qigong 1 — learn to sense qi

Qi rules. Well, at least for spiritual development, it’s a certainty that qi rules. Without having qi in your pocket—that is, you’re in that cozy place where you can sense qi clearly—all your efforts toward spiritual unfoldment will be half-baked and metaphysical success will remain elusive at best. Why? Good intentions just don’t cut it. They count for a lot but not towards stabilizing the mind. The only help is qi (or prana [in Hindu yoga] or lung [in Tibetan Buddhism]). Every genuine yogic tradition trumps up the importance of accessing the mind via work with its handmaiden, subtle energy. Guess what? They’re all right. Sure you know that. But, guess again. Guess what? Yep. They are really, really right. All of them. Alright!

Why all the tooting about a seemingly obvious fact to anyone who’s spent even a short amount of time exploring alternative approaches to inner growth? Simply because just about everyone on the planet is in a cultural and psychic trance. You read the words, you understand the concepts, you register them as important and park them neatly in your memory bank along with other details about spiritual practice. And … then … you just go about your daily activities and chores as if you’re nobody’s fool. Nothing changes. Nothing much happens. No amazing turn for the better.

There are good reasons why this happens: At a psychological level you can explain such behavior as an outfall of cognitive dissonance (the mind only tags some experiences as important). At a spiritual level, this ramifies from karma (deep energetic patterns) and the play of such karma can be clearly known through Jyotish (Vedic astrology of subtle energy archetypes). So, there ARE reasons.

But, the bummer remains. Now, it’s not a crime to be in a consensual trance with everybody and everything else. For sure, dreamland is the norm. But simply going along for the ride with everyone else will NOT get you free or to a better place spiritually. You have to buck the system—not violently but with true pluck, valor and effort. In yoga, this process relates to a niyama (observance) called tapas (discipline).

The earliest extant text on yoga (Yoga Sutras of Patanjali; 200 BCE - 200 CE) teased yogic practice into eight sequential elements. Of these, the second stage about the niyamas (observances to follow) identifies five essential positive moral and ethical behaviors that must underscore esoteric practice if it is to succeed. Of all these observances, tapas (austerity, ardent effort) leads the pack. And the reason?

Through struggle and determined practice you cultivate agni (a form of subtle energy related to heat and knowledge). And it is this agni—spiritual fire—which purchases you entry to real—that is, really effective—sādhana (spiritual practice).

The best way to start? Learn to sense qi. It’s that simple—and, that hard. In Daoism, and related practices from Chinese culture (such as qigong for health or martial arts), qi is generally felt with the hands to start with. Later, you can sense it anywhere in and about your body. And eventually, you can just access this energy via your mind which means gradually you can manipulate qi at a distance. The following video introduces some useful and accessible preliminary practices that can lead you to sense qi. This entire video is essential material but, for now, just check out the two practices explained starting at 11:34 into the video.

If you give these techniques even 10 minutes a day for a month or two you will be amazed—and, in a better place to pick up the chase as described in the next section on yoga. As a reminder, there are three qi meditation practices explained on this video but just do the first two for now. The third meditation is more advanced and will garner you more if you develop some other skills first (as detailed later on this, and the following, web page). Happy qi trails!

yoga 1 — practice, practice, practice the basics

Most folks who have heard about yoga and spent some time learning the ropes of the approach will have heard about the Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali, a classic text of Hindu yoga which delineates a graded path one follows on the journey to Light. Step by step, technique by technique, it all sounds a little like mountain climbing: first this step, then that one, then that one. The traditional order (refer to this page about Hindu Yoga for the details) scoots from moral discipline to physical practices (postures and breathing) and then on to more rarefied vistas of consciousness (ever-deepening levels of concentration and presence). You might think that just like a cross-country cruise in your favorite model motor car, once you zip through some early junction on the path—Flatbush, Galena, Bozeman or what have you—that’s that. No more going back. It’s a one-way ticket from beginning to intermediate to advanced practices.

Well, this notion shimmers pleasantly in the mind—it fits expectations—but to no avail for the concept’s simply outright wrong. The single most important realization to gather and glean at the start of your spiritual practice says that the basics are essential at the beginning BUT they are also essential during mid-trek and even more essential as you scamper toward quest’s end and truly advanced awareness. To sum up: the basics are here to stay if you really want to succeed with your practice. How come?

The basics (hatha yoga and pranayama) provide grounding into the physical and astral worlds. What changes over time hinges upon your mind (more subtle energy) and its interaction with these more condensed (solidified) energy bodies. In Hindu yoga there are five energy bodies (koshas or sheaths) reaching from physical to very high mental energy. All forms of yoga (Hindu, Tibetan, Daoist and all others) seek to activate a self-sustaining energy body at—or near—the top of this heap.

The payoff? One can truck around the cosmos with a light body and the common physical form of body, mind and heart becomes optional. All the best of the physical form gets rolled into the light body so you don’t lose much in the transformation except the heartache of gridlock—finding yourself trapped in a spiritually insane world with its incredible tapestry of glorious beauty and vile horror ever tugging at your heart strings: all the while with the hyenas of hell waiting patiently for you to run smack into old age, pain, loss and deep betrayal. Fun, for sure, huh?

So, first things first: start where you are and develop a consistent and realistic practice of BOTH hatha yoga (postures) and pranayama (breathing). Roll in what you know about qi. Then shoot for the long haul: over the years, lengthen the amount of time you invest in these two key practices: start with an hour for both and aim for heaven.

Serious work leads to serious results—and such well-earned gains only tend to show their faces after the clock tower chimes three hours total for the day. More is even better. Serious adepts (the professionals) practice pranayama 2-4 hours a day and hatha yoga 1-2 (or more) hours a day. If you are younger you can do more hatha yoga and less pranayama but as you hit your forties (or sooner if you are overwhelmingly earnest) you should start to increase the pranayama (which activates the astral body). If you’re a real camper, there’s no harm in doing more hatha yoga the whole way through but, for sure, the essential advice here trumpets a simple tune: do MORE pranayama as you get older. Hatha yoga itself will NOT get you to higher consciousness: you need pranayama and qigong to do that.

nei jia quan 1 — baguazhang and bajiquan

Nei (internal) jia (family) quan (fist) refers to a collection of Chinese internal martial arts that incorporate weigong (outer qigong) and neigong (inner qigong) into their practices. Baguazhang (eight trigram palm), Xingyiquan (form intention fist), Taijiquan (grand ultimate fist) and Liuhebafaquan (six harmonies, eight methods boxing) represent the main styles. Popular thinking and legend link the first three of these styles with Daoist monasteries of the Wudang Mountains in Hubei province. Liuhebafaquan is linked to a Daoist monastery at Mt. Hua, which is about 260 miles north of the Wudang mountains. So, they all have roots in the same Chinese soil and soul.

Another style, Bajiquan (eight extremities fist) sometimes gets included in this list since it also originated from Hubei province and towers as the most powerful of all Chinese martial arts. Baji (for short) makes the most effective use of basic weigong and neigong techniques to add high octane energy to already powerful martial techniques.

And this is the reason someone intent on spiritual practice should take the time to learn the basics of nei jia quan. Quite simply, by leveraging whole-body movements with time-honored qigong practices and knowledge, these internal martial arts have developed the BEST ways to cultivate qi. Once you learn from these masters, truly effective and rapid ways to access qi, you are free to go as you please. There’s no requirement to become a fighter. You just need to learn how to become a qigong pro—relative to your current level of ability.

Baji incorporates the most profound use of qigong right at the beginning stages of it’s curriculum but all these styles gradually introduce sophisticated integration of qigong with whole-body movement. So, let’s get going. Techniques to choose from abound in droves and swarms—you have a veritable sea of methods to consider. But, less is more, therefore a few choice concepts and techniques will amply reward your efforts to master them.

Whole-body Movement 1 — Connect the Five Gates — part 1

Remember, you are a torus (if this word doesn’t ring a bell, you can check out the summary section way below for details). So, the name of the game is to align the central channel of your body (and the torus) with the flow of qi to and from the earth. This amplifies and tunes the qi in you and serves to ferry you to deeper states of consciousness. The first step in the process simply aligns the top of your head with the bottom of your torso. Then the feet and hands get roped into the act. So, eventually five gates (top of head, bottoms of two feet and palms of two hands) play together energetically in orchestral splendor.

Step 1
To begin, stand with your feet as far apart to the sides as they can go and then close that distance up some so the feet are apart about 70% of maximum (they will still be a foot or more wider than your hips). Your torso, head and feet are all facing forward at this point. Bend your knees a little so that they feel comfortable and are somewhere between the ankles and the toes (generally, about half way). Your arms hang comfortably just a fist width from your body or you can gently rest your thumbs at the front side of your pelvis for some extra support. Either way, keep space in the armpits—as if you’re accommodating a tennis ball that’s nestled in the hollow for the winter. Have a sense of space between the upper arm and upper torso just where your arm joins the shoulder.

Next, use the muscles in your thighs and pelvis to maintain a slight pull of the thighs out to the sides and away from the midline. You’re aiming to create and maintain extra space from your inner knees up along the inner thighs and across the perineum (region between the genitals and anus). Imagine half a circle facing downward. That’s like this region from one inner knee up to the perineum and down to the other inner knee. Keep a sense of openness along the entire half circle while you start to move slowly and steadily from side to side.

Don’t tilt your torso. Keep it erect. Just press off one leg to shift your torso across until you end up directly over the other leg. Pause for a moment. Most of your weight should be supported by the leg you are now over. Then, press off again and shift back to the other side until all your weight is again over the leg you started with. You are facing forward the entire time. Your head, torso and feet remain facing forwards. Your head maintains a gentle lift and stays centered over the torso. The only thing changing is the position of the torso as you press into the ground with one leg and then the other.

Repeat this back and forth motion 4 - 6 times and continue to even out the half circle so your torso receives steady and strong support throughout the movement. Notice any parts of the cycle when some part of the half circle tightens up or gives out and weakens. These are the areas to focus on and balance. How to do this?

You regulate both muscle strength and qi flow. First, just tidy up any areas that need attention (strengthen or open/soften the area) at a physical level. Second, feel qi coursing from the Bubbling Well points (Yongquan, Kidney 1) up along the inner and back legs all the way to the perineum and then further, into the lower dantian (a region about the shape of a small ball that is found halfway inside the torso from front to back; it’s in the lower abdomen a hand’s width below the level of the navel). Focus especially on the resonance between the Bubbling Well points and the perineum (working with the lower dantian gets covered in later stages).

Adjust your stance and the half circle. Let the pelvis sink from the spine as if it’s a weight on the end of a rope. Despite this sinking action of your lower torso, your head and neck should remain at the same height and have a sense of gently lifting upwards. Together, these tugs give a gentle traction to the spine and help open the vertebral joints, which in turn, improves both physical fluid circulation and qi flow throughout the body. This helps foster the qi connection between the KI 1 points and the perineum. So far, so good. You’ve finished step 1 so here’s a good place to take a break. Or, you can just continue on to the next step.

Step 2
Repeat the back and forth motion 4 - 6 times exactly as before but stop in the middle, halfway between the two feet. Find that exact place where it feels as if the entire body sinks or melds into an especially stable place. You can’t miss it. Just be on the lookout for that moment when you feel as if the left and right sides of your body chink into place—like two pieces of a jigsaw puzzle neatly snuggling together with a discernable click, snap or pop!

Here, you first focus on the physical sensations. With some practice, you will notice this place of maximum comfort, steadiness and equilibrium every time with ease. Pause at this point for 10 seconds and feel the flow of gravity (physical) and qi (energetic) pulsing down through you into the earth. It eventually should feel good at both the physical and energetic levels—just like a warm and gently effervescent stream flowing without encumbrance.

There should not be any major snags to this flow. If there are, just adjust both the physical posture and the qi flows (both by either strengthening or loosening and softening) until there’s some noticeable improvement. You don’t have to fix such sluggish, tricky or stuck areas 100% at this stage. Just get some real change happening and remember to congratulate yourself for the good effort. With time, your skills at this will improve immensely. Back to the practice: after the pause, continue on to the other side as before. Then keep going until you’ve finished the entire set. That’s step 2. What’s next?

Step 3
Now start to notice and feel two particular points at the same time. You’re fishing for an energetic connection between the two. Where are they? You guessed it: top of the head and bottom of the torso.

The point on the top of the head, called Baihui (hundred meetings) in Chinese, corresponds to the center of the crown chakra (sahasrara). To find it, just cover your ears with your hands and center the tips of your middle fingers on the very topmost part of the ears. Then trace lines up and over the top of your head until the two fingertips meet. You’ve hit pay dirt! Note that the outer ear angles slightly backwards (top is slightly posterior to the bottom) so the lines you trace are slightly back from true vertical. If you trace straight upwards, that’s okay too. It will be close enough to start with. The lower point, called Huiyin (meeting of yin), exactly maps to the perineum. The root chakra (muladhara) lies an inch or so (a few centimeters) just above this.

Back to the practice: just as for step 2, slowly move from side to side and stop when you feel your left and right sides are aligned the best. Take it a step further: also notice the Baihui and Huiyin points. They should feel as if they are two points at opposite ends of a straight pipe (the hollow central channel). Especially attend to the energetic connection of these two points while you are most physically centered between your feet. Repeat this from both directions a number of times until you really ascertain what kind of qi alignment ensues when you solely find the center position by using physical sensations and balance.

Now, up the ante: same process (move side to side) but check for the exact moment when the two points feel most energetically connected (as if they both spark or fizz or vibrate at the same time). That is, now you are solely finding the central place of equilibrium based upon how energetically aligned the top of your head and the bottom of your torso are. Your feet and overall balance are secondary factors in this. Repeat this energetic centering 4 - 6 rounds as for the other steps.

Then compare: The physical location of balance and equilibrium (for the entire body) and the quality of the qi connection (between Bahui and Huiyin) may or may not be the same when you find center based on physical sensation and when you find center based on energetic sensations. Which approach feels more natural and correct for you? There’s no right or wrong answer here. But there is a world of information present that can help you fine tune your qi and yoga practices.

There you go. You’ve covered a lot of ground as well as the first half of the overall exercise to connect the five gates. To review the essentials: steadily sway back and forth in a side to side motion 4 - 6 times (back and forth counts as one round) and find the position of maximum physical registration between the two sides of the body; pause at this point for at least 10 seconds and note the quality of qi resonance between Bahui and Huiyin (later you meditate at this juncture by sending qi through you along the central channel that connects these two points but for now just pause for a short while). Then repeat these steps but find the place of greatest energetic resonance between the Bai Hui and Huiyin acupoints. That is, find your center based solely upon their qi resonance and do not invoke your sense of balance or physical comfort into the assessment. If you have time, pause a little longer, say for 30 seconds (or until your focus begins to waver or drift), and truly feel into the qualities of this qi linkage (temperature, texture, vibration, pressure, electrical characteristics) but don’t get lost in thoughts or thinking about the qi sensations. Stay in the moment and experience what happens. You can reflect about anything of interest after finishing the exercise.

You can find the next half of this exercise on the following web page about Level 2 practices. Or, just click here: Connect the Five Gates—part 2. Likewise, you can check the Resources page for info on some other contemporary teachers who can help you get going with nei jia quan and whole-body movements. The techniques discussed on this website suffice to get the job done—that is, to take a person all the way to higher states of consciousness. But, as mentioned, there are endless variations to explore so you are encouraged to shop around and find what works best for you. Honestly though, even if you just master the key methods explained in the following two sections, you will have taken your journey to Light seriously up a notch or two.

The more Chinese Medicine (CM) you know, the better. CM theory encompasses all possible applications of qigong. Whether you are interested in health, martial arts, manifesting your goals or spiritual development, you will be a country mile ahead of the pack—and your own karmic limitations—by investing time to learn the ropes of CM. A true spiritual training would include serious time (one or more years) for this important knowledge. But, given that life is what it is these days—hectic, relentless and largely unforgiving—there’s not much hope for such thorough preparation. Simply: no one has much spare time for anything, much less the rarified pursuit of numinous vistas. So, what to do?

First, marshal your resources. What’s available in your neck of the woods? Are there any good esoteric teachers—especially, someone who understands and teaches aspects of Chinese Medicine such as the five elements (metal, water, wood, fire and earth)? Very many alternative practices include some aspects of qi or CM theory—for instance: yin yoga, craniosacral therapy, many Chinese martial arts including Taijiquan, any qigong class. Or check out an alternative practitioner and work with her or him for a number of sessions to get some basic tutoring (the treatment is just the foil to gain audience). For instance, all acupuncturists have solid CM knowledge and many will be happy to share the basics with you. You can also read widely but it’s best to check in with a mentor for a reality check before you go off and apply your newfound wisdom.

Second, start to learn and practice manipulating qi with your hands and along the metal element flows: these are the Lung and Large Intestine meridians, both of which course along the arms. In weigong (outer qigong), the first step practically always is to flap your arms about in various creative ways and gradually learn to sense qi in your hands. This is time-honored wisdom gleaned from thousands of years of practice by many a qigong master. Best, you follow the well-trodden path too.

Just so you know: esoterically this is also the correct place to start. Why? There’s a mapping between the meridians (energy at the physical, etheric and lower astral levels) and the Vedic astrology archetypes (energetic forces which are typically higher voltage than the meridians). Jyotish (Vedic astrology) also flags these meridians (via the related astrological archetypes) as being an important first step in personal and spiritual transformation. If interested in these esoteric details, you can get the full lowdown here: Rashis and the Meridian Clock. Or, simply enjoy a leisurely stroll through the other Jyotish pages on this site to gain perspective on what this is all about. But, you don’t have to.

Just get started with something practical: learn where the Lung and Large Intestine meridians are and learn ALL the points on these two channels. It’s well worth the effort for then you can start more advanced qigong and meditation practices that anchor in these points. If this is all too much: at least learn the locations of the meridians and learn these points: Lung 1, 5 and 7 and Large Intestine 4, 11 and 15. You can do it!

Here, True Man translates as Daoist sage or Perfected one or Holy person. The term has come to represent the goal aspired to by all Daoists with a religious and/or spiritual inclination. The scope of this passage simply leaves one gaping in wonder at the splendor and breadth of its vision. This smacks of the veritable Dao Itself. But all the pleasant poetry and musings aside, you have before you, the keys to true success in spiritual practice—of whatever persuasion. There are two:

First, to paraphrase: a Daoist (ANY spiritual seeker) breathes through her or his feet—down, down to the heartlands of Mother Earth. In Daoist yoga, no earth means no heaven—and earth is ALWAYS the FIRST stop on the path to Light. So, the choice is simple: learn to connect to the earth deeply or else remain forever “shallow in the workings of Heaven.” Sound like a prescription for some practice? You would be right if you said so.

Connecting qi from the body down the legs to the ground and deep into the Earth is the FIRST step for really coming alive. In qigong, this is called Sinking Qi. This is the core focus for integration of techniques at this level of Neidan yoga (or any style of Daoist yoga).

The buck stops here. If you’re not familiar with this apothegm, it was popularized by US President Harry S. Truman way back in the 1950’s. He kept a sign with this maxim on his desk at work. Meaning? There’s no one left to pass the buck (responsibility) to. It’s your choice and your life and you’ve got no one and nothing to blame if you choose to take the easy path and not transform yourself into a True Human.

Second, to paraphrase again: the essential context for achievement in yoga demands a BROADER PERSPECTIVE from you—”He didn’t forget where he began.” Where did you begin? You know the answer, call it what you will. But the rub now beckons for constant development of broader awareness. Higher consciousness is not just about contemplating your navel or some chakra and then floating off to the astral worlds. The more vital part of this work hinges on activating the energy fields AROUND your physical frame. This requires both physical manipulation of qi (prana) and eventual mental control of even more subtle forms of energy.

In the second step, one learns to expand qi from the central channel out of the body in ALL directions. This is called Peng, or, Expanding Qi. What then? Once a person can both sink qi and expand qi, the name of the game changes: you then aim to link your qi connection with the Earth (sinking qi) to the energy bodies around you (expanding qi). In essence, you supercharge your energy bodies by connecting to Mother Earth’s celestial gridwork of qi flows (which course both on the surface, and deep within, the planet).

Together, these two skills (sinking qi, expanding qi) embody the basis for real yoga. They stand as the sine qua non (“without which, nothing happens”) for genuine and grounded development of higher awareness. Anything else is half-baked and nets blandly half-baked results. It’s certainly possible to have lots of psychic and spiritual experiences. Plenty of folks can attest to having a few choice stories along these lines. This is akin to enjoying a brief holiday in some luscious and exotic getaway.

However, it’s something entirely different to take your consciousness to such rarified realms and STAY THERE with the better part of your soul and person. The common approach: lost in the world of desires with an occasional burst of celestial sunshine to help tide one over. The TRUE approach: develop a qi (energy) connection with the Earth, FIRST; and then, knit this into the fabric of higher energy bodies that surround the mortal frame. This path can vouchsafe your journey to link Earth, Human and Heaven in a safe, reliable and blessed way. Short of a free ride to heaven, there’s nothing better to be found anywhere—whether you look high or low.

This page introduced you to the TWO FUNDAMENTAL qigong practices that must be incorporated into any style of spiritual work if there is to be a hope for genuine and lasting progress. This is a bold statement but true.

All spiritual paths have their own versions of these two practices. It’s just that the Daoists have clarified them the best and once you understand their perspective—and some modern physics—it all makes sense. You can do a web search but essentially you are a TORUS (energy field). Now, this has special properties, which correlate cleanly to time-honored spiritual practices.

As a thumbnail sketch: a torus is like a sphere which has energy coursing out from it but also back and down the center—very similar to the central channel in a human. So, if you learn to facilitate this flow pattern and pump up the sphere’s field you get the beginnings of a portal to higher dimensions.

Thousands and thousands of years ago, the sages were basically doing just this. The two key Daoist practices related to this first stage of enhancing the toroidal energy field are called: Sinking Qi (the flow of energy through the torus runs from way above [heaven] to way below [earth] the sphere) and Expanding Qi (in Chinese, it’s called Peng) which relates to sending qi OUT from the central core in ALL directions. This nicely matches strengthening the sphere itself.

And there you have it. The essence of REAL spiritual practice—something that WILL take you to the next level. Have a great time connecting the dots while you research the torus and its exquisite interplay with all the life forms and consciousness to be found in this universe.

Take note: for sure, geometric forms underpin major parts of universal dynamics; however, they probably don’t catch all the details. Ergo, you don’t have to—and shouldn’t—buy into extreme positions about toroidal forms and flows to benefit from the metaphysical insights these shapes offer. It’s just helpful to key an ear out for modern developments and not solely rely on wisdom of the past.

The bottom line? You can count on the practical qi applications described above (sinking and expanding qi). They have always steadfastly applied and will continue to benefit people regardless of what current scientific theory and fashion dictate.

For some inspiration, you might enjoy a few of the early videos by Nassim Haramein, a physicist and maverick visionary. His movie, The Black Whole, is exceptionally thought-provoking. Other useful glimpses come from the first segment of the movie, Thrive, which can be found for free at Free to Thrive. The early part of the film does a great job of presenting the torus as a fundamental building block for all of nature.

For details on how to practice sinking and expanding qi, you can check out the next page on Level 2 techniques (just click the button below). Give these two methods a fair shake; take the time to learn them and let them speak to you and teach you. Nature really wants to be on your side, if you only let it. With some honest effort and diligence, you will be truly amazed at how magnificent “going with the flow” can become. Happy practicing!