Qi Energy Healing

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外氣療法 EXTERNAL QI HEALING: PHILOSOPHY, PRACTICE, and GUIDELINES

These are energy and spiritual healing practices for wellbeing and personal development, not meant to take the place of prevention, diagnosis or treatment by a physician or licensed health care professional.

What is Qigong? Qi means "life energy." Gong means a skill acquired through practice and discipline. Qigong means "qi skill," the mind-body skill of regulating qi flow in oneself or directing qi to a client. It is the ancient Chinese art and science of using breath, posture, movement, and meditation to cleanse, gather, and circulate healing energy.

Originally called yang sheng, “nurturing life” and dao-yin “leading and guiding the qi”, it was created primarily by Daoists as part of their search for longevity and harmony with nature and the Dao. Chinese martial artists practice qigong to increase strength, stamina, flexibility, and coordination, and to lessen the likelihood of sports-related injury. Beginning in the mid 20th Century, qigong, sometimes combined with Chinese medical theory, has been used to prevent and treat disease.

External Qi Healing is part of the qigong system. It includes numerous methods of assessing a client’s qi, treating imbalance, and enhancing health and wellbeing by emitting qi either with or without physical touch.

Theoretical Basis of EQH •The Universe (Heaven, Earth, and Human, as the Chinese say) is an interdependent field, each part connected with every other. (The most famous representation of this philosophy is the Chart of the Five Phases, below.) •Health is a state of flowing, balanced qi. Disease is a state of too much qi, too little qi, stagnant qi, or toxic qi. •Human beings inherit qi from their parents and ancestors and develop qi through lifestyle (including diet, exercise, and the influence of social and physical environment). •The most important reservoirs of qi are the internal organs and the three dan tian-- the "fields of the elixir"-- energy centers in the abdomen, chest, and forehead.

The internal organs are divided into yin and yang. Yang hollow organs (fu) receive and transmit food and fluids. These include the gall bladder, small intestine, large intestine, bladder, stomach and triple burner (also translated “triple heater”). Yin solid viscera (zang) produce, regulate, and store various forms of qi and are of greater importance in the practice of qigong. The yin viscera include the liver, heart, lungs, kidneys spleen, and pericardium.

According to Chinese medicine, the term “Triple Burner” refers to a function rather than a substance, like “blood circulation” rather than “the heart.” It controls the balance of warmth and energy in three regions of the body: the upper burner from the head to the chest, the middle burner around the solar plexus, and the lower burner in the lower abdomen. Or, according to some authorities: upper burner from base of the neck to solar plexus (respiration), middle burner from solar plexus to navel (digestion), and lower burner from navel to pubis (elimination). The upper burner is compared to a mist (like vapors from the lungs), the middle to a foam (digestive churnings), the lower to a swamp (excretions).

WU XING 五行 (FIVE “ELEMENTS”, PHASES, CROSSROADS)

Phase Metal Water Wood Fire Earth

Zang (Yin) Lungs Kidney Liver Heart Spleen/Panc. Fu (Yang) Large Intest. Bladder Gall Bladder Small Intest. Stomach Orifice Nose Ears Eyes Tongue Mouth Tissue Skin, Hair Bones, Teeth, Tendons, Blood Vessels Flesh and Hair Muscles, Muscles Nails, Nerves Color White Dark Blue or Green Red Yellow Black Voice Crying Sighing Calling, Laughing, Singing, Expression Plaintive cries Wild words humming Direction West North East South Center Right Back Left Front Center Feng-Shui White Tiger Black Tortoise Green Dragon Red Bird Yellow Worm Symbol Season Autumn Winter Spring Summer Late Summer

Climate Dry Cold Windy Hot Damp

Time of Day Sunset Night Sunrise Noon Afternoon

Taste Pungent Salty Sour Bitter Sweet

Planet Venus Mercury Jupiter Mars Saturn, Earth

Activities Lying down Standing Walking Watching Sitting Harmful Anxiety Fear & Phobia Anger Elation Pensiveness/ Emotions Sorrow/ Grief Shock Worry Empathy Qi Effect of Constrict Drop Rise Scatter Knot Harmful Emotions Virtue Yi Zhi Ren Li Xin (Integrity) (Wisdom) (Kindness) (Order) (Trust)

Creation, Growth, Generation Cycle Water creates Wood, Wood creates Fire, Fire creates Earth, Earth creates Metal, Metal creates Water

Destruction, Dissolution, Control, Restraint Cycle Water destroys Fire, Fire destroys Metal, Metal destroys Wood, Wood destroys Earth, Earth destroys Water

When these two cycles are balanced, we have homeostasis, which from the Chinese viewpoint is a state of balance, endurance, and longevity.

THE PRACTICE OF EXTERNAL QI HEALING

Foundation: Creating Appropriate Personal & Energetic Boundaries

1. Cultivate a healing lifestyle and caring, compassionate intent. 2. Practice healing and meditative qigong, especially Standing Meditation and Embryonic Respiration (slow, relaxed, diaphragmatic). Healers who are out of balance may discharge toxins into the client, absorb the client’s toxins or healing qi, or exhaust their own vitality. 3. Stay in touch with transpersonal sources of energy (universal/divine). Practice nature attunement.

Principles 1. Client must ask (not necessary with children or incapacitated). 2. Purify the Place of Healing with prayer, incense, visualization etc. A harmonious environment is a strong influence on treatment outcome. 3. Inspire trust; learn how to induce the placebo effect. Focus on health, not pathology. 4. Have a non-invasive attitude. Help a client’s body heal itself. 5. Know your limitations. 6. Develop a healing presence (ability to induce resonance/entrainment). 7. Use technique and intuition.

Methods Remember: sensing is healing (De Qi 得氣). Your assessment begins the healing process.

Keys to De Qi: Reaching the Qi • Tranquil mind • Maintain aligned posture. • Sunk, rooted, yet open and long. • Body and hands relaxed and energized with qi. • Dan Tian Breathing. • Use intent to reach qi. • “Listen" to the qi and keep listening throughout the treatment.

Note: 內景隧道，唯返觀者照察之 “The body channels can only be perceived by those who turn their gaze inwards, illuminating the interior through [Taoist/Qigong] meditation.” – Li Shizhen, Qi Jing Ba Mai Kao, An Examination of the Eight Extraordinary Meridians, ca. 1570

Signs of Qi Imbalance & Relevance to Energy Psychology • Postural: Locked knees (cut off from the “ground” of deep feelings), hunched shoulders (feeling that “life is a burden”), chronically inflated chest (difficulty releasing old attitudes), chronically depressed chest (depression), rapid breathing- anxiety. Physical tension often indicates emotional tension and vice versa. • Energetic: See the Five Element Chart Above; if the healer senses too much or too little energy in an organ, it may mean imbalance in the associated emotion. For example, kidneys- fear, liver-anger.

Assessment Methods 1. Qi Se - Qi Appearance, your energetic, intuitive impression 2. Palms on Spine. At upper back (Da Zhui, GV 14) and lower back (Ming Men) 3. Intuitive Assessment: Scan the body's energy field. 4. Differential Assessment. Temperature, Rate, Quality (excess/deficient, smooth/stuck, clear/ turbid, calm/excited, superficial/deep, etc.) -Thumb- Lungs.

3 -Index Finger- Large Intestine. -Middle Finger- Pericardium, Reproductive System. -Ring Finger- Triple Heater, Third-Eye, Thyroid. -Little Finger- Small Intestine, Heart. -Big Toe- Liver, Spleen. -Second Toe- Stomach. -Third Toe- Circulation (not used). -Fourth Toe- Gall Bladder. -Little Toe- Bladder. -Yong Quan Point- Kidneys.

Wellness Treatments •Energy field down Governing and Conception Meridians simultaneously •Waving hands front and back, circle bai hui (top of head) both directions. •Healing Light into Internal Organs

Therapeutic Treatments •energy field: to communicate healing information •clockwise circling: tonification •counter-clockwise circling: sedation (purgation) •pulsing: to stimulate •waving: to disperse •slapping: to wake up sleeping or stagnant areas •scooping: to remove "energy cysts" Specialized Methods: Treatments may be performed by a group (qi field effect), remotely ("distant healing"), and with visualization, positive words ("Wake up!") or prayer.

Hand Positions palm (whole hand or lao gong point in center of palm) fingers, single finger, sword fingers

EXAMPLES AND SUMMARIES OF EXTERNAL QI RESEARCH Note: Some experiments are only suggestive and need to be replicated.

PROTECTIVE EFFECT OF EMITTED QI ON CULTURE OF NEUROCYTES IN VITRO AGAINST FREE RADICAL DAMAGE --Institute of Qigong Science, Beijing College of Traditional Chinese Medicine

Neurons from cerebral cortex of Wistar rats cultured for 8 days then divided in 3 groups. • Group 1: Cells damaged by Hydroxyl free radicals but treated by EQH • Group 2: Damaged Group, untreated • Group 3: Controls Results Cells in Group 1 were protected significantly from swelling and damage (P<.01)

Conclusion: EQH seems to protect cell membranes and act as free-radical scavenger.

4 EFFECT OF EMITTED QI ON THE SKELETAL MUSCLE OF MICE STRESSED BY SWIMMING IN ICE-COLD WATER: AN ELECTRONMICROSCOPIC OBSERVATION --National Research Institute of Sports Science, Beijing

18 Mice divided into 3 groups 1. Ice swimming with EQ (5 min. before, during, after swimming, & next day) 2. Simple ice swimming 3. Control group

Group 1 & 2 forced to swim in 40C. ice water until exhausted 48 hrs. post-swimming, mice killed, tibia muscle examined under EM

Sarcolemma (membrane in muscle fiber) inflammation 34%: 85%: 17% Mitochondria swelling 68%: 100%: 50% Glycogen content: Group 1 > Group 2; G1 some < G3, some = G3

COMPONENTS OF PLACEBO EFFECT: RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL IN PATIENTS WITH IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME --British Med Jnl Apr. 2008, Ted Kaptchuk et al.

262 adults with IBS, randomly divided into 3 groups, observed for six weeks

Group 1--“waiting room” patients were assessed but no interaction with a practitioner

Group 2--placebo intervention (“fake acupuncture”) and limited interaction (< 5 min.) with practitioner (dummy/sham acupuncture hollow tube placed over non-acupuncture point, held in place by surgical tape, no puncturing of skin), 6 – 8 “needles” administered for 20 minutes, 2X per week.

Group 3--placebo intervention (identical to Group 2) but with “augmented” interaction emphasizing warmth, attention, and confidence. Same number and length of treatments as above, but initial visit 45 minutes. Structured questions during initial visit included: l questions about symptoms, l relation of IBS to relationships and lifestyle, l patients’ understanding of meaning and cause of his/her condition. Interviewers trained to incorporate specific behaviors, such as l warm, friendly manner l active listening (such as repeating patients’ words, asking for clarification) l empathy (such as “I can see how difficult this is for you.”) l 20 seconds of thoughtful silence while pondering treatment plan l communication of confidence and positive expectation.

In Group 3, encouragement also expressed after removing the “needles”.

RESULTS: % with adequate relief from symptoms Group 1, 2, 3 28%, 44%, 62% (P<.001 for this trend) Same trend in global improvement, change in symptom severity and change in quality of life

More Examples of Qigong Research Relevant to Energy Psychology

1. Bhasin MK et al. Relaxation response induces temporal transcriptome changes in energy metabolism, insulin secretion and inflammatory pathways. PLoS ONE 2013 May 1; 8:e62817.(http://viajwat.ch/131cJSw

5 2. Jahnke R, Larkey L et al. A comprehensive review of health benefits of Qigong and Tai Chi. American Journal of Health Promotion 2010 July/Ajugust Vol. 24 No. 6, pp e1-e25

3. B. Oh, P. Butow, B. Mullan et al., Impact of medical Qigong on quality of life, fatigue, mood and inflammation in cancer patients: a randomized controlled trial. Annals of Oncology, 2009 vol. 21, no. 3, article mdp479, pp. 608–614

4. Chan AW, Lee A et al. Evaluation of the sustaining effects of Tai Chi Qigong in the sixth month in promoting psychosocial health in COPD patients: a single-blind, randomized controlled trial. Scientific World Journal, 2013 October 24. PubMed http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24282383

5. Johansson M, Hassmen P, Jouper J Acute effects of qigong exercise on mood and anxiety. International Journal of Stress Management 2008 May vol 15 no 2, pp. 199-207. On APA PsycNet http://psycnet.apa.org/index.cfm?fa=buy.optionToBuy&id=2008-05638-006

Resources

Primary Cohen, Kenneth S. (2000) Qi Healing: Energy Medicine Techniques to Heal Yourself and Others. (2 DVDs and booklet), available by contacting [email protected] Cohen, Kenneth S. (1999). The Way of Qigong. NY: Ballantine Books.

Helpful Beinfield, Harriet, and Efrem Korngold. (1991) Between Heaven and Earth: A Guide to Chinese Medicine. NY: Ballantine Books. Bi Yongsheng, trans. by Yu Wenping. (1992). Chinese Qigong Outgoing-Qi Therapy. Jinan, P.R.C.: Shandong Science and Technology Press. Feinstein, David. (2011) Ethics Handbook for Energy Healing Practitioners. Energy Psychology Press. Hu Zhaoyun (1988). Chinese Qigong. Shanghai College of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Kaptchuk, Ted J. (1983). The Web That Has No Weaver. NY: Congdon & Weed, Inc. Oschman, James L. (2015). Energy Medicine: The Scientific Basis. NY: Churchill Livingstone

Multicultural Viewpoints Cohen, Kenneth. (2006) Honoring the Medicine: The Essential Guide to Native American Healing. NY: Random House. Also see various books on Therapeutic Touch and Healing Touch.

Research, Conferences, Networking, etc. https://www.energypsych.org/ www.qigonginstitute.org (See the Qigong Database) www.nqa.org

Qigong Research & Practice Center Alpine, CA and Nederland, CO Ph: 720-985-6445 www.qigonghealing.com email: [email protected]

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