Depression, from a qigong perspective, is the spirit being pressed down — and the heart meridian is central to lifting it. Any qigong exercise practiced correctly will benefit emotional health, but the three exercises below are the most cost-effective specifically for overcoming depression, stress, anxiety, and worry.
Personal experience of using these exercises to overcome depression — and years of working with students and clients doing the same — underlies these recommendations.
Important: If you are currently taking medication for depression, continue to take it as advised by your doctor. If you wish to reduce or stop medication while practicing qigong, speak with your doctor first. Do not make changes to medication without medical supervision.
Recommended Exercises
Butterfly Dancing in Front of Flowers
The top recommendation for depression — powerful, safe, and excellent for opening the heart. Its combination of effectiveness and safety makes it the best starting point, particularly for those who cannot learn in person from a qualified instructor. This is also the exercise used with the greatest personal success in overcoming depression.
Green Dragon Separating Water
Incredibly powerful for overcoming depression — but requires closer attention to correct practice than Butterfly Dancing. Tension in the shoulders, arms, or legs can easily go unnoticed without supervision, which risks increasing blockages rather than clearing them. For this reason, learning this exercise directly from a qualified instructor is strongly recommended before using it specifically for depression.
Punching With Wide Eyes
Strengthens the heart system and benefits emotional health directly. An added bonus: the forceful exhalation and physical expression of this exercise make it an effective way to release pent-up anger or frustration. Suitable for home practice once the basics have been learned.
Form vs Qigong: An Important Distinction
The benefits above are only available when these exercises are practiced as qigong — with a Qigong State of Mind (QSoM) and genuine energy flow. Practicing the physical movements alone will not produce the same results. The form is not the art of qigong.
Learning directly from a qualified instructor is strongly recommended — particularly for Green Dragon Separating Water. If that isn’t possible, Butterfly Dancing in Front of Flowers is covered in my online course, along with guidance on using it specifically for depression and emotional health.
