Qi - how it works and how it doesn't

Zhineng Qigong is a qigong method.

Astonished I once witnessed
how an archer's exercise was taught.

The practitioners were told to take a posture
as if an archer draws his bow.
Then you should imagine that qi flows.

It was a static posture that I saw.
I am sure that none of the practitioners
had qi flowing.

Qi is not only life energy or power of life
but also a mental power.

What does it mean for this exercise.
In the archer's posture you have to use your mind
to relax mentally, to become quiet,
to relax the muscle tension and then
to activate the qi flow mentally.

You cannot ask this of beginners,
they will certainly have tensions in the posture
and then qi cannot flow.
Totally apart from whether they are able
to activate the qi mentally, that is to let it flow.

This is too complicated.

I could do the exercise with qi flow,
but to do that I would have to practise this exercise.

This is a closed exercise, not an open one,
it does not belong to Zhineng Qigong,
so I will not practise it.


Posted in German by detlef, 
translated into English by dolores