Discover This Fascinating Wellspring of Health and Energy
Your body is full of a vast wellspring of health and energy – pure, natural, and other-worldly. This ancient energy has been studied extensively by many ancient cultures around the world, from the Chinese to Native Americans to Egyptians. There are three main parts to this abundant natural energy that govern our health. They are Jing Jing (Essence), Shen Qi (Spirit), and Qi Gong (Chi). Each of these aspects have incredible benefits for physical and mental well being! Here is a brief summary on each one:
Jing Jing - Essence: flowing through your body, it nourishes your organs as they house your life force or pure essence.
Shen Qi - Spirit: your breathing, movement, and healthy emotions are filled with the energy of Shen. It is what animates your organs and keeps you alive. This includes the heart, lungs, blood vessels, organs that regulate your body's temperature (liver), as well as the spirit.
Qi Gong - Chi: the invisible energy that runs through your body and grounds it by linking all parts together in a web of infinite connections. Basic Qi Gong exercises can act as a form of self-healing for both physical disease and emotional/mental disorders.
In order to experience the benefits of Jing Jing, Shen Qi, and Qi Gong we should take steps to feel our connection with our essence. By feeling and connecting to your essence, you can learn how to recognize and embrace these aspects of energy within you.
For more information on Jing Jing: http://www.meridianmedicine.com/whatisjingu
For more information on Shen Qi: http://www.meridianmedicine.com/whatisshenqi
For more information on Chi Gong: http://www.meridianmedicine.com/whaticong
There is a long history of the practice of Jing Jing throughout the world. Specific methods and techniques have been passed down orally from culture to culture, and generation to generation. However, at this point it may be beneficial for us all to understand that there are basic principles that are universal within all cultures. The following is a brief outline on how you can prepare yourself for this fundamental energy experience:
Breathing : Regularly take deep breaths, allowing the breath to fill your belly and chest (wherever your organs are located). Only take gasps of air (not pausing in between). This will help you to feel your breathing deeply and feel connected with your essence.
To learn more about the basics of breathing for life energy.
Mental : Allow yourself to relax for a few minutes and set aside any worries or fears that you may have. Let go of any concerns about your health or anything else in your busy day and just be at peace in the moment.
Relaxation : Spend ten to twenty minutes a day doing relaxation exercises. This will help deepen your connection with Jing Jing and Shen Qi (your breath energy). There are many different methods, but they all include activities that will slow down your heart rate, allowing you to deeply relax and connect with your spirit.
Here are some basic relaxation suggestions:
Breathing : Allow yourself to breathe in and out. Focus on the sound of your breathing and the feeling it gives you. Allow your mind to remain clear and calm, observing your breath without interference.
Connecting with Your Breath : Sit up straight in a comfortable position, with your hands on your belly. Take a deep breath in, allowing it to fill up both your belly and chest (wherever you feel this most strongly). Do not pause between breaths but continue to breathe throughout the exercise. Pay close attention to what happens within you as you do this breathing exercise. Send gratitude for your ability to do this type of exercise, allowing yourself to relax deeply into it.
To learn about the basic of breathing techniques for connecting with your breath.
Stretching, massage , and moving : Stretching is a wonderful way to deeply connect with your Jing Jing and Shen Qi. Join a health club, yoga class, or even get a massage once every few weeks to help connect to the energy in your body. You can also stretch like you would an athlete, keeping each stretch 2-3 seconds long before allowing it to relax fully. (You can find some helpful stretches here: )
To learn more about stretching for life energy.
Lying on your back : Lie on your back, preferably in a quiet space. Stretch your arms out to either side, with palms facing up. Become aware of the weight of your arms and the rest of your body as you lie there, allowing energy to freely flow through you. Counting : If you are having difficulty connecting to your breath, I find counting to be very effective (it helps externalize my thoughts). You can count backwards from 100 by 7's and then add some 0's to get rid of unwanted thoughts. If this doesn't work for you then try counting forwards from 1-20 or 1-100 (without pausing or thinking too much about it). Inner Smile : This technique was created by the Taoists. Draw an imaginary line from your bellybutton up to your forehead. As you breathe in, think about smiling into this line and as you breathe out think about the smile reaching the rest of your body. You can also imagine a golden brilliantly shining sunlight shining on you, helping you to feel warmth and comfort.
To learn more about Inner Smile.
For more detailed information on all of the above, you can find it here: http://www.meridianmedicine.com/howtojinguimi
The next step is to connect with all four aspects of Chi Gong: Jing, Qi, Shen, and Gui (spirit energy). These four components are the foundation for all Chi Gong practice.
Connecting with Your Chi : Chi Gong is divided into two phases. The first phase includes learning how to relax your body through Chi Gong Qi Gong exercises as described above .
Conclusion : These are the basics for practicing Chi Gong .
Now that you have learned some simple exercises for connecting to Qi, Jing, Shen, and Gui, it's time to begin the detailed practice of Chi Gong. You can find a very extensive set of free online resources here: http://www.meridianmedicine.com/resources
The following pages are more advanced techniques for learning more about Jing Jing (http://www.meridianmedicine.com/whaticong), Shen Qi ( http://www.meridianmedicine.com/whatisshenqi ), Chi Gong ( http://www.meridianmedicine.