Neigong
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Winter Solstice is an Optimal Time for Stillness
“The winter solstice marks the beginning of the return of Yang; a thunderclap shakes the sky” Dongzhi yi yang lai fu shi, pili yisheng zhendong tian. 冬至一阳来复始，霹雳一声震动天。 ~ Zhang Sanfeng’s Meditation Song 三丰打坐歌说 The winter solstice (dong zhi 冬至) marks a special point in the year: The days will start to get longer again, the sun will start to get stronger. Yin Qi has peaked and will now start to decline. Yang Qi will begin to emerge and grow. Neigong and neidan practice are concerned with accumulating Yang Qi in the body. This is considered an excellent time to practice stillness-based practices such as meditation (both specifically on the winter…
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The Microcosmic Orbit
Below is a brief exploration of the Microcosmic Orbit, also known as the Small Heavenly Orbit. We will touch on its significance, history, key features, as well as different types of Microcosmic orbits and associated practices, and how it is used in different modes of practice (i.e. qigong/neigong vs dandao/neidan). This is not meant to be exhaustive and only briefly touches on some key points with a few instances of specific examples. The video form of this post can be found at the bottom of the page. The Microcosmic Orbit is the flow of Qi around the loop created by the Ren and Du meridians, but what is the significance…
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A Visit to Dr Zhou Hong
Dr Zhou Hong is a Chinese medicine practitioner from the Huangshan 黄山 (Yellow Mountain) region of Anhui, China who is trained in Classical Chinese Medicine and is capable of some of the extraordinary skills often found among high-level neigong practitioners. Although, he is not as well-known in the west among the circles of neigong enthusiasts who tend to seek out these sorts of masters. I paid him a visit in Huangshan City to experience his unique style of treatment. Continue reading (members only)…
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“Dian Qigong” 电气功 and a Visit to Master Luo Kangqi
When I first visited Master Jiang Feng’s hospital in Anhui in 2014 and felt and witnessed their electric-like qi emission, I was both surprised at how strong it was and how, well, “electric” it was. I asked him, “What would you say is the main difference between this electric qi and the electricity produced by a machine?” He responded simply, “the energy of a machine is dead, qi has life.” A response that perhaps creates more questions than it answers! Below, I will share some thoughts on the relationship between electric/electromagnetic phenomena and “electric qi” phenomena. Although this topic is way too vast for a single post, I will summarize…
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Qi-charged Tea and Emitting Qi into Substances
A specialty of the style of classical Chinese medicine passed down within the Gengmenpai lineage is their use of special pills (dan 丹) that have gone through a special process in which an adept practitioner emits their own qi and injects it into the medicine to greatly enhance the medicinal effect. I have no doubt that it was this extra touch given to the medicine that caused me to have the experience that I did the first time I took several of their signature huaxuedan (化血丹) at once years ago. What is interesting, is that it was explained (and in some cases demo’d) to us how qi can be emitted…
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Vajrapani: the Protector of Shaolin
Vajrapani is a deity with special significance for Shaolin Temple who is rich with symbolism. Could he also represent the skill of electric-like qi emission? As discussed below, this idea may not be too much of a stretch. Vajrapani is the patron Bodhisattva and protector deity of Shaolin Temple. In Chinese he is called Jingang Shou Pusa (金刚手菩萨), literally, “holder of the vajra.” The vajra is both a symbolic ritual object and a weapon, and could be translated from Sanskrit as either “thunderbolt” or “diamond.” Vajrapani is a deity that is not only seen as a protector and source of strength, but also represents some of the most interesting juxtapositions…
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Fagong Practice: Assisted Faqi, Practice Moving Non-living Materials
The skill of electric-like qi emission (fagong 发功) is not something you encounter every day. It is a level of skill that typically takes years to attain and is often aided by various “boosts” and adjustments from a master as the student gradually develops. Practicing fagong “with assistance” is sort of like a way for a student to begin to practice this skill with “training wheels,” so that they can start to develop the necessary control and mind-body coordination needed for this never-before-used function of their body. In light of the above, the majority of western students who are practicing this skill (as taught, for example, within the Gengmenpai and…
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Modern Science on Training our Connective Tissues (Fascia, Tendons, etc)
The “tendon” system (here broadly referring to all stringy connective tissue) and the meridian system of the body form a yin-yang pair. Developing the tendon system is a key aspect of neigong training as it enriches and unblocks qi flow throughout the body, promotes organ health, immune health, and various other aspects of health. Modern research continues to uncover many interesting facts about the connective tissues of the body. While I don’t feel that legitimate, tried-and-true systems of Chinese neigong necessarily need the validation of modern science; it is nonetheless useful to study the topic from different perspectives. Fascia (thin, fibrous connective tissue) fills our body from head-to-toe forming a…
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Yijinjing Qigong and Practice Essentials 易筋经气功与修炼要领 (translation)
The following is my translation of an article (along with the original in Chinese) written by Gengmenpai’s 耿门派 Dr Wu, the successor to Dr Jiang Feng. The article begins by discussing some general points about qigong/neigong practice, the meridians and orbits, and then continues with a brief discussion of waiqi emission (fagong 发功). Notable are the alternate routes for waiqi emission that are outlined along with schematic images, including two routes that are different from the basic one that beginners usually start with when first learning to practice fagong. Written content of this nature from one of the high-level Gengmenpai practitioners is very rare, making this something worthy of translation…
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My Experience Practicing Waiqi 外气 Emission (Fagong 发功)
In lineages such as the Shaolin Gengmenpai 耿门派, many if not most of the advanced practitioners practice a style of Classical Chinese Medicine that involves various forms of qi emission. Most who have visited them for treatment have experienced their electric-like “waiqi” 外气 (external qi) emission, the experience of which feels like you are being zapped by a fairly powerful electrical current. If, for example, you receive this qi emission (faqi 发气) up one of your arms, it is powerful enough to cause all of the muscles in your arm to involuntarily contract, until the person emitting pulls the qi back in and “turns it off.” In practicing the neigong…
