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氣功
Personal Practice Reference

Qigong

Cultivating life energy through breath, movement & stillness
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Practice Routines

功法
Morning Wake & Flow
20 min · Gentle · Energy raising
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Begin before the mind fills with the day. Move slowly, breathe deeply. This practice opens the channels and invites yang energy to rise gently with the sun.
  • 一
    Wu Ji Standing
    Stand with feet shoulder-width, knees softly bent, spine long. Arms hang naturally. Simply arrive in the body and breathe.
    3–5 minutes
  • 二
    Neck & Shoulder Release
    Slow head circles, ear to shoulder stretches, shoulder rolls. Let the breath lead each movement.
    8 circles each way
  • 三
    Lift the Sky
    Fingers interlaced, palms down at dantian. Inhale as arms sweep wide and overhead. Exhale as arms open and descend.
    9 repetitions
  • 四
    Kidney Drumming
    Loose fists, gentle twisting at the waist, letting the backs of hands tap the lower back over the kidneys alternately.
    30–50 taps
  • 五
    Horse Stance Wave
    Wide stance, knees bent. Arms rise and fall like ocean waves — inhale to raise, exhale to lower. Sink deeper with each breath.
    9 waves
  • 六
    Gathering Qi to Dantian
    Both hands hover over the lower abdomen. Breathe slowly and imagine warm golden light collecting beneath the palms.
    3 slow breaths
Eight Pieces of Brocade
30 min · Traditional · Full body
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Ba Duan Jin — one of the oldest and most complete qigong forms. Each of the eight movements targets a different organ system and meridian pathway.
  • 一
    Two Hands Hold Up the Heavens
    Interlace fingers, palms up. Inhale and press upward fully. Exhale and lower. Stretches the triple warmer meridian.
    8 reps
  • 二
    Drawing the Bow
    Horse stance. One arm extends as if drawing a bow, the other pulls back. Opens the chest and strengthens lung qi.
    8 each side
  • 三
    Separate Heaven and Earth
    One hand presses skyward, one presses down. Alternate. Stimulates spleen and stomach meridians.
    8 each side
  • 四
    Wise Owl Looks Behind
    Feet fixed. Slowly rotate head and upper body to look behind. Relieves tension, stimulates governing vessel.
    8 each side
  • 五
    Sway the Head and Swing the Tail
    Horse stance. Lean forward and swing hips side to side. Releases heart fire and tension from the spine.
    8 each side
  • 六
    Two Hands Hold the Feet
    Bend forward reaching toward feet. Strengthens kidney qi and stretches the governing vessel along the back.
    8 reps
  • 七
    Punch with Angry Eyes
    Horse stance. Punch slowly forward with intention, eyes wide, exhaling sharply. Increases liver qi and vital force.
    8 each side
  • 八
    Bouncing on the Toes
    Rise on tiptoes, hold briefly, then drop back to heels. This vibration clears stagnant qi from the meridians.
    7 rises
Evening Wind-Down
15 min · Yin · Nervous system calming
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This practice is for the transition between doing and resting. Move slowly. Let go of the day's accumulations.
  • 一
    Ocean Breath
    Inhale for 4 counts through the nose, out for 6 through slightly parted lips. Let the exhale lengthen with each round.
    10 breaths
  • 二
    Swaying Bamboo
    Feet together, arms loose. Sway gently side to side like bamboo in a breeze. Let the spine undulate.
    2 minutes
  • 三
    Liver Cleanse Side Stretch
    One arm sweeps overhead, lean to opposite side. Hold and breathe. Releases liver and gallbladder meridians.
    5 breaths each side
  • 四
    Patting the Meridians
    With flat hands, gently pat down the arms, across the chest, down the legs. Stimulates surface qi flow.
    Full body once
  • 五
    Still Lake Closing
    Hands over dantian, eyes closed. Imagine the mind as a still mountain lake at night. Rest here.
    3–5 minutes
Standing Post — Zhan Zhuang
10–30 min · Advanced · Root building
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The most deceptively simple and profoundly demanding of all practices. The body holds still while the internal landscape moves.
  • 一
    Wu Ji — Empty Stance
    Feet shoulder-width, knees slightly bent, spine long. Arms at sides. Simply stand and observe.
    3–5 min
  • 二
    Embracing the Tree
    Raise arms as if holding a large ball. Elbows at shoulder height. Hold without effort, breathe into the lower belly.
    5–20 min
  • 三
    Lower Ball Hold
    Arms lower, holding a ball at waist level. Attention on the lower dantian, two inches below navel.
    5–10 min
  • 四
    Closing Sequence
    Lower arms slowly to dantian. Place one hand over the other. Three deep slow breaths. Stand quietly before moving.
    3 breaths
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Breathing Methods

調息
Natural Abdominal Breathing
腹式呼吸
  • Hand on lower belly
  • Inhale — belly expands outward
  • Exhale — belly falls naturally
  • Chest remains still throughout
  • No force; pure natural rhythm
Reverse Abdominal Breathing
逆腹式呼吸
  • Inhale — belly draws gently inward
  • Perineum lifts slightly
  • Exhale — belly releases outward
  • Used in martial and healing arts
  • Builds internal pressure and qi
Four-Count Box Breath
方形呼吸
  • Inhale for 4 counts
  • Hold for 4 counts
  • Exhale for 4 counts
  • Hold empty for 4 counts
  • Calms the nervous system rapidly
Six Healing Sounds
六字訣
  • XU — Liver
  • HE — Heart
  • HU — Spleen
  • SI — Lungs
  • CHUI — Kidneys
  • XI — Triple warmer
Long Exhale Breathing
長呼氣
  • Inhale naturally (4–5 counts)
  • Exhale slowly and completely
  • Exhale twice as long as inhale
  • Activates parasympathetic response
  • Ideal for evening practice
Dantian Breathing
丹田呼吸
  • Awareness on lower dantian
  • Breathe into this centre
  • Feel warmth accumulate there
  • Used in standing meditation
  • Foundation of all internal work
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Core Principles

原則
Qi — Vital Energy
氣
The fundamental life force that flows through all living things. Qigong cultivates, refines, and circulates qi through the meridian network.
Yin & Yang Balance
陰陽
All phenomena contain complementary opposites. Practice cultivates the dynamic balance between stillness and movement.
Three Dantians
三丹田
Lower (below navel), Middle (heart), Upper (third eye). Most practice focuses on the lower dantian as the root reservoir.
Softness Over Force
柔
Tension blocks qi flow. Movement should feel effortless, unhurried. The mind leads qi, and qi leads the body.
Song — Sung Relaxation
鬆
Alert softness: joints open, muscles soft, spine lifted. The prerequisite for all internal work.
Yi — Intention
意
Where the mind goes, qi follows. The quality of attention determines the quality of the work.
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Taoist Foundations

道家
Qigong is not merely exercise — it is an embodied practice of Taoist philosophy. Each movement is an inquiry into the nature of energy, emptiness, and the relationship between the practitioner and the ten thousand things.
道
Tao — The Way
The undifferentiated ground of all being. Qigong practice does not seek to control or achieve but to align with what is already flowing.
無
Wu Wei — Non-Forcing
Action that arises naturally, without effort or agenda. Do not grip the forms. Do not chase results. Allow the body's intelligence to move through you.
虛
Xu — Emptiness
Emptiness is not absence but potential. The empty bowl is useful precisely because it is empty.
自
Ziran — Naturalness
Being as one naturally is. Qigong practice is in part a return to the body's native intelligence.
靜
Jing — Stillness
Stillness is not the absence of movement but its source. The deepest practice is often the one in which nothing visible happens.
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