Qigong Relaxation Theory
What is “Relaxation”?
What does it mean to you to relax yourself? I am certainly not talking about laying back on a pool chair while drinking a mojito. (Although that sounds pretty good, too)
When most people think of relaxation it is often just about not doing what they perceive as stressful. This can be physically but also mentally. We've probably all said something like, "I just need to turn my brain off for a while" before or "I just wanna sit on the couch and do nothing."
However, true relaxation goes way beyond that.
It is the major key to a successful Qigong practice.
Only when your are relaxed will all your Qi channels be open. So let's take a quick look and compare our idea of relaxation with the Qigong theory. Naturally, you must first relax your mind before your physical body can relax. We've all experienced a restless night before in which our thoughts have been driving us crazy and causing us to toss and turn and preventing us from sleeping. It was our emotional mind (Xin) which effects our feelings and physical condition of our body. In order to reach a peaceful state you will have to use your wisdom mind (Yi) to control your emotional mind and relax them both. Once you are coordinating your Xin and Yi with your breathing your physical body will relax. This might be easier to understand for the people that have a meditation practice, but generally speaking you use your breath as a tool for relaxation, as a meditation object or as the bridge to connect your body with your mind.
In Qigong practice there are three levels of relaxation. The first level is external, physical and postural relaxation. This rather superficial level involves finding a comfortable stance and avoiding any unnecessary strain. You try to be as self-supported as possible so that your wisdom mind is not busy trying to push you upward in order to maintain an upright position. If you achieve this your mind, body and Qi are beginning to settle. Once you have achieved this superficial level you have to work on the tension that is inside, your muscles and tendons.
In order to do that your meditative mind must be calm and peaceful enough to feel deep into the muscles and tendons. You will be able to feel the Qi and blood flow in and around your muscles and tendons. This level of relaxation will help to open your Qi channels and allows the Qi to sink and accumulate in the lower Dan Tian. (1-3 inches below your belly button and inward)
The final stage is the relaxation which reaches the internal organs, the bone marrow, and every pore in your skin. In order to be relaxed in your internal organs, your wisdom mind must first have reached a very deep level of calmness and peace. Only then will you be able to sense the organs and marrow. Remember, only if you can relax deep into your body will your mind be able to lead the Qi there.
My personal experience
The first time I have reached a state of relaxation beyond the superficial level was during a 10 day-long Vipassana meditation retreat. I was guilty of not following the exact program because the sensations have triggered my curious side and I simply needed to explore how deep things go. However, later I figured out that the approaches are in fact very similar. It is easy to relax to a point at which you're able to feel your heartbeat and pulse. But with practice and concentration you can go deeper and feel the blood flow in your veins, the muscles around your lungs expand and contract and even sense your internal organs.
One of the main reasons for my passion of Qigong is the amount of self-discovery that it offers and it's great benefits that come along with practicing it. Understanding Qigong through personal experience, teaches you so much about yourself and the world we live in. It helps you reconnect with nature and the people around you and gives you tools for spiritual cultivation, developing martial power along with many other techniques for health and longevity.
I think I will post a little exercise to assess your state of relaxation soon. Stay tuned and thanks for reading.
Regards,
Marco
