A Personal Insight of Qigong
For almost four decades my personal insight of Qigong, my understanding of it, is has changed. It has done so because my experience and awareness have both grown and I came to understand what my master, Master Joseph Bell, meant when he talked about being a “Qi man”.
(I am sticking with Qigong and deliberately not mentioning the many other names that are used to describe what is now referred to as Qigong. There are many spelling variants – Qigong, Qi Gong, Chi Gong, Chi Kung.)
I will start by explaining what Qigong isn’t. This has long been a bugbear of mine and I am sure that my students are fed up of hearing this…………… Qigong is not the act of physical movement no matter how beneficial that physical movement is. Ask any prospective teacher what is happening Internally during these movements. Do not accept vague answers that talk about colours, smiles, or generalisations. If they cannot answer it means they either do not know, or they are withholding the information. Either way they are no use to you as a teacher.
It is only when Qi is involved that it becomes a Qigong exercise. To be a true Qigong exercise you use various tools to guide the Qi, to be tangibly aware of the movement of the Qi and to appreciate the changes that have occurred as a result.
- In Active Qigong we use the stance, the movement, the breath, the eyes, the focus and Listening Jing.
- In Passive Qigong we use posture, the focus and Listening Jing.
However, this is still not Qigong!
There are almost as many definitions on the Internet as there are styles. Here are a few that I gleaned within five minutes of searching: “life-energy cultivation”, “energy work”, “internal work”, “mastery of your energy”, “vital energy skill cultivated through steady practice”. The last of these comes closest, in my opinion, to the truth. Qigong exercises are just that…………. they are exercises that, given years of diligent practice, can lead to the practitioner attaining Qigong. Attaining “vital energy skill cultivated through steady practice”.
A profound insight of Qigong is an achievement that is earned through the practice of true Qigong exercises and the guidance, where available, of someone who has attained that level. It is not something you will achieve by merely attending a one-hour class every week.