Fundamental to Taoist thinking and Qigong practice is the concept that Qi follows the mind intent. It is said that when the mind is confused, the mind intent disperses and becomes unable to focus. When the mind intent is dispersed, the Qi of the body tends to become weak and insubstantial. The corollary of this, as stated in Qigong literature, is that when the Qi sinks to the lower Dan Tien the mind intent becomes strong and focused and the mind becomes tranquil. Qigong theory thus sees these three aspects of the body, the mind, the mind intent and the Qi in a state of mutual equilibrium and support.
 
To insure overall health and well-being it is important to settle the mind and focus the mind intent. The various techniques that are used to do this are not unique to Taoism and Qigong, but the structure that links them together provides a unique insight into how the Chinese perceive the body-mind connection.


There are many different meditation practices that do not involve going into a trance or even sitting still. The practice of qigong involves developing a meditative while standing or sitting in a static posture or even in motion. Spending about half an hour a day in meditation is calming and strengthening. It is advisable to set aside the time each day, and to make sure that you will not be disturbed, Wear comfortable loose clothing and be sure that you are comfortably warm. If you can, practice meditation outside in the fresh air, early in the day; avoid meditating within an hour of eating. Remember, breathing is all-important and harmonizes the flow of Qi.

 

Dan Tien Focus Meditation

The Dan Tien meditation can be performed in any classic static Qigong posture, or when seated comfortably with the back erect and the top of the head level with the floor. I like to do this meditation in the basic Wu Qi posture. Those who take my classes will know this as the “starting position”.
 
Begin the Dan Tien Meditation by adopting the Wu Qi stance – body erect but not stiffly upright, feet shoulder width apart, toes pointed straight forward, legs bent very slightly at the knees. This posture is fundamental to Qigong practice, and there is much to be gained from using it for this simple  Dan Tien meditation.
 
Once you have settled into the basic posture, begin to become aware of your breathing. As you breathe in through your nose, be aware of your abdomen expanding; and as you breathe out, be aware of it contracting. Focus your attention on your lower Dan Tien (the navel center). This area – the Qihai or “Sea of Qi” – is the major reservoir of Qi in the body and links into the main distribution channels.
 
As you breathe in, imagine fresh Qi from the universe entering your body and flowing into the Qihai. On the out-breath, imagine the spent Qi leaving the body and reuniting with the universe, where it will ultimately be renewed. Hold that image for at least ten minutes and be aware of the power of the Qi  you are storing in your body. At the end of the meditation, simply allow your focus to leave the lower Dan Tien and return gently to an awareness of the rest of your body. As with all these meditations, if you cannot manage ten minutes at first, simply meditate as long as you feel comfortable and then gradually increase the time. With practice it is quite possible to stand in this meditative state for half an hour or longer.  
 

The Five Yin Color Meditation 

The aim of this meditation is to cleanse and energize the five major Yin organs of the body and, by association, their five Yang counterparts. The meditation is built around the correspondence of the Five Element sequence and recognizes that each of the Zangfu systems has its own energetic frequency, which can be energized by visualizing the appropriate color.
 
For this meditation adopt a sitting posture – either upright on the edge of a straight seat or setting cross-legged in the classic meditation posture – whichever you feel most comfortable with. Hold your hands in your lap facing upward, with the back of the right hand resting lightly in the palm of the left hand.
 
Begin by allowing your mind to focus on the lower Dan Tien area and coordinate your in-breath and out-breath.  Once you feel quite calm and centered, begin the meditation, begin the meditation on the uppermost Zang organs, the Lungs.
 
Imagine a bright white light entering the lungs on each in-breath. The light is so intense that it cleanses every part of the lungs, promoting the full function of the lung system. It also floods the Large Intestine, the paired Fu organ of the Lungs. Hold the image of the white light flooding in, and on the out-breath imagine you are expelling a dull, stale light that takes with it all your negativity. It also takes any unresolved Grief (the emotion associated with the lungs), which may be blocking your lung function, and gently returns it to the universe. Maintain the image for about five minutes.
 
Continue in exactly the same way for the other four Zangfu systems. In each case, focus on the dominant color of that system and imagine it in the most powerful way that you can. On the out-breath visualize the dull, stale light taking all your negativity and the negative aspect of the characteristic emotion. Work through the Zangfu in the order below

ORGAN                     COLOR                      EMOTION
Lungs                           White                         Grief (large intestine)
 
Heart                             Red                           Joy (small intestine)
 
Spleen                         Yellow                         Pensiveness (stomach)
 
Liver                             Green                         Anger (gall bladder)
 
Kidneys                      Deep Blue                    Fear (bladder)

Once you have been through all five systems, allow your attention to return once again to your lower Dan Tien, and imagine all five colors coursing through your body, from the top of your head through the point that is most immediately “earthed” (which will depend on your posture). Slowly return to the outside world.
 
As in the literally hundreds of other forms of meditation, the object of the Five Yin Color meditation is to work toward a balance between the Qi, the mind, and the mind intent. In that equilibrium comes health.

Qi Flow Meditation 

In this simple meditation you adopt one of the basic Qigong positions and then allow your mind to become aware of the sensation of Qi, wherever it arises in your body. The aim of this meditation is to progress from an awareness of the random and uncontrolled nature of your Qi flow, to an ability to bring it under the control of your mind intent.
 
Adopt the Wu Qi (starting position) posture and hold for a minute or so. Once you have settled, bring your hands up to the level of the upper chest as if you were holding a large beach ball against the chest. Those who take my Qigong class will know this posture as the opening posture of Empty Force Three. The length of time you can hold this posture will depend on practice, but work toward about ten minutes if possible. If you practice daily you can achieve this. Your breathing should be slow and rhythmical, as in the previous “Dan Tien” meditation.
 
After a minute or two you should become conscious of sensations in your body – especially in your arms and the palms of your hands. Be aware of these sensations without focusing on any particular one. After a few minutes of this meditation, focus your mind on an area where you are particularly aware of Qi activity – it may feel warm, tingly, itchy, cold, etc. There are no “right” or “wrong” indications of this activity, so simply be aware of what it feels like for you. As you focus your attention more and more, be aware that you are bringing your mind to bear on the Qi flow smoothly through the meridians, nourishing every part of the body. With every in-breath you are directing the Qi along the meridians, and with every out-breath you are drawing it forward, thus creating a coherent flow between the in-breath (where the Qi flows from the universe into the body) and the out breath (where the stale and spent Qi leaves the body and returns to the universal source).


Allow yourself to maintain this focus for as long as you can, and as you end the meditation and draw your arms back to the Wu Qi position, simply hand over control of the Qi through your body to the perfect mind intent of your higher self. This can be a very energizing and powerful meditation, building on the realization that the Qi flow is the life blood of not only your body but the whole universe as well.