Do the practice loose, joyful and aware
No tension should be in the body, the purpose is to get tension out of the system, so do it with a sense of ease, looseness, fluidity and joy. Become like water, fluid and adaptable to all forms. Don´t worry if you are doing the poses 100% technically correct. Don´t think, FEEL. Let fluidity and looseness guide you into doing the technique, when you get in connection with that the technique will be done correctly by itself. There are thousands of different QiGong forms and schools and some of them will say something completely different than the other. Some little detail about foot placement or hand gesture etc. Don´t worry about that, importance is mindfulness, inner smile and meditative state, make sure you keep attention to that. Let effortlessness and fluidity guide you and not your mind.
Environment
The practices should be done in a peaceful environment. Choose a nice, peaceful spot and make that the place where you do your daily sessions. This could be in a park, in your house, your garden; anywhere that is peaceful and pleasant. Make that space your ´temple where you feel that when you enter into that space the mind already goes into a state of centered-ness. While the practicing space can both be done inside or outside, it is preferred to do it in nature. Avoid windy places, the wind can be very distracting to feel the subtle sensations in/ on the body and makes it hard to relax and concentrate.
Tongue Placement
Keep your face muscles completely relaxed with you mouth closed and your jaw relaxed and slightly open. Your tongue should be gently touching the upper palate of your mouth. The optimal position of your tongue is almost but not quite touching the front teeth.
Breath & Breathing
During the QiGong practice (unless specifically said otherwise in some techniques) we practice “belly breathing” where you breathe into your belly area. This area is called in QiGong the Lower Dan Tien (LDT). Do the breathing sessions ‘Basics of the breath’ (in the breathing section) to get more control over your breathing system.
What to wear during QiGong practice
Clothing should be comfortable and loose. It should not be distracting – meaning that it should not be a shirt that moves up on you and needs constant adjustment or a pair of pants that are too tight or ones that are threatening to fall to your knees. It is also better to have natural fabrics like silk or cotton. Barefoot or footwear? This is a matter of preference. Some will say it is good for connecting with the earth energy to do it barefoot. But when the ground is uncomfortable or cold I would not recommend this at all. Where comfortable shoes with flat soles, without raised heels.
Is “warm up” necessary?
Some think that “warm up” exercises as not really necessary or important. You do it as a little extra if you have a lot of time. However, in Qi Gong it is very important because you are not just physically warming up the joints and muscles; you are bringing awareness into this moment and connecting with every part of our body. When you will start the main practice you are fully present and connected. Warm up exercises in Qi Gong are really much more than warming up the body before the “real stuff”, they are part of the “real stuff”.
Food and drink prior to practice:
Food and drink prior to practice can very much effect how well you are able to practice. It is best not to have eaten much at least 1 hour prior to practice. A lot of your bodies blood and energy goes to digesting and processing the food/ drinks. You need all the energy for mind and body training 🙂
Don’t worry, practice with joy.
Remember : Fluidity, effortlessness and inner cosmic smile and the rest will follow.
