Written by Nicole Lee, Qigong Devotee, Mentor & Guide
Nicole Lee is an experienced Qigong Teacher, Practitioner and Holistic Health mentor. After delivering thousands of classes and workshops and over a decade of devotion to Qigong, she specialises in training others to share this subtle, yet powerful modality.
When it comes to holistic health practices, Qigong stands out as a popular choice for individuals aiming to improve various aspects of well-being. Its techniques are typically quite gentle, simple and accessible for varying levels of fitness and mobility. The most common reason people turn to Qigong is to enhance their physical health. This ancient Chinese practice, which combines movement, posture, breathwork, presence, and stillness, is renowned for its ability to promote overall well-being.
While physical health is the most common reason people come to Qigong, many individuals choose to practice to experience greater mental clarity. The focused awareness aspect helps to calm the mind, reduce stress, and improve concentration. Qigong can also have a profound impact on the nervous system and one’s ability to emotionally regulate and process feelings and experiences.
Going beyond movement therapy: Understanding the depth of Qigong
Most people think of Qigong as a form of movement therapy, but it’s so much more than that. I was discussing this topic with a student today, and I like to use the analogy of Qigong as a river—a broad, deep, long river with many streams and tributaries. The main river represents the therapeutic movements, such as acupressure, gentle stretches, and rhythmic, flowing dance-like forms. Ultimately, though, when taking a bird's-eye view of Qigong, this main river, although mighty, is only one aspect of a much bigger waterway.
Without a doubt, there are many benefits to reap from practising the techniques and forms of Qigong that call the main riverbed home. My journey in this tradition over the past 11 years has taught me that Qigong is everything we do. To truly evolve oneself and transform on the levels of body, mind, and spirit, we need to go into some of the backwaters!
To understand this properly, it’s necessary to understand the term Qigong. It is derived from two words that were combined by a fellow named Liu Guizhen in 1949 to describe techniques that brought about the integration of body, breath, and mind. Qi means life-force energy, and Gong means skill.
Essentially, Qigong is the skill of balancing life-force energy. It’s the skill of balancing the polarities of Yin and Yang.
Prior to 1949, numerous other terms were used to describe the practices of Qigong. These included Yang Sheng Fa, meaning life-nurturing practices, and Daoyin, meaning leading and guiding practices. Undoubtedly, there were many more terms across the various lineages and family ancestries of China that hold the roots of these ancient techniques.
When we understand that Qigong is the skill of balancing life-force energy, we can appreciate that if we focus only on the movement therapy aspect, we’re not seeing the whole spectrum. We’re not swimming in the entire waterway.
The Daoist keys to longevity: Practices for holistic health
What practices are found in the streams and tributaries, then? Collectively, they’re referred to as the Daoist Keys to Longevity, which involve the study of oneself and how to safeguard one’s Qi.
This collection of practices includes:
A varied, natural-based diet
Gentle to moderate physical exercise
Quieting the body, mind, and breath to unify spirit and heart
Pursuing growth, purpose, and meaningful connections
Developing the Self through contemplation, reflection, and radical self-honesty
Wearing an inner smile and approaching life with humour and grace
Living each day in conscious awareness
Communing with the natural world
It is said that a Daoist master's outward appearance may seem ordinary — Qigong doesn’t give you abs! However, their body possesses surprising strength, tone, flexibility, and endurance, enabling them to frolic through life, never fighting the flow of life or falling out of alignment with their own body.
The truth is, the physical aspect of Qigong—the movements and forms—is the easy part. While essential, it merely requires consistent practice. You can learn a Qigong sequence and practice it anytime, anywhere, or follow along with a video in a watch-and-do style.
Some other practices on the above list require much more effort and dedication; they require stepping outside the norms of modern life and making significant changes to lifestyles and habits.
Qigong for self-development
Developing the Self is the deeper work of inner evolution, a vast stream to wade in. It involves working with our attitudes, thoughts, beliefs, and ideas, as well as our patterns, programs, traumas, and experiences. This type of transformational personal work is often referred to as Shen Gong or Xing; it involves flowing these energies through the body to release stagnation and achieve actualization.
For some people, incorporating simpler aspects of Qigong into their lives can be equally challenging. Communing with the natural world might be difficult if you work in an office environment for eight hours a day. Eating a natural-based diet can be tricky when you’re a mum with three kids to wrangle; sometimes convenience wins out.
However, not everything that makes up the holistic and all-encompassing waterway of Qigong is difficult to do. Wearing an inner smile and approaching life with humour and grace are practices we can all find small moments for.
As we journey through the depths of Qigong, we uncover a profound tapestry of practices that can touch every aspect of our being. From the gentle flow of therapeutic movements to the stillness of inner reflection, Qigong offers a path to holistic well-being unlike any other. It is a practice that nourishes the whole self, guiding us towards a life of balance, harmony, and vitality.
As we navigate the currents of life, Qigong can serve as our steadfast companion, offering refuge and renewal amidst the chaos. Whether it's a moment of quiet communion with nature or a simple smile that lights up our spirit, Qigong reminds us that the path to well-being is woven into the fabric of everyday life.
I invite you to embrace the wisdom of Qigong, not merely as a form of movement therapy, but as a profound journey of self-discovery and transformation.
If you’re keen to dive into the deeper practices of Shen Gong there’s a new fully online program starting soon, more details here.
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Nicole Lee, Qigong Devotee, Mentor & Guide
Nicole Lee is an internationally certified Qigong teacher, with training encompassing both Modern and Classical Qigong styles. Over a span of more than ten years instructing Qigong, she has witnessed the transformative impact of this gentle practice on physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Nicole approaches Qigong with reverence, advocating for a modern and contemporary perspective to make this ancient healing art accessible to those leading busy and demanding lives.
