Qigong Energy Cultivation Fine Tune Your Recovery®

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Foundations - Three Tunings Steven J. Rendina

Qigong Three Tunings Within the framework of Chinese medicine is a worldview that describes three divisions of the cosmos: heaven – that which transcends and reaches the infinite; earth – our substantial home, both tangible and finite; and humanity – in the middle between heaven and earth, able to be both transcendent and fully present.

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These three things exist in a dynamic ever-changing interaction of the complementary forces of yin and yang. Some of these yin/yang polarities include dark and light, cold and warm, night and day, female and male, etc. In qigong exercises these polarities manifest as sinking and lifting, yielding and pressing, closing and opening, or soft and hard. We find that as one pole is reached the other polarity has already begun thus keeping everything moving in a continuous circularity. This continuity and fluidity of movement is characteristic of the Chinese system of exercises. Corresponding to the three layers of the cosmos are three centers of energy (dan tian in Chinese). Dan Tian is often translated as energy field or field of elixir. The first is located in our abdominal core about three fingers width below the navel (corresponding to the earth), the middle dan tian is located at the level of our heart (which rules all emotions and thoughts) - it corresponds to humanity, and the upper dan tian which corresponds to heaven is located in the forehead (our mind’s eye). Keeping these three centers filled with energy is a primary purpose of qigong practice, like charging our batteries. Qigong consists of tuning these three levels or dimensions. We tune the body (lower), mind (upper), and breath (middle).

Tuning the Breath The breath is fundamental to our life process. Breath itself can be qi – the movement of invisible air is an appropriate metaphor for the meaning of the vital energy of qi. When we are born, we must take our first breath to stay alive. To ensure this happens we get a quick smack on the behind. Our final act before death is to take our last breath, then whatever we may have been leaves the body. So breath is what connects us to life, it is central to the concept of spirit or soul – that which binds together both the mind and the body. Breathing is our most readily available tool to use to effectively change our mental, emotional, and even physical state. It is important for those who wish to build a foundation of vital health that breath-work is practiced until it becomes a natural part of one’s daily life. Abdominal energy-center breathing - move the breath from the chest to the abdomen – feel your belly expand as you breathe in and compress as you breathe out. Use your diaphragm. Tune the breath by breathing into the core of abdominal energy (what the Chinese call the lower dan tian – the elixir field of long life). This core is a distance the width of three fingers below the navel in the center of the body. Breathe deeply – as you breathe deep into your core energy center, you will utilize more of your lung capacity. Exhale fully as well to empty the lungs for another deep breath. Your chest cavity is round, not flat. Your abdomen should expand in all directions. As you breathe in, feel both your belly and lower back expanding. Breathe slowly – the average resting respiration is 15-17 breaths per minute. To effectively breathe deeply you must also breathe slowly. Reduce the rate of your breath incrementally. Eventually you may be breathing as few as 4-5 breaths per minute. Both slow and deep makes for a long breath. Shallow, short breath is how one breathes when anxious or uptight, here we do the opposite. Breathe smoothly - each breath becomes smooth and even, keeping a steady pace of both inhaling and exhaling. There should be no apparent break when you switch from inhaling to exhaling, the breath will become circular naturally. As the breath moves more smoothly and slowly, it also will become lighter and finer. There will be almost no disturbance of the air through the nose. Relax and Let Go – allow the breathing process to happen naturally as a baby. Do not force your breath in or out. As you are learning the technique, be patient and assure that you naturally breathe enough but not too much. Avoid hyperventilation or hypoventilation. If you find yourself straining, adjust your rate and depth to meet the needs of your body. Benefits of breathing like this As the diaphragm rises and falls it allows for massage of the viscera resulting in improved blood flow to all internal organs, eliciting the relaxation response (rest and digest) which calms the mind, reduces anxiety and tension, slows metabolic rate, and improves mental clarity. Breath-work is the foundation of both active and passive meditation practices.

Tuning the Body

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Before beginning to discuss the postural and movement practices that are used to tune the body, it is important to recognize an often-stated guiding principle in developing a qigong practice. The exercises popularly known as qigong that have emerged out of the long history of China are quite diverse with several thousand different styles and systems. The practice of humility, gentleness, and patience are among the best human qualities of excellent teachers. This is not a high impact, extreme, or competitive sport. Instead there is an emphasis on following nature – seeking a gradual improvement at a pace uniquely suited to the individual. The 70% rule – do not put out 100% of your effort. This is likely to lead to injury or harm. Overstretching, overworking, and overdoing it are not part of this method of improvement. Instead only give 70% of your maximum effort and by gradual repetition, the body will improve. Your 70% effort will eventually become greater and greater as the body increases its flexibility, strength, stamina, and capacity. If you feel unwell, rest and practice another time. Be gentle, humble, and patient with yourself. 100 days - modern neuroscientists have also discovered what the ancient Chinese knew by doing. To learn something new it takes repetitive practice. Our brains are wired with a network of neuronal connections. To re-set and develop new networks takes time. A good analogy is to observe the erosion of a canyon by the long-term process of water moving downstream. Eventually we may end up with a gorge as deep as the Grand Canyon. As we use our brain in specific ways, our neurons become connected and insulated so that the messages sent go faster and easier. Ingrained habits are not just "thoughts" but represent substantive physical connections between nerve cells. Our bodies also get into this groove. Eventually we learn something by heart and it becomes natural to us. Give yourself 100 days to learn something new - it requires patience but it is also good science.

Contraindications - it is best to avoid doing vigorous qigong exercise if one is feeling weak or ill. Breath work and use of meditation and healing sounds while lying or sitting may be all one can do until strength returns. It is also possible to feel faint or weak after practice while one is building strength and health. Nausea from exertion and holding postures too long for one's current level of vitality may also occur. Muscles may become sore from being used in new ways. Take it easy if need be. Avoid exercising in cold drafts or excess heat. Keep hydrated. It is best to avoid practice right after eating. Practice is often best in the morning as a foundation for the day but may be done at any time. Rarely, a person will develop obsessive or compulsive desires to overdo it. If you have such tendencies, be reasonable. It may be necessary to find a teacher who understands the 70% rule. Be aware of your own limitations. If you experience pain, modify or avoid the specific exercise. Stay in tune with yourself.

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Standing Post Our basic posture is referred to by several names - natural stance, embracing the moon, standing post among others. It involves a relaxed but energized and alert presence. The basic stance offers an opportunity to correct many postural problems but may feel unusual and difficult at first.

Feet - Stand with your feet about shoulder width apart, toes facing straight ahead. Your feet are the primary connection to the earth. In the center of each foot is an acupressure point that is often translated as "Bubbling Spring". It is the 1st point on the Kidney Acupressure Channel and represents the source of original vitality which springs from the earth. Place your feet in such a way so that you feel fully connected to the ground. If you imagine yourself as a tree standing, your feet are the roots, and to be truly grounded, imagine those roots extending deep into the earth. You will stand more solidly, be able to find greater balance, and not be so easily swayed by conflicting forces pressed against you. Warm up the feet by vigorously rubbing the point in the center of the bottom of the foot many times. Then stretch (flex, extend, evert, invert, and circle the ankles). Knees - Your knees are the body's shock absorbers. They should be unlocked. Bend at the knees slightly to allow for greater suppleness. All of the joints of the body should feel at ease, not overextended. This allows for the free flow of blood and qi energy. Locking up the joints will interfere with the cultivation of your energy. Your knees should be flexible. If your knees tend to collapse inward, adding a little intentional pressure outward to the sides will help. As you settle into your stance try bouncing up and down a little on your knees to free them up. You may also warm up the knees by placing your hands on them and circling them together in both directions. If your knees are injured or painful, modify the effort to accommodate your needs. Hips - Your hips and pelvis are like a large bowl that holds many extremely important vital organs. They are also the connection between the spinal column and the legs - transmitting our vertical structure into our most powerful movements. To align the spine properly, roll the pelvis ever so slightly forward so that the sacrum becomes a few degrees more vertical. Usually this can be accomplished simply by unlocking the knees. Then sink your weight into the lower part of your body. This may feel like you are just starting to sit down. To warm up or loosen the hips you may do two simple exercises - the first is circling the bowl- moving your hips in a few circles each direction followed by pressing your pelvis forward while sinking down then pressing your behind outward while rising upward. Spine - The spine is critical to overall health. Nerves that communicate to every region of the body enter and leave the spine between each vertebra. If there is too much downward pressure, these nerves can become impinged. Our postural goal is to slightly elongate the spine by having the lower part at the sacrum sink downward and the upper part where the spine joins the skull to float upward. Imagine a string attached to the top of your head like a plumb line coming down from the sky. Picture your head being lifted so that the spine lengthens and straightens. This can relieve much nerve pain and greatly alter posture and energy flow throughout the entire body. To warm up the spine a gentle side to side turning with the arms hanging freely for a few minutes can loosen things up. Power for this exercise comes from the waist. While the hands and arms swing, let them gently slap the sides of the body as you twist at the waist. Chest - The chest should be relaxed and easily fill with the breath in both the front and the back. As the chest fills, the abdomen also expands as we breathe into our core. A circular feeling should occur. Your chest is not to be thrust out like a soldier at attention but rather soft and relaxed. To exercise the chest, the arms can be brought to chest level with bent elbow, then press backward (first individually, then together) and lowered as they are brought forward. This can be repeated by pressing back while lower, then raising up and bringing them forward.

Shoulders and Arms - The shoulders should feel soft and rounded with the arms hanging loosely by the sides. As you breathe into your dan tian let the hands relax. Allow them to drift away from the torso an inch or two. The feeling you want to have is that of floating, the hands float upward and outward - the fingers then fill with warmth and fluid, they relax and feel expansive. Once you get this feeling of floating, bring the hands in front of your body with the arms extended, leaving the elbows bent. Let the arms float up to the level of your chest, turn the hands so the fingers point at each other yet remain an inch or so apart, thumbs pointed up, elbows hanging down. There should be a space under your armpits - so that your upper arms are not resting directly against your side. This allows for the energy to enter the arms and suspend them in the air. Your arms should form a circle as though hugging a tree. At first this may be challenging and the shoulders may tense. The feeling you want to be able to cultivate is that of the arms being supported on the air, rather than by the power of your muscles. Think softer, lighter, more relaxed, like a bird flying on a thermal lift. It takes practice. Warm ups for the arms and shoulders involve rolling each shoulder back, first individually, then together. Then roll each shoulder forward, repeating the pattern in the opposite direction. Head and Neck - Already we have seen how the head should feel suspended as though attached to a string in the sky lifting upward. The crown is level, the eyes open but with a soft focus. Be attentive to your entire surroundings; above, below, front, back, and each side. The chin is nearly level and may need to tuck back and down slightly. The idea is to take the very heavy weight of the head (like a bowling ball) and assure that it rests in a proper alignment over the neck and vertebral column. This will considerably reduce neck strain. The tongue rests upward on the roof of the mouth. Breath comes in and out through the nose. This allows for a very important energy circuit to be connected. This energy circulates from below the tailbone, up the spine to the crown of the head, over the head and down to the roof of the mouth. This channel is called the Governing Vessel. The tongue connects the Governing Vessel to the Conception Vessel which follows a path down the chin, the throat, to the heart, the abdomen, through the sexual organs and back down to the perineum. This complete circuit is called the Microcosmic Orbit and tracing it in your mind is one of the most widely practiced qigong meditations. As the string at your crown lifts you up you can imagine another string attached at the perineum pulling you down. This contrasting energetic stretch is the polarity of yin and yang. Think about your bones being lifted up so that your structure is elevated and firm while your muscles are loose and fluid and hanging on the bones, sinking down. To loosen the neck, slowly turn your head from side to side. Then rotate the neck full circle rolling it in front toward the chest. On the sides the ears come close to the shoulders and in back the neck is extended. Be sure to do this in both directions to avoid getting dizzy. Now we have the complete stance. To start with, practice keeping in this position with arms floating in front at the level of the chest for 2-3 minutes, gradually increasing the time you can retain inner stillness and poise. There are many micro corrections to posture, alignment, muscular strength, blood circulation, nervous tension, flexibility, and breath that can happen as you stand post. Start with a few minutes each day building up to a practice of up to 30 minutes. You will gain significant benefits. Be patient. The basic warm up exercises noted above are part of a set of qigong exercises known as coiling silk and are best done as a sequence starting from the head and neck down prior to holding the form.

Tuning the Mind Mind and body are connected through breath. To tune the mind we may start with the breath and posture. Breathing slowly calms the mind. Standing still allows for a greater sharpness and what could be called tranquil awareness. This is a state of heightened alertness that comes from stillness and calm. By quieting the busy thoughts of our mind, settling down, and becoming clear, we then can be better able to solve problems, gain insights, and be filled with a profound inner joy.

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Think of a glass of water. If you took a spoon of mud and stirred it into the water what would you have? Obviously, muddy water. Set that glass on a shelf overnight and the mud will precipitate out, settling to the bottom and leaving the water clear. This is what a good night's sleep does for the mind. If you added an agent that would help cause the precipitate to settle out, then you could accomplish the clearing much sooner. The many techniques of meditation can serve as agents to help the muddy, stirred up thoughts of the mind to settle out relatively quickly, in 20 minutes or so, rather than overnight. Let's explore some of the basic principles of tuning the mind that allow for this clarity of thought. Meditation Agents - following the breath, listening to the heartbeat, chanting a phrase or prayer, repeating a meaningful word, watching a flame, listening to gentle music, observing the clouds, hearing the ocean or a babbling brook, following a guided image, or quiet repetition of a slow exercise are among the many ways to enter a meditative state. They share in common the function of being agents that help to settle out the thoughts and busy-ness of the mind. The trick is not to concentrate on these practices but to allow them to gently distract the mind from its usual thinking, their repetitive nature creates a relaxed brain wave pattern.

Vibrations - All things at their basis are patterns of energy. It is much easier to let go of negative energies if we begin to resonate with the qualities we would like to manifest in our lives. When a tuning fork is struck, the orchestra adjusts the pitch of their instruments to be in harmony with that more perfect note. Vibrate with that which is good or just. Meditate on a quality or value such as kindness, justice, courage, or compassion. Tune up to that. Upper Energy Center - This is the area of the forebrain. In human beings it is our most evolved and distinguishable characteristic. We use the frontal lobe for higher order thinking. It allows me to connect to the cosmos, something bigger than I. Here we transcend the mundane and enter into a state of harmony with all things. I can let go of myself, merge with the infinite. In Chinese medicine there is also the Baihui point at the top of the head. This translates as "one hundred meeting point" where all of the yang energetic forces in us converge. It is also the highest point in our body - like the mountain top - it is closest to heaven. Awareness - as distracting thoughts settle, we begin to fine tune our awareness, like the great blue heron standing in the water, perfectly still yet totally aware of everything happening in its world. This state of calm energy is quiet yet vital. We become more fully alive and aware. This is often referred to as a sense of presence or mindfulness. Non-Judgment - allow thoughts and feelings to enter but let their emotional charge go. This is perhaps the most challenging. Be an observer for the moment as you detach from the weight and significance of everything in your mind. It is perfectly natural for your mind to be thinking and interpreting. Let it. But once you recognize what the mind is doing, let it go. Openness - if you are full you cannot fit anything new in. By emptying the self we are able to be receptive. So the key to openness is emptiness. There are many religious parables that refer to this state of readiness to receive. Another way to look at this is to adopt the attitude of a curious child. This is the beginner's mind. Be Here Now - keep your attention in the present moment. The past may be a burden and the future a worry. We only have now, time keeps moving but we live only in the present moment. The past cannot be reclaimed, and death stalks all living things - that is also the future. Our temporal existence requires our presence - it is only in the now that we can act. This is a very liberating state of mind to be in. Fundamentals - To elicit the relaxation response, sit comfortably with as few distractions as possible. Choose a word or phrase that has a feeling or sound you like. There are many possibilities. The sound of white noise is mentally quieting. it is the ssshhh sound in the word hush. Another relaxing sound for example is the mmmm sound which is the basic hum of of an electrical wave. It is perhaps the most recognizable meditative tone - ommmm. One of my favorite words is shalom, the Hebrew word for peace. It has the shh and mmm sounds and also a great meaning. Repeat whatever word you choose again and again in your mind. If you are distracted by thoughts, once you become aware then just gently bring the mind back to the word without judgment, don't tell yourself you can't do this. Continue for 10 minutes. If you have trouble sitting still, a gentle movement such as cloud hands (gently turning at the waist while following the hands as they float up and down in front of you) will be of great benefit. You may also use any of the other meditative practices to help you relax. Work your way up to 20 minutes or more. A good practice guide is 20 minutes twice a day.

Be Prepared - by tuning the mind, one becomes able to handle stressors more effectively. But it only works with practice. Emergency responders, the firemen who rush into a burning building practice their drills until the actions become a natural part of them, in a crisis they can act without having to think cautiously of each next move. It is the same for you. Once you have practiced these fundamentals hundreds of times, it becomes second nature to you. When a crisis or challenge hits, you don't have to calm yourself, you remain calm, because that is where you live. Ready to Start Now we have the foundation to begin the fabulous work of learning the various qigong exercise sets. I particularly appreciate qigong because it is not static - it is a form of moving meditation. Movement helps to release the mind. Movement helps to heal the body. Movement helps to circulate the breath. Fluid, aware movement is the key to qigong practice. Movement distinguishes life from death, it is what defines the vitality of qi. Acknowledgements for Fundamentals Swinging the Arms San Francisco Chinatown - my unknown first teacher Shalom Meditation New Seminary for Interfaith Studies – Joseph Gelberman Meditation Harvard Institute for Mind-Body Medicine - Herbert Benson Cloud Hands Monkey's Retreat - Ro-Z Mendelsohn Five Element Qigong Zheng Gu Tuina practices - Tom Bisio and Frank Butler Coiling Silk Qigong Research and Practice Center - Ken Cohen Standing Post Ro-Z Mendelsohn, Tom Bisio, Frank Butler, Ken Cohen