transmitting qi.

So the healer rebroadcasts qi from their own practice, setting off a healing cascade. It’s a bit like donating qi – except that the qi never makes it to our bank account. Instead, we auto-deposit some of it into the other person’s account.

When done correctly, Running The Qi should leave you feeling the same as when you do your own personal qigong practice: energized and refreshed. You should not feel drained at all.

Fun fact: Running the Qi works on canines and felines too! You can’t lead them into a Zen state, but most dogs and cats are already Zen masters.

Opening Vital Points (OVP)

Opening someone’s vital points (OVP) is more complex than Running the Qi – and less effective if they aren’t already practicing qigong. When a person practices qigong, opening their points can give them a significant boost. However, OVP is a tiny bit draining for the healer – like donating blood. Don’t bother with OVP unless the person has an interest in learning and practicing qigong.

With practice, you’ll learn to open someone’s vital points without using too much of your own energy. Less is more with OVP. I’ll share all of my tricks for accomplishing this in the Qigong 301.

OVP is also useful in emergency situations. For example, if someone is in the hospital, you can open their vital points even though they might not be able to practice qigong. This will be draining for you, but so what? You’re donating your qi to someone in dire need. I’ve done this in several situations, and it’s a useful skill to have.

Note: canines and felines have different locations for energy points. These are easily learned, but they’re not the same as in humans.

My Qigong 301

I teach both OVP and RTQ in my Qigong 301 program, but I want to be clear that this is not a teacher training program, nor does it certify you as a healer. I’m simply passing on traditional qigong skills that you can use in certain situations—like emergencies, healing pets, or helping students and family members.

However, the honest truth is that you don’t need much more than these two techniques to be an incredible healer. That’s because this method of healing includes teaching. We’re inviting the recipient to practice qigong as well as receive our qi. And as you know – I believe that qigong is the most powerful medicine in the universe.

You should also be aware that there are a ton of charlatans in the qi transmission community. You’ll sometimes see videos of Chinese masters emitting qi with wild results. Some even use well-known parlor tricks, like applying chemicals to the hands to make them seem warm.

You’ll also see so-called masters using qi for BS self-defense techniques. These videos literally look like something out of Star Wars. Let me be clear: In all my travels, I’ve never met a master who could LEGITIMATELY use qi like that for self-defense. Qigong can bring real benefits for self-defense, but you still need to punch and kick.

I’m sorry to burst your bubble, but you’re used to that from me. You’ll thank me later. We won’t be doing any of this nonsense in the 301. Instead, we’ll focus on two no-BS Qi Transmission techniques described above.

Final Thoughts

Qi Transmission is an ancient art that has evolved over thousands of years. While the methods may seem a bit mystical, I promise that I’ll demystify things in my Qigong 301.

By learning skills like Running the Qi and Opening Vital Points, you’ll not only help others but also deepen your own understanding of energy and healing. Whether or not you believe in the literal transmission of qi, the effects of these practices speak for themselves—bringing balance, relaxation, and, ultimately, healing to both the practitioner and the recipient.

The post Healing Others with Qi appeared first on Flowing Zen.

Steve Jobs was crazy.

“The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world,” he said, “are the ones who do.”

I’m no Steve Jobs, but I guess I’m crazy too.

I’m crazy enough to think that I can change the world with qigong.

Humanity needs help, and fast. Our current level of consciousness is making us (and the planet) sick.

I want to do my part to heal this sickness.

The world is a big place, and I’m not crazy enough to think that I can help all 7 billion people.

But if I work hard, I believe that I can help a million people.

It won’t be easy. It might take me 60 years to accomplish my goal. I might even die trying.

But I’m crazy, so I’m going to try anyway.

Here’s how I’ll do it:

1. I’ll start with myself

I might be crazy, but I’m not deluded.

My desire to change the world is not a messiah complex.

I’m not Jesus. I’m not Buddha. I know that.

But I also know a secret.

I know the big secret to change. I’ll share that secret with you right now:

“If you want to awaken all of humanity, then awaken all of yourself. If you want to eliminate the suffering in the world, then eliminate all that is dark and negative in yourself. Truly, the greatest gift you have to give is that of your own self-transformation.”

This quote is often attributed to Lao Tzu, but it is more accurately attributed to the Taoist master Wang Fo.

Either way, I think it contains a lot of wisdom. Don’t you agree?

My journey of self-transformation didn’t end when I became a teacher.

In fact, I founded Flowing Zen because I wanted to make my livelihood PART of my own self-transformation.

I am committed to this path. I’m committed to waking myself up, to dredging out all that is dark and negative in myself.

I am committed to giving the world — to giving YOU — the gift of my own self-transformation.

2. I’ll practice what I preach

I practice qigong. Every day. No matter what.

If you’ve read my article about willpower, then you know that I’m not a freak of nature.

I worked hard to make qigong a daily habit. 

I’m in my 40s now. If I were a basketball player, then I would be past my prime.

But with qigong, there’s no such thing as passing your prime. You can continue to practice and grow for the rest of your life.

And that’s exactly what I plan to do.

I will continue to practice qigong every day for another 60 or 70 years.

3. I’ll train more teachers

I can’t change the world by myself. I need help.

In May 2016, I graduated my first class of Certified Flowing Zen Qigong Instructors after putting them through a rigorous, 9-month training program.

I have strong opinions on the subject of teacher training, and I’ll write more about that soon. For now, suffice it to say that my “certs” are among the best-trained qigong instructors in the world.

Click here to see the list of Flowing Zen Certified Instructors.

And this is just the beginning. I hope to train many, many more instructors before I die.

As the popularity of qigong explodes in the West, we will need instructors — qualified ones.

What is a qualified instructor?

I would argue that someone who doesn’t understand what it means to be a student — someone who rushes straight to teacher training — will never understand what it means to be a teacher.

We need teachers who understand not just what it means to teach these arts, but also understand what it means to be a sincere student of these arts.

4. I’ll teach online

The internet is the future. I see that clearly now.

Thanks to the power of the internet, the world is now my classroom. I can reach people in so many ways — with my blog, with my online courses, with podcasts, with Facebook, etc.

I don’t imagine online learning will ever replace in-person learning. It won’t, and it shouldn’t.

But online learning is a beautiful compliment to in-person learning.

And you know what?

In-person learning is also a beautiful compliment to online learning!

5. I’ll travel

Now that my studio is closed, I’m no longer tied down to a single location.

That gives me more freedom to take my teaching on the road.

For example, I’ll now be teaching twice per year in Costa Rica instead of just once.

This is wonderful because I believe strongly in the healing power of qigong retreats, even if it’s just a weekend retreat.

In fact, I believe that a mindfulness retreat might just save your life.

And that’s why I’ll be teaching more and more of them.

6. I’ll write my heart out

After I closed my brick-and-mortar studio, a student asked me if I was also done writing.

No, I’m not done writing. If anything, I’m just getting started.

The Western world desperately needs to be educated about qigong.

I recognized this need years ago, and that’s why I started blogging.

Today, I’ve got over 130 free articles on my blog. That’s the equivalent of 3 full books!

Actually, I have plans to write a traditional book. Several books, actually.

In the meantime, I will continue to blog. Every week, you’ll get a new blog post from me, without fail.

And if you enjoy my writing, if you find it helpful — then please share it on your favorite social media platform. Word of mouth is how my writing will reach the people who need it!

7. I’ll collaborate

If you practice or teach a powerful healing art, and if you’re as passionate as I am, then I want to collaborate with you.

I want to work with you, not against you.

Yes — even if you teach qigong or tai chi.

The amount of in-fighting among teachers and practitioners of qigong is something that greatly concerns me.

I will not contribute to this in-fighting. I will not let our differences divide us.

Instead, I will work WITH you toward our shared goal of healing our sick world.

8. I’ll stay transparent

I believe that transparency is a critical part of effective leadership in the 21st century.

Many of the older qigong traditions are incompatible with transparency.

Those traditions often use hierarchical, top-down leadership structures that serve to mask abuse, sexism, racism, and homophobia within the organization.

I believe that people have grown tired of those traditions. I know I have.

Leaders in the 21^st century will not demand respect; they will command it by being completely transparent.

What do I mean when I say that I will be transparent?

• It means that I will never idealize the status of the teacher or the Sifu.
• It means that I’m human, and I’m not afraid to show it.
• It means that I stand against abuse, racism, sexism, and homophobia.
• It means I’m always open to constructive criticism.
• It means that I’m committed to listening to my students.
• It means that my organization fosters discussion in all directions.
• It means that I am accountable.
• It means that my movement is about YOU, not about me.

Conclusion

So there you have it. These are the 8 ways that I’ll change the world with qigong.

What do you think?

Did I miss anything?

I’m committed to helping a million people with qigong, so if there’s something that I’m missing, then I want to hear it!

The comments section below every blog post is a great place to start a dialogue with me. I’d love to hear your thoughts! 

From the heart,
Sifu Anthony

The post 8 Ways I Will Change the World with Qigong appeared first on Flowing Zen.

“No Qi, No Fee!!”

That was the slogan on my first qigong brochure back in 2005.

I was new to Florida, and relatively new to teaching qigong. I had taught karate for years, but not much qigong.

Nevertheless, I was confident in my ability to help students feel the qi.

So I put my money where my mouth was. And believe me — money was a big deal back then because I was a poor graduate student at acupuncture college!

I came up with the “No Qi, No Fee” slogan, and I promised prospective students that I would give them their money back if they didn’t feel qi by the end of my 12-week intro course.

No one ever asked for a refund.

10 Times Faster

I get tons of emails from sincere seekers who have been practicing qigong or tai chi for years, but still can’t feel much in the way of qi.

Obviously, this points to a larger problem in the world of qigong and tai chi.

I once met a tai chi teacher who told me that it took him 30 years to feel the qi.

His statement shocked me.

At the time, I had only been practicing qigong for about 5 years. But I was already feeling plenty of qi.

At first, I thought maybe he was simply feeling deeper qi sensations after 30 years. So I pressed him for details.

Nope. What he described was pretty much what I started feeling after 3 years of practice.

What took him 30 years to feel only took me 3.

In other words, I was able to feel the qi 10x faster than him.

Use the Force!

For a while, I let this experience boost my ego. I figured I was just special. A prodigy.

You know, like Luke Skywalker.

It turns out I’m not a prodigy, nor do I have an unusually high midichlorian count.

Over the years, I’ve taught not just a few, but dozens and dozens of students with 10+ years of prior qigong experience — all of whom told me they couldn’t feel the qi.

In virtually every case, those students were able to feel the qi after just a few months of practicing my method.

It quickly became clear that the problem wasn’t the student.

The problem was the method.

Anyone Can Feel Qi

I now believe that anyone can feel the qi.

To do this, two things are required:

1. A good method.
2. A good student.

For example, I have specific way that I teach qigong.

I teach certain exercises in a certain order. I teach a highly-specific practice routine. I tell my students what rules to follow (and which ones to ignore). I tell my students how often to practice.

That’s a method, and a good one at that.

If you practice a good method like mine for 3 months, then you’ll feel qi.

Simple.

What Works Best For You

In the final analysis, I’m a teacher.

I make all of my decisions based on one thing: What works best for my students?

If something works, then I use it. If something doesn’t work, then I discard it.

I’ve been making adjustments for the betterment of my students for well over a decade.

That’s a big reason why I think my method works so well at helping students feel the qi.

Here are some other reasons:

1. I teach a rare technique called Flowing Breeze Swaying Willow, which is amazingly useful at developing sensitivity to qi.
2. I teach my students how to enter into a Zen state of mind, and also how to smile from the heart.
3. I know what blocks students from feeling qi, and help them to overcome it.
4. I teach a highly specific practice routine that is amazingly efficient.
5. I help my students avoid the #1 mistake in qigong (and tai chi), which is to focus more on the form

Other masters may have different methods for helping students to feel the qi. This is my method, and it works for me and my students.

Why You Want to Feel the Qi

Feeling strong sensations of qi isn’t everything. You can get results and still not feel much in the way of qi.

Actually, if you are getting results, then that counts as feeling the qi.

Getting results is absolutely a manifestation of feeling the qi. But in addition to getting results, you should be able to sense the qi.

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

The first dimension is called “Discovering the Qi.”

If you haven’t yet discovered the qi, if you can’t feel it, then the other dimensions won’t make much sense.

So for your longterm development and understanding of qigong, it’s incredibly helpful to be able to feel qi.

How To Feel the Qi

You don’t have to travel to Asia.

You don’t have to present customary gifts to a traditional master.

You don’t have to be accepted as an inner-chamber disciple.

You don’t even need to leave your home

I believe that everyone in the world should have the opportunity to fall in love with qigong and tai chi — no matter where they live.

I created Qi School, my online training site, because I am a teacher, and I want you to get the training you need to feel your qi.

If you want to learn my method of qigong (and tai chi), if you want to feel the qi sooner rather than later, then check out my online courses.

Click here to see my online courses.

Here’s a quote from a student who took my Qigong 101 program:

“When Anthony’s 101 course opened up, I jumped on board, and it has exceeded my expectations. I’m learning a ton and really enjoying myself. But what has surprised me the most is that I felt more qi in the first six weeks of Sifu Anthony’s class — all online! — than I had in 18 months of in-person training elsewhere.” – Laura Kandiolka

I look forward to working with you!

From the heart,
Sifu Anthony

The post How to Feel Qi (Energy) Without Waiting Years appeared first on Flowing Zen.

The look of shock on my face must have been pretty obvious.

“Something wrong?” she asked.

“Sorry, I’m fine,” I said. “Do you by any chance know what I do for a living?” 

“Didn’t you say you were a teacher?”

“Yes — a qigong teacher,” I said.

“No way!”

This conversation happened while I was waiting in the security line at the airport in Costa Rica. The woman was a complete stranger, and just happened to be standing in front of me.

She had no idea about me or my work. 

Two minutes earlier, with no prompting from me, she had started talking about the philosophy of qi.

“I’m taking a class on something called qigong,” she said. “Have you heard of it?”

I felt like I was in the Twilight Zone. That’s why I looked shocked, and why it took me a moment to respond.

All Roads Lead to Qigong

Back in the 1990s, when I first started practicing qigong, no one knew about it. My conversation in the airport would have been inconceivable back then.

Today, more and more people are interested in learning about the Chinese concept of qi.

The philosophy of qi is ancient, and it runs through many arts, including:

1. Qigong (and Neigong)
2. All Styles of Internal Kung Fu (Including Tai Chi)
3. Feng Shui
4. Acupuncture
5. Moxibustion
6. Chinese Herbal Medicine
7. Taoist Bedroom Arts
8. Zen Meditation

If you want to learn more about qi, then sooner or later, all roads eventually lead to qigong.

And this makes sense because qigong translates to “the art of cultivating qi”.

Whether you are an acupuncturist, a massage therapist, a reiki master, an energy healer, a psychic, a yoga practitioner, an interior designer (who uses feng shui), a spiritualist, or even a pianist — you can benefit from learning about qi.

The 12 Things You Can Do With Your Qi

If you study qigong long enough, you’ll learn to do different things with your qi.

For example, you’ll learn how to circulate it in your body, and also how to direct it to your hands.

In short, there are only 12 different ways that you can cultivate the qi, and I’ll explain each of them here.

My goal with this article is to give you a quick overview of the differences between each dimension. Later, I’ll go into more depth, if this topic is of interest. (Leave me a comment below if you want me write more!)

Remember that the dimensions are not linear, but rather circular.

A lifelong practice of qigong will involve many laps through the 12 Dimensions, going deeper and deeper with each successive lap.

Also, remember that the 12 Dimensions are universal, meaning that they will apply to all schools of qigong.

Different schools may use different techniques and different terms, but the dimensions are still the same in essence.

Click here to read more about the 12 Dimensions of Qi Mastery

Dimension 1: Discovering the Qi

To go deeply into qigong, you need to become more sensitive to the qi in general. In other words, you must discover the qi that already exists in and around your body. Discovering the qi is a gradual process of quieting the mind, relaxing the body, and heightening the internal awareness. In my school, we have a series of techniques that we poetically call Entering Zen. We Enter Zen every time we practice our 5-Phase Practice Routine.

Dimension 2: Circulating the Qi

The smooth flow of qi is critical for health and happiness. Once you learn the skill of circulating the qi, you’ll want to continue practicing it for the rest of your life. Circulating the qi is what brings fast results, especially in terms of pain management, improved digestion, emotional healing, and immune response. It’s also what makes you feel energized. In my school of qigong, the primary way that we circulate the qi is with a beautiful and rare technique called Flowing Breeze Swaying Willow (phase 3 of the 5-Phase Practice Routine).

Dimension 3: Aligning the Qi

If your physical structure is not aligned, if your muscles, tendons, fascia, and ligaments aren’t working optimally, if your spine is unhealthy — then you’ll never master your qi. You need to gradually build strength, flexibility, and balance in order to realign your structure and thus your qi. Luckily, qigong helps people to accomplish this regardless of their fitness level or age. In my school, we use a variety of qigong techniques to align the qi, mainly from the 18 Luohan Hands.

Dimension 4: Gathering the Qi

Now that your qi is flowing well, you can start to work on gathering more of it. Qi is the main ingredient in this art, so having more of it is definitely useful! This skill also unlocks greater possibilities with the later dimensions, especially consolidating, transforming, and transmitting the qi. In my school, we use the Warrior Stances (zhan zhuang) as our fundamental method for gathering qi.

Dimension 5: Protecting the Qi

External factors can have a negative influence on your qi — the food you eat (or don’t eat), your lifestyle habits, your environment, even your finances. No matter how good you are at the other dimensions, no matter how much you practice, you’ll plateau in your development if you don’t protect your qi.  In my school, I help students to improve their sleep hygiene, their diet, and also to get rid of negative habits (like smoking).

Dimension 6: Purifying the Qi

Whereas Protecting the Qi is focused on external influences (like the junk that we eat), Purifying is focused on internal influences (like the junk that we think). To reach higher levels of qi mastery, you must purify your thoughts and emotions. In my school, we have a variety of techniques and meditations for purifying, including 1% Forgiveness Meditation, Loving Kindness Meditation, The Gratitude Spark, The Five Animal Play, and Dispelling 1000 Thoughts.

Dimension 7: Mobilizing the Qi

Masters of the internal martial arts (like tai chi chuan) know how to mobilize or summon the qi in an instant. But it’s helpful to learn how to mobilize the qi even if you have no interest in martial arts. Mobilizing the qi is a more forceful expression of energy. This skill helps you to get in touch with the spirit of the peaceful warrior, which will make you more courageous, more decisive, and help you to draw better personal boundaries. In my school, we usually mobilize using techniques from The 18 Arhat Arts, and also One Finger Shooting Zen.

Dimension 8: Directing the Qi

You can’t call yourself a master of qi unless you can easily direct the qi to any part of your body, including any organ. Although this may sound fantastic to beginners and skeptics, it’s actually a natural progression. Most students can do this easily after 6-9 months of dedicated practice. In my school, we use different techniques to direct the qi to different areas. For example, we use Nourishing Kidneys to direct qi to the kidneys, Pushing Mountains to direct qi to the hands, and Separating Water to direct qi to the lungs.

Dimension 9: Consolidating the Qi

Gathering the qi isn’t enough; you also need to consolidate the qi in the major energy centers, or dantians. This dimension goes hand-in-hand with Gathering the Qi, but is more focused on storing the qi rather than just gathering it. If you’ve been practicing qigong or tai chi for years but still can’t feel the golden sphere of energy at dantian, then you need to spend more time consolidating. In my school, we do this in phase 4 of the 5-Phase Practice Routine. We also use other techniques, including Three Centers Merge, Dantian Breathing, and various visualization techniques.

Dimension 10: Transforming the Qi

The Small Universe (or Microcosmic Orbit) is a famous qigong technique for transforming qi (energy) into jing (essence) and shen (spirit). In many ways, all other forms of qigong are child’s play compared to this dimension. Some schools differentiate between qigong (energy cultivation) and neigong (internal cultivation), but that’s just semantical. The two best techniques for this are the Small Universe and the Big Universe.

Dimension 11: Unifying the Qi

The longer you cultivate your qi, the more often you’ll merge with the cosmos, often without even trying. Most meditative traditions aim for a blissful state of union with the infinite, the Tao, Shiva, the cosmos, or God. Sitting meditation is a great way to access this state. If you already have a sitting meditation practice, practicing the previous 10 Dimensions will take it to a whole new level. In my school, we also use Sinew Metamorphosis techniques and the Small Universe to unify the qi.

Dimension 12: Transmitting the Qi

In the 12th dimension, we complete the cycle by giving energy back to your fellow humans. Qi can be transmitted from the hands, and also from the heart. When I teach, when I share these beautiful arts with others, I’m transmitting qi from my heart. I also do hands-on healing, but to this always compliments my teaching. To me, teaching and healing are yin and yang, and they should always go together. In my school, techniques for transmitting the qi for the purposes of healing include: The Sword Finger, Cosmos Palm, and One Finger Zen.

Understanding Skill vs. Technique

As you learn about the 12 Dimensions, make sure that you understand the difference between skill and technique.

Here’s the simplest way to understand the difference:

Techniques are visible; skills are not.

When we’re talking about the 12 Dimensions, we’re talking about skills. Like most skills, they are largely invisible.

For example, if I direct the qi to my index finger, you probably won’t notice. (Some students seem to be able to “see” the qi, but let’s leave this aside for the moment.)

On the other hand, if I use a qigong technique called Shooting Arrows, the physical form is pretty obvious. My body is moving in a particular way (see below), and it’s visible.

In other words, Shooting Arrows is a great technique for the skill of directing the qi to the index finger. But the skill and the technique are separate.

Let’s look at 3 simple examples to drive this point home:

Example #1: Mary is performing the qigong technique called Shooting Arrows, but she is unable to direct the qi to her index finger even though the physical form of the exercise is correct.

Example #2: Laura is performing the qigong technique called Shooting Arrows, and she is able to direct the qi to her index finger.

Example #3: Jane is standing upright and motionless with her eyes closed. She is not performing the technique Shooting Arrows, but she is nonetheless able to direct the qi to her index finger.

Can you see how the technique and the skill are different? Can you see how one can happen (or not happen) with the other?

One final example: I can use the qigong technique called Pushing Mountains for Dimensions 1 (Discovering), 2 (Circulating), 4 (Gathering), 8 (Directing), and 12 (Transmitting).

To you, it would all look the same. It would just look like Pushing Mountains.

To me, Pushing Mountains would feel totally different depending on what I’m doing with the qi.

In Summary

The 12 Dimensions are a useful way to understand the various classical skills of qigong.

Regardless of the style of qigong that you practice, you can conceptualize the skills using the 12 Dimensions of Qi Mastery.

This will help you to master the qi. And when you master the qi, you master not only your health and vitality, but your entire life.

Now I’d love to hear from you. Did you find this helpful? Do you have any questions? Go ahead and leave a comment below! 

From the heart,
Sifu Anthony

The post Revealed: The 12 Ways of Cultivating Qi appeared first on Flowing Zen.

“Can you also direct the qi to your feet?” he asked.

Mark was a new student in my studio. He told me that he had read a few books on qigong and tai chi. But his first week in the studio was an eye-opener.

He was loving the experience.

“Yes,” I said.

Mark giggled with excitement.

“What about directing the energy outside of your body?” Mark asked. “I read that past masters could do that.”

Mark would often corner me after class and pepper me with questions.

“Sure, I can do that too,” I said. “It’s not as mysterious as it sounds. But we call that transmitting the qi, which is different than directing the qi.”

I walked him over to a chart on the back wall of my studio, which had the following list:

The 12 Dimensions of Qi Mastery

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

“The class you just took was here,” I said, pointing to #2 on the chart. “Directing the qi to my feet would be #8, and transmitting the qi outside of my body would be #12.”

As Mark stared at the chart, he looked like a kid in a candy store. He was grinning ear to ear.

And that’s exactly how it should be when you are new to qigong and tai chi — you should be excited and awed and even a bit overwhelmed by the amazing new world of qi cultivation.

Ancient Skills, Modernized

A few years ago, I started to feel like there was something missing from my teaching.

I needed something to help my students understand the many different skills that past qigong masters had.

I dove into classical and modern texts on qigong. I experimented. I meditated on the subject. And I practiced diligently.

The result was something  that I called The 12 Phases of Qi Cultivation.

Some of you may remember my older article on the 12 Phases of Qi Mastery. If you haven’t read that article, you can skip it because this one is more up-to-date. (Or you can go read it if you’re a curious cat.)

That was the prototype of the 12 Dimensions of Qi Mastery.

From Phases to Dimensions

The 12 Phases, now called the 12 Dimensions, were originally meant as a simple teaching tool, but the concept has evolved into something much bigger.

Last year, during our annual retreat in Costa Rica, one of the participants suggested that we use the word “12 Dimensions” instead of “12 Phases”.

This person happens to be a professor of theoretical physics at the University of Florida.

He explained that in physics, dimensions are not linear. They coexist and overlap.

This was exactly the concept that I had been searching for.

The 12 skills overlap, and also coexist.

As we explore the 12 Dimensions together, you’ll see why I changed the terms, and why this whole thing is a journey, not a destination.

For example, there is overlap between the 2 skills of directing the qi to my hands and transmitting the qi to another person. If I use my hand to transmit, then both skills must also coexist at the same time. Right?

Seeking What They Sought

There’s a famous Zen quote that has inspired me through my 2 decades of exploring these arts:

“Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the wise; seek what they sought.” ― Zen Master Matsuo Bashō

In seeking what the past masters sought, I discovered the 12 Dimensions.

I stood on the shoulders of giants. In other words, I built on the knowledge of the past masters, combined with my modern understanding and experience of qigong (and physics!).

If you love qigong and tai chi, then my “discoveries” may help you, regardless of what style you practice.

Then and Now

As I mentioned, past qigong masters get all the credit for discovering and developing these 12 skills.

My work has been to organize, arrange, and teach these skills, not just to a few select disciples like in the past, but to thousands of students.

My goal is for students to experience all 12 skills.

In other words, I don’t want you to just read about these skills; I want you to feel them.

These skills are not mysterious. With proper training and proper practice, anyone can learn and enjoy all 12 Dimensions of Qi Mastery.

A Green Belt in Qi Mastery?

Before switching to qigong and tai chi, I earned 2 black belts in karate.

The belt system is popular. And I know why.

It’s comforting to see an organized path of belts ahead of you. It helps you feel like there is an order to the chaos of learning a complex new skill.

I still remember the feeling of pride after earning my green belt.

Belts are also important for karate school owners. It’s hard to run a successful martial arts business without using belts to increase motivation and attendance.

After I left the karate world, I stopped using the belt system, and I haven’t looked back.

But now, it’s tempting for students to view the 12 Dimensions as levels, similar to belts.

“What level are you?”

“Dude, I just passed my Dimension 4 test!” 

Unfortunately, qi mastery doesn’t work that way.

Mastery in the art of qi cultivation isn’t linear. It’s circular. Or rather, spiral.

The Spiral of Qi and of Life

Our galaxy is a spiral. The “Golden Number” of mathematics maps out to a spiral. In many ways, life itself is a spiral.

The natural order is a spiral, not a line.

Qigong and tai chi are based on the philosophy of yin and yang. In other words, these arts follow the natural order of the cosmos.

Rather than thinking about the 12 Dimensions as a line, think of them as a spiral, like this:

If you look at the spiral above, you can see that by the time you finish all 12 dimensions, you’re basically back where you started — just a bit deeper.

Also, notice the overlap between each skill. This is to remind you that the separating into skills is not black and white.

In fact, the deeper you go into this art of qi mastery, the more the 12 skills become unified.

The Many Levels of Mastery

I’ve been through all 12 Dimensions, and I can perform each skill.

Does that mean I’m done? Am I an Enlightened Mega Grandmaster?

Um, no.

People today are extremely confused about the concept of mastery.

In an article on the subject, What Everyone Ought to Know About Jedi Mastery, I likened myself to a 4th degree Black Belt in qigong and tai chi.

This is just an analogy to remind you that mastery has many levels. It’s a lesson that I never forgot from my karate days — that black belt is only the beginning. (There are 10 degrees of black belt.)

In fact, black belt was the beginning of a fantastic journey for me, a journey that now has me exploring and teaching the 12 Dimensions of Qi Mastery all over the world.

If we continue using the karate belt analogy, then you need to understand this: You’ll be mastering the 12 Dimensions not only from white belt to black belt, but also through all 10 ranks of black belt.

The Messiness of Mastery

I’ve been practicing the various skills from the 12 Dimensions for decades. And I plan to continue practicing them for many more years.

For example, I still practice Dimension #1, Discovering the Qi, every single day.

It’s not a beginner skill that I learned years ago and then left behind.

If anything, I am discovering the qi in new and beautiful ways. For example, I’m discovering not just the flow of qi in my own body, but how qi flows through a room (which is part of the art called feng shui).

I don’t go in order through the skills. One day, I might focus on gathering the qi. Another day, I might focus on consolidating.

Or I might spend a month deepening my skill of transforming.

This is what mastery really looks like. It’s messy.

I’ve arranged the 12 skills in a pretty, color-coded chart. But your journey won’t look like that. Mine certainly didn’t.

For example, many of you reading this have probably learned some of the 12 skills, but not all of them.

That’s okay. You’ve got the rest of your life to learn and develop the other skills.

Understanding Each Dimension

If you’ve read this far, you’re probably curious to learn more about each of the 12 Dimensions.

Good! I was hoping to pique your curiosity.

But first, I want to hear from you.

If you want me to write more about this, then let me know in the comments below.

I especially want to know which of the 12 Dimensions you are most curious about! 

From the heart,
Sifu Anthony

The post Do You Know All 12 Skills of Qi Cultivation? appeared first on Flowing Zen.

“If I could smile from the heart, then I wouldn’t be so !@#$%& depressed!”

I didn’t say it out loud, but I thought it really loud.

I had traveled thousands of miles to learn from a world-renowned qigong master, and I was desperate to feel better.  

“Smile from the heart!” he said in his strange, Chinese-Malaysia accent.

This wasn’t just advice. He was teaching us a Zen meditation technique.

The other students seemed to get it. But I was depressed, and I didn’t.

In fact, I fought back the urge to let out a cynical laugh. Instead, I kept my cynical thinking to myself (see above).

Later in the workshop, I told the master that I was having trouble with the smiling heart thingamabob, and asked him if he had any advice.

He told me not to worry, not to intellectualize, and to just “smile from the heart”.

In other words, just do it.

For years, I tried to “just do it”. But it didn’t really work for me. I struggled for a long time.

In retrospect, having taught the same technique to hundreds of depressives, I know that it is natural for us to struggle more than non-depressives.

But I also know that this technique is critical — for depressive and non-depressives alike.

It’s like a key that turns on the ignition of your energetic healing system. It’s also the key to leading a happier life.

So yeah — it’s rather important.

Students are always telling me how Smiling from the Heart changes everything. Honestly, it may be the most powerful thing that I teach (and I teach some pretty powerful stuff!). The longer I practice, the more I realize that Smiling from the Heart is probably the secret to life, the universe, and everything.

Here’s what a student recently told me about Smiling from the Heart:

I think learning how to smile from the heart is the thing that changed my life. Experiencing it legitimized qigong for me. Someone can argue all day long about these arts being woo-woo or whatever, but experiencing smiling from the heart — no one could ever touch that with any kind of argument. That’s genuine spiritual stuff, and no one could ever convince me otherwise. – Melissa Coast 

This article is my sincere attempt to help you to “get” what the student is talking about.

I’ll do my absolute best to give you a more complete answer than “just do it” so that you don’t waste years like I did. (I’ll also answer your questions below.)

Try It Now

It’s easier to help you understand this technique if you have an experience of it.

Do you have 4 minutes? Yes, of course you do!

Close your door, turn off your phone, and follow this free 4-minute meditation right now:

If you absolutely can’t do it now, then at the very least least schedule a time to do it.  If you don’t put it on your schedule, then it won’t happen.  Schedule it now!

If you listened to the audio, then you heard me saying following:

Smiiiiile from the Heaaaaart!

I was practically singing the words as I said them, right?

And that’s because I was smiling from the heart as I spoke!

The Flower Sermon

See, it gets confusing because the description of the technique and the name of it are the same. Really, the name of the technique is about as good as it gets when it comes to describing the technique with words.

When students ask me to explain Smiling from the Heart, I always think of the following story:

In roughly 500BC, the Buddha gave what would later be called the “Flower Sermon”.  Hundreds of disciples sat in front of him, ready for another of the Buddha’s powerful sermons.  But this time, he didn’t say a word.  Instead, he just held up a beautiful flower and smiled.

Of all the disciples there that day, only one, Mahakasyapa, grasped the sermon.  The rest were puzzled and confused. But Mahakasyapa smiled.

Seeing his reaction, the Buddha said: “I possess the true Cosmic eye, the marvelous mind of stillness, the true form of the formless, the subtle technique that does not rest on words or letters but is a special transmission outside of the scriptures.  This I entrust to Mahakasyapa.”

Stop Intellectualizing!

Except for Mahakasyapa, all of the Buddha’s disciples were busy intellectualizing.

Is the flower symbolic? What does it mean? Is the Buddha referring to the different petals of his teachings? Has he gone crazy?

But Mahakasyapa’s mind was clear. Because his mind was so clear, because he wasn’t stuck in what we call the Monkey Mind, it was natural for him to smile when the Buddha held up the flower.

I mean, flowers are beautiful! It’s actually weird NOT to smile.

Here’s a photo that I took on our ranch in Florida:

The Origins of Zen

The Zen tradition started roughly 1000 years after the death of the Buddha. Bodhidharma, the 1st patriarch of Zen, summed up his teachings as follows:

• Not recorded in language or words.
• Transmission beyond the tradition.
• Directly pointing at the mind.
• Entering enlightenment in an instant.

Not coincidentally, all of Bodhidharma’s teachings also apply to Smiling from the Heart:

• Smiling from the Heart is difficult to describe (or record) in language or words.
• Smiling from the Heart requires a transmission to really get it (like the audio above).
• Smiling from the Heart points directly at the Zen Mind (and skips over the Monkey Mind).
• When you Smile from the Heart, you feel it in an instant.

From Heart to Heart

During his Flower Sermon, the Buddha was doing more than just holding up a flower.  He was projecting energy and information.  There was a broadcast on that day 2500 years ago —  a transmission that Mahakasyapa received, and the others missed.

The Buddha’s disciples blocked themselves that day. Like the Buddha’s disciples, many modern students struggle with Smiling from the Heart. If you are busy worrying about how to do it, or if you giggle thinking that it’s silly, or if you wonder whether the smile should be on the face or not — then you’ll miss what we call the heart-to-heart transmission.

Why?  Because thoughts and worries will block the flow of qi (or energy). Until you let go of your thoughts and worries, until you are able to stay in the Zen Mind, you’ll continue to be baffled by Smiling from the Heart.

11 Reasons to Stick With It

Look I understand that it can be hard to understand Smiling from the Heart. I’ve been there.

I’ve done my best to explain in words something that can’t really be explained in words.  But it may not be enough.  Some of you are probably still scratching your heads.  And that’s fine — as long as you persevere!

So until you get it, until you are able to grasp Smiling from the Heart beyond words, maybe I can inspire you to just keep on trucking.  Here are 11 things that you can look forward to once you get the hang of Smiling from the Heart:

1. It gives you an instant shot of happiness, no matter what else is happening in your life.
2. It is the real secret to healing with qigong, tai chi, and meditation.
3. It boosts oxytocin levels and lowers blood pressure.
4. It activates the Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS).
5. It’s the ultimate, all-purpose spice for life.  Everything is better when you Smile from the Heart (including food and sex).
6. It instantly creates more inner peace.
7. It’s the ultimate tool for creating more focus.
8. It’s great for creating healthier relationships.
9. It’s a powerful stress-buster.
10. It’s an effective way for athletes to get into the “zone”.
11. It feels awesome!

When you finally get it, when you suddenly realize how life-changing this one technique can be, then please contact me and say, “You were totally right!”

Or if you already recognize the awesome power of Smiling from the Heart, then go ahead and leave a comment below so that you can inspire others.

Note: This article was original published in 2012, but was completely revised and updated in 2016. 

From the heart,
Sifu Anthony

The post [Audio] Instantly Increase Your Happiness With This Easy Zen Technique appeared first on Flowing Zen.

Why do you practice Qigong?

Hopefully, you’ve got a bunch of goals, like getting rid of chronic pain, or increasing your energy levels.

That’s great. If you know me, then you know that I’m a big fan of setting specific goals.

However, your #1 Qigong goal should be something overarching, something grand and noble, something that inspires you not just for the short run but for the long haul.

In other words, your #1 goal should be to become a master of Qi.

Master Your Qi, Master Your Life

If we look back through history, we find that Qigong masters had certain skills — like being able to tap Qi from the Cosmos, direct the Qi to any part of their body, or even project Qi outside of the body.

I developed the 12 Phases of Qi Mastery to help students understand the skills they need in order to master Qigong (and also Tai Chi).

These 12 Phases are my own invention, but they are based on classical ideas and skills. I was also inspired by a modern Qigong master named Roger Jahnke, who created his own 10-phase version in his book The Healing Promise of Qi.

The 12 Phases are meant to help you gain perspective on your own Qigong practice.

Reading through the 12 Phases, you will probably notice that you need to work on certain phases more than others. Some of you will be completely unfamiliar with certain phases — a sure sign that you need to spend time with that particular skill.

Introducing the 12 Phases 

The 12 Phases should NOT be viewed as linear. Instead, view them as a spiral.  Imagine each phase is a position on a clock.  

Now imagine making many laps through the 12 Phases, but in a spiraling motion, like this:

For example, I’ve circled through all 12 Phases several times.  I continue to do laps around the spiral, and expect to do so for the rest of my life. Each lap brings me new insights into the art of Qigong.

You can even jump around a bit.  Although I’ve arranged them in a meaningful order, they can absolutely be practiced out of order. These days, I  jump around the phases quite often.

As a general rule, it’s safe to skip a few phases on your first lap through the cycle. Once you’ve completed a full lap, then you can jump around in any way that feels productive.

The 12 Phases of Qi Mastery are as follows:

• Phase 1: Discovering the Qi
  The very first step is to become aware of Qi.  If you’re a beginner, then you must discover the Qi that exists in your own body. To do that, you’ll need to learn to clear your mind, relax your body, and heighten your awareness.  (Examples: Head-to-Toe Relaxation, Smiling from the Heart, Entering Zen.)

• Phase 2: Circulating the Qi
  The smooth flow of Qi is critical for health and happiness.  Once you learn how to do it, you’ll want to continue circulating the Qi through your body for the rest of your life, not only because it will keep you healthy, but also because it will make you feel great! (Examples: Lifting the Sky, Carrying the Moon, Heaven and Earth, Flowing Breeze Swaying Willow.)

• Phase 3: Gathering the Qi
  Now that your Qi is flowing well, you can start to work on on gathering more of it. Qi is the main ingredient in Qigong, so having more of it is definitely useful! (Examples: Hugging the Tree, Pushing Mountains, Golden Bridge, Lifting Water Dantian Breathing.)

• Phase 4: Aligning the Qi
  If your physical structure is not aligned, if your muscles, tendons, and ligaments aren’t working optimally, then you’ll never master your Qi. You need to build strength, flexibility, and balance in order to realign your structure and your Qi.  (Examples: Three Levels to Earth, Dancing Crane, Dancing Fairies, Old Monk Removing Shoes)

• Phase 5: Protecting  the Qi
  No matter how good you are at the other phases, you’ll plateau in your development if you don’t also protect your Qi.  External factors can have a major influence on your Qi — the food you eat (or don’t eat), your lifestyle habits, your environment, even your finances. (Examples: eliminating toxins, improving sleep, building good habits, Willpower Qigong, avoiding negative energy, etc.)  Note: I’ll be writing about this topic a lot in 2015.

• Phase 6: Purifying the Qi
  To reach higher levels of health and vitality, you must work to purify your thoughts, emotions, and your energy.  Whereas “Protecting the Qi” is focused on external influences, this phase is focused on internal ones. (Examples: Five Animal Play, 1% Forgiveness, The Gratitude Spark, Focusing on One.)

• Phase 7: Mobilizing the Qi
  Those who practice internal martial arts must learn how to summon up the Qi and mobilize it in an instant. If you don’t want to practice internal martial arts, you’ll still benefit from learning to mobilize your Qi. (Examples: Old Monk Grinding Rice, One Finger Zen.)

• Phase 8: Directing the Qi
  You can’t call yourself a master of Qi unless you can easily direct the Qi to any part of the body, any organ, or any joint.  (Example: Directing Qi to the Palms or Feet, Directing Qi to the Muscles, Massaging the Internal Organs, Bone Marrow Cleansing.)

• Phase 9: Consolidating the Qi
  To reach higher levels of mastery, you need to consolidate the Qi in the major energy centers (especially the the lower dantian). This phase goes hand-in-hand with Gatering the Qi, but is more focused on storing the Qi rather than just gathering it. (Examples:  Dantian Breathing, Holding the Full Belly, Three Centers Merge, Cosmos Palm.)

• Phase 10: Transforming the Qi
  The Small Universe (or Microcosmic Orbit) is a famous Qigong technique for transforming Qi (Energy) into Jing (Essence) and Shen (Spirit).  In many ways, all other forms of Qigong are child’s play compared to this phase.  (Example: The Gentle Small Universe, The Forceful Small Universe.)

• Phase 11: Unifying the Qi
  This is the wonderful, spiritual side of Qigong. The more you master your Qi, the more you’ll merge with the energy of the Cosmos.   (Examples: Standing Zen, Sinew Metamorphosis, Sitting Meditation, Cosmos Breathing.)

• Phase 12: Transmitting the Qi:  Qi can be transmitted from the hands for healing, and also from the heart during teaching. You can even transmit Qi through public speaking. During this phase, you will complete the cycle by giving energy back to your fellow humans.  (Examples: Opening Vital Points, teaching Lifting The Sky, Transmitting Qi, Radiating Loving Kindness.) 

Skill vs. Technique

In our modern world, we often confuse skill and technique. They are different.

The easiest way to understand the difference is like this:  Techniques are visible but skills are invisible.

For example, Pushing Mountains is a wonderful Qigong technique. The technique itself is visible — the way you move the arms, the breathing, the stance.

But directing Qi to the energy field in the palm of the hand (called laogong) is a skill. You can develop this skill by practicing lots of Pushing Mountains. But if you’re skillful, you can direct the Qi to the palms without Pushing Mountains.

It is entirely possible to do all 12 Phases with less than 12 techniques.  For example, we can use Pushing Mountains for Discovering (Phase 1), Gathering (Phase 3), Consolidating (Phase 9), and Transmitting (Phase 12).

This is why I love the classification of the 12 Phases — because it helps us to focus on what really counts, i.e. skill. In the 21st century, many people know a lot of different Qigong techniques. But how many different skills have they mastered?

Summing Up

The 12 Phases are a helpful way to conceptualize the fundamental skills that Qigong masters had in the past — and that we hope to attain in the 21st century.  I sincerely hope that this classification will help Qigong practitioners of all styles to better master their energy.

In 2015, I’ve incorporated these 12 Phases into my classes in Gainesville.  I plan to blog about the various phases as the year goes on.

For the time being, these 12 Phases will only be taught in the classes in Gainesville. In the future, I might consider doing workshops on each level.

What do you think?  Do you find the organization of the 12 Phases useful? Let me know if the comments below!

The post The 12 Phases of Qi Mastery appeared first on Flowing Zen.

In part 1 of this series, I talked about some of my personal experiences with the phenomenon known as External Qi Transmission (EQT). Check out the article here if you haven’t already read it.

At the end of that article, I asked my readers if they wanted me to continue talking about my theories about EQT (as well as some more stories).  The response, both here and on my Facebook page was an overwhelming “YES!”

Energy transmission seems to be a popular topic. And why shouldn’t it be?  We live in an exciting time when we can corroborate ancient Eastern theories about energy with modern science.

More importantly, the Internet allows us to have interesting discussions, and to share our experiences. I hope that this article inspires some of you to share your own experiences in the comments below.

Speaking of your experiences, I’d like to start with one of the most widely recognized forms of energy transmission in the U.S. — Reiki.

Reiki vs. EQT

I’m not a Reiki expert, but many of my students are. In fact, one of them is a well-recognized Reiki teacher with hundreds of students.

From my conversations with her, I understand that there are some fundamental difference between Reiki and EQT.

Reiki was developed in 1922 by a Japanese Buddhist named Mikao Usui, and has since been spread into many different lineages. It uses a technique where the practitioner transfers Universal Energy (or Reiki) through their palms and into another person, mainly for healing.

(FYI, the word Reiki is comprised of 2 characters, 靈 + 氣.  The 2nd character, ki, is the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese word qi. Both words mean energy.)

So how does Reiki relate to EQT? Well, EQT is from a Chinese tradition, and had no single founder. It’s as old as Chinese medicine, which mean that it’s at least a few thousand years old.

But the main difference between the two is in WHAT KIND energy is being transmitted.  Reiki practitioners act as a conduit for Universal Energy.

But with EQT, I actually transmit my OWN energy, not Universal Energy.

Of course, I originally got my energy from the Universe too.  Every day, when I practice Qigong and Tai Chi, I tap energy from the Cosmos (or Nature, or the Zero Point Field, or whatever you prefer to call it).

But that energy gradually assimilates into my system, soaking into my 12 Primary Meridians, the 8 Extraordinary Meridians, as well as my main energy storehouse at the lower dantian.

The best analogy I can think of is that the energy I transmit with EQT is pre-digested. It comes directly from my dantian, and then goes directly into the student. So the energy is already in human form, rather than in Cosmic form. It’s been in me for some time, and has somehow become more “human”. This may explain why EQT can do things that Reiki cannot.

This analogy isn’t perfect, but it may be a good working theory. If you have any other theories about the differences between human Qi and Cosmic Qi, I’d love to hear about them in the comments below.

I mentioned that EQT is able to achieve things that Reiki cannot. So does that mean that EQT is superior to Reiki?  Which one would win in a fight?

That’s like asking whether a wrench is better than a screwdriver.  They are different tools.  When you need a screwdriver, then a wrench will not do, and vice versa.

Reiki and EQT are different tools, and each one has its uses.  Choose the right tool for the job.

Story #4: Draining the Batteries

For example, EQT is not a good choice for healing a lot of people. My wife can treat 100 patients per week using acupuncture and integrative medicine. If I tried to do EQT on 100 people in a week, I would probably die from exhaustion.

That’s because EQT can be extremely draining for the practitioner.  This does not seem to be the case with Reiki. And this makes sense.  With Reiki, the practitioner is simply diverting Cosmic energy into the student; with EQT, the practitioner is channeling his or her own, pre-digested energy.

I remember my first experience with being drained. I was excited about my progress with EQT, and I wanted to help everyone. So I did EQT in private sessions with a bunch of students, and also opened vital points during group class.

That weekend, I crashed.

I felt totally depleted, sluggish, and I slept all weekend. I also ate a lot more than normal (a pattern I’ve seen repeat over the years.) This was totally uncharacteristic for me, and it was a real wake up call.

After that, I was much more careful about not draining myself.

Donating Qi Instead of Blood

Why is EQT so draining?  From a Chinese medical viewpoint, transmitting Qi is similar to donating blood.  Both Qi and blood are considered precious “substances”.   So transmitting energy is similar to donating blood.

When I “donate” Qi from my dantian to another person, it leaves me with less energy.  As I  understand it,  a Reiki practitioner should not be drained after a session. So with Reiki, you could help many more people over a week than with EQT.

This is why you need to choose the right tool for the job.  If you’re a professional healer, and you’re trying to make a living from helping people, then Reiki (or another method) would probably be a better choice than EQT.

On the other hand, EQT can be extremely helpful in stubborn cases where nothing else has worked, including Reiki.   And if you learn how to regulate the amount of energy you use with EQT, then you can gradually help more and more people without draining yourself.

The Problem with Empathy

But it’s not easy to regulate the amount of energy.  I learned the hard way.  Or maybe it’s the only way.  Trial and error.

When you’re new to EQT, it’s common to use a ton of energy.  You’re excited, you’re enthusiastic, and you’re eager to help your student.

And you will help them. But you’ll also be exhausted the next day!

The problem is that healers like myself tend to be very empathetic.  In fact, we tend to help others even when it means sacrificing our own needs.  When you genuinely want to help someone, when you empathize with their suffering and want to take it away, then you naturally send too much energy with EQT because of that empathetic connection.

Healers do this all the time in a different way.  Nurses, for example, constantly drain themselves in order to help their patients.  They give until it hurts.  (This is probably why I have so many nurses as students — because they’ve given too much and they need to start taking care of themselves.)

With years of practice, you learn how to regulate the flow of energy with EQT, even when you’re being empathetic.  But this requires a lot of practice.  And you had better be healthy while you’re practicing, for reasons I’ll explain below.

Recharging the Batteries

Even if I regulate the energy perfectly, I still need to recharge.  Years ago, I would see students privately for EQT sessions.  When I did that, I would schedule in about 10 minutes between sessions so that I could practice Qigong and recharge.  (Of course, I also had to factor this into the price, which is yet another reason why other methods can be more cost-effective than EQT.)

It also depends on which techniques I use.  These days, I mostly just open the vital points.  But in the past, I also used the Sword Finger technique to “loosen” blockages, the Cosmos Palm technique to nourish depleted meridians, the One Finger Zen technique to regulate energy in certain meridians, and the Dragon Claw technique to “pull” negative energy out.

All of these techniques were wonderfully effective, but they were significantly more draining than opening the vital points.  Now I mostly use them for emergency situations, or for really stubborn cases.   For example, I once had a student who had been in a car accident.  So I opened her vital points, used the Dragon Claw to draw out some stuck energy, and then used the Cosmos Palm to fill in the depleted areas.  I was slightly drained after, but it was no big deal for me.  Meanwhile, the session was extremely helpful for the student.

The Quality of Energy

EQT is also highly effective for stubborn, chronic cases.  For example, I had a student with a years-old knee problem.  Nothing was helping, not even acupuncture.  I saw him for a few EQT sessions.  I can’t remember exactly what I did (later, I started keeping detailed notes), but I probably opened his vital points, and then used the Sword Finger to loosen the blockages in the knee, as well as the meridians that go through the knee.  Within a few weeks, his knee was better than it had been in 10 years.

Why is EQT effective for stubborn cases like this? I can only speculate based on my knowledge of Chinese medicine.  My theory is that  the quality of my energy is very important.  Although you need a certain quantity of Qi to have a good effect, it’s the quality of the energy that makes the difference.

So how do you get high-quality energy?  The answer is simple, but some people aren’t going to like it:  You develop high-quality energy by practicing Qigong diligently for about 10 years.  And remember — it’s not just about building up lots of energy.  In fact, it’s more important to cleanse out your yucky energy.

If you cleans out the yuck, then good energy will naturally flow in to replace it.  But if you focus instead on constantly drawing in energy without cleansing out the old energy, then there’s a big risk if you do EQT.  Here’s why:

Story #5: The Back-Flow of Energy

During one of my private sessions, a student had a history of breast cancer.  She mentioned that she was having some pain on the right side, but didn’t go into specifics.  I went to work on the general area, dissipating the blockages using the Sword Finger technique that I mentioned above. After working on her for a few minutes, I suddenly felt a very distinct pain in my own chest.  I asked my student a few questions, and it turned out that my pain was in the exact same spot, and of the exact same quality as hers.

In other words, her pain had “jumped” into me.

I don’t fully understand the physics of this, but the phenomenon has happened often enough for me to know it’s real.  If the HeartMath Institute is correct that the electromagnetic frequencies from one person’s heart can have an effect on a person from a few feet away, perhaps that begins to explain this phenomenon.

But I don’t need to understand it to be wary of it.  Over the years, I’ve had enough close calls with energy “jumping” into me that I know it’s real.  And I know that I want to avoid it.

The flow of energy is obviously bi-directional.  If you don’t transmit Qi just right, then you can get a black-flow of energy into your own system.  And that’s exactly what happened with this student.  Her negative energy “jumped” into me, almost like a contagious disease.

This is another reason why it’s essential for the person doing EQT to be healthy and skillful at Qigong.  I was able to quickly clear away the negative energy with a 15-Minute Qigong session immediately after seeing this student.  My pain was gone in 20 minutes.

Whew!

But the lesson is important.  When you’re transmitting your own Qi, there’s a risk of back flow, even if you’re well trained.  I shudder at the thought of people with little training trying to transmit Qi.  Even if they are successful with the transmission (it’s definitely possible, but not easy), they stand a good chance of “picking up” some of the negative energy from the patient.

This goes against my philosophy of healing.  If you are spreading sickness, then you are doing something wrong.  It should be the opposite.  By healing others, you should also be getting healthier yourself.

Story #6: Infecting People with Negative Energy

The reverse is also possible — accidentally transmitting YOUR OWN negative energy to the student.  If you’re still unhealthy, if you have pain or some kind of illness, then it’s possible to transmit some of that negativity to the student.

I once received a healing session from someone doing something similar to EQT.  (I’m honestly not sure what it was exactly.)

Long story short, I felt some of her yucky energy “infect” me during the session.  Specifically, I felt extreme nausea after the session.  Later, after I did a Qigong session to cleanse myself, I casually asked her about her health.  It turns out that, despite being a professional energy healer, she was still suffering from a host of digestive issues.

Doctor, heal thyself.  This woman was actually quite talented at energy transmission.  But I believe she should have spent more time working on her own energy before transmitting it to others.

This is why I can’t condone Qigong masters who teach relative beginners to do EQT.  One well-known master teaches new students to be “healers”.  I genuinely respect this master, and I know that he means well, but I don’t think he fully understands the implications of this. (Remember that some masters know less about the history and theory of Qigong and Chinese medicine than I do even though they are more powerful and more skillful than I am.)

From my perspective, there are 4 likely outcomes when beginners act as healers.

1. They’ll be too new to actually initiate EQT.
2. They’ll transmit their own yuck to the other person.
3. They’ll drain themselves.
4. They’ll pick up negative back-flow from the other person.

I want to heal the world, but I want to do it efficiently.  To me, spreading negative energy isn’t effective.  It’s much more effective for people to heal themselves using Qigong, and later — once they are very healthy — to start thinking about healing others.

Opening the Vital Points

I was ten years into my training before I really started working on others.   I was in acupuncture college at the time, so I had plenty of opportunities to practice on colleagues and students.  I had also been teaching Qigong for years, so I experimented on those students as well. (Of course, when I say “experimented”, I mean that the other person volunteered.  I would never work on someone’s energy without their permission.)

What I’ve discovered over the years has been pretty amazing.  With very few exceptions, opening the energy points consistently had a profound effect on the student. Time and again, it seemed to give a major boost to the overall healing ability of the body.  Within a few days, they would feel better, sleep better, have less pain, or just be “unreasonably happy” (as one student phrased it).

And the results weren’t just subjective.  There were also measurable results that acupuncture physicians, chiropractors, and even Western doctors noticed. In dozens and dozens of cases, opening the energy points showed objective effects that physicians could measure using their own diagnostic methods.

Therapeutic Magnification

I especially noticed that patients and students who had their points opened by me often experienced sudden breakthroughs in other healing modalities.  Time and again, I would open someone’s points, and then a week or so later they would have a major breakthrough with their chiropractor, therapist, or acupuncturist.  This patterned happened too often for it to be coincidental.

I like to call this phenomenon Therapeutic Magnification.  In other words, the power of whatever therapies you are receiving will be magnified after I open your points with EQT.  To me, this is an efficient use of my time and energy.  Opening the vital points doesn’t drain me, and it’s very quick.  It’s also safe in the sense that I don’t get a back-flow of energy.

Once again, this article has gotten away from me.  I’ve got more to say, especially about how I view the future of energy transmission.  Shall I save it for a third article? What say ye? 

From the heart,
Sifu Anthony

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

I’ve heard it countless times.  I’ve even heard it from my own students — during class!

“I don’t believe in energy!”

As soon as I use the word “energy” in the context of qigong, tai chi, or acupuncture, certain people get uncomfortable.  And it never fails to makes me chuckle.

I like to have fun with these people. For example:

Them:  I don’t believe in energy!

Me:  What?!? You don’t believe in electricity?

Them: No, I meant that I don’t believe there’s some invisible energy flowing through the body.

Me: Oh.  So you don’t believe in the impulses that flow along nerves?

Them: No, of course I believe in nerves!  I just don’t believe in the Chinese philosophy that says that everything is made of Qi.

Me:  Oh.  So you don’t believe in electrons, protons, or neutrons? It’s fun, right?  I could go on all day with this stuff!  How about this one:

Them: I don’t believe in energy!

Me: So let me get this straight:  You believe in a tiny device that can call to and from virtually anywhere in the world, take high-resolution photos and post them directly to the Internet, connect with the speakers in your car, and guide you to the airport — all without wires — but you don’t believe in energy?

My point, of course, is that it’s very difficult to intelligently say something like, “I don’t believe in energy!” in the 21st century.  Perhaps 300 years ago, before electricity and before Quantum Physics, you could have made a statement like that and defended it.  But not today.

Not when you have an iPhone in your pocket.

I Was Skeptical Too

When I chuckle at people who say that they don’t believe in energy, I’m also laughing at myself.  Once upon a time, I didn’t believe in “energy” either.  Twenty years ago, I was pretty strongly against the idea of Qi (or Ki as it was called in the Karate world).  I had read about it in books, but for some reason, the concept was completely outside my window of possibility.  I simply couldn’t allow myself to believe that an invisible energy was flowing inside (and outside) of the human body.

Just the idea of it made me uncomfortable!

So I did what most humans do when they are presented with an unfamiliar idea that makes them uncomfortable: I mocked it.

I decided that people who believed in Qi were just silly.  There was no evidence of Qi, and these people were unscientific!  (Not that I searched for any evidence, but you get my drift.)

This happens all the time.  For example, I recently stumbled upon an Internet discussion about yours truly on a Tai Chi forum.  Certain people were arguing that I’m not a real Tai Chi teacher because I talk about “new age hocus pocus” like Qi and opening vital points. In other words “real” Tai Chi teachers don’t believe in Qi.

Huh?

Am I New Agey?

I can’t really blame the people who were criticizing me.  After all, I was just like them once.  So I can certainly empathize.

Nevertheless, let’s be clear that this stuff is not new agey.  It’s ancient agey! Everything that I say about Qi is based on the  theories of Chinese medicine, which are thousands of years old. Feel free to dismiss it as nonsense, but understand that in doing so, you have to also dismiss the driving theory behind Chinese medicine (i.e. Qi).

For those who are skeptical about energy, I recommend that you read the following book: The Field:  The Quest for the Secret Force of the Universe. It’s written by an investigative journalist, and it’s a real mind-opener.  In fact, I dare you to read that book from start to finish without having your mind blown wide open.

Skepticism, Dogma, and Karma

Like I said, I always have a good laugh when I look back at my own skepticism.  I especially think it’s funny how I drew dogmatic lines in the sand. “I won’t go past this line!” I told myself.  Of course, that line was based more on emotion than on evidence.  But I pretended that I was being all scientific.

Eventually, I had no choice but to cross my own line. I remember wrestling with the concept of Qi while reading a book about Quantum Physics.  Although I was much more comfortable viewing myself as a solid object made of solid matter, science kept insisting otherwise.  It insisted that I was made up of empty space more than anything else.  It also insisted that matter and energy weren’t mutually exclusive.

E=MC² and all that jazz.   Whether I liked it or not, I had to admit that I was (and still am!) a vibrating mass of energy.

“What Einstein discovered and what that famous equation E=MC² means is that mass and energy are basically two forms of the same thing.  Energy is liberated matter, and matter is energy waiting to happen.” – Pam Grout

Eventually, science forced me to give up my dogma.  (Or was it just my karma?)

I remained skeptical, but I turned into a healthy skeptic — i.e. someone whose mind is open to possibilities.  Before that, I was not skeptical; I was dogmatic.  I was not open to possibilities.  I had made foregone conclusions based on emotions, rather than evidence.

If you think that science is completely free from dogma, then I encourage you to read an excellent book, written by a scientist named Rupert Sheldrake.  It’s called Set Science Free:  10 Paths to New Discovery.  It’s all about the dogma that is plaguing the scientific community.  It’s another mind-blowing book.  I highly recommend it.

The Earth is Flat!

So what is this Qi-energy stuff?  Well, according to Chinese medicine, it’s a lot of things.  For example, the energy that moves food through your digestive system (peristalsis) is Qi.  So is the energy that creates insulin.  So is the energy that creates new cells in your body.

If the nerve that controls your liver is impinged, then the impulses along that nerve will not be as strong as they should be.  In Chinese medicine, we would call this a blockage of Qi.

But the term Qi also refers to an energy that can be projected outside of the body. Does that sound crazy?

Ack!  Humans can’t project energy from their body?  You’re making me uncomfortable! Stop it or I will mock you!

Actually, we project energy outside the visible boundaries of our body all the time.  The electromagnetic energy from your heart, for example, radiates outward several feet. Several feet! Experiments conducted at the Institute of HeartMath have found evidence that the heart’s electromagnetic field can even transmit information between people.  Not only that, but they found that one person’s brain waves can actually synchronize to another person’s heart.

Sounds like a form of energy transmission to me!

Does Western science completely understand Qi yet?  No.  Not yet.  But it will.  There are already some decent studies that beg for further investigation.  Give it time.  In another 50 or 100 years, I predict that Western science will have a much clearer picture of the concept of Qi.

Of course, even then, some people will choose not to believe.  But don’t forget that some people still choose to believe that the earth is flat.  That’s their prerogative, but please don’t call them scientific.

Do You Believe In Energy?

What about you?  Do you believe in Qi, or energy?  Or do you think it’s all a bunch of hocus pocus? 

From the heart,
Sifu Anthony

The post I Don’t Believe in Energy! appeared first on Flowing Zen.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Story #1: Qi vs. a Table

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Story #2: Seeing is Believing

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

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

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

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

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

Story #3: Freaking Out a Friend

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

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

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

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

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

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

Completely gone.

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

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

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

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

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

To be continued?

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

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

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