Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Chapter 1 ... 1
Introducing Qigong:
A Tree with Many Branches
Chapter 2 ... 21
Organs, Elements, and Three Treasures:Fundamentals of Qigong Philosophy
Chapter 3 ... 27
Getting Started:
100 Days to Success
Chapter 4 ... 29
Your 100-Day Training Course
Chapter 5 ... 43External Qi Healing
Chapter 6 ... 49Answers to Commonly
Asked Questions
Chapter 7 ... 53Personal Reflectionson a Qigong Life
Glossary ... 55
Resources for Further Training ... 57About the Author ... 59
I offer a bow of profound gratitude to the masters who have shared theirqigong arts,
including:
William C. C. Chen my main teacher in Taiji Quan, a great man and greatmartial artist,
who gave me the tools for cultivating health, strength, and self-understanding;
B.P. Chan my first qigong teacher, for demonstrating in his life and work the power,
value, andspiritual depths of qigong and the martial arts;
Share K. Lew for transmitting profound Taoist methods of qi assessment and treatment;
Liang Shou-yu for making One Finger Zen and other Chinese healing and martial arts
available in the West
Gao Fu (and her teacher, Feng Zhiqiang) for sharing the wisdom and power of Chen
Style Taiji Quanand the Hunyuan (Primordial) Qigong System;
Taoist Abbot Huang Gengshi, Ph.D. for his friendship and guidance and for teaching
me by words,training, and example how to be an antenna for the universal qi of Heaven
and Earth."
Gratitude and Blessings to the Native American and African Elders who helped me to
trace the rootsof the various energy healing methods back to our common ground.
I thank the artists, editors, film and audio crews, and staff of Sounds True, People
Productions, andIntrepid Films for their technical expertise and commitment to integrity
in business. I thank mystudents and helpers for demonstrating various techniques on the
Qi Healing DVDs. And most of a11,to my family, for their love and support.
Qigong, pronounced
"chee gung," is a Chineseterm consisting of twocomponents. Qi means
life energy and breath, the essence of life. Gonghas several meanings, including work,
skill, or the
benefits and merit gained from any activity. Qigongis thus "qi work." It is an ancient
Chinese system ofexercise and meditation that makes the mind andspirit tranquil,
improves performance in sports suchas the martial arts, and cultivates health, wellbeing,and long life. Thus, there are three major kinds ofqigong: spiritual, sports, and
healing.
Spiritual Qigong:
Qne with the Universe
states. For example, I once met a Chinese monkwho had spent nearly two decades
meditatingin a cave. He was an expert at harmonizinginternal qi but had lost the ability
to have aharmonious conversation with a friend. He was
not enlightened but, rather, obsessed
bones, bruises, or othersports-related
with himself.Buddhists, who disparage
injuries. And if an injury occurs,
fundamentalism, wouldsay that he
the qigong practitioner recovers more
"stunk of Zen."
quickly. Ofcourse, there are limits to
On the other hand, too much exercise
toughness and resilience.Because of better
(ming)and not enough meditation dulls
bone density, if a qigong studentfalls on the
the mind andspirit. For optimal health,
ice or is tackled in Football, he is less
we need body andspirit, exercise and
likely than an untrained person to be
meditation, awareness ofthe inner world
injured.However, this does not mean that he
and the outer. In other words,health
can repelbullets or should take illogical risks.
requires balance and moderation.
During theBoxer Rebellion, no amount of
Thegoal of qigong may be summarized
qigong made theChinese martial artists
as xing mingshuang silt, "spirit and
invulnerable! A qigongperson accepts his or
body equally refined andcultivated."
her mortality.
Cultivate your whole being, as
Healing Qigong:
youwould cultivate a garden with
The Importance of Practice
attention, care,and even love.
There are two kinds of healing qigong:
The Way of Sports:Golfgong
PersonalHealing Qigong, the best known
Anyone?
aspect,prevents illness, improves health, and
Qigong is a powerful way to improve
is apowerful and enjoyable way for healthy
everyaspect of sports performance. The
peopleto enhance their vitality and wellvariousexercises and meditations
being. Withmore than 100 million
increase strength,stamina, speed,
practitioners, personalhealing qigong is the
flexibility, coordination,sensitivity, and
most widely practiced form
precision. A martial artist whopractices
of complementary and alternative medicine
qigong is able to anticipate and
in theworld. It is also the most scientifically
avoidhis opponent's strikes and has
tested.
more power in hispunch. A qigong
The other kind of healing qigong,
tennis player is lighter on herfeet and
calledExternal Qi Healing (Wai Qi Liao Fa),
spots holes in her partner's defense.
is a kindof Chinese Therapeutic Touch in
Aswimmer uses qigong to improve
which the healerattempts to assess the qi of
coordinationand loosen the muscles for
a patient, client, orpartner and to project
longer and quickerstrokes. I have
healing qi through his orher hands to restore
trained golf pros who increasedtheir
balance. The healer holds herhands near the
drive by fifty yards after only a few
patient's body and makes varioustherapeutic
monthsof qigong. Qigong teaches the
gestures, such as circling the hands inthe air
supple waist
or "tapping," as though sprinkling qi ontothe
and whole-body-coordinated-power
patient through the finger tips. Principles
(zheng tijin) necessary for sports
andtechniques from External Qi Healing work
excellence. A morepowerful qigong
wellwith other healing therapies, such as
routine can give an athlete
massagetherapy or acupuncture. A masseur
thecompetitive edge.
who knowshow to project qi through his
In addition, athletes who practice
hands is much moreeffective than one who
qigong areless likely to suffer broken
does not have this skill.
A Qigong Timeline:Highlights
in Qigong History
Dong-bin (8th Century, one of the EightImmortals), recorded in the Xiu Zhen Shi
Shu(Dao Zang 260).
I881 Publication of the Nei Gong Tu Shuo by WangZuyuan. First diagrams and
description of theYi Jin Jing (Muscle/Tendon Change Qigong)and the Seated Eight
Brocades in a popularwork. The Yi Jin Jing is often attributed toBodhidharma (died c. 475
A.D.). However,Joseph Needham believes that the exerciseswere probably created in
the 16th Century.(Science and Civilization in China, Vol. V, Pt. 5, p.166) There is no
evidence that Bodhidharma,the Indian monk who established Chan (Zen)Buddhism in
China, practiced any form ofqigong or martial arts. Qigong and martialsystems have
been falsely attributed to himbecause antiquity lends an aura of authenticityand
authority. A master's prestige increases ifhe can say, "I didn't create this technique; it is
adirect transmission from Bodhidharma!"
I844-I962 Zhao Zhongdao, descendant of theSong Dynasty Imperial family and Masterof
Taiji Ruler (a famous style of qigong).
Beginning in 1954, Zhao was the
1955 A qigong sanitorium is founded in
first to teachTaiji Ruler publicly.
Tangshan,Hebei Province. Within a year, two
1879-1973 Hu Yaozhen, master of
qigongtraining centers are established in Hebei.
Taoism, martialarts, qigong, and
1957 A qigong sanitorium opens in Shanghai.
Chinese medicine. Qigonginstructor
1959 The Chinese Ministry of Public
of renowned Taiji Quan Master
Healthsponsors a national qigong conference
FengZhiqiang. Author of The Five
inBeidaihe, Hebei Province.
Animal Frolics andStrengthening
1966-I976 The Cultural Revolution. Taoism
Qigong (Chinese language only).Hu
isbranded fan long, "counterstandardized the terms qigong,
revolutionary,"because of its history of fostering
activeqigong Wong gong), and
independentthinking and revolution. Spiritual
passive qigong (jinggong). In the
beliefs anddisciplines are suppressed. Numerous
early 1950s, Hu and his
qigongpractitioners are thrown in jail. Qigong is
colleague,Liu Guizhen, were the first
illegaluntil the early 1980s.
to teach qigong inhospitals and thus
1976 Ken Cohen founds the Academy ofChinese
promote the idea of healingor
Healing Arts in Montreal, Canada.1977, the
medical qigong (yi gong).
Academy moves to Berkeley,California; 198I
I886-I963 Wang Xiangzhai, founder
established in Colorado asthe "Taoist Mountain
of Yi Quan,master of Standing
Retreat" and "QigongResearch and Practice
Meditation, major influenceon
Center," offering thefirst qigong Teacher Training
qigong evolution.
Program inNorth America.
1936 A work by Dong Hao is
1980 Dr. Qian Xuesen, an M.I.T.-trained
published inHangzhou, Special
nuclearphysicist, advises the editors of China's
Therapy for Tuberculosis:Qigong.
NatureJournal to "use science and technology to
This is the first book to
studyhuman potential" by researching Chinese
categorize"qigong" as a medical
discipline.
overdone or inappropriatefor
example, youwouldn't do head
rotations after a whiplashinjury to the
neck. But if you practice
qigonggently, moderately, and
intuitively, and followyour doctor's
advice, adverse effects areextremely
rare. Here, even the most
skepticalphysician must
shamefacedly admit that his
or her art cannot hold a candle to
qigong. TheJournal of the Anent' -an
Medical Association reportsthat in the
United States, there are at
leastI00,000 hospital deaths per year
as a result ofadverse effects from
medication. This figureonly
represents those patients who follow
theirdoctors' orders and take
medications correctly!Common
surgeries also frequently
produceunwanted or fatal sideeffects, such as internalhemorrhage
or blood clots. "The surgery was
asuccess," the physician remarks,
"but the patientdied." Modern
medicine is the fourth leadingcause
of death in the U.S., outranking
diabetes.
The goal of conventional medical
treatmentis different from that of
qigong. Physicians
are trained to restore sick individuals
totheir previous state of health or to
one that is
considered average or "normal". To
paraphrasethe outstanding scientist
Elmer Green, Ph.D.,western medicine
is not part of a health-caresystem,
but a sick-care system. When a
qigongpractitioner has a sore-throat,
his goal is notsimply to return to a
symptom-free state, butto continue
on a road towards fuller potential,
deeper self-awareness, and enhanced
well-being.Health is not freedom from
disease, but, rather,wellness and
wisdom.
control the external world, it becomes all the moreimperative to control the internal one.
Qigong practitioners learn to control thestress response by practicing Tuning the
Body,Breath, and Mind at least ten minutes every day.The Three Tunings calm the
sympathetic nervoussystem's "light or flight" stress reactionwhichthe Chinese call
excess yang, and activates therelaxation response of the parasympatheticsystem, which
the Chinese consider yin. Whenthe body is relaxed, you feel centered, calm yetalert,
and capable of making good decisions.
But speaking about relaxation is easy; doingit is more challenging. To try to relax is
tobecome tense, like trying to float or trying to
ride a bicycle. It's not a matter of trying, but ofsurrendering to the body's wisdom. Use
intent,that is, mental focus, without straining. Find thebalance between effort and
effortlessness. Taoistscall this "doing without doing" (wei wu wei).
To benefit from the Three Tunings:
Make a commitment. Decide that you willdevote some time each day to your own
well-being. You cannot be of service to others if youneglect yourself.
Remove jewelry. Take off any rings or otherjewelry and eyeglasses, as these may
interferewith qi flow.
Pick a comfortable place to practice.Practice outdoors if the weather is pleasant
orin a well ventilated, quiet, and naturally lit room
(no glaring lights). If you are practicing indoors,face a window or towards a simple and
non-distracting area of your home.
Discourage interruptions. Turn off yourphone and answering machine.
Dress for comfort. Wear loose, comfortableclothing, and sneakers or flat-bottomed
slippersor shoes. You may be barefoot if the ground iscomfortable and warm.
Watch what you eat. The Three Tunings arebest practiced at least a half-hour before a
meal orat least two hours after a meal. Never drink coldliquids immediately before or
after practice, as thesecan shock the body and prevent qi from circulating.
Take a good, deep breath. If you are likemost Americans, you are probably suckingin
your stomach and expanding your chestas you inhale. According to the traditionsof East
and West, this method of breathingis inefficient, shallow, and contributes to
Slow Is Beautiful
6.Clear skin. The skin, like the intestines, isan organ of elimination. According to
Chinesemedicine, as your qigong improves, your bodyeliminates toxins, and the skin
becomes clear,
According to
qigongphilosophy,
you have theability
to gather, store, or
lose energy, qi. By
practicing qigong,
you gathermore
energy and prevent
it from "leaking"
out.Qi, like
electricity, is in
every cell of the
body.Yet certain
areas of the body
have the capacityto
store more energy.
Like batteries that
provide
power to the rest of
the body, these
areas include:
The internal organs
The dan tian in the
lower abdomen,
thebody's principal
energy center, as
well asthe dan tians
in the chest and
between
theeyebrows (the
"third eye")
Health depends on
keeping the
"batteries"
fullycharged and
maintaining a calm
Laws of Interaction
tonified, the yang is sedated. When the yang istonified, the yin is sedated.)
4.A deficient organ causes the controllingorgan to become excess. For example, wooddestroys
earth. Thus, if your stomach (earth) isweak, the gall bladder (wood) may be inflamed,blocked,
or simply too yang.
5.When the deficient organ is tonified, thegrandmother is sedated. The grandmother is
themother's mother. Let's say that you tonify, add qi,to the liver. Liver is wood. Water grows
wood.Metal melts to create water. Metal (lungs) is thegrandmother of wood (liver). When you
tonifythe liver, you sedate the lungs.
From this brief introduction, you can seehow the internal organs effect each other. In
thehuman organism, all processes are intertwinedand interdependent.
The Five Phases correspond to more thanelements and organs. They are a model that helpsus
to understand how emotions, sounds, climate,and many other kinds of phenomena interact.
As an example, look at the second column in theChart of the Five Phases. Metal is the
"element"of the lungs and large intestine. These organs arerelated to the health of the nose,
skin, and hair.
METAL
WATER
WOOD
FIRE
EARTH
To heal the
lungs (or
large
intestine)
imaginethe
m filled with
white Tight,
or make the
soundSeeah, or listen
to the note
G#. Metal,
lungs,large
intestine,
and white
are also
related to
thewest
direction
(known as
White Tiger
in fengshui),
autumn, dry
climates,
and the
pungentor
spicy flavor.
This means
that some
spicyfood is
good for
your lungs.
Because
Venus isthe
planet of
metal, you
can fill the
lungs
withhealing
energy by
imagining
them
absorbingPH
ASE
Yin Organ,
YangOrgan
Kidney, Bladder
Liver, Gall
Bladder
Heart,
SmallIntestine
Spleen, Stomach
Orifice
Tissue
Lungs,
LargeIntestine,
Bladder
Nose
Skin, Hair
Ears
Bones, Teeth,
Flair
Tongue
Blood Vessels
Mouth
Flesh and
Muscles
Color
White
Red
Yellow
Healing Sound
Lion-Seeah
G#(Shang)
West
White Tiger
Autumn
Dry
Pungent
Venus
Anxiety, Sorrow
Dark Blue or
Black
Bear-Chrooee
D#(Yu)
North
Black Tortoise
Winter
Cold
Salty
Mercury
Fear
Eyes
Tendons,
Muscles,Nails,
Nerves
Green
Monkey-Shh
A#(due)
East
Green Dragon
Spring
Windy
Sour
Jupiter
Anger
Dragon-Heu
C#(Zhi)
South
Red Bird
Summer
Hot
Bitter
Mars
.Joy, Shock
Constrict
Drop
Rise
Scatter
OwI-Hoo
F#(Gong)
Center
Yellow Worm
Late Summer
Damp
Sweet
Earth
Pensiveness,Em
pathy
Knot
Yi and Courage
Zhi (Wisdom)
Ren (Kindness)
Li (Orderliness
andPeace)
Direction
Feng Shui
Season
Climate
Taste
Planet
Harmful
Emotions
Qi Effect
ofHarmful
Emotions
Virtue
Xin (Trust)