Jia you! - Concluding Remarks

We started the Jiayou group as a qigong and TCM initiative to give people methods to protect their health, and cope with the reality of the Covid-19 pandemic. Now, Kerry and I will conclude the project as we turn our attention to the other work we hope to do this year.  As we wrap it up, I would like to leave you with a few comments concerning the principles of qigong and TCM, and why we chose the methods we taught.

The basic principle is: Fuzheng quxie 扶正祛邪. Support the healthy, upright qi in order to prevent invasion from, or expel, pathogenic qi. This is the key point of the qigong exercises we have introduced (the Healing Sounds sounds, the Yuanminggong and other basic traditional methods, as well as the various massages). That's why I said right from the start: every qigong exercise that you feel comfortable enough with to practice it regularly is the right one for you.  Regular practice (even a little, every or most days) is important - it is a repetitive impulse for the qi to bring about the necessary changes to life processes that create and stabilize the balance of health.

I would like to emphasize once again: Qigong and TCM do not fight disease. They regulate, in other words, they order the qi. This ordering brings any state of imbalance back into balance - it reduces an imbalanced state of excess, it strengthens a state of exhaustion of the qi (and blood), it lowers what is too high, raises what is too low, cools what is too hot, warms what is too cold, moistens what is too drying, and dries what is too humid. All this is a kind of regulation, and every good qigong exercise does just that - it promotes and supports regulation. Balanced health is mirrored in this regulating flow of qi.

In health, an organism with regulated qi copes with diseases by itself. That would be the ideal situation, but self-regulation is often blocked for various reasons that stress our bodies and minds. Intervention through qigong and TCM methods that provide a regular healthy qi impulse is needed. All of the methods and advice we published in the Jiayou Project will restore the ability to self-regulate and self-heal.

Health and healing are based on self-regulation, which in turn is based on strong Zheng-Qi, the orderly behavior of a strong, well-functioning Qi. In the past few months we have tried to illuminate, explain and translate this simple sentence from various approaches:

Moving qigong exercises. These are primarily there to move the Qi so that the Qi develops harmoniously and balanced. The better the balance of the Qi, the better the regulation and the more stable the health

-   Quiet breathing and relaxation. The Qi must be able to regenerate itself through sleep, rest and breaks, and also through letting go of tension. Pathogenic Qi can overwhelm Zheng-Qi when you are weakened by fatigue, exhaustion and stress. Taking the time to quieten the breath and relax the mind and body counteracts this and helps to regenerate the exhausted qi.

-   Self massage. The massages that we have shown focus primarily on the lung meridian and / or help relieve qi states of heat and moisture that make you more susceptible to the virus, and help the defensive qi of the immune system circulate.

-   TCM dietary and food medicine advice. These are important because you can specifically counteract the qi properties of the virus. The virus is a moist and warm pathogen, it belongs to the “heat pestilence” category and attacks the lungs and spleen. This is why,  if your own qi tends to be damp and overly warm, it is so important to counteract these tendencies.

-  Theoretical explanations. You can practice Qigong without theory, no question. However, the theoretical understanding of the practice helps a lot. You can take it slow. If you read through our different explanations of qigong and TCM theory every now and then, you will gradually begin to understand better what it means to think in terms of qi and to put your own understanding of qi into practice. Even more important, it will enhance your experience and confidence in what you feel from your practice.

I hope you found the content we posted helpful, and continue to explore it. I will keep the blog up for a long time. The pandemic is not over yet, and the reality is that we will probably have to live with this virus, and other established and new pathogens for a long time, so we want to keep the content accessible. 

We'll see how our work goes in autumn. Hopefully, qigong lessons and seminars can take place "analogously" as normal. However, if necessary we will go online with qigong again, perhaps with live practice lessons (this time I was not able to do so due to technical problems).

The YouTube channel remains, and I plan to continue to publish videos there. Perhaps not so regularly, but occasionally.

Kerry and I would like to express our sincere thanks to all who have supported us and our initiative. We wish everyone healthy and - despite everything - a comfortable, nice summer!

Árpád

As Árpád and I come to the end of our initial “Jiayou!” Project to support our qigong community of students, TCM practitioners, nurses, doctors, friends, and family during these first months of the Covid-19 pandemic, I would like to say a few words to help consolidate and clarify what this initiative has, and will continue to provide all of us. 

Whether you followed all the way through, read and tried all the methods, advice, recipes, poems, philosophy, TCM explanations, art, and music is not the point (although, hopefully you did dip your toes into the “well of qi” at the heart of our project!). Our, and your intentions have more effect on the qi and a better quality of life than you might think. Where you direct your gaze can define the scope of your life; it can be either limited and partitioned or expansive and integrated, become tighter and feel more burdensome or become untangled, looser and feel lighter. It takes no explanation to get the gist of what might be a more nourishing, more comfortable, more natural and inclusive gaze. That is the reality of health, of directing the gaze first inward, in order to realign and open the flow of qi in the body, and then engaging outwardly with all of life in a more harmonious, easy way.

None of us could ever really know what the next seconds of life brings, let alone the next years. The pandemic has brought this into focus, grabbed our attention in ways that none of the other man-made warnings of social, political, and climatic upheavals of the last decades have done. During the initial protective phase of isolation, of staying at home, and of caring for others while protecting ourselves by literally keeping our breath, its moisture and its potential as a carrier of life and death to ourselves, masking the gateways and thoroughfares of mouth and nose, we had no choice but to become still. As the curtains of containment lowered, our almost constant gaze outward to what was our “normal” lives of working, socializing, shopping, travelling, etc, naturally took a turn. 

The transition of this abrupt change of focus was an important part of the Jiayou Project - using qigong as a way to regulate the body, breath and mind, to look inward, past the arising confusion of uncertainties and fears, to feel connected with what is essential. In terms of Chinese medicine, this is how you protect your health from the ravages of “normal” life, live to your potential, and age with grace.

The pandemic means our vulnerabilities are exposed, and we all have to balance that with trying to move forward, to be able to work, provide a living and enter into community life with the energy and creativity needed to adapt. In a broader sense, this is what everything we have put together for the Jiayou group is in aid of; it is a support to nourish life, what the Chinese call Yangsheng. Having the intention to nourish life is the beginning, and it directs the qi in a positive way. Giving body to those intentions is the physical practice of qigong, and will keep your health regulated, no matter what the next seconds, months or years bring us!

Best wishes to you all. We will certainly pick up the thread of our intentions and teach more in the future.

Kerry

Healing Sound Method for the Kidney Qi

In traditional Chinese medicine, the organ of the kidney, Shen Zang 肾脏, is unique in that it is seen as both the yin 阴 foundation for our substantial existence, and the fundamental yang 阳 motivator for our active existence, i.e. all our life activities.

The most important yin function of the kidney qi is that it contains or stores Jing 精, also known as“essence qi”, which we acquire at the moment of conception, and that determines all our potential to develop, on all levels, as a human being. This qi is inherited from our ancestors and unfolds slowly throughout all stages of life, most apparent during “life gates” such as birth, puberty, or the beginning and end of the menstrual cycle in women. It also is responsible for our ability to heal from physical or psychological trauma, and it determines how gracefully we age as our resources decline, until we die. It expresses itself in both yin substance and yang function – in our physical bodies, seen in the strength of the bones, the functioning of the brain and nervous system, the keenness of hearing, the ability to procreate. Mentally and physically, it is motive power, the spark needed to activate ideas and physical movement, to have an abundance of creative and physical energy, and to produce work, children, art, and so on.

As I explained in my text on the method for the spleen qi, it is the foundation of our acquired health, the nourishment we need to survive on a daily basis. It is the yang qi of the spleen that transforms food and drink into various aspects of qi energy that we use on a daily basis. However, it is the underlying, essential yang qi of the kidneys that ignites and motivates the qi of the spleen, (and all the organs), so that it can carry out this function. For this reason, the kidney yang is known as the Xiang Huo 相火, the “Minister Fire” - it is the fire needed throughout the span of a lifetime to keep all the engines going, to motivate all the various qi functions that occur in the space of time between heartbeats, between breathing in and breathing out. It not only motivates these functions, it allows things to come to fruition, it completes cycles of activities so that they can begin anew, over and over.

The quality and amount of Jing is finite, predetermined at the moment of conception, and cannot be replaced. The aim of all traditional Chinese health practices, medicine, qigong, martial arts and even religion is to preserve, and not waste this essence qi. In this way, when there is the need to really call upon all our resources in order to survive any extreme* situation or illness, we have a plentiful supply of Jing in reserve. Jing is used, naturally and slowly, throughout the course of our lives; to waste it, through indulgence of extreme behaviour or habits, means to shorten the span and/or the quality of our lives.

Although Jing cannot be reproduced or replaced, we can bolster it, shore it up with an abundant supply of acquired qi gained through breathing, eating, exercising, sleeping and, most essentially, calming and quietening our over-active minds. In this way, our normal daily habits are not only what keep our organs healthy, our muscles and flesh firm, and nourish our supply of energy; these habits determine whether or not we have to dip into our reserve of Essence Qi.

All of the Healing Sounds Qigong Methods bring every phase of our life processes into a better balance, but the emphasis on the particular method for the kidney qi is to condense the strength of qi where it is needed, in the area of the Dantian 丹田 and Kidneys, where the Jing is stored, and the lower back, where the Mingmen 命門, the “Life Gate” opens and stimulates the flow of kidney yang qi at the deepest levels of the body. It helps to pull down “excessive fire” from above (in the heart and mind), and warm up “excessive cold” below (from weak spleen yang qi or general exhaustion). 

To achieve all this, I finish with a hint – all of the Healing Sounds for the Qi methods need to be practiced regularly, in a relaxed manner, with a positive and quiet mind, with a smooth and fine breath. But the method for the kidney qi, especially, should be done easily. It is important not to exhaust the qi while trying to build it up. This means, practice naturally, without any mental or physical tension, staying well within your limits with the sinking down move and the amount of times you practice it. You will not only enjoy the practice, you will reap the greatest benefit from it!

* ”extreme”, in TCM terms, means anything that can unbalance health, whether caused by external circumstances or pathogens, internal pressures or desires, or inappropriate or excessive diet, exercise, work or sexual behaviour. It is further qualified by arising either too suddenly, too strongly, or is too long lasting (like weather, viruses, enforced isolation, etc.).

Method for the Spleen Qi

The qi of the spleen and the qi of the stomach cannot be separated in function - they reflect the yin movement of earth to draw down, absorb and nourish, and the yang movement of heaven to allow the yin to arise like a steam, warming and activating all potential for growth.

Chart of the Spleen Meridian 

The spleen ( pi zang 脾脏) is a yin “organ”, but it’s qi function is yang; it rises up, transforming and refining the yin (with the support of the kidney yang qi), holding things up and in place (both mentally and physically, so that neither thoughts - which are yang, nor organs - which are yin, drop down or out), protecting the integrity of body and mind. It requires a cool (not cold) and dry (not damp) environment for these functions in relation to the qi.

The stomach (wei fu 胃腑) is a yang “organ, but it’s main qi function is yin because it acts as a container - it receives “grains and water” in the middle jiao, churns and ferments them into a mash and then, under the control of the spleen yang qi, it begins the process of separating the “clear” from the”turbid”. It requires a warm (not hot) and moist (not damp) environment for its function in relation to the qi.

The part of the qi considered pure or clear, (like pure spring water), is further refined by the spleen qi, transformed and transported up as a kind of qi “steam” to the upper jiao and the lungs, where it meets with the pure clean qi of air (kong qi 空氣) to form and transport all the qi, blood and the yin aspect of the immune system, called Nutritive/Camp Qi (ying qi 營氣) to the whole organism.

Chart of the Stomach Meridian

That part of the qi that is crude and turbid (like the silt in a stream, that can form a sediment when the water is still), is kept moving down by the motive force of the stomach qi into the lower jiao and the digestive tract, where it is further refined and transformed into our Defensive/Guard Qi (wei qi 衛氣). This yang aspect of our immune system is then dispersed throughout the whole organism by the lung qi. 

Once all these qi separating, refining and transporting processes are complete, the waste of our food and water is moved further down and excreted.

So you see, the pi wei, the spleen and stomach qi functions cannot be understood in isolation because through their yin yang relationship, they work together to replenish all the qi we require, on a daily basis, for our health.

The Healing Sounds Method for the Spleen Qi expresses this reality in form - first opening the middle, separating the hands as they move up and down, palms turning to face heaven and earth, and then vibrating and activating the qi of the spleen and stomach as we breathe out through the mouth with the lips formed to make the spleen qi “hoo” sound in our imagination.

“陰陽調和 Yin yang tiao he”, yin yang in balanced harmony, that is what the Chinese call health. All qigong methods are expressions of “yin yang tiao he” in every aspect of movement and stillness, in and out, up and down, calming and activating. The method for the spleen qi is central in position and function to the entire set of the 6 Healing Sounds. It relates to Earth, and moves from the middle to raise up the pure as it moves down (and out) the waste. In doing so, it secures our life on a daily basis.

Kerry’s Medicinal Kimchi Recipe

This is my recipe for a non-spicy Kimchi, to really boost the immune system! It is not traditional Korean Kimchi; what I have devised is a highly effective “food medicine” recipe using Chinese medicine knowledge of the action of the qi of plants, and how the dosage, combination and preparation of specific food substances synergize to have a specific set of actions on the qi of the body. It is easy to make and works to strengthen and activate the qi in the middle jiao, and to resolve “phlegm damp” throughout the body. It is balanced in temperature, so as not to add excessive heat or cold to the body. Through a combination of ingredients and fermentation,  all of the 5 Flavors associated with each organ - sweet, salty, acrid/pungent, sour and bitter - are represented here, and work together to make this a real “superfood” for our health. It is a calling together of all the various qi aspects of the immune system, and deploys them to our front lines of defense. 

To get this medicinal effect, you need to eat about a tablespoon per day. As in all traditional Chinese methods that work with the qi – whether it is food medicine, medical prescriptions, qigong, taijiquan, acupuncture, massage, meditation – every daily dosage (or daily practice, or treatment) builds on the last, increasing the beneficial effect exponentially. To put it simply, eating a spoonful of this food medicine and doing a few minutes of qigong practice, every day, fortifies your defenses, and regulates your body and mind in a way that builds on the foundation of what you did the day before, the weeks before, and so on.

A few words on ingredient and possible substitutions: 

Any kind of green or white cabbage would work in this recipe if you cannot get the Chinese cabbage, also known as Napa cabbage. The Chinese cabbage is traditionally used because it ferments quickly and, in terms of qi, is slightly more yang in that has a more “floating” action that helps lift the action of the recipe to the lungs.

Any kind of pear will do, but if you can get the Asian white pears (called nashi pears), they are less sweet than other pears, and have a different texture, making them ideal for this recipe. If you cannot get any kind of pear, you can substitute a whole apple instead of only half. 

These optional additions to the recipe have the following effect:

When you add a little sweet red pepper and/or carrot to the kimchi, you not only boost the sweet taste as the kimchi ferments, but you ensure the qi effect of the kimchi goes more into the blood, nourishing  the qi aspect of the heart and liver.

When you add a little of the long, white Chinese radish, you slightly boost the pungent taste of the kimchi, and strengthen the effect of clearing phlegm from the lungs as you open the qi of the middle. If you cannot get the Chinese radish, you can substitute a little white turnip.



Recipe Ingredients:

1 small Chinese cabbage (about 300 to 400 grams)
1 teaspoon minced garlic
3 teaspoon minced ginger
2 scallions, sliced
½  apple, peeled and chopped
½ pear, peeled and chopped
½ yellow or white onion, peeled and chopped
sea salt
water

(Optional) - 1/2 sweet, red pepper, thinly sliced, or 1 carrot, grated, or small piece of Chinese white radish, sliced



Preparation:

Separate cabbage leaves and chop into bite-size pieces and place in a large bowl.

Dissolve 2 tablespoons sea salt in a bowl of warm water then pour salt water over cabbage leaves. Give cabbage a gentle toss to distribute salt water.  Allow salted cabbage to sit for at least four hours.

Give cabbage a good rinse to remove excess salt, drain and return the cabbage to a bowl, adding  
minced garlic, minced ginger, and green onions.

Blend the chopped onions, apple, and pear with one cup of water, (with a stick blender, normal blender, or just chop very fine and make a mash of the mixture with a fork), then add this natural sweetener to the cabbage.

Give everything a thorough toss and rubdown. You want to massage together the flavors, and evenly distribute all ingredients.

Transfer seasoned cabbage leaves into one or two large glass jars (such as pickle jars) or ceramic containers that you can put a plate over as a lid. Be sure to use firm pressure with your hands to push down on cabbage leaves as they stack up inside the jar. 

Transfer any liquid that accumulated during the mixing process into the jar as well - this liquid will become kimchi brine. Some liquid will also come out of the cabbage leaves as you press down on them.

Be sure to leave about 2 inches of room at the top of the jar before capping it tightly with a lid (you can use clingfilm to put over the lid of any other type of container you use, then place a plate over it). Allow kimchi to sit at room temperature for at least 24 - 48 hours. This will allow the fermentation process to begin.

Refrigerate and take out portions as needed. The kimchi will continue to ferment, slowly, in the refrigerator over time. So long as you use clean utensils to take out small portions, it will keep for up to a month in your refrigerator.

Introduction to the Healing Sound Exercise for the Liver by Kerry

The Liver Qi (Gan Qi 肝气) is the Harmonizer, the General who coordinates all the various qi and blood cycles of the body so that the system runs smoothly, in an uninterrupted flow that recurs every 24 hours.

The Healing Sound Method for the Liver Qi is, in particular, promoting this timely movement of the yang and yin aspects of our immune system through each of the 12 channels of qi and their associated organs.

In TCM, our immune system is comprised of a yang aspect, called Defensive/Guard Qi (Wei Qi 卫气), and a yin aspect, called Nutritive/Camp Qi (ying qi 营气).

The Guard Qi is the fiercest yang aspect of our qi and, when the body is under attack from a virus, it is first deployed through the pores of the skin to “Release the Exterior”, driving the pathogen out with sweat.

The Camp Qi is the most yin aspect of qi, flowing with the blood throughout all the vessels and organs, supporting and strengthening the Guard Qi from within, continuing the fight against invading pathogens once they have breached our first line of defense.

The qi (and blood) circulate through the body, night and day, and never stop. But according to TCM, there is a cycle created by each in and out breath that moves the qi up and down; it takes 270 breaths to complete a cycle through all the channels, and 50 cycles (25 cycles to pass through the yang channels, and 25 cycles to pass through the yin channels) constitute up the passage of qi in one day and one night....so, a 24 hour period.

During the day (yang time), the qi proceeds along the channels through the body, so we can be active in mind and body; during the night (yin time), when one is asleep and the mind is calm, the qi spreads through the internal organs, replenishing them and preparing for the activity to come on the following day.

It is the harmonizing, free flowing and qi spreading function of the Liver that regulates these cycles, which begin with our first breath upon waking. One cycle begins in the channel of the Lung qi, completes its passage in the channel of the Liver qi, and then begins all over again in the channel of the Lung qi. Breathing in and out, the qi moves up and down.

In the Healing Sound Method for the Liver Qi, both the sound and the body movement “spread” the qi, opening the boundaries of the chest and the middle to allow space for the free flow of breath, blood, and emotions. This, in turn, harmonizes the smooth and easy functions of all bodily activities, giving ease and comfort to body and mind.

Chart of the Liver Meridian.

From Shisi Jing Fahui 十四经发挥  - Careful Elaboration on the 14 Meridians by the physician Hua Shou 滑寿 (~1304-1386).

Introduction to the Healing Sound Exercise for the San Jiao by Kerry

An Introduction to the Healing Sound Method for the San Jiao

The san jiao 三焦, in Chinese medical theory, is best understood by its function, because it is a concept that does not exist in Western medical physiology. It is called “an organ that has function, but does not have form”. 

It is sometimes recognized as a particular threefold division of the physical space of the body - the area above the diaphragm is the upper jiao; between the diaphragm and the navel is the middle jiao; everything below the navel is the lower jiao. Each of these san jiao spaces includes all the organs contained therein and, equally important, the space around the organs. Furthermore, they include all space in the body between muscles, skin and connective tissue.

All the individual organs of the body have particular functions in terms of qi. For instance, it is the qi function of the lungs that determines the quality of qi and blood in the body, circulates qi, blood and breath (with the help of the heart qi), regulates the opening and closing of the pores of the skin so that we can sweat, and acts as the first line of defense against viruses.

With the san jiao, it’s overall job is to coordinate all various qi functions in the body, and provide communication between the organs. This “organ that has no form” is essential to life - without its regulation, the whole bodily system falls into chaos, and our health is compromised.

The Healing Sound Method for the San Jiao qigong method activates the external acupuncture points (i.e. those on the body surface) along the channel associated with the san jiao, moves warming yang qi up through its passageways in order to activate and strengthen every organic function, and then brings cooling and moistening yin qi down to keep the body and organs supple, and help rid the body of waste. 

The san jiao directs the movement of qi and fluids up and down, and in and out of the body. In health, this means all our normal bodily functions are regulated, we can move comfortably, and our organs are strong. But when we are attacked by an external disease, a virus that invades and disrupts the vital functions of our health, it is the san jiao that communicates the call for urgent action, and coordinates the qi of the organs to quickly bring the full force of our defenses where needed.

Chart of the San Jiao Meridian.

From Shisi Jing Fahui 十四经发挥  - Careful Elaboration on the 14 Meridians by the physician Hua Shou 滑寿 (~1304-1386).

A Few Words on the Healing Sound Method for the Lung Qi

The Liu Zi Jue 六字诀 (Healing Sounds) method for the Lung Qi that we present here is part of a Daoist health tradition that combines specific lifestyle, meditation and qigong techniques in order to rid disease, calm the mind and prolong life. It uses a sophisticated combination of elements that act synergistically, much like a medical prescription, on the Qi system in the body that controls the circulation of breath, qi and blood throughout the body.

A TCM perspective of a few of the key elements can be helpful in understanding why and how this method works. But remember...the main thing is simply to practice the qigong, a little, and then a little more, every day. This is what has an effect on your health - not an understanding of Chinese medicine or Daoist philosophy, or even of  qigong technique. Everyone, of any age or condition, and with no prior experience can practice these methods and gain the beneficial effects that restore, protect and increase your health, strengthen your immune system, calm your mind, and bring a sense of ease and comfort.

The Liu Zi Jue method for the Lung Qi (and,in fact, all qigong methods) begins with allowing yourself to become quiet, and relaxing the body as you align yourself from head to foot, in order to enter into a certain “space”. This is not a physical location, nor is it simply a state of mind. It is more of an opening inward, a silencing of the noise of the mind, a softening of the body and breath, so that the qi of the body is aligned between the “Qi of Heaven and Earth” (the greater yang and yin aspects of the universe), allowing a resonance with the true reality of nature. This resonance is a type of communication that is literally grounding, and that calls forth the innate strength of your body’s health as it flows with your breath, uninhibited by the disruptions, blockages and weaknesses that occur through the physical and mental stress of ageing, illness and everyday life.

All of the moves reinforce this resonance, with a specific focus on both the physical and more subtle qi aspects involved in breathing, circulating qi and blood throughout the organism, opening and strengthening the connection between your Original Qi, (so, all the capacity for health that you were born with), and the qi you acquire, from the minute you are born, with every single breath you take.

As you breathe in with the first movement, you rotate arms, hands and palms outwards to physically widen the chest as the air pours in. You can feel the chest and lungs open, allowing the breath to flow more easily and smoothly.  At a deeper internal level, this opens and smoothes the qi as it flows with the incoming breath, through the core of the body. With more practice, you may begin to feel a subtle pulling in, a kind of magnetism, from the extremities of your hands and feet, fingers and toes. In Chinese medical terms it is like a powerful acupuncture treatment that opens the flow of qi from the lung organ, through the acupuncture points along the lung qi channel (手太阴 经 Hand Tai Yin Channel).

Then, as you breathe out and rotate the arms back in so that the palms face the belly, the upper back, spine and specific acupuncture points located in this region open, allowing the warm qi to return to the physical center of the body in the area of the kidneys, lower back and belly (in the region called the Dan Tian 丹田 , where the Original Qi is stored).

It is in this region that the qi of the breath fortifies your Original qi, motivating its circulation along the deep internal channels of the body, literally infusing your whole organism with warmth and strength. When you breathe in, it is like magnetically attracting something and pulling it in; when you breathe out, it is like opening and spreading the warmth and magnetism throughout the body. With more practice, you may feel this current, perhaps a tingling, moving from the center of your body to the extremities.

Breathing in again, you briefly and lightly touch the tips of the fingers together in front of the heart area, and direct your gaze to the fingertips. This is combining the movement of the mind (directed through your gaze), with the movement of the body and the flow of qi and breath in order to have a certain effect.

Nothing in life moves faster than the mind. In qigong practice, we rein that movement in and quieten the constant, distracting noise it makes by allowing the mind to follow our breath, creating a quiet internal space where the natural force of life can unfold and flow freely. In day to day life, our constant, conscious effort to identify and control everything only serves to separate us from the whole reality of nature, and impedes our own natural ability for health, for balance.

In the few instances in qigong where we use the imagination, then, or focus our gaze or attention to something specific, it is like throwing a spear with precision and speed (to literally “spear into action”). The effect of consciously touching the fingers and directing the gaze to the fingertips activates the qi of all the yin and yang channels, and motivates the qi of the heart and lungs to strongly circulate throughout the person. We do this only for a second, but the effect resonates throughout the body, more and more, for a  longer longer time, with each practice of the qigong method. Eventually, it takes only this second, like walking into a dark room and turning on the light switch, to change the nature of our internal space.

A medical qigong method is like a herbal medicine prescription - the main effect of the prescription is supported and moderated by all the other constituent elements, and so the next movement of the Liu Zi Jue method for the Lung Qi is the medically crucial part. 

The arms move up, and the chest expands as the head moves back to open the throat and thorax; the out-breath arises as a “steam” as it passes through the open mouth, and the internal resonance of the imagination of sound enables the entire force of the True Qi (Zhen Qi  真气 - basically the comprehensive reality of the qi of nature, of which we are merely a part)  to pour down into the lungs. Also, the bending of the wrists so that the palms face upward is an activation of important acupuncture points of the heart and lungs located on the inner aspect of the wrists.

The resonance of the imagined healing sound associated with the lungs is the spearhead of the medical effect (if you were to use the vocal cords to make an audible intonation, this has a completely different effect that is not so useful in this particular qigong “prescription”). Moving the head back and breathing out through the mouth is like turning on a faucet, and the shape of the mouth as you imagine the sound “Hay” is like opening that faucet completely, so the the qi, like water, pours through the “Gateway of the Lungs” (the throat), through the “Passageway to the Lungs” (the thorax) to the organ itself.

The rest of the steps of the method open and strengthen the connection between the qi of the lungs and the qi of the kidneys, ensuring the breath flows freely into the body, is then firmly grasped so that a kind of combustion of energy can take place before the breath is the easily expelled. It is a consolidation of the qi of the air we breathe with the Original Qi of the Dan Tian.

Here I will end this only very partial explanation of the traditional medical workings of the Liu Zi Jue method for the Lung Qi. Hopefully it helps to give you an idea of the sophistication of the workings of all qigong methods, and motivates you to practice the qigong more regularly, every day, in an easy and relaxed manner, with the full confidence that you can always improve your health and trust in the regenerative ability of the body. Even the most basic methods, such as making circles with the arms while quietly breathing, have layers of meaning and potential benefit for the healthy state of your body and mind. Enjoy your practice; enjoy the quiet space of genuine meaning you can enter into, as often as you like, to recover from the onslaught of daily worries and feel the lightness, the creativity, the regenerative force of your own, true nature!

Jia You! 加油！

Kerry McBride

Chart of the lung channel  (Hand Taiyin Channel 手太阴经)

17th century Chinese woodblock illustration showing the course of the lung channel of hand taiyin, one of the Twelve Channels. 

It originates at the zhongfu 中府 (Middle Palace) and yunmen 云门 (Cloud Portal) points on the chest, and terminates at the shaoshang 少商 (Lesser Shang) point on the outer side of the thumb. 

These points are mainly used in the treatment of pulmonary complaints such as coughs and asthma, soreness and inflammation of the throat, cold pain in the shoulders and back and pain in the inner and frontal parts of the hand and arm.