By Huxuezhi, edited by Wang Tao
Collecting Qi indicates the action to bring into body a variety of energy and information flow from heaven, earth, space, sun, moon, stars and all things. It is one way to inspire their own inner potential, make up their own lack of primeval Qi, speed up the harmonization between Heaven and Man. Different from the Qi deriving from food, the prevailing Qi in universe serves as the vital source for human body energy supply. Therefore, it is essential to learn to draw extensively on prevailing universal Qi, in order to have an inexhaustible energy supplementing the body, to make up the energy consumption.
The mechanism of Qi collection is, by drilling practitioners’ mind-will, to make the body pore and points automatically open, so that its closed system can open up. By such means the ability the body to absorb all kinds of energy and information flow can be enhanced, thus facilitating the body’s energy flow, information exchange, the energy purification of the body as well as the possession of high-energy energy flow. This is effect what we aspire for stimulating the body potentials and presentation of special power.
1. The Preparatory Posture – Body Purification
(1) Standing, sitting in a chair or lying in bed can be. Generally take standing posture, feet separated shoulder width, feet spreading slightly into the shape of fan, knee peg-leg, arms drooping naturally on both sides of the body, the body upright, Huiyin and Baihui form a straight line, lower jaw slightly draw in, tongue arrives on the palate, lips closed, look front, smile, natural breathing, eliminate distracting thoughts.
(2) Envision yourself be in beautiful mountain with fascinating landscape, imagine the body become infinitely large, the body stretches to the sky, into interstellar infinite, leaving the Milky Way far behind; while in the same time image the legs stretch through the earth center. Then surrounded by a white mist at the foot the body is left alone with wandering fog. At this time it is as though I was the only person besides the sun, moon and stars and the brilliance. My body filled the entire space, imagine the body do without the skin, joints do not exist any more. Then imagine the Qi arising from the parietal, and begin to commune with cosmic energy flow from the sun. Imagine the sun over his head, chest side of the Moon and the Earth at the foot, each emit energetic brilliance inside and outside to illuminate the translucent body, which like a brilliant light body, emitting brilliance throughout the entire universe. Maintain this state later on, and you will find you progress very quickly.
(3) And then inhale, we imagine the skin, as we breathe in, begins to “relax”—gradually disappear. Yes, it should be visualized as the tension of skin surface gradually disappears as we pronounce the word “relax”, breathing should be carried out deep, long, even. Relax three times, then relax the body muscles, fascia, bones and joints, internal organs, brain, each part relaxes three times, and finally do the relaxation of whole body three times— as we pronounce “relax”, we imagine from the head to the foot each part gradually disappears. This makes up one cycle of relaxation. Once not ideal, you can do it again
(4) Turn two palm outward, two arms stretched, then raise two hands from both sides from bottom to top along the arc of two sides, imagine, as we inhale, two pairs of hands gather all universal energy along the upward move, and bring all the energy flow to top of head. With the change of breath of exhalation the palms change to face down, we visualize the two pairs of hands begin to shed energy flow into “Baihui” points before stretching two hands to front of the face, then the body. As the two hands sink in front of the body, imagine the energy flow passes through the head, neck, chest, abdomen, along the two thigh down to the lower leg, the foot “Yongquan” Once out it heads to geocentric point, then through the Earth into interplanetary space. At the same time two hands move to meet close to navel area before returning to both sides of the body. Do the sequence 30 minutes.
Most Qi collection methods require the practitioners to imagine the body being positioned in big space, with the Qi slowly enveloping the body. As for the color selection, usually start with a golden yellow, golden white. Practice time can be 30 minutes long, but ten minutes, or even a few minutes can also be acceptable. Regardless of any time practitioners can do it (walking, sitting and lying, etc.). Either natural breathing or abdominal reversal breathing can work. After long-term cultivation, the capacity of mind-will can be strengthened gradually, and you can have an idea to increase energy flow from universe and gather them together, penetrate into the patient’s head after Baihui, go directly into the affected area, then visualize the evil Qi to disperse, which will cause the condition to improve. This method can regulate patient’s bio-field, so that the patient can recover gradually. Again, this method can be one for collective treatment, or assisting method for quickening practitioners practice. Qi collection methods are lot there available for choice, practitioners can choose one or two according to their specific circumstances. Please persist in the long-term cultivation, in order to uplift the level quickly.
2. Collect Qi from Universal Yang
(1). Open feet to shoulder width, knees slightly curved, and other requirement remain as same as above. Raise elbow and lift two front arms to top of head, forming an angle of 120 degrees, palm facing up, fingers fully stretched, pointing to the sky.
(2). Imagine universal energy flows down to pour into Laogong point (the center of palm), then through the arm, goes down to Lower Dantian area.
3. Collect the Qi from Earth
(1) Posture as same as above mentioned. The difference is to lay down arms, palms facing down, let shoulders loose naturally.
(2) Imagine the Qi from the center of the earth begin to arise and flow, through Laogong point of palms and the soles of the feet, and head to Lower Dantian via arms and legs.
(3) The collection of prevailing Qi can strengthen the Yang while engender Yin; whereas the collection of earthly Qi can enrich Yin while supplement Yang. By such way the balance between Yin and Yang, the smooth circulation of blood and Qi via meridians, as well as the general health well being, can be expected.
4. Collect Golden Saliva and Jade Fluid
((1). No postures required. Closed lips, the tongue rolls inside the mouth, 18 circles before pressing against the upward hard palate. Then raised two hands, the thumbs press against the middle point located between Daying point and Jia Che point, for two minutes. At this time you can experience the increase in saliva inside the mouth, rinse the saliva 36 times, close two eyes, look inward, swallow down the saliva in 3 times, imagine to bring down the saliva into lower Dantian as you swallow down. Do such sequence the second time and the third times. Once finished, imagine the saliva inside Lower Dantian change into vapor, filling full the whole body and circulate. Then finish the practice.
((2). This method can promote the secretion of digestive gland, increase gastric secretion, improve digestion, treat illness relating to stomach abdominal distention, etc.. Also it can improve appetite, descend heart fire, promote nutrition absorption. Saliva contains digestive enzymes and other enzymes beneficial to human body, which can facilitate the sterilization and immune function and so on.
5. Collect Qi from Sun
(1) Collect Qi via body. Take standing, sitting, lying posture as you like, relax into the quiet state, imagine the energy flow from the top down into the human body, solar energy flow permeating the entire body. Imagine all pore of body begin to open, taking part in the breathing operation. Imagine the Qi flow into body as you inhale, have no idea when you exhale, just observing the body changes within. At this time there is a swelling sense of the body, which is normal. When being free of any sense besides the emptiness within head, please imagine whole body go into the sun, and gradually merge with the sun until there is no any difference between them
(2) Collect Qi via acupoint. Open feet to shoulder width, knees slightly curved, and other requirement remain as same as above. Slightly move elbow to place two palms placed at the level of navel, apart, both facing the sun. Imagine the solar energy pours into Laogong acupoint and Baihui acupoint (atop of the head) as you inhale, and gaze into lower Dantian when exhale and imagine all energy flows into Lower Dantian.
(3) Collect Qi in loop circle. Methods and postures remain the same as above. The difference is after the energy flow into body via Laogong and Baihui acupoint as you inhale, please imagine the energy descends down from Baihui directly to YongQuan acupoint in two feet along the route connecting the two points, then, once out from the feet, it heads into center of Earth, penetrate the Earth and down before ascending up along two sides to reach the Sun again. This makes up one loop circle. Do such circle several times.
6. Collect the Qi from Moon
The procedure to do the Qi collection from moon remains as same as above, three ways altogether. Same do the postures and mind-will deployment method. Yet, in the section one please do not imagine to put the body inside the moon. Also, to carry out the Qi collection from moon you’d better do on date between 12th to 18th of Chinese lunar .
7. Gather Qi Attributable to Five Elements
(1) Such method is based on the five elements theory, i.e., metal, wood, water, fire and earth. So there are five kinds of Qi collection methods. The ancients believed that the human body is divided into five internal organs according to five elements theory, their Qi is distributed to five directions and five times. Lung is Geng-Xin metal, its Qi communes with West; kidney is Ren-gui water, its Qi with North; liver Jia-yi wood, its Qi with East; heart Bing-ding fire, its Qi with south; spleen Wu-ji earth, its Qi with the Central. According to the five elements theory, there have the reciprocal generation and restraining relationship among the elements. So, if some internal organs are weak, we can gather the corresponding Qi of certain direction to supplement it and it such way to make it strong. So, please go to see Chinese doctor to get a diagnosis first.
(2) The concrete operation is to face the direction you choose to stand, palm forward, arms at shoulder’s height, fully stretched, imagine Qi, from that direction, flow into the body via pores, then continue to flow into the weak corresponding internal organs. There is a sense of swelling of the organ as a result, which should be deemed normal.
(3) Central Qi collection: Imagine, as you inhale, the Qi from top of the head pours down into body, go to the spleen. Then imagine the Qi from below begins to flow into body, via YongQuan acupoint, and goes into spleen. The sense of swelling from spleen should be regarded as normal.
8. Collect Qi by Psychical Ray
(1) Static standing, sitting or lying-down posture. Open your eyes and see the front space and imagine all brilliance of it change into my eye sight, then close two eyelids slowly. At the same time, imagine all eyesight and brilliance combined together and meet at the up Dantian. Resting for a while, and then do the sequence again.
(2) practitioners may face the sun, moon, stars, flowers, trees and all things, collecting their respective energy flow and information.
(3) After long-term application of this method, you can quickly master the healing arts and remote diagnosis skills. Such method, once applied to practical treatment, can play an instant effect, much faster than any other methods.
9. Gather Qi when You Are on a Tour.
(1) If you go out to travel and arrive at big mountains you are advised to extensively collect Qi from ancient temples and a variety of trees and flowers there. These places were frequented by the predecessors of the ancient qigong practitioners and thus their Qi field is very strong. Once in Qigong state at these places, you would feel a strong sense of Qi than other days.
(2) Practitioners can gather Qi from the outer space. Imagine all pores and acupoints open to admit in the prevailing Qi which would continue to flow into lower Dantian, the longer the better. After a very long period of practice you can feel a sense of sufficient Qi.