Many formal practice sets are made to give a generalized tune-up that enhances overall health, but there are some special situations that require more intentional movement of energy.
In medical qigong, we note eight important actions of Qi. Our vital force needs to be able to rise and sink, expand and condense, flow in and flow out, gather and disperse.
In times of illness or infection, medical qigong advises you focus on the energy flowing out and to disperse pathogenic factors, avoiding sending them in and down. In anxiety, we generally want to root the energy downward, or gather it if dispersed. In depression, on the other hand, we may need to raise our life-force up, or disperse the stagnation that is blocking us.
In your yoga practice, you may notice that the warrior poses are very expansive - or can be if you add that intention! Poses like shoulder-stand, headstand, and forward bends tend to lead the mind (and thus the energy) inward.
The practice-along video above shows the "Golden Ball Qigong", which is one training method to begin to feel these eight different actions of vital energy. As you practice, try to get a sense of what it feels like to gather, raise, expand, etc. and then also let the body respond however it will to these movements - your intuition will help you learn best.
If you want to begin learning about the inner art of Qigong, Yoga, and Meditation in detail, stay tuned for our FREE Alchemical Immersion starting again in January, and our 2022 Qigong Instructor Certification!
