Projecting chi, or energy, is one of the most esoteric and challenging aspects of qigong, and yet it is the key to reaping its health benefits. In fact, people project chi all the time. If you’ve felt your stomach drop at the sight of someone who doesn’t like you, you were feeling him project his chi at you. Most chi projection is unconscious and driven by emotion, so it is erratic. In qigong, the goal is to project chi abundantly in a relaxed and focused manner that is driven by intention and physical movement rather than emotion.
Step 1
Perform the “support the sky” qigong movement. Suzanne B. Friedman’s book “Heal Yourself with Qigong” includes an illustrated guide. Stand with hands over your head, turning the palms up. Extend the arms out to your sides and down. Scoop the hands in front of your body. Turn the palms out, thumbs down. Move the hands over your head, palms up. Repeat.
Step 2
Move your consciousness to your feet. As you move the hands upward, push your feet into the floor and allow yourself to grow taller. As your hands move down, contract, relaxing your feet into the floor.
Step 3
Focus your mind on your core. As you push your feet into the floor to expand your body and move your hands up over your head, drop your weight, allowing yourself to feel heavier.
Step 4
Move your hands down, relaxing the feet and allowing them to spread.
Step 5
Focus your mind on your hands. Spread your fingers and open your palms. Do not claw the fingers or allow your hands to be limp.
Step 6
Push up. Let the force of the push move up through your palms. If any tension arises in your body or mind, let it go. Think only of the movement.
Step 7
Think only of the movement as you push down, contracting the spine and allowing the force to drop down through the palms.
Step 8
Feel and imagine the force of your push moving through the palms and far beyond your hands as you push up. Together with the rest of the techniques, this is how you project chi. As you contract down, feel and imagine the force moving through your palms and down into the earth. Repeat as many times as you wish.
Tips and Warnings
- You can substitute any qigong exercise for “support the sky” while following these directions. When your hands are moving away from your core, push your feet into the ground to expand. When your hands move toward your core, contract everything and relax into the ground. When opening the hands to project chi, use the tiger’s mouth position. Stretch your thumb apart from the index finger so that the flap of skin between them is taut. Tina Zhang and Frank Allen’s book “Classical Northern Wu Style Tai Ji Quan” has some pictures of what the tiger’s mouth should look like.
- Never perform qigong in tension. You will see some masters appearing to quiver with tension as they do these exercises. That is an effect of chi, and not a product of clenched muscles. You can hurt yourself badly if you try qigong without the assistance of a knowledgeable teacher.
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