What is Qi Gong and how does it work?
This is a common question for those who aren’t familiar with the ancient practice. Although Qi Gong has grown in popularity over the last few decades, it still isn’t ubiquitously known like some other wellness practices or forms of exercise.
In this blog, you’ll discover the fundamentals of Qi Gong and how the practice can enhance your energy, calm your mind, and boost your overall well-being.
Qi Gong is a practice that helps you experience less stress and more energy. Who doesn’t want that?
To go a step deeper, the word Qi Gong includes two parts: Qi and Gong.
Qi refers to your internal life-force energy. It is the mysterious, animating force that gives life to your being and allows you to move, think, or feel.
In Chinese Medicine, Qi is present all throughout nature. The wind, rivers, mountains, and universe all hold this essential life-force energy.
Gong means “skill” or “work.” Together, the words Qi Gong mean “to work with your life-force energy.” Essentially, Qi Gong is the practice of cultivating your internal energy so you can experience all of the wonderful benefits that the practice has to offer (more on this below).
There are several different specific ways to practice Qi Gong, but all of them have a few elements in common. Most Qi Gong practices work with slow, meditative movements which integrate your mind and body. By moving in specific ways, you’re able to transform your internal energy and cultivate vitality throughout your entire being.
Although every Qi Gong form is different, you’ll find that most routines include a series of specific kinds of exercises. These include warmups (or activations), purging, stretching, flows, postures, and meditation.
Not every Qi Gong routine includes all of these kinds of exercises, but these are the most common and fundamental elements of Qi Gong routines. Together, this general sequence of exercises is geared towards specific energetic transformations that take place within your body.
Let’s explore each of these in more detail.
Just like athletes typically do some warmup exercises before beginning a sporting event, the same is true for practitioners before diving into an immersive Qi Gong practice.
In Qi Gong warmup exercises, you focus on activating your internal energy and awakening your body. It’s much easier to work with your Qi once it’s moving, so these exercises help enliven your energy so it’s flowing throughout your body.
Many warmup exercises include gentle tapping on different parts of your body. Exercises such as Qi Massage or Knocking on the Door of Life are aimed at invigorating your energy system in preparation for the energy work that follows.
Warmup exercises are also referred to as activation exercises because they “turn on” your energy system.
After warming up your energy, many Qi Gong routines include practices for purging.
In Qi Gong, purging is the process of letting go of old energy that you no longer need. Purging allows you to let go of pent-up emotional energy, stress that you’re holding in your body, or restless thoughts that no longer serve you. Essentially, purging helps you clear out your energy system so you’re not holding onto old baggage.
Many purging exercises focus on integrating specific movements with the exhale of your breath. In Chinese Medicine, breathing is a powerful tool that helps you release unwanted energy, which is also referred to as noxious Qi.
Not every Qi Gong routine includes purging exercises, but typically purging takes place either before or after warmup exercises.
After purging exercises, many Qi Gong routines include a few stretching exercises to loosen your muscles and help open your energy pathways.
In Chinese Medicine, your body has important energy pathways called meridians which run throughout your being. Your meridians allow Qi to move freely and circulate.
By stretching your body in specific ways, it helps free up any energy blockages and improves your energy circulation. In general, stretching exercises are great for both your physical body as well as your entire energy system.
Of course, stretching also helps improve your physical mobility and reduces the risk of getting injured.
After you’ve finished your warmup and stretching exercises, most Qi Gong routines include a set of flows.
Qi Gong flowing exercises focus on cultivating internal energy. These are the exercises that really help you strengthen your energy system and charge up your mind and body.
In general, Qi Gong flowing movements feel deeply relaxing yet rejuvenating at the same time. They help you really slow down and tap into your Qi on a deep and transformative level.
Part of the reason that flowing movements are so powerful is because they help integrate your body and mind. By doing slow, meditative movements you’re able to feel into your body in a way that you don’t typically experience in everyday life. This helps you relax, become centered, and cultivate the full energetic potential of your mind and body.
After flowing movements, some Qi Gong routines include postures to further cultivate your internal energy.
During posture exercises, you typically align your body in certain positions while standing. Some of these postures are designed to help strengthen the energy that is already alive within you.
Remember, in Chinese Medicine and Qi Gong the world and universe are full of Qi. Therefore, many Qi Gong exercises are aimed at harnessing the gifts that exist in the natural world. Postural exercises are a great way to take in all of the energy and abundance that exist in the universe that constantly surrounds you.
Many Qi Gong routines conclude with meditation.
There’s a saying in Chinese Medicine and Qi Gong, “where the mind goes, the Qi flows.”
In other words, Chinese Medicine and Qi Gong recognize that your mind has the incredible power to influence your internal energy. Therefore, it’s no surprise that meditation can be a powerful tool for working with your Qi.
There are many different kinds of meditations in Qi Gong. Many of them focus on using visualization to help transform and cultivate the energy within you. This can include cultivating vitality and energy, joy and love, or any other nourishing quality you wish to experience within yourself.
There are numerous benefits of practicing Qi Gong. This means that you can apply the practice in whatever way you’d like to help you feel your best.
Two benefits that most people resonate with are feeling less stress and more energy. These core benefits draw many people to the ancient practice. By letting go of old energy and charging you up with rich, vital Qi, you’re able to experience a full-body transformation that helps you feel relaxed yet energized.
Qi Gong also can help you experience greater emotional balance so you’re able to face all of life’s challenges with more confidence and ease.
Additionally, Qi Gong can help improve your sleep, overcome pain, gain more spiritual clarity, or help achieve just about any internal transformation you may be seeking. If you’d like to dive deeper, be sure to check out one of our previous blogs about the benefits of practicing Qi Gong.
It’s one thing to understand the fundamentals of Qi Gong in intellectual terms, but the real understanding lies in experiencing the practice itself. If you’d like to see how it feels to go through a complete Qi Gong practice, be sure to check out our free two-week Qi Gong trial.
When you sign up for the free two-week trial, you’ll have the opportunity to learn Qi Gong routines taught by master teacher Lee Holden.
These routines integrate all of the same elements discussed in this blog. This allows you to see how it actually feels to activate your Qi, open your meridian pathways, let go of old energy, and cultivate an abundance of fresh, nourishing Qi.
Click on the banner below to learn more and experience the transformative benefits of Qi Gong for yourself.
