While there’s many different reasons that people seek out Qigong, I’ve found these typically fall into two broad categories; health, wellbeing and spiritualism.

Relief from dis-ease symptoms and illness

Health ultimately consists of our physical, mental, emotional wellbeing and the absence of dis-ease. A common reason people seek out Qigong is they’re experiencing unwanted health symptoms, or pathologies related to illness.

Sometimes students and clients contact me seeking particular Qigong for the imbalance they’re experiencing, while it is possible to find some relief and ease discomfort using a prescriptive approach, I usually counsel them on how Qigong doesn’t really work like that, a topic I’ve mused about here.

Other reasons related to health that people seek out Qigong is to ease emotional and/or mental overwhelm, the practice is really great for creating a sense of peace and grounded-ness, even a short practice can have a really profound effect.

As we know, and it is well supported by research, stress is the number one cause of dis-ease and illness in our modern lives. While I don’t believe that the faculties of scientism are valid methods for verifying the efficacy of Qigong as a modality, there are some studies that show that Qigong practice to be beneficial. People navigating and managing serious health issues such as cancer, neurological conditions and various lifestyle illnesses often report improved quality of life, and other perceived improvements in their health and wellbeing.

When I asked my community the question “Why do you practice Qigong?”, many answered that for them it is a spiritual practice.

They practiced Qigong to feel closer to the great mystery of life and the universe, to heal trauma and connect more to their true selves. As we traverse this magical journey that is life we change and grow, many people describe experiences of spiritual awakening, a sense that their heart is opening to more of life, maybe even becoming more aware of the subtle and psychic dimensions.

Sometimes spiritualism can arise as a result of a serious health crisis or death-fright. For most people though a spiritual awakening is a gradual process over a period of years.

When I was first introduced to Qigong 10-years ago I was navigating a period of trauma, introspection and healing associated with my childhood and teen years. I was experiencing emotional upheaval and deregulation, I felt lost in the world, as if I hadn’t yet been able to connect to my Dao and Ming.

At that time practicing Qigong was soothing to my being, my soul and spirit. As I’ve described many times it really did feel like returning home to myself, coming into my own sacred refuge. During that phase of my life I wasn’t particularly spiritual, nor was I aware that I was experiencing the beginning of my own personal spiritual awakening, but as they say, hindsight is 20/20.

What is Qigong as a Spiritual Practice?

Maybe you’re thinking, what does Qigong as spiritual practice even mean?

In a nutshell it means that one’s primary purpose for practising Qigong is to assist their evolution of Self. This is a process of awakening to one’s true Self, a development of consciousness that aligns with the congenital qualities of Xin and Yuan Shen. Some traditions describe this as a passage of enlightenment, the embodiment of one’s higher consciousness, godliness or connection to source.

That might sound a bit like word salad!! I really like how Tom Rogers, President of the Qigong Institute sums up the essence of Spiritual Qigong:

Spiritual practice is not most of the new age BS you’ll find on the internet, crystal tiaras or Lion’s Gate portals. We become more spiritually attuned when we do the work of Self, which is a deep unfolding of our individuation and actualisation.

The practices of Qigong that many people on a spiritual path often find themselves gravitating towards are what are referred to as Shen Gong. These types of practices can be described as a bridge between Qigong and Neigong. Shen Gong brings together Qigong - static and dynamic movement, with Neigong - meditation and alchemy.

The Gong of Shen…

Shen Gong is deeper work, the practices encompass physical movement, meditation and inner-alchemy and intersect with the realm of the psychospiritual. The word Shen translates to mean Spirit, through the various practices we expand our ability to hold more spirit, love and unity within the heart, otherwise know as connecting Heartmind.

On the psychological level within the traditions of Daoism we call this work the Development of the Self. It is the conscious transformation and maturation of one’s personality traits, memories, desires, values, ideas, beliefs, emotions and habitual behaviours. It is also the healing of personal, generational and even past-life trauma, the uncovering and breaking down of physiological complexes, and the expansion of the true self and the intentions that the incarnated soul came to express and experience.

As it is now commonly understood the mind stores memories, events, emotional experiences and trauma in different regions of the physical body, so a core aspect of Shen Gong is to process these energetic imprints on a somatic level.

When we understand that Qi is an extension of the mind, and an aspect of consciousness we realise that the physical body is a manifestation of the nature of the mind. The body adapts to the Qi, it's flow, excess, deficiency, or otherwise, and our health and state of being on all levels is influenced accordingly.

A true sage or spiritual seeker understands the concept of energy first, physical second. There’s only so far that the physical / movement therapy aspect of Qigong can take one in their quest of health and wellbeing, there’s a time that arises when the deeper work of Shen Gong calls.

Curious about Shen Gong? My downloadable practice video, Celestial Shen Gong is a great place to dive in.