Most chronic diseases have psychosomatic roots, and can be healed by the restoration of harmony between the mind and body. A person does not get ill passively, but generates the conditions that allow the disease to arise, in many cases through burdening the mind and body intentionally to “enjoy” life or to satisfy one's desires. This is why Chinese medicine considers that wherever any pathogenic factors can attack a person, there must be disharmony between the mind and body, as well as deficiency of the defensive qi.
The essential part of qigong practice is to concentrate the mind, use only one thought to replace thousands of thoughts, to enable the tranquilization and emptiness of mind. This is called “training the mind to go back to the state of Void.” This is the point that one can experience “the thought of no thought,” a state of deep meditation. The level of tranquilization one can achieve decides the effects of qigong practice.
The most commonly used mind-concentration method is to concentrate the mind on a certain location of the body such as the lower abdomen, or an object outside the body. However, while focusing the mind, one still needs to be relaxed and do it naturally, without forcing the mind to concentrate.
Observation method is another commonly used method through concentrating the mind on certain images. When practicing, imagine using the eyes to observe a certain part inside one's own body, or concentrate the mind on an image outside the body while the eyes are closed. This method can help one achieve tranquility.
Mantra-recitation is a method using mental recitation of a mantra, or word, to help enter the state of tranquility. When practicing qigong, one can silently read certain words or phrases, such as “relax” or “quiet,” one word for exhalation and the other word for inhalation. This is to use one thought to replace thousands of thoughts, use the right thought to replace wrong thoughts, to achieve relaxation, joyfulness, comfort, and tranquilization.
Other methods for regulating the mind include breath-counting and breath-following methods. These methods are practiced through concentrating the mind on the breathing activity.
