Qigong practice is one of the most useful methods in Chinese medicine for health promotion, disease healing, and achieving longevity. There are several principles that need to be noticed when practicing qigong. These principles should be followed in coordination with the three elements in qigong practice, i.e., the body, the breath, and the mind.
One of the most important principles in qigong practice is natural relaxation and tranquilization. Here “natural relaxation” emphasizes not to get nervous or use too much effort during qigong practice. During the training, one should fully relax the whole body, and naturally adjust the mind to keep the body in certain practicing state, to improve qi circulation.
Here “tranquilization” means to keep a peaceful mind and stable emotion. This can be done through concentrating the mind and removing messy thoughts. Tranquilization in qigong practice is a quiet state while one is still awakening. Such state is called “qigong state,” or deep meditation state. This is called “training the mind to go back to the state of Void,” a state with emptiness of mind.
The states of relaxation and tranquilization can influence and promote each other. It would be easier to enter the tranquilization state if one is fully relaxed. Once having a peaceful mind and entering the tranquilization state, it is easier to get more relaxed of the whole body.
Another principle in qigong practice is the combination of movements and tranquility. There are two categories in qigong, one category uses movements, the other category is static or pure meditation. In the active or dynamic qigong that uses movements, qi is guided through the movements of the body. In the static qigong or qigong meditation, qi is usually gathered at Dantian (Elixir Field) through training of the mind.
When qigong practice reaches certain levels, it is then appropriate to have “activities in tranquility,” and “tranquility in activities.” That is, during the practice of static qigong, although the body is not moved, internal qi is still moving and circulating. In the practice of active or dynamic qigong, internal qi is relatively tranquilized and the mind is peaceful.
A qigong practitioner should choose an appropriate kind of qigong for his or her own mental and physical conditions. Usually movements and tranquility of the body should be combined with those of qi to achieve better results. No matter what kind of qigong one is practicing, active or static, the goal is always to integrate both movements and tranquility.
