Qigong is, according to Merriam-Webster online, “an ancient Chinese healing art involving meditation, controlled breathing, and movement exercises.” Later in this post I am going to give you a Qigong standing meditation that will allow you to boost your energetic protection from unwanted external influences (whether they be physical, emotional, mental or spiritual pathogenic factors).
Qi is a term that has no equivalent term in English. The Chinese character for Qi looks like a grain of rice in a pot that is boiling while steam is lifting the pot’s lid. This gives us some idea as to the qualities of Qi. Qi provides sustenance, like rice. It is also active and upward-moving like steam. It is also hard to grasp like steam. So, although Qi is often thought of as “energy” this is a poor translation, for Qi is mote truly a highly rarefied form of matter. The word Gong (as in Gong Fu) means “accomplishment,” “skill” or “work.” So Qigong is simply “working with the Qi.”
If you are feeling under attack from energy outside of yourself, Qigong practice should help. It could be that you work in an environment where you are at increased risk of catching an airborne infections such a s the common cold or flu. Perhaps you have a boss or co-worker that invades your sense of space and personal boundaries. Perhaps you work with the public and are subjected to the whims and verbal (or other) attacks from your customers. In all of these situations, the unwanted energy of the person “attacking” can get to you because you have not erected an energetic barrier. The Qigong exercise outlined below will, with daily practice, construct a barrier of Qi around you that will enable you to keep from taking on this unwanted energy from others.
So, without further ado, I present to you the Ren Wu Zang Meditation, below:
1. Stand with your feet slightly more than shoulder-width apart, feet facing forward and parallel to each other.
2. Bend your knees slightly so that you can achieve a firm yet comfortable stance. You should still be able to look down as see your feet past your knees if you are doing this correctly.
3. Tilt the pelvis forward to lengthen and flatten the spine.
4. Allow the arms to hang loosely at your sides, palms facing inward. There should be a small space (chicken egg-sized) in your armpits.
5. Relax the shoulders and let them sink downward.
6. Make the chest concave in shape and relaxed (opposite of “military stance” with the chest pushed out).
7. Imagine that you head is suspended from on high by a thread. Tilt the chin toward the chest to further lengthen the spine.
8. Close the mouth and lightly place the tip of the tongue at the upper palate where it meets the teeth.
9. Breathe through the nose. Use abdominal breathing, allowing the lower abdomen to expand with inhalation and contract with exhalation. Breath deeply at a rate that feels comfortable (the slower, the better).
10. Close your eyes or keep them only slightly open with a gaze not fixed on anything specific.
11. Visualize a golden egg surrounding you.
12. Imagine a red mist coming from your Heart and spraying out in front of you. This red mist transforms into a Phoenix. Visualize this Phoenix as a lively, active, playful animal that is connected to your Heart. Allow this animal to remain in front of you.
13. Next, imagine that a dark blue or black mist is projecting from your Kidney and forming the shape of a large Tortoise towering over you and covering your back. Visualize this Tortoise as a lively, active, playful animal that is connected to your Kidney. Allow this animal to remain in behind of you.
14. Next, visualize a white mist emanating from your Lungs and moving out to your right side which becomes a White Tiger. Visualize this White Tiger as a lively, active, playful animal that is connected to your Lungs. Allow this animal to remain to your right.
15. Next, imagine a blue-green mist emanating from your Liver and forming a Dragon on your left side. Visualize this Dragon as a lively, active, playful animal that is connected to your Liver. Allow this animal to remain to your left.
16. Hold the visualization of these 4 animals around you for a few seconds.
17. Allow the animals to move now, shifting position in a counter-clockwise direction.
18. This motion gets faster and faster, until all that you see is a blur of colors whirling around you.
19. Raise your arms with an inhalation and “gather up” all this whirling color. Allow the energy of all 5 colors to enter the top of your head. Let the animals and colors go back to their respective organs (Gold = Spleen, Red = Heart, Black = Kidneys, White = Lungs, Blue-Green = Liver) inside you.
20. Take a few deep breaths, slowly open your eyes and allow yourself to return to the waking world.
That all there is to it! Given some practice it should not take longer than 2-5 minutes total to achieve this meditation. Having practiced it so much, I can accomplish it nearly instantaneously. This is one of the tools I use to keep myself well in my very busy clinical practice. I don’t want to take on the energy or illness of my patients. I feel very strongly that this Qigong exercise helps me to stay well and I hope it helps you too!
Copyright © 2011 Scott Alan Whitfield