Qi is a life force inherent in all things, literally translated it means “air” or “breath”. But it has a deeper meaning than that. Qi It is the life force that powers you, animates you and makes you unique. It is all pervasive, that is, it moves in all directions – but when it ceases to move/flow, life as we know it comes to an end.
Qi is expressed in many forms – there is for example Yuan Qi (innate Qi) this is what is passed on to you at conception, what you inherited from your parents, what you are born with and as such is from our internal world. Or Wei Qi (external Qi) this Qi exists in the natural external world, it is what you acquire and build-up on a daily, weekly, monthly basis through lifestyle and internal energetic practices such as Calligraphy Health. Zong Qi that is produced by breathing, Ying Qi, Qi that is derived from the food we eat, Qi of the mind that looks at the quality of your intention and of course Yin Qi and Yang Qi both of which have different qualities. Even the Qi of the organs have innately different characteristics or attributes.
It is important to note that someone born with strong Yuan Qi from their parents may loose this quickly overtime if they abuse the body through eg drugs, alcohol or sex addiction. Whereby someone who is born with weak Yuan Qi may over time build up their reserves to live a long, happy and healthy life. And I would like to quickly mention here that Ying Qi, derived from our food, is very important to the overall health and well-being of the human body. But even if you eat organic food the nutrition derived from this food will not be able to support the body if the body does not have good blood circulation. Hence the focus on Gong within the practice of Calligraphy Health to build up good blood circulation.
The word “Gong” means effort over time. Basically, to reap any rewards, you must put in the practice or the Gong. It is through practice/effort and the cultivation of Qi over time that positively affects the balance and harmony of Qi/life force flowing through the human body. Putting “Qi” and “Gong” together is best described as the cultivation of Qi over a period of time. It is effort based, meaning the more you practice the better the results. This is when you build up your energy reserves.
The practice of Calligraphy Health is focussed on cultivating Qi to use it internally for health and healing. When used internally (as opposed to externally eg Martial Arts or medical Qi Gong), Qi can be employed to improve blood circulation, help deal with stress or illness, remove blockages in the body that inhibit the flow of blood, boost the immune system, and help with a multitude of dis-eases and illnesses. Simply put the practice of Calligraphy Health creates a healthy environment where dis-ease can no longer actively survive – this is the ultimate foundation in the creation of self-healing, good health, happiness and longevity.
The question often arises “How much practice should I do daily”? It’s up to you and how much work you put in to your daily practice. And by this I mean the practice of form or the fusion of breath, movement and intention that make up form. Well the answer is not that straight forward as it depends on individual needs. But basically to really gain benefits from your daily practice that will bring change to your internal state of well-being, at least two uninterrupted hours a day is recommended. Yes that’s the Gong in Qigong – constant daily practice.
With each day building upon the day before the refinement and deeper understanding of your practice brings with it many benefits in particular a stronger connection with body and mind. With this comes those breakthroughs, the letting go or peeling back the acquired layers of Wei Qi. In some traditions this is likened to the peeling back of the layers of an onion. This letting go brings you closer to your centre or a true sense of self, a feeling or sense of being grounded, or home-coming. This is self-healing at it’s best – allowing Qi, the life force that animates you and makes you unique, to work its way through the tension and blockages we have acquired in life through our daily interactions and living.
Every action and reaction we have in our daily life effects us in some way. Family, work, the culture we live in, friendships, media, in fact most everything we do and encounter in our daily lives has an affect upon the way in which our Qi does or does not move through the body. Through our daily practice we learn to let go of what I like to call pyscho-babble – all those thoughts that constantly go around and around in our head like a carousel at the circus and those tensions that get built up and stored in the body.
The Gong or hard work, the refined skill of our daily practice works on calming the mind and the nervous system, opening up the body to release tension and get that all important blood circulating back through the meridians, veins, arteries and channels and organs. Blood circulation is not possible without Qi – as I mentioned in the beginning it is the power that animates all so blood without Qi would be lifeless. And better blood circulation helps in improving the function of the internal organs, enhancing the vitality of the body through greater Qi flow, boosting the immune system and giving clarity and focus to one’s life purpose.
Qigong – an internal self-healing system that cultivates the life force within you, that over time and through consistent practice brings the body back to a state of balance, peace and harmony.
Pam Hellens for Calligraphy Health
