Qi in Taijiquan - A Practical Guide For Practice
These 2 letters “Qi” often cause a great amount of confusion.
In the beginning it’s often related to different actions, processes in the body or environment, energies, states of mind or body, we are trying to give it a name, feeling, shape, but later we realize that Qi is just all there is…
But why does it seem so unfathomable if you look across the different internal arts and practices?
That’s because each of the ancient arts has a slightly different way of using this term. There is no definition that carries across all the arts simultaneously because Qi has different qualities. (Though it’s all the same) This means when we learn about Qi, we need to examine the meaning of the word carefully and in relationship to the corresponding art. Just as the Chinese word “Qi” can describe many different things that have similar properties but different qualities like air, pollution and energy, it is important to keep the context in mind.
A TCM practitioner speaks of Qi as subtle energies of different quality within the body. This energy is flowing through the meridians, the Qi channels. It nourishes us and is responsible for the vital functions of the body. Obviously, when you hear a practitioner of Fengshui speak about Qi, the meaning is slightly different. In that case, the meaning is related to the energies of our environment and the effect they have on our body and mind. In Neigong, Qigong, even within the different systems of Qigong the meaning of Qi varies. In this article I would like to mention some thoughts and facts about the definition of Qi in Taijiquan and Qigong and come at it from a few different perspectives. Why? Just for the fun of it and to trigger some thoughts. :)
In order to understand the concept of body development and power generation, the masters of old used the word Qi not only to describe the internal energy, but also to explain different processes in the body. It is often used to describe an action which then will result in a change of quality within the body. Although the change is still based on the action of Qi, in practice we are not directly focusing on our internal energy. Qi is an invaluable term that helps the practitioner of the internal martial arts to grasp the concept of internal energy development and power transformation. In the Yijin Jing (which serves as the basis for Shenfa), the word “Qi” is used in relation to the soft tissues. We don’t directly focus on bringing our Qi down but instead making our body “song” (relaxed but not slack, engaged but not tense) so that the muscles can hang down and the “Huang” (fascia) can stretch. So if we say “sink your Qi” we don’t try to use our mind to lead the Qi to our Dan Tian but instead we focus on relaxing our pelvis down (sit into the Kua), emptying out the chest and relaxing all the big muscles in the body so that we feel our centre of mass sliding into the lower Dan Tian.
To explain this I will use the example of sinking the Qi:
One of the first things to learn in Taijiquan is how to sink the Qi. Remember that this doesn’t mean to feel out your energy and somehow leading it to your feet. It doesn’t have anything to do (directly) with the Qi channel system or Qi meridians. In this case you need to relax and make your body “song” so that your tissues can settle and yor Qi can flow freely. (You create a relaxed state to allow the Qi to enter deeper layers of the body)
The action of Qi in this common instruction is closely related to the internal and postural alignment. Of course it is still an energetic quality that occurs within the tissues, but it also helps you to understand the physical action that is required to “sink your Qi” correctly.
In this case we could basically say that if you can’t sink your Qi, you can not be “song”. You might be too tense and create blockages in the free flow of energy, or you are assuming an unfavourable postural alignment which results in collapsing of the bones or an over engaged muscular position. In Taijiquan you should always aim to be "song”, only then will “peng” be able to arise.
In Qigong for body-development (and also Tai Chi), you are keeping your skeleton suspended and your joints open while all the muscles are relaxing downward. This is how you can bring your Qi downward. Relaxing the muscles to a high degree is the key.
Qi in regards to body-development Qigong and internal martial arts therefore is closely related to the action of the tissues that are being stretched downward. With time the muscles will relax and you will be able to feel deeply into the body. All the soft tissues and little spaces in the body will start to open up and your sinew lines (channels) will develop. Once you are able to sink your Qi (let the tissues “hang”) to a high enough level, Qi will begin to mobilize. Due to the slightly “pressurized” quality of your internal body your tissues are becoming like a tightly knitted structure which moves your body in a fully interconnected way. You can see again that “moving the Qi” here again relates not only to the energetic quality but also to the tissues and how they interact in the body.
This concept is a little hard to grasp. Once you experiene this relationship between Qi and your tissues it will make a lot more sense. Please be advised that this is a guide to understand some of the instructions involving Qi in a practical way that benefits practice. This is not a singular definition of Qi but rather an explanation of the interconnected terminology for a specific practice method.
If you want to learn more about Qigong for body-development I would love to offer you my online course. In the extensive Yijin Jing program I guide my students through the entire learning process of Qigong for body-development. The method from the Xiong family and the Taoist method from Tiantai Shan utilize various Zhan Zhuang Gong (Standing Pole) postures and closely adhere to the principles of the Yijin Jing. You will be able to make your own experiences and slowly begin to shape your understanding of Qi within these arts.
Throughout your studies, keep in mind that there are the different forms of Qi. There is no one-fits-all definition of this term which suits every single art or practice method. Always make sure to find the context in order to understand the instructions on a deeper level.
