Transmute energy with Qigong
I am always interested in exploring new meditative techniques and yoga practices that can elevate my spirit and make me more serene and able to withstand the turbulence of everyday life. During the pandemic I got acquainted with Kundalini and did a 60 days practice for mental clarity which helped me stay grounded and gain patience.
Lately, one of the techniques I was introduced to as it was added to my go-to yoga platform, Glo, is Qigong. It is an ancient Chinese practice based on the concept of Qi (pronounced Chee), which is a fundamental concept in eastern medicine, and means “life force” or energy, and Gong, which translates into “mastery”, meaning “mastering the life force”, or energy, that travels across the 12 meridians in the body.
The scope of Qigong is to unlock trapped and stagnant energy that resides in one of the meridians through slow controlled movements or stillness and breath work and let it flow through the body instilling calm, mental clarity, but also preventing illnesses.
You have probably come across, in movies or real life, a group of people doing what seems like moving air slowly in a park or somewhere outdoors. Qigong can be done anytime and anywhere, in a group or solo, Though practicing outdoors barefoot on a grass lawn can also incorporate the benefits of grounding, practicing indoors on any type of floor surface is still beneficial.
Qigong works by prompting stagnant energy to flow through the body.
This type of Qigong, known as active Qigong leverages the concept of Yang, active energy, as opposed to Yin, which is passive energy: it involves repeating the same gentle movement for a number of times accompanied by breathing stimulating blood flow, getting rid of stagnant energy which doesn’t serve us and giving it back to the earth which is believed to have the power to clean it. It also increases muscle strength, balance and spatial awareness.
The other type of Qigong, known as passive Qigong, is based on the concept of Yin and focuses on embracing energy only by using breathwork while being completely still in a good upright posture. All the work here is done by using traditional meditation to move energy throughout the body.
Both types of Qigong promote calmness and focus, but can also lower inflammation and ail more serious ailments, although scientific research is insufficient. Practices which involve mental energy require perseverance, therefore only by practicing regularly one can really reap all the benefits of this technique.
After practicing meditation or anything that is aimed at calming the mind and increasing focus, I usually enjoy a cup of warm herbal tea like lavender, or a Calming Latte like Tusol with cocoa, reishi and ashwagandha.
Try it and let us know what you think!
