A Simple Qi Gong for Healing

By John Voigt
(previously published on Qi-Encyclopedia)

This a simple Qigong for healing that I do for myself and occasionally teach. I hope some of you might enjoy some of it--especially the clip of Afro-Cuban conga drummer Potato Valdez with whom I had the honor of playing. His touch is focused Qi used with controlled muscular strength. It is music of power and joy that for me is full of the same combination of controlled muscular strength and focused Qi as the Fa-Jin of Kung Fu and Taijiquan.

It only takes five to ten minutes to complete. Do it in the Morning, and before going to bed at night, or when you feel a problem or discomfort forming anywhere in the body. If any pain appears, or discomfort increases when practicing STOP DOING THE QIGONG! And see a medical professional if the pain or discomfort continues.

Here is the Practice:
Be Seated. Relax. Breathe softly, fully, deeply, gently, silently into the lower abdomen.
No forcing. Relax, empty your mind - [don't force, be natural.]

Feel yourself as a physical being.

Feel yourself as an energy being—and/or be aware of your breathing. Qi means life force energy and also breath/breathing.
Be aware of just being aware. Like Zen Mind. No words in the mind, when the words pop up, just let them pass and float away; or keep silently repeating 1-2-3-4-5.

Smile like the Mona Lisa.

Smile to the places that may need it. Do this 3 to 15 minutes once or twice a day. Visualize yourself as totally young, healthy and strong. An Amazon Angel perhaps? Or a Daoist Warrior-Scholar? Or you could just imagine a calm body of water, or beautiful mountains. Or a night time sky. Use whatever works to bring you to a place of silent but alert peacefulness.

Tap with love or at least send compassion to the situation muscles. Try tapping like Patato Valdez on your body, Notice how he is drawing the power out of the drum, not beating it. Do not tap on the top of the head. Or eyes, etc. This is a demonstration how to tap: (knifepoint qi sent in – explosive sound released out) Even though it is Afro-Cuban, I suggest the tapping techniques resemble certain ancient Asian trance-shaman percussionists. And in light of that, carefully experiment with your own dance free-form improvisations using the qigong and taijiquan moves you know and like to the video clip given here.

BATACUMBELE CON PATATO VALDEZ. "MI GUAGUANCO"

by Emma

Practical Qigong - A Quick Mental Tune Up

by John Voigt

After I do qi work with someone I email them a reprise of the session: notes of what we did so that they may practice it by themselves in their dedicated times to do qigong work. This also frees them of the drudgery of taking notes when I am working with them.

What follows was sent to a middle-aged woman with whom I have been working for several years. She has been suffering from intense sleep disorders which she believes are caused by various spiritual forces. Within the context of her suffering, I believe hers is a valid conceptualization of the problem. I work with her by using Daoist and Christian prayers, and with external qi sending and acupressure with my hands and fingers (no needles). She continues to improve: she is successfully working, going to college, performing as an art-rock vocalist, and having her writings published. She is also working with medical doctors, which I think is necessary.

My email begins:

Be Seated.

Relax. Breathe softly, deeply, gently, silently into the lower abdomen. No forcing, be comfortably natural.

Feel yourself as a physical being.

Feel yourself as an energy being—and/or be aware of your breath/breathing.

Be aware of being aware. Like Zen Mind. No words in the mind; when words appear let them pass and float away.

Smile. Like the Mona Lisa. Really. It works.

For Mental Tuning Up.

Rub, tap, massage, squeeze these points; as you do this continue doing the Mona Lisa Smile and being aware of your slow, deep, silent breathing.

Remember most acupressure points are bi-symmetrical meaning that they appear on both sides of the body, or both arms, or legs, etc.

Yintang.

"Hall of Seal." Calms the mind.

This image from A Manual of Acupuncture by Peter Deadman

Earlobe.

[it functions as your head when you were a fetus].

Taiyang.

"Great Sun." Head pain.

This image from tcmpoints.com

Bl-15. Xinshu.

"Opening to the heart." Nourishes the spirit and calms the mind. Sleep issues.

This image from tcmpoints.com

Si Shen Cong.

The four points around the crown of your head. Light finger tapping.

Image from A Manual of Acupuncture by Peter Deadman

GV-17.

Nao Hu "door to the brain." Heaviness in the head. Also tapping as well as penetrating massage.

This image from tcmpoints.com

GV-18.

Qiang. Sleep issues.

This image from tcmpoints.com

GV-16.

Fengfu. "House of the Wind." For fear and/or fright, and depression. it is an opening into the center of the brain.

This image from tcmpoints.com

The Bladder Channels.

The bladder channels run down the sides of your spine (and backs of legs). Helps tone and harmonize water issues. Be like a bear rubbing her back against a tree.

This image from tcmworld.org

Kidney-1.

Flushes out the schmutz (bad stuff).

Image from A Manual of Acupuncture by Peter Deadman

For now all you perhaps might do is with gentleness and love massage the points where they feel blocked. Approximate guessing where they are will work. There is a lot here, just take your time and do what you comfortably can and go for what feels good. These perhaps can be instant fixes, but more likely the Chinese thing works better over time, like practising music.

To end, make a Clockwise Circle on the lower Abdomen with your left palm over your right palm. 24 or 36 times. This helps absorb any excess cultivated qi in the dantian.

Then Shake everything like a Trembling Horse. 9x. Relax between each Shake. Then take a walk, or whatever.