Qi Gong and Acupuncture

[Stefan Hafner]

I started practicing Qi Gong in order to preserve myself from exhaustion. Treating more than five people a day used to 'zap' my energy in the beginning of my TCM career. Now, after three years of practice I feel more and more, that I utilize the energy generated by Qi Gong to enhance my treatments.
Has anyone had similar experiences?

[Acupunk]

I think this is dewfinately the case. Although I am a student I have definately found that treatments in clinical practice have been empowered by qi gong that day. It helps you guide your intent, and when you needle your yi is reinforced. My martial arts master thinks only good acupuncturists practice qi gong and they use it to put it into the needle. while he is pretty solid in his beleifs I would suggest that it definately does bolster intent.
I think that with the demanding rigours of everyday life qi gong is neccesary in order to prevent draining in any case.
There are some excellent books on medical acupuncture both for the practitioner and also for the patient to take home. So it can be incorporated in many ways.

[dragonmonk]

I find a huge difference in my energy and feeling of wellbeing when I massage someone on that same day that I have practiced tai chi, than what I feel when I massage with no energetic practice.

After practicing tai chi or qi gong, I feel that I have a lot more to give. If we are feeling tired or drained, that energy is injected into our treatment.

It is interesting to note that in California, qigong is an essential element of a chinese medicine qualification for purposes of gaining a licence.

The classics make constant reference to practicing dao yin (is that the right spelling) to protect our own body and mind in our practice, and I believe that this is just as valid, if not more so, in modern times.

[Tim Cleary]

At the recent Ikeda-Sensei seminar, my mate Jeff asked Ikeda: Do you get tired after a day of treating patients- and what do you do about it?
The answer: I sleep. Whatever job you do, you're eventually going to end up knackered at some point..

The one thing that I tell any TCM student who asks for general advice is: never refuse to treat someone because you feel less than 100%- if you do that, you'll never treat anyone.. (obviously, don't treat if you're s**tfaced.. People have tried, it's never pretty.)

I find that it's very useful to do some exercise in general, and Qi Gong in particular (Zhu Ga Shaolin Qi Gong (low horse stance and working IMO on the Yang Wei Mai and Dai Mai) seems to fit me well- if I do a 'soft' Qigong it doesn't seem as powerful)- but I think that it's almost more important to watch your posture and tension during the treatment itself.. Particularly in the hands- too much tension, especially kinking up the fingers, seems to be one of the worst habits I developed... If you squeeze the tiger's tail too hard, he will turn around and bite you.

What I try and do is make lots of things into Qi Gongs- synchronise the breath with the patient while needling, breathe into the Hara while pulling up the perineal muscles (to increase intra-abdominal compression and build Qi), soften the Hara for reinforcing and harden for reducing... Apply your Qi Gong to your movement at all times in clinic.. etc. etc.

Ikeda also mentioned, after making a few more jokes at poor old Jeff's expense (in a good-hearted manner), that what you are lacking if you are exhausting yourself by treating is a sense of empathy, or pure love. He made pains to emphasise the 'pure' part, I know this is an area that gets people into trouble...

The "Metta" or 'loving kindness' practiced in Vipassana seems to help also.. And another mate of mine reckons that doing the Wing Chun forms while retaining needles affects how the patient feels as well..

Probably only 1.6 cents' worth, I'll do better next time..
Tim.

[Li]

From less of an "energy" perspective, but still in close resonance with it (especially Tim's "Apply your Qi Gong to your movement at all times in clinic") I find that things like regular Taiji and irregular "Sticking hands"practice (Iyengar yoga too before I, as Tim enjoys putting it, wimped out from it anyway) help me more readily notice when I am being unecessarily tense in my stance, how I am holding my arm, or even being locked mentally and emotionally, etc when I am needling (or doing anything for that matter). This thus suggests to me, moment to moment, how I might be able to do things more energy (and probably "energy") efficiently. Prevention is better than cure right ?

Actually come to think of it, getting really good at golf might do the trick here too...

[Mark Phillips]

Hey Tim,
Ikeda Sensei was a gem. Empathy is abstract for Western-style practise but is a key feature in clinical flow according to Ikeda. This was also the advice of JF Shen, another (now departed) master. I guess the balance is to maintain the clarity of compassion or pure love, so as to avoid "trouble". Good point.

Thanks for the qigong info. The WC kungfu form over retained needles is bizarre but interesting. Do you know which form he uses?