Exploring the Essence of Jīn Jīng Gōng Qì Gōng: A Path to Connection with the Universe
- Tara Radsliff
- Nov 24, 2023
- 4 min read
Updated: Feb 13, 2024
When practicing Qì Gōng, we intentionally engage with the present moment–our physical body, breath, and the palpable and intimate connection we share with each other and the entire Universe. We practice feeling and knowing that everything that exists in nature exists with us. That we stand supported by the Earth below us. With the Sky above us. That we are always connected, always nourished, always supported.
My introduction to Qì Gōng and the Jīn Jīng Gōng tradition began with my studies in Acupuncture and East Asian Medicine in 2016. At first, all I understood about Qì Gōng was its association with movement-based self-cultivation. I regularly practiced modern yoga asana at the time and I imagined Qì Gōng would be a similar practice.
I wasn’t wrong, I wasn’t exactly right, either. While they come from different cultures and traditions, both modern yoga asana and the Jīn Jīng Gōng lineage of Qì Gōng emphasize coordinated breath and movement. Both have a similar result of stretching and opening the body. Both are practices of self-awareness and interconnection. However, the method of learning differs significantly. The way I personally learned modern yoga asana each class brought varying sequences and focused largely on physical anatomy (which I loved!) and breath. In contrast, the way I learned Qì Gōng was through repetition of the same sets of movement until they became second nature, allowing our attention to shift away from the sequence and into the unfolding alchemical process.
Qì Gōng and The Jīn Jīng Gōng 經筋功
Qì Gōng is a modern term that describes a practice that enhances the free flow of Qì through the body. Qì Gōng, like Acupuncture and East Asian Medicine, is not one specific set of movements or actions, but rather is one specific insight that is naturally realized through practice. That one insight is:
我在宇宙中，宇宙在我内，我與宇宙合為一體
Wǒ zài yǔ zhòu zhōng, yǔ zhòu zài wǒ nèi, wǒ yǔ yǔ zhòu hé wéi yī tǐ
I am in the Universe. The Universe is within me. The Universe and I are one.
Of the many styles of Qì Gōng that exist, I am grateful and honored to practice The Jīn Jīng Gōng 功經筋, or the Tendon and Meridian Qì Gōng.
Similar to East Asian Medicine, the Jīn Jīng Gōng stresses the relationship between the material (connective tissue) and immaterial (channels, or energetic tendons). This form focuses on stretching the physical tendons through movement which generates and circulates Yang Qì through the channels. This increased circulation breaks up blockages in the body and improves the free flow of Qì. On a physical level, practicing Qì Gōng requires maintaining continual attention within the body, specifically the lower abdomen and pelvic bowl (Lower Dān Tián), and the generation of movement from the low back (Mìng Mén). There are many alchemical aspects to Qì Gōng as well, so I will share with you my current favorite 天地人 Tiān Dì Rén, which roughly means the Human Being connects the Heaven and the Earth. This is elaborated upon in the East Asian Medical Classic the Huang Di Nei Jing, Su Wen chapter 25 which states: Humans are born of the Qi of Heaven and Earth and are completed by the Laws of the Four Seasons. Wow! We are made of Heaven and Earth, and we are completed by how they interact with one another to create the unending cycle of the seasons.
To say a little more on this - in Classical East Asian Medicine the physical body is considered Yīn relative to the immaterial spirit, which is considered Yáng. The material Earth is considered Yīn relative to the immaterial Heaven, which is considered Yáng. Yīn is the vessel that contains Yáng, Yáng is the animating force that brings life to Yīn. In this magical way, when we practice Qì Gōng we are strengthening our Earthen Vessel so that we may better carry the light of Spirit.
Understanding the principles and techniques of the Jīn Jīng Gōng led me to experience its transformative power. As I dove into the practice, I noticed its immediate impact on my body and mind. And let me tell you, it was much harder than I’d anticipated. The experience of breaking up stagnation is real, and it can feel challenging to stay present and committed through it. But the differences in the state of my body and mind were immediately striking. Qì Gōng is where I have felt the most access to ease, connection, warmth, and above all, love. And having the felt experiences of these things helps guide my day-to-day decisions because I am more aware of which choices and actions lead to more stagnation, and which lead to more love.
And when I met the Jīn Jīng Gōng lineage holder Master Wang Qingyu during a trip to China in 2019, this is what he emphasized. That this is a practice of the Heart. I remember Master Wang saying to us, there are 8 billion people in this world, and somehow we’ve found each other. The love I felt from him was deeper and richer than anything I have ever experienced. Seeing him with my teacher (his student), Heiner Fruehauf, taught me what Lineage really means. Lineage means love. Love means dedication, connection, openness, warmth. Meeting Master Wang and seeing his mutual love with my teacher is one of most treasured experiences I’ve ever had. It is something I regularly come back to and am continuously inspired and nourished by.
Qi Gong is more than a self-cultivation practice. It is an “us” cultivation practice. Qi Gong reminds us that all of life is interconnected, that we are between the Earth and the Sky, that the Qi of the Universe is available to us, is within us. This practice of love and interconnection is the most potent when practiced in community, where we can easily feel the benefit of mutually supporting one another. This is why I am offering a community Jīn Jīng Gōng class at Kwan Yin Healing Arts - to share this incredible gift and to foster a community of folks interested in and dedicated to "us" cultivation. Will you help nurture this practice and community with me?
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