Simple Qigong Meditations For Everyday

When Time Is Limited, Part 1

Dr Xie Peiqi & Andrew Nugent-Head

When Dr Xie and I are on tour, we are often asked two questions. The first, coming from the students who have learned many of the different exercises Dr Xie teaches is, "with so many different practices, which should we focus on?" The second question comes from the people whom we meet along our travels or just attend the lectures, and is, "I am fascinated by what you do, but I don't have the time or ability to learn so much material. Is there something simple that I can do which will make a difference in my health?"

Consciously or unconsciously, what both of those questions mean is, "while I like the material/idea, I am going to end up not practising it diligently as I can't fit it into my life's schedule." How often has it happened that, when faced with not enough time to complete whatever exercises or workouts we do, we decide to skip it entirely for another day, instead of just practising a bit in the time that we do have?

When time is limited, be it for the serious student or someone simply looking to increase the quality of their life and health, it is important to remember that Qi is the most fundamental element in our health. Keeping the life-force strong through breath, awareness, and good digestion is the single most important thing we can do for our health. Working the blood through strengthening the cardiovascular system is second to nourishing the Qi. Furthermore, we can only really improve our health if we work in a regular routine, avoiding the 'feast and famine' exercise schedule of missing days then working extra hard on others. If we already know that there will be little time or energy left in the day to take care of ourselves, or if our practises are so varied that it is hard to maintain one constant routine, it is better to practise simple, brief Qi exercises daily over a powerful but consuming routine erratically.

Dr Xie, who is responsible for so much knowledge in the large system of Yin Style Bagua, knows all too well this problem. Regardless of what he is focussing on in his teaching, writing, or filming, he maintains a daily practise upon waking of simple meditations for his Qi. During the Spring Intensive, Dr Xie shared them with the participants in the hopes that hey would remember that developing strong, sensitive Qi is the foundation of any quality practise. Pleased with the improvement of the participant's Qi after practicing daily during the intensive, he has decided to share these meditations openly. Dr Xie believes they will be of value for the hard practicing students as well as people simply looking to better their sense of well being.

The following exercises should be done daily, ideally at the same time of day, though that is not critical. They can be done sitting in a good meditation position, or standing. Dr Xie recommends doing them first thing in the morning, and personally often practises them on his bed after waking. The exercises should take between five to fifteen minutes total, depending on your time frame. If you find that you are regularly practicing for half hour or more, then you should consider using this time to practice one of the other, more detailed practices. The practices will be described standing, for those sitting, please remember the following:

The sitting position requires the upper body to be straight, so that the top of the head, the vertebrae and the Gate of Life (Ming Men) are aligned. Do not sit in a slouched or "weak" position. When sitting on a chair or the edge of a bed, the back should be straight, the thighs/knees should be parallel to the floor, the lower legs going straight down to the ground and the ten toes should grasp into the floor. If sitting in a lotus, half lotus or open lotus position, make sure that the surface is solid and does hot sink or sag with weight.

Before Beginning

All of one's practices should begin with the Empty State meditation. The whole body should relax, both feet shoulder width apart, the ten toes grasped into the earth, the knees slightly bent but not past the toes. The hands hang down the sides of the body, the tips of the middle fingers at their respective Fengshi points, the eyes should be closed, and the tip of the tongue placed at the roof of the mouth. Breathing naturally, the practitioner should enter into a tranquil state.

Exercise #1: Pulling Qi

After the tranquil state has been held for a period of time, begin the exercise by assuming the "holding ball" posture: the hands rise up from each side to the height of the navel or solar plexus, elbows and hands at parallel height, the palms of the hands and pads of the fingertips facing each other. The upper arm, elbow, lower arm, wrist, hand and fingers should all be slightly rounded, as if one was holding a big ball within the arms and hands.

From this position, the practitioner seeks his/her own sensation of Qi in the Laogong points and fingertips. To strengthen the sensation, one begins to "pull" Qi, the hands moving away from each other at a slow, even speed, while making sure that the palms and finger tips of the hands are still facing each other. After reaching a comfortable extension either side of the body, the hands slowly come in towards each other, compacting and concentrating the Qi field developing between them. When the hands have returned to just inside shoulder width, they stop and then pull outwards again. This repetition of pulling and then compacting the Qi field is practiced until there is a strong, powerful sensation in the palms, fingertips and between the hands. One finishes the exercise by bringing the hands, left hand covering the right, to the area below the navel and returning to the empty state meditation.

Exercise #2: Listening to Qi

After the tranquil state has been held for a bit, the hands come up the sides of the body in a large arc out to either side, palms facing away.

When the arc has continued above the head and are shoulder width apart, palms facing out, the hands slowly come down to shoulder or just above height. The shoulders should be relaxed, the elbows rolled under and slightly bent, the hands facing out, and the palms hollowed so that the hands, palms and fingers form a slight cup.

This position is held while the practitioner focuses inward and listens for the sensations of Qi in the palms and fingers. Once the practitioner has been aware of the strong Sensations for a bit, the hands, left over right, cover the area of the chest directly between the breasts. It is important not to hold the listening posture too long, allowing the arms to become tired. The hands are held on the chest as the practitioner returns to the empty state.

Exercise #3: Holding Heaven's Qi

After the tranquil state has been held for a bit, the hands drop down to the sides of the body and then again rise up the sides of the body in a large arc. The palms face upwards as they arc up, the arms stopping at shoulder height so that the arms are outstretched to either side. Facing skyward, the palms are again hollowed so that the hands, palms and fingers form a slight cup.

Being aware of the sensation of Qi developing in the palms and fingers, the hands begin by moving up and down a distance of about six to eight inches, slowly decreasing the distance as the sensations become stronger. The movements should become very small and then stop as the practitioner focuses on the sensations and weight of the Qi in the hands. Once the practitioner has been aware of the strong sensations for a bit, the hands, left over right, cover the area on top of the head, returning to the empty state.

Exercise #4: Gathering in Heaven's Qi

After the tranquil state has been held for a bit, the hands drop down to the sides of the body and then rise up in front of the body, palms facing upward. The elbows are just in front of either side of the body, the palms slightly higher and the same distance apart. The palms are again hollowed so that the hands, palms and fingers form a slight cup.

The practitioner focuses on the sensation in the palms and fingertips as the Qi in the hands and the air interact. After being aware of the sensations for a bit, the left hand reaches over and lightly grasps the right shoulder, followed by the right hand lightly grasping the left shoulder. This position is held for a while as the practitioner returns to the empty state.

Exercise #5: Gathering in Earth's Qi

After the tranquil state has been held for a bit, the hands drop down to the sides of the body and then again rise up in front of the body, this time palms facing downward. The elbows are just in front of either side of the body, the palms held at the same height and distance apart. The palms are again hollowed so that the hands, palms and fingers form a slight cup.

Here, the practitioner actively focuses on bringing the sensations of Qi in the palms and Fingertips into the body. If the sensation is not obvious or strong, then the practitioner can move the hands in very slight inward circles or in upward motions. Once there is a very strong sensation of gathering Qi into the body, one finishes the exercise by bringing the hands, left hand covering the right, to the area below the navel and returning to the empty state meditation.

Ending the Practice

Sometimes in the course of the practice, if the posture is not correct or is held too long, Qi can become "stuck" in various places in the body. There may also be times when the Qi is sluggish in the body, and the sensations during the practice were minimal. Regardless, it is a good habit to follow up the final empty state by gently shaking the entire body in a relaxed and comfortable manner. The feet remain planted, the hands hang at the sides of the body, the head is held upright. One then begins to shake up and down in a gentle, rhythmic motion, eventually allowing each muscle to relax and shake individually along with the entire body. It is also always a good idea to end any practice with a slow walk that focuses on breathing well and remaining relaxed.

In part two of this series: Dr Xie will share five simple exercises to develop the muscles, tendons and joints. Together with these Qi exercises, they make an excellent daily regimen for the Qi and blood.

Drawings by Dan. Thank You!

This article was originally published in the Journal of Traditional Studies and has been posted with the kind permission of the Association for Traditional Studies. The article and associated images are copyright Association for Traditional Studies.