Issue 57 - Tse Qigong Centre

Shou GongShou Gong is the ending movement whichwe do when we finish practising a Qigong form.It literally means collecting or harvesting the Qi.Shou Gong is very important in our Qigongpractice, but it often neglected or even forgotten.But if we finish our practice without doing ShouGong, it would be like discarding money on thesidewalk. How long do you think the moneywill stay there, especially if there are lots ofpeople walking by?When we do Qigong practice, we are working forQi. Qi means energy and Gong means work, sowe are working for the energy. First themovements open the body and release blockagesand toxins, letting the Qi and blood flow freely.Once we have released the negative energy, then the bodybegins to collect good energy. Once we have it, then we needto store it for later use. If we do not store the energy, it willdissipate and all our work will have been for nothing.With Shou Gong, we bring the energy back to the LowerDantian so that it can be stored there. It is like putting ourmoney in the bank. Qi is the money and our Dantian is ourbody’s bank. The Lower Dantian is the body’s first storehousefor energy and stores the Jing energy. There are also two otherDantians in the body, the Middle and Upper Dantians, eachstoring a different kind of energy.Jing is the first type of energy created by our Qigongpractice. If the Jing energy is conserved, then it will convert toQi and then rise up to the Middle Dantian where it is thenstored. Jing energyrelates to thekidneys whichproduce our sexualenergy and this isthe same for bothmen and women.Qi energy carriesnutrients to theother organs,nerves, tissues andbones in the body. This is what gives us health. Our Shen energyis our spirit energy. When we develop the Shen energy, we arealso developing our intuition. Physically this relates to theopening of the ‘Sky Eye’ and also to the opening of the Baihuiacupuncture point which is located at the top of our head.Baihui means, “Heaven Door”, so when this point is open, wewill be open to messages from the universe and will be able tounderstand more. Some people think that they can just workon developing their Shen energy or opening their Sky Eye. Thisis like trying to run before you have even learned to walk. Wecannot just bypass one and work on development of the other.Just as there are seasons in nature, following a cycle, then ourbodies too have their own cycles and systems to follow.When we do Shou Gong, we bring the Qi back to theLower Dantian because when we are doing the Qigong itself,Qi is moving throughout the body trying to clear blockagesand heal some sickareas. Thereforethe Qi can be“This relates to theopening of the ‘Sky Eye’& also the Baihui point.”anywhere. Weneed to bring itback to theDantian when weare finished, notleaving it at theshoulder or heador feet or elsewhere.Some people will try to use visualisation when doingtheir Qigong, thinking that this will enhance their practice.Actually, this can create even more tension in a mind thatalready is too full. It is better to try and just let go of yourthoughts and let the movements guide the Qi. In the beginning,however, people still will have often have a lot of thinking, butfinishing the exercises with Shou Gong will help relieve thestress from the mind and bring the Qi back to the lower body,so that the energy is grounded. If you have ever carriedsomething very heavy, then you know the immense relief andlightness of body you feel when you set the object down. WhenQi Magazine 40