I received this great comment during the Qigong survey I ran a while back:
“How about showing a clip or two of you or your students when you ‘let go’. One possible reason why the west is so unaware of what Qigong can do is because not many can really ‘visualize’ what you mean when you say ‘let go’.”
This is a great comment. I’ve wondered about sharing an Energy Flow (the 2nd ‘E’ in the PERFECT Qigong System — E), Flowing Breeze Swaying Willows, Qi Flow, video clip for quite a while now. But didn’t really think that anyone would be interested.
One matter I have become aware of over the year of writing for Qigong15 is that if a few people ask the same question, then you can be certain many more are thinking about it too.
So, for those of you who have no idea what Energy Flow, or ‘letting go’ during Qigong/Chi Kung practice ‘looks’ like, you’ll find the clip below of interest.
This clip was taken from my Qigong Secrets Home Study Course, hence the instructions you can hear, but what you can see is pretty typical of an Energy Flow for me.
One of the things to bear in mind is that your Qi Flow, letting go, will be unique to you, it will also be influenced by which Qigong exercises you practice. I’d class myself as being a very gentle ‘Qi flow-er’. If you’ve ever been to one of my teacher’s classes, then you’ll be aware that ‘letting go’ comes in a great many different flavours.
From not moving at all, to running, jumping, crying, laughing and everything in between.
The key though is to remember to let go and ‘DO NOTHING’. Apart from some ‘Qi Flow Superstars’ as I politely call them, the vast majority of students are not making themselves roll on the floor, are not making themselves cry, are not making their bodies gently sway backwards and forwards. And most certainly have not lost control of their bodies.
No, they are letting go, doing nothing – AND LETTING EVERYTHING BE DONE FOR THEM. They are letting their energy, or Qi flow to where it needs to go, they are letting the healing, the energizing, the removal of blockages be done for them.
It’s as simple and as complicated as that!
Another aspect to keep in mind is that when you first practice Qigong, it is likely that you will not move at all.
Why?
Energy flow, Qi flow, ‘letting go’ is the 2nd of the Three Core Skills of Qigong. It is a skill and like all skills it takes time to become proficient with it. The diagram below will help:
This diagram demonstrates that the amount of ‘movement’ in Qi flow GENERALLY increases over time, before settling down again. But I must point out that this is a general guide only and that you may be completely different.
I have observed from 7 years of teaching Qigong that beginners hardly move, if at all during Energy flow. Gradually as they learn to let go, their movements increase – and this movement continues to increase depending on how many ‘blockages’ to harmonious Energy flow through the meridians of the body they may have.
Then, as the student continues their practice, their external, physical movements gradually slow down again. Until, as I observed in my teachers practice, Energy flow is a gentle swaying, similar (but only in appearance!) to that of a new Qigong student.
Hope that helps, but as always it would be careless of me to finish this post without stating that skills like Energy Flow, ‘letting go’, Flowing Breeze Swaying Willows are best learned directly from a teacher who has this skill.
Bye for now
Marcus James Santer