What is Qigong?

Qi is the Chinese word for Energy.

Gong means Exchange or Cultivation.

So Qigong then is Energy Cultivation or Energy Exchange.

It’s an ancient Chinese practice based on the premise that the human body is a self-healing organism – it just needs certain resources in order to do its job!

It’s not some esoteric concept that Westerners cannot grasp. Think about how many times you use the word “energy” on a regular basis. You pay your energy bill. Yes, the energy that powers your home is Qi! You use the phrase “I don’t have the energy to…” Your sense of vitality or alertness is an indicator of qi.

We, in the West, experience energy, ahem, qi, but we’re not taught that that’s what it is.

Have you ever walked into a room and gotten the feeling that two people have just stopped arguing because you arrived? That’s qi!

How about knowing that two people are attracted to one another? That’s qi too!

Or getting the feeling that something isn’t quite right? Yep, also qi.

When reframed this way, it’s much easier to understand.

Even Physics recognizes that all matter is energy, vibrating at different frequencies and magnitudes.

Qi is the force that moves planets in their orbits.

Imagine how you can THRIVE by inviting this energy into your body!

I had always wanted to believe in “energy.” And once I understood it from this perspective, it wasn’t a matter of belief but of reframing reality.

Then, came the desire to feel the energy. And qigong was the practice that allowed me to do that! Right in the palms of my hands. It was like MAGIC in real life!

There are hundreds, if not thousands, of different styles of qigong. They fall into three main categories: Martial, Spiritual, and Medical. (For more information on these styles and the general theory behind Qigong, check out our Intro to Qigong Online Course.)

I practiced a few different styles over the course of a few years until Sheng Zhen Gong came into my life. It arrived the same day I had a nervous breakdown. I immediately felt its power. This practice took me from feeling qi in the palms of my hands to feeling qi in my entire body.

I credit my relatively speedy recovery from that breakdown to this beautiful practice.

Sheng Zhen Gong is a method of self-healing, often referred to as “practices of Unconditional Love.” It involves a series of moving and non-moving meditations, all designed to remove stagnant, negative energy and gather positive, healing energy (qi). The movements and contemplations help create a deep sense of inner peace and an experience of perfect harmony with the universe.

I’ve been practicing Sheng Zhen since 2012. It has become an anchor in my daily life, helping me ease my anxieties and be calmer. It’s also transformed me into a more patient, kind, and loving person. That has, in turn, improved all of my relationships – including the one with myself!

If you’re interested in trying it out, tune in to one of our Online Sheng Zhen classes. They’re taught on a donation basis, so you have nothing to lose and everything to gain!