Qigong Tip #52

Qigong Practice: Lessons, Tips, Suggestions
Reminders and Ideas for Qigong Practice
By Mike Garofalo


Use the power of intention, mental concentration, and visualization to move the five elemental energies. Qigong theory says that "Yi Leads Qi", or the mind/intent directs the vital energies.



If you look at the Chinese character for Qigong, it consists of three components (characters, radicals, signs). As shown above, the blue colored character stands for air, steam, rising vapors. The brown colored character stands for a pot of cooking rice or grain. The green character stands for skills or techniques or knowledge acquired through long term effort, disciplined work, determined practice, e.g., being a skilled and creative chef.

The rice represents earth, the cooking pot is made of metal, the heat to cook the rice is fire, the rice is cooked in water, and the steam is hot rising air. The five elements are represented: earth, metal, fire, water, and air. For us to live we must use the energies of the five elements in order to survive, prosper, and work. These energies or elements are the foundation for life. This vital energy, Qi or Chi (the blue and brown characters above), is sometimes taken to be only Air (breathing), and in many other cases, as all five energies in some combination. We often think with analogies and metaphors (e.g., imagine the implications of rice cooking), and a delightful vagueness gives us opportunities for creative thinking.

So, in our Qigong practice, we are circulating, storing, building, releasing, and utilizing Qi. The fire or heat of our determined efforts, the regular and controlled breathing and exchange of air, the sweat that pours from our skin from our practice and the blood that flows in our veins in our inner water world, and the deliberate stretching and moving of the muscles and joints of our bodies (earth and metal) are all contributors to Yi Leading Qi, mental efforts to understand and use energies, determined work (Gong) resulting in energy (Qi) management.

The understanding of energy and energy systems is a core concept of modern science. We have used our minds to enable us to theorize, experiment, and artfully apply (technology) this knowledge to improve our lives. Qigong is also a mind-body technology: use it wisely, apply it diligently, understand it better.

Decide and Act to Power Up with Qigong!

So, get out and cook some rice .... yummy!