Have you ever felt unclear about your path in life or even how you should show up in the world? If this resonates with you, you’re not alone. In fact, just about every human on earth struggles at one point or another when it comes to feeling fully connected and embodied in self.
In this blog, you’ll learn how to use the principles of Qi Gong to reconnect to your inner truth and authenticity. This can help you feel more clear, confident, and aligned with your purpose in life. But first, let’s address why it can be so difficult to maintain your connection to your true self sometimes.
What is it that allows you to remain connected to your true and authentic self as opposed to being pulled away from your center? According to Chinese Medicine and Qi Gong, it has to do with your ability to discern your own energy from the energy around you.
If you’re able to clearly discern between your energy and others, it’s easy to stay true to yourself. Regardless of the influences around you, you know who you are. You can listen to what others have to say with an open mind, but you won’t be manipulated or led astray because you have a clear vision of where your true path lies.
On the other hand, if you have difficulty discerning between your own energy and the energies around you, it can be difficult to stay true to yourself. Instead of setting firm boundaries against negative outside influences, you might allow yourself to be swayed away from your true path.
Deviating from your true authentic self can manifest in a few different ways. One of the most obvious ways is to engage in actions or behaviors that clearly contradict your values. Another less obvious way is to sacrifice your true passions in life in order to conform to others’ expectations of you. Although these two examples appear to be quite different, they're both forms of deviating from who you truly are.
Qi Gong can help you return to your true and authentic self by helping you discern between your own energy and the energies around you. In other words, Qi Gong teaches you how to know what energy is yours and what energy is projected onto you by others.
Qi Gong helps with discernment by allowing you to gain more awareness about what’s happening within you. When an impulse or feeling arises, you can explore it skillfully and notice when it’s something you’ve picked up from the world around you. After all, our external environment constantly bombards us with messages about what we should do or be. Therefore, it’s important to be able to delineate between yourself and the rest of the world.
This skill of discernment can help you in many different aspects of life. In relationships, it can empower you to take responsibility for your own feelings while also allowing you to set clear boundaries so others can’t project their emotions onto you. As a member of society, discernment can help you recognize what you truly want in life as opposed to what others say you should do. When you’re able to delineate between your own energy and others, you can stay better connected to your true and authentic self.
While all Qi Gong exercises can help you cultivate greater personal awareness, some exercises are specifically designed to help with discernment.
In Chinese Medicine and Qi Gong, the Metal Element is associated with clarity and delineation. When your Metal Element is strong, it’s much easier to see where your energy ends and others’ begins.
In addition, the Metal Element helps you set clear and firm boundaries. Instead of succumbing to external influences that pull you away from your center, it empowers you to resist and say “no.” Additionally, the Metal Element can give you the courage to embrace the things that are true to yourself.
Based on this, it’s easy to see how the Metal Element plays an important role in cultivating authenticity and alignment in yourself. If you’re interested in learning Qi Gong exercises designed to strengthen your Metal Element, be sure to check out our on-demand Qi Gong for Fall Workshop.
The Metal Element is associated with the season of fall, which means that right now is the perfect time to harness Metal’s powerful gifts.
Our on-demand Qi Gong for Fall Workshop is taught by master teacher Lee Holden. In this workshop, you’ll learn a variety of practices that focus on boosting the Metal Element. When the Metal Element is strong, it’s easier to fully embody your most true and authentic self. Click on the banner below to learn more and tap into your inner potential.
