“Cleaning, Cleansing and collecting energy.”
- Name and Philosophy: This is a very common and fundamental type of Qigong. It’s based on the Daoist concept of the human being as a conduit between the energies of Heaven (Tiaˉn, 天) and Earth (Dıˋ, 地).
- Heaven Energy (Yang Qi): Is seen as light, pure, expansive, and spiritual.
- Earth Energy (Yin Qi): Is seen as grounding, nutritive, stable, and substantial.
- Core Principles:
- Cleaning and Cleansing: The practice involves movements that guide energy through the body in a top-to-bottom and bottom-to-top flow. Typically, you raise your arms to draw pure Heaven Qi down through the crown of your head, washing through your entire body and purging stagnant or “turbid” energy (zhuoˊqıˋ, 浊气) out through the soles of your feet into the Earth.
- Collecting Energy: You then draw nourishing Earth Qi up through the soles of your feet, filling the body with stable, grounding energy. This cycle of cleansing and absorbing purifies your energetic field. The movements are often synchronized with the breath: inhaling to draw in fresh Qi, exhaling to release old Qi. This practice leaves you feeling refreshed, centered, and balanced between the spiritual and physical realms.