Watch video clips of qigong sets.
The “Chi” in Qigong (Chi Gung/Ki Gong/Qi Gong)
Chi is your life-force energy, sometimes called “vital energy.”
People have varying levels of chi depending on their state of health, which is determined by their lifestyle and genetics. The presence of chi differentiates a living being from a corpse. A baby is born with a powerhouse of chi, which, as life goes on, will diminish if not cultivated. The abundance of chi is the secret to a baby’s boundless energy.
The ancient Chinese developed exercises to increase chi to make a weak person strong, an ill person vibrant and increase mental capacities. These exercises are known as qigong, which literally translates as “energy work.” Qigong is the practice of directing and developing strong healthy chi. (Note: “Qigong” can also be spelled “chi gung/ki gong/qi gong.” Regardless of the spelling all terms have the same definition.)
Qigong starts with physical motion that stretches the body’s tissues to move fluid, eventually allowing the practitioner access to the chi of their body. Once chi has been accessed, the mind’s intent can move chi at will. The chi in turn moves the fluids and the fluids move the body, enabling you to deeply relax and open during exercise.
Qigong & Neigong
The term “qigong” is used to cover all forms of oriental exercise for health, healing, power and mental clarity. There are two distinct kinds of exercises:
1. Qigong—works from the outside of the body inwards.
2. Neigong—works from the inside of the body outwards.
Qigong first works on the outer meridians and through these affects the core energy. The same principles apply to acupuncture as a means of releasing pain and disease, and maintaining health and wellness. It uses the breath as a vehicle to move chi and thereby activate one or two energy lines at a time.
Neigong, or “internal power,” concentrates on working with and developing the core energy and, later, opening and energising all the chi lines of the body simultaneously. The breath may or may not be synchronised with the flow of chi as the chi is moved directly by the mind. (Note: “Neigong” is also spelled “nei gung/nei kung/nei gong.”)
The main difference between qigong and neigong is that in qigong component A is followed by component B and then C and so on. This has the effect of A + B + C. Neigong works components A, B and C at the same time, having the effect of A x B x C.
Qigong can be used to heal specific problems whilst neigong is generally used to develop overall health, strength and flexibility. Qigong and neigong systems comprise the internal workings of bagua and tai chi, which can be learnt simultaneously—with each reinforcing the other.
Read about the qigong sets Paul teaches.
16 Neigong Components
Within qigong, bagua and tai chi there are 16 components of internal power. Each of these has different levels and many subcomponents that combine to make a whole.
The aim is to fully integrate each component into your body. In this way you can practice progressively more components simultaneously rather than sequentially. Your health, power and vitality will improve dramatically if you do so.
Within the system there are longer and shorter routes to this end. The longest routes are concerned with learning the 16 components through bagua and tai chi without any separate training in neigong itself because individual component must be taught through each movement within bagua or tai chi.
The shorter routes involve learning neigong exercises to practice the 16 components separately and later integrating them into your bagua or tai chi form. In this case, you would learn neigong exercises side by side with your form.
16 neigong components:
- Breathing methods, from the simple to the more complex.
- Feeling moving, transforming and transmuting internal energies along the descending, ascending, and connecting energy channels of the body.
- Precise body alignments to prevent the flow of chi from being blocked or dissipated; practising these principles brings exceptionally effective biomechanical alignments.
- Dissolving blockages of the physical, emotional, and spiritual aspects of our lives.
- Moving energy through the main and secondary meridian channels of the body, including the energy gates.
- Bending and stretching the body from the inside out and the outside in, along the direction of the yin and yang acupuncture meridian lines.
- Opening and closing all parts of the physical body (joints, muscles, soft tissues, internal organs, glands, blood vessels, cerebrospinal system, and brain), as well as all aspects of the body’s subtle energy anatomy.
- Manipulating the energy of the external aura outside the body.
- Making circles and spirals of energy inside the body, controlling the spiraling energy currents of the body, and moving energy to any part of the body at will, especially to the glands, brain, and internal organs.
- Absorbing energy into, and projecting energy away from, any part of the body.
- Controlling all the energies of the spine.
- Gaining control of the left and right energy channels of the body.
- Gaining control of the central energy channel of the body.
- Learning to develop the capabilities and all the uses of the body’s lower tantien.
- Learning to develop the capabilities and all the uses of the body’s upper and middle tantiens.
- Connecting every part of the physical and other energetic bodies into one, unified energy.