External Qi Healing - Part 1
by John Voigt
**Disclaimer. This article is written for educational purposes only. It is not offered for the healing of any serious illnesses. If a person is sick he or she must see a proper professional, in either (or both) western or traditional Chinese medicine.**
Although External Qi Healing has certain general principles, it is an art as well as a science. Consequently it has many differing yet valid methods and techniques. Hopefully the information in this article—gathered from primary texts, personal teachers, the internet, and the limited personal experiences of the author—may prove instructive. For thousands of years the Chinese have been projecting vital life energy to heal illnesses. It was first called Bu qi (布氣) “Spreading the Qi.” Now it is called “External Qi Healing Therapy,” (Wai qi liaofa - 外气疗法). The basic technique has the practitioner emitting Qi [vital life energy] into the appropriate acupuncture points on the client’s body. There are different methods, but most often the healer emits qi through the fingers and palms. Traditionally there is no direct physical contact or touching and the client is fully clothed. However today, and especially in China, energy sending may be added into other Traditional Chinese Medicine methods such as qigong movements and meditations, acupuncture, acupressure, tuina-massage, moxibustion; even used in modern psychotherapy, and western medicine. In External Qi Healing (EQH), the qi-energy is transmitted from an experienced sender to an ill client, thereby regenerating depleted qi, opening blockages in the meridians, and bringing about the removal of pathogenic qi. The cardiovascular, respiratory, lymphatic and nervous systems are all stimulated and vitalized. This strengthens immunity to diseases, resulting in better health. There are numerous reports of External Qi curing life threatening diseases of all kinds. EQH works best on resolving chronic health problems. However the general belief is that it “cannot help in cases of purely physical damage, such as broken limbs … and it certainly cannot cure mental-illness.” [Paul Dong, Empty Force, 2006, p. 84.]
How to Do It: A - The Preliminaries.
The beginning student of EQH should be able to sense qi; and then be able consciously to lead and guide it in his or her body—the common standard being the “Microcosmic Orbit” (xiǎo zhōu tiān - also translated as “Small Heavenly Circuit”) where the qi is cycled up the back and down the front of the body. It is also important that the healer be in good physical and mental health. The stronger the qi of the healer, the more effective he or she will be. There are several qigong exercises that help to accomplish this. “Standing Post” and “Muscle/Tendon Change Classic” are often cited as superior methods to increase and strengthen a person’s qi. See Zhan Zhuang and Yijin Jing in the Bibliography below.
Diagram of the Microcosmic Orbit
Learning to Move the Qi.
The following exercises have been loosely adapted from the book Qigong Empowerment. Stand with loose shoulders, spine comfortably erect, and breathe smoothly, softly, deeply, and silently. Arms are in a half circle with palms facing. Gently, playfully—but making sure the hands do not touch—use a push-pull technique squeezing the palms back and forth as if playing a small accordion. Inhale as the hands go out, and exhale when the hands go in. Sense the activity of qi in the palms. When the hands go out open the palms. This will open the Pericardium-8 acupressure points, the laogong. When the hands come back in, relax the palms which will automatically relax the laogong. This should increase the sensations of the presence of qi. Now without any more “accordion playing” movements, have the arms return to a “hugging a tree” pose. Continue breathing gently but firmly into the lower abdomen. Sense the qi in the hands and with mental will and intention have the qi emanate out from your right hand into your left hand. It helps to make very slight pushing forward movements with the right hand. When the sensation of qi has become stronger, and continuing the right-to-left send, move the qi up to the left elbow. After success with that maneuver, send the qi from the right hand palm into the left palm and continue up the left arm into the left shoulder, then across the upper torso into the right shoulder, down the right arm and into the right hand. Continue with this circling of qi for two to five minutes. Then reverse the direction by sending qi out from the left hand palm into the right palm, then up to the right elbow, right shoulder, then through the upper torso and shoulder back down the left arm into the left hand. Practice the entire circling for two to five minutes.
Kirlian Photograph Of A Human Hand by Garion Hutchings found at fineartamerica.com
Small Circulation:
Send qi from the right palm to left palm, then send the qi to the left elbow, then to the upper central chest, then lead the qi down into the dantian, then to the perineum (CV-1) then to the tip of the spine. Then lead the qi up the spine to the head, then down the body’s center line to the chest, then over to the right arm to the right sending palm. For a moment allow the energy to radiate in the space between the palms. Next again do the entire circulation, but in reverse by sending qi-energy from the left palm to right palm.
Grand Circulation:
Begin with the same procedure as in the Small Circulation: lead qi from the right palm to the left palm, then to the left elbow, then chest, then to the dantian, then to the perineum (CV-1) then to the tip of the spine, then up the spine to the head. Then lead the qi back down to the chest, then to the dantian, to the perineum, where it divides into two columns down both legs to the Kidney-1 acupuncture points behind the balls of the feet. Allow it to remain there for several seconds; then lead it back up the legs, to the perineum, to the spine, then to head, back to chest and back down the sending arm to between the palms. Reverse directions by sending qi from the left palm into the right palm. Continually emit qi from the sending palm to the receiving palm as you guide and lead the qi in your body. Once you have built up your personal qi supply and have had some experience in leading and guiding the qi you are ready to proceed to the next step of the process.
Ancient Drawings of Medical Qi Gong : Image from qigong.net.nz
B - Diagnosis.
In interviewing the client about their ailments, it is important to spend more time listening than talking. When you actively listen, the client will tell you things you need to know, for both of you this can take place consciously and unconsciously. By actively listening, you will gain more knowledge and intuition on how best to do this energy work by finding out what is wrong and where to send the qi to correct it. Here is an intuitive technique to find where to direct the healing energy: Using an open flat hand, scan and spiral around and over the client’s body to sense the location of any pathogenic disease triggering elements. These pathogenic elements are called xié qì (pronounced something like shay chee. A similar Chinese term is bìng qì meaning “diseased energy.”) Your scanning should be done in what is called a “Mindful” way: by turning off the thinking mind and without touching just feel for the afflicted area. The healer—now “reader”—may sense places of excesses (heat) or deficiencies (cold) or turbidness (befouled); even sensations which could be described as “demonic” such as biting, itching and sticking. It is to these places—be they acupressure points, energy meridians, organs, or any other part of the client’s physical or energetic body—that the practitioner should direct the healing qi. Here is an even more abstract diagnostic method: Using both eyes and what is called the third eye, allow yourself to gaze into the body of the client. This will seem both literal and imaginative. Be prepared to witness unpleasant sights. Once after being requested to do so by a client, I began looking at the major organ groups to find problem areas where to direct healing qi. (The client was suffering from a medically supervised withdrawal from a doctor prescribed mood altering drug.) As I looked into his Heart Center in the upper chest, I saw something that resembled a darkly lit cavern of black stalactites and stalagmites covered with foul black tar. Even though this dealt with the heart there was no red to be seen. During the course of weeks of EQH treatment the black foulness began to dissipate and a healthy organic pink-to-rose color began to appear. The thought processes of the client became more rational and positive. (This is not offered as anecdotal evidence of the effectiveness of External Qi for Healing, but only as part of a discussion on diagnosis in EQH.)
**This article originally appeared in Qi Journal, Spring 2014, Vol.24/n.1. http://www.qi-
**Also this article's subsequent parts - The Sending, Method to Remove Harmful Qi, Correcting Yin-Yang Imbalances, After the Send, FAQs, Bibliography and Links - will appear in future segments of External Qi Healing in Chinese Medicine Living, stay tuned!**
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**Featured Image of amazing Kirlian photography of 2 hands. To learn more about Kirlian photography, see this article.
