Qi: breath, feeling, and the bridge between the other two
Qi is the energy of breath and feeling, and it lives in the middle Dantian, around the heart and chest.
It is the bridge. Whatever direction you are travelling, you go through this one.
What it does
Qi transforms a spark into something you can actually feel and direct. It connects you emotionally to what you are doing, which is what supplies the passion and the motivation to keep at it.
Shen sets the intention. Qi energises it. Without Qi an inspiration stays distant and abstract, and abstract things do not move.
Going the other way, Qi is what Jing refines into when the body is well nourished and the practice is consistent.
The practice
One hand on your heart, one on your belly.
Inhale deeply through the nose. Feel the breath fill the belly first, then the chest. Repeat for 5 to 10 breaths.
Do not think about it. Feel every part of the breath. That instruction sounds soft and it is the entire technique.
Slow breathing of this kind engages the parasympathetic response through the vagus nerve, which is why the tension goes out of your shoulders somewhere around breath 4 without you deciding to release it.
Why the heart centre is the feeling centre
Look at what is physically there. Heart and lungs. Moving breath, circulating energy, pumping blood, and feeling.
That last item belongs on the list with the others. It is a function of the centre, not a metaphor about it.
The breath practices that build this are gathered under Breathe, the first of the Seven Foundations. More on the mechanism at how Qigong regulates the nervous system.
Next: Shen.
Part of the Three Treasures and the Three Centers.
A fast version of moving stuck energy is at shaking for anxiety.
By Christopher Grant, Great Energy.
Frequently asked questions
What is Qi in Qigong?
The energy of breath and feeling, seated in the middle Dantian at the heart and chest. It is the bridge between essence and spirit.
What is a simple practice for cultivating Qi?
One hand on the heart, one on the belly. Inhale through the nose, filling the belly then the chest, for 5 to 10 breaths.
Why is the heart called the feeling centre?
Because of what is physically there. Heart and lungs move breath, circulate energy, pump blood, and feel. Feeling is a function of the centre.
Where to go next
If you have never practiced Qigong. Jump Start Your Energy is a free beginner class. No background needed, nothing to buy, and it is the fastest way to find out whether any of this does anything for you. Most people know within one session.
If you practice and want to go deeper. We teach live classes online every week, and there is a self-paced Introduction to Qigong if you would rather work through it in your own time.
If you want to teach this. Everything in this library is drawn from the Great Energy Qigong Teacher Certification. The frameworks are here in full because they are more useful shared than withheld. The training is where you learn to deliver them.
Keep reading. The rest of the framework library is at the Library, and our longer articles are on the blog.
Great Energy is an independent educational organization founded by Christopher Grant and Daniela Hess.