FAQs
What is Qigong? Is it for everybody?
Qigong is a Chinese healing art that uses breathing, movement, and visualization to circulate Qi energy, the life force that regulates our health and wellbeing. Everyone can benefit from Qigong. As long as you give it a try, you will start to receive the benefits.
Where does Qigong come from?
Qigong is an ancient practice from China with a history of more than 3000 years. Through meditation and insightfulness, our ancestors discovered the pathway of our life force in our body and the wisdom that when energy flows to different places of our body, it awakens those areas and benefits us. We call that pathway meridian.
What does “Qigong” mean?
"Qi" refers to the life force that animates all living beings and "gong" means cultivation or practice. "Qigong" is the cultivation of the life force.
What is the benefit of Qigong?
As you refine your Qi and draw in more life force, you will feel more "alive" and deepen your connection with yourself, the people around you, nature, and the cosmos. The more Qi energy you circulate, the healthier you will feel and the more you can accomplish.
What is the goal of Qigong?
Peace and happiness are the twin goals of Qigong. Peace arises from deep stillness and happiness arises from the harmonious flow of vital energies. The seamless integration of peace and happiness is the mark of an accomplished Qigong practitioner.
Who practices Qigong?
People of all ages and cultures practice Qigong worldwide. Everyone can practice.
Is Qigong a religion?
Qigong can be integrated into any worldview. It is free of dogma and beliefs. Universal virtues such as kindness, courage, and compassion are some of the “side effects” of practicing. Whatever your lifestyle or personal views, you can benefit from Qigong.
What is the difference between Qigong and Yoga?
Qigong comes from China while Yoga comes from India. Both systems seek to integrate the body, mind, and spirit. The gentle flowing movements of Qigong are its distinguishing feature.
Is Qigong a healing art or a martial art?
Qigong is a broad term that embraces the healing arts, the martial arts, as well as the spiritual arts. We emphasize the healing and spiritual dimensions of Qigong and also teach some martial arts exercises to strengthen the body and focus the mind.
You have quite a few exercises in your DVD, how should I arrange them in my daily life? Is there any practical guideline for them?
In my DVD there are four essentials exercises: Three Treasure Standing Meditation (TTSM), Four Golden Wheels Exercise (FGWE), Lotus Meditation (LM), and Connecting Universe (CU). You don't have to practice them all in one day. Here are some simple, but practical guidelines for practicing on a weekly basis:
Decide how much time you can commit to practicing a day. Normally 20-30 minutes is a good start.
Choose one of the four exercises as the primary practice that you can do every day.
Practice the other exercises once a week or twice a week or more.
Keep this pattern for at least three months. Then choose another exercise as the primary exercise and the other exercises as the secondary practices.
Within one year, you will have cycled through all four of these exercises and will learn which one you’d like to continue practicing long term.
For example, if you decide Four Golden Wheels as the primary practice, the secondary practices will be Lotus Meditation, Connecting Universe and Three Treasures Standing Meditation. One pattern could look like this: Sunday: FGWE + LM; Monday: FGWE + LM; Tuesday: FGWE + CU; Wednesday: FGWE + CU; Thursday: FGWE + TTSM; Friday: FGWE + TTSM; Saturday: FGWE + TTSM.
Three months later, if you decide to choose Connecting Universe as your primary exercise, your weekly pattern could look like this: Sunday: CU + FGWE; Monday: CU + FGWE; Tuesday :CU + FGWE; Wednesday: CU + LM; Thursday: CU + LM;Friday: CU + TTSM; Saturday: CU + TTSM.
Try this method out and you won't feel overloaded with a lot of exercises. I have learned more than a hundred exercises from my Master and with this way of arrangement, I can still remember them all and practice them well over two year structures.
You have been doing Qigong since you were a child - how has it influenced your life?
It totally transformed my life. I was a sick boy when I met my master. Practicing Qigong with my Master not only healed me completely, but also provided me with both a spiritual and practical way of life. Thanks to Qigong, I don’t have to go to the temple or deep into the mountains to enjoy peace and happiness, but stay right in the center of the city. You can attain inner peace anywhere.
In what way do you think Qigong is beneficial for modern people?
In many ways, health, wellbeing, consciousness, wisdom, spiritual enlightenment, etc. Especially nowadays people are so attached to the material world and forget that human beings are spiritual beings. Many people think spirituality has nothing to do with them, and that it is only a thing of religion. They don't know that you don’t have to have religion to be spiritual. That’s a sad thing for modern world. Without spiritual life, we are only living half of our real life - the primitive half.
If somebody with no experience would want to start with Qigong, what would he or she do?
Read the book, follow the DVDs, and watch your breath. Breathing is the thing we do most of the time, but how many people are observing their breath enough? Breathing is like our loyal employee. If you constantly ignore your staff with no attention or appreciation, how would you expect them to help you thoroughly in the end?
Nowadays, people talk about burn-out. Does Qigong help with this?
Absolutely! Why do they feel burn out? We have everything we need: food, shelter, entertainment, and travel, etc. But no matter how much you can possess materially and externally, you are just living half of your being, like I mentioned above. Half of life will of course be very likely to have of feeling of burn-out, tired, bored and depressed, which is so common today.
What are the positive effects of Qigong on the mind and body?
It enriches your insight, harmonizes your body and mind, and integrates your body, mind and spirit so that your hands or your legs or your stomach are no longer just parts of your body, but parts of the whole universe. You are a part of the universe! When you move, the whole universe is moving with you; when you cry, the whole universe sheds tears with you.
If somebody has trouble going to sleep, is there a remedy with Qigong?
Lotus Meditation has helped many people with insomnia. There is a sayin that if you are rich, you can buy the best bed, but not necessarily a good sleep. This is because sleeping is about your inner peace. Lotus Meditation can quiet your mind and provide you with higher quality sleep.
Can Qigong help with low self-esteem?
Self-esteem is related to your inner awareness. When your inner awareness is content, your self-esteem will improve. Qigong can certainly deepen this connection.
In these days people are always busy, on the run, do not have time, how does Qigong fit in, when somebody is so occupied?
Qigong is not a drug pill or tablet. It is a lifestyle and attitude. Of course, you can decide how strong you want to embed this style in your life. Some people feel just a few minutes of Qigong practice a day is good enough to balance their life, and that is great. Some people feel like spending 30 minutes to an hour practicing qigong, which is also great. Some even want to not only to practice themselves, but to learn how to heal others, and they are spending them their lifetime practicing it. It all depends, but as long as you are willing to try, you will feel from deep inside of you, a new window of life will be open. Your life will be much enriched. You might still do the same thing everyday, but the meaning is different. Like a famous Zen saying: Before enlightenment, chopping wood, carry water; after enlightenment, chopping wood, carry water. You are doing the same thing, but you are not doing the same thing. Nothing is changed, but everything is different.
People use the phrase "good health" all the time. What does this phrase mean to you?
Good Health to me means not only healthy in a physical way, but also mentally, emotionally and spiritually. In my Qigong practice, we focus on cultivating our energy in different energy centers. The first energy center is near the lower torso. It is the energy center that is connected to our physical health, birth power, and sexual energy. When the energy here is healthy and smooth, you feel charismatic and energetic and will not get tired or sick easily. The second energy center is near your heart. It is the center associated with emotions and feelings. When the energy here is healthy and smooth, you will feel happy, compassionate, and loved. The third is energy center is located inside your head. It is the center that concentrates our wisdom and intelligence. When energy here is healthy and smooth, you will be wise and clairvoyant. You will make smart decisions and move in the right direction.
This reminds me of my master Xiao Yao’s answer when he was asked about the benefits of practicing Qigong, the art of energy cultivation. He used to say that good health comes when you have the six no-worries: 1. No worry eating - appetite is strong and food tastes delicious. 2. No worry sleeping - you fall asleep easily and wake up well rested 3. No worry toilet - digestion is smooth and bowel movements are effortless. 4. No worry energy - there is enough energy to soar through the day. 5. No worry sex - sexual vitality is bountiful. 6. No worry emotions - emotional resilience leads to calmness and good mental health.
With so many distractions in modern life, how do you cultivate focus?
There is a saying that a small hermit lives in the mountain, and a big hermit lives in the city.
It is true that there is an overwhelming amount of information that creates many distractions for us. But we can still cultivate our focus and stay calm as long as you stay aware of the present moment. Imagine a circle with a dot in the middle. The dot represents a clear priority. The rest of the universe is the circle around the dot. When you have a clear priority the entire universe goes into orbit around it. If you are very thirsty, then drinking is your priority. If you are hungry, then eating becomes your priority. The clearer you are about your priorities, the easier it is to maintain focus and for distractions to fall away. Being mindful of what matters most this very instant is the best way to cultivate focus. Present moment awareness is the key to leading a meaningful life. And the easiest and most profound present awareness is be aware of your breath. When you are focusing on your inhale and exhale, you can instantly refresh your mind and cultivate your focus. Ocean Whispers is a simple breathing technique that helps focus. It is guided breath through waves of ocean at certain intervals, and by observing your breath for just a few minutes a few times a day, you will feel your body, mind and spirit begin to harmonize and your efficiency in work and play become much more balanced and enhanced.
We all have good days and bad days, but if you can be aware of your breath, every day can be a good day!
If you could give one tip to people wanting to achieve their goals (health and wellness, professional, and/or personal life), what would it be?
Watch your breath and nourish your energy. After you have done everything that you can to achieve an objective, release your attachment to it. Let go and trust that the benevolent forces of the universe are going to support you on the road to success. That belief is going to change the odds in your favor. Sit or lie down and feel your whole body is like a sponge soaking in a hot tub. The warmth of the universal energy is flowing and penetrating every single pore of your body and every single particle of your body is filled with energy and glowing brightly. Then tell yourself: I am in Qi, Qi is in me. Watch your breath and enjoy the moment. All the energy to flow and work YOU! No other effort is needed. In Taoism, it is called, WuWei - no action, but all action.
What is Qigong Healing?
Healing power is life force that stores in our body, organs, cells, as well as our minds. When the energy flows well, we enjoy good health and a good sense of well being, both physically and mentally. When it is blocked or stagnant, we cannot function well and we may appear sick or depressed. Qigong healing is a technique to restore that healing power and improve our own body/mind condition. Through breathing, meditation, body movement and working on certain energy points and channels, we help to quiet our mind, tackle away the blockages and awaken our own healing power to relieve ourselves of tension, pain, and stress on a physical, mental and spiritual level. We also enjoy a stronger sense of well being and oneness. It is not to cure any specific disease or illness but to awaken our own healing power and to make us as an integrative whole to enjoy ourselves more truly and fully.
Question About JieQi Empowerment
Q: For the JieQi empowerment, I am not 100% sure if I am concentrating on the correct vertebra each time. For example, I may be concentrating a little bit below or above. How do you recommend fixing this issue? Do I still benefit if I have in my mind the intention to concentrate on the specific vertebra each time? For example, today I was concentrating on T11.
A: No problem. There is no worry about the precision when it is about the mind focus. When you physically touch a point, it is always quite precise and you know that is the very point. But when it is the mind, when you try to locate the focus point, it is always that area or that direction. Like when you shoot with a fowling, the target is an area. As long as you say in your mind, like you did for this time, you were concentrating on T11, then you are receiving the full benefit of the practice.
If your Qigong is strong enough to walk on water and survive sword stabbing - as described in your book - then why do you have to wear glasses? Can't you just fix your eyes with the Qi power? This question is meant seriously and with all due respect.
You raised a good question. In Qigong, there are many levels of attainment. My Master, Xiao Yao, reached the highest levels and he was able to walk on water and resist the axe as described in the book. I witnessed this with my own eyes and I have trained with him for many years. I cannot say I reached the same level as my master, but in some occasions, to demonstrate what is described above is not a big problem.
However, my master said the purpose of Qigong is not for this. The purpose of Qigong is to let you realize your true self and lead a fuller and happier life. This is the most meaningful reason to practice Qigong. It doesn’t mean that with Qigong, you are no longer a human being. You still eat, you still sleep, you get sick, and you may even wear glasses like any ordinary person. You may also still get problems that you cannot solve by yourself or with the help of others. The difference you make from practicing Qigong is that you know you are ordinary, and you enjoy your state of being ordinary, which gives you the power to go beyond the ordinary and lead a meaningful life journey.
Would you equate the Central Channel connecting huiyin and baihui with Sushumna-nadi in yogic physiology? I understand that Sushumna is typically associated with the spinal column, but functionally it seems to me that it is closer to the Central Channel than to the Governor Meridian.
With my limited understanding of Sushumna-nadi, I don’t think they are exactly the same thing, but has a lot connections. They both are about channel through which energy energy travels through the body. Actually I admire how yoga elaborates Nadi as Sushumna-Nadi, Ida-Nadi, and Pingala-Nadi.
Whereas, Central Meridian is an energy channel that connects all three Dantians and balance us with our wisdom, love and vitality. Central meridian works more subtly through 12 meridians or organs versus three Nadi in Yoga. Even more significantly about Central Meridian is that it connects us with Heaven and Earth Qi through Baihui and Huiyin. In this aspect, central meridian is not only an energy channel inside us, but is like an onion ripples out from our central channel to the universe. It is a small universe that make us resourceful with universal energy. In Chinese, we say Tian Di Ren 天地人(heaven, earth, human) are the three treasures and it is central meridian that unite these three treasures as one. Actually it is through human consciousness that make heaven and earth meaningful. That’s why my master always reminds me to bring my awareness to my central meridian and said: Any time you bring your awareness to your central meridian, you become the center of the universe.
When Master Peng told us to hold our breath with a stopwatch, I was only able to do it for maybe 50 secs. Then when we did the Xi breathing I increased the breath hold to 1min 45 secs. Today, when I practiced the Xi breathing empowerments for all 3 Dantians, I was surprisingly able to hold my breath for up to 10 minutes one time, then another time 9 minutes, 6 minutes, 7 minutes, 4 minutes etc. My questions:
1. Is this possible or I found a way to "cheat myself" ? I mean, maybe I was breathing from my nose without realizing it? For me, it seemed that I went into a meditative state and for sure I did not breath from my mouth and also I did not feel at all that I breathed from my nose.
Answer: It might be that you “cheat yourself”, but holding your breath after Xi breathing is absolutely possible.
2. Is it better for each Dantian empowerment o hold for as long as possible each time OR better to hold only for a minute or two?
Answer: Of course if you time allows, it is great that you can hold long and meditate.
3. Should we always empower 1st upper Dantian, 2nd middle Dantian and 3rd lower Dantian OR we can reverse this order and start from lower Dantian and go upwards?
Answer: You can do it with different order, but make sure you always nourish your Qi for a few minutes after each empowerment.
What are the benefits of each of 8 Cycles?
Cycle 1, Stroking the Waterfall at Sunrise
Use Yin palm and Yang palm to collect earth and heaven qi and then to use the mixed universal qi to activate and empower our 3 Dantians.
Cycle 2, Opening the Heart and Embracing the Day
Open our hands and arms Yin and Yang meridians to feel the pulse of our Qi and to put ourselves into the craddle of the universal loving Qi.
Cycle 3, Dancing with the Universe
Regulate our central meridian to make us as the center of our universe. Meanwhile, by turning the head and rotating the waist to release the tensions of all the meridians that we can adjust the automatic system and balance Yin and Yang.
Cycle 4, Turning the Wheel of Heaven
Open our heart and kidneys. By rocking back and forward, we move all the big joints of our body and strongly to give us the energy for longevity.
Cycle 5, Stirring the 5 Elements
By massaging the five elements of our body with Qi, we activate our potential healing power and clear the emotional and physical blockages.
Cycle 6, Playing the Taichi Ball
By creating a qi field between your palms, this cycle brings our body, mind, and spirit drifting in an harmonious way, and feeling nurtured.
Cycle 7, Rising Mist and Flowing Water
Works on our Sanjiao(Triple Energizer), the fascia that connects every part of ourselves no matter big or small so that we all act in one organic piece.
Cycle 8, Touching Heaven and Earth
Balance the Yin Yang of our own body and extensively balancing the Yin Yang with heaven and earth.
What is the main difference between the Master Key Qi Gong and Yi Jin Jing in terms of the difficulty and benefits?
Master Keys is to open our awareness and empower the energy of our four energy centers Upper Dantian- Wisdom Center, Middle Dantian- love center, Lower Dantian-Vitality Center, and Central Meridian - Harmony Center, with a various exercises. Yi Jin Jing focuses more on Vitality center while taking care of the balance of the Body, Mind and Spirit in the meantime. Physically Yi Jin Jing is more demanding.
Would you recommend going through the Master Key video training first before taking up the Yi Jin Jing course? OR is it ok for a beginner to start with Yi Jin Jing?
You can start with Yi Jin Jing right away, but it is recommended you try some of Master Key exercises first. If you can read the Master Key book, it will be even better to understand both the Master Key and Yi Jin Jing.
What time will the Yi Jin Jing Webinar be held? I am based in Berlin in CET time zone and would like to know whether the time would work.
Yi Jin Jing is pre-recorded and each new teaching will be available on Friday for Saturday teaching and whole week practice. You can refer to this page for more details: https://www.robertpeng.com/yi-jin-jing-14-weeks-of-bodymind-transformation
Is there a community of practitioners who have regular online practice sessions?
We are not organizing community practice but inside the course, there is a forum that participants can share and discuss to each other.
What is the Chinese term for nourishing Qi?
养气法
In the Sat teaching video and Fri-Sun practice video, the specific steps for nourishing Qi seem to be different. Could Robert please explain again the movement/ breathing/ intention involved in nourishing Qi in the webinar?
Nourishing Qi is basically the same as merging yourself into the ocean of the qi and tell yourself I am in Qi, Qi is in me. You don’t do any movement with natural breathing.
At the end of the practice video, Robert did 3 deep breaths followed by 3 sighs. Why do we sigh at the end for closing? Does it have a special relaxation component to it?
It’s a kind of happy sighing, which triggers parasympathetic nervous system and rewards you with a relaxation and digesting mode.