Qigong Secrets

The good news about qigong secrets is that they are not closely guarded or hidden away in obscure and untranslated ancient tomes. In fact, the secrets of this ancient Chinese art, designed to create optimal health by increasing your body's flow of energy or qi, are available to anyone willing to learn the techniques and practice regularly. Although many of the concepts and theories underpinning qigong seem esoteric and even downright flakey when you first encounter them, with good technique and a little bit of work, you'll be channelling energy and balancing yin and yang with the best of them.

Doing Is Understanding

Learning how to do qigong and understanding the world of qi is experiential. You can't fully know what qi is or what it feels like unless you work with it. Garri Garripoli, director of the documentary "Qigong: Ancient Healing for the 21st Century" and author of "Qigong: Essence of the Healing Dance," notes that the "Tao Te Ching," one of the earliest texts to describe using qi to promote health, distinguishes between "knowing" and "understanding." To "know" something is to learn about it intellectually. To "understand" is to experience and accept truth on an intuitive, inner level.

Breathe, Baby, Breathe

One of the keys to deepening your understanding of qigong is breathing fully, deeply and completely as you complete each movement or as you do sitting meditation. According to Shoshanna Katzman, vice president of the National Qigong Association and author of "Qigong for Staying Young," qigong masters maximize the flow of qi by breathing like babies: with soft, relaxed bellies. Breathing in this manner is one of the keys to qigong's health benefits and relaxation effects.

Mindfulness over Mindlessness

While you might be tempted to enter into a daydreamy, zoned out mental space when doing qigong, resist the urge and stay focused in the here and now. Bill Douglas, author of "The Complete Idiot's Guide to T'ai Chi and Qigong," notes that keeping your mind on qigong exercises while you do them is one key to using qigong to relieve stress. By focusing on one movement at a time, you take a break from your daily routine and send a signal to your mind and body that you are making an effort to take good care of them.

Softness Trumps Hardness

Although many researchers into qigong practices try to account for qigong's strengthening effects by arguing that qigong must be isometric in nature, you should never tighten the muscles when doing qigong. According to Roger Jahnke, author of "The Healing Promise of Qi," relaxing, moving gently, and focusing your awareness allows your body to gather and circulate qi naturally.

It's What's Inside That Counts

Unlike western exercise forms that concentrate on isolating muscle groups in order to work them, the real focus of qigong is on what's going on inside the body. According to Tina Chunna Zhang, author of "Earth Qi Gong for Women," the deep relaxation of qigong exercises allows qi to move inside the body. Many practitioners experience qi as a wave or feeling of internal movement through the core. This movement is the goal of qigong: the more you feel it, the closer you'll be to achieving calm, peaceful awareness.