The Root of Chinese Qigong. Jwing-Ming Yang

href="#fb3_img_img_99ca600e-4503-5b02-91b5-aa3c7866b1b2.jpg" alt="a233"/>). Wei Qi forms a shield on the surface of the body to protect you from negative outside influences. Wei Qi is also involved in the growth of hair, the repair of skin injuries, and many other functions on the surface of the skin. Wei Qi comes from the Qi channels, and is led through the millions of tiny channels to the surface of the skin. This Qi can even reach beyond the body. When your body is positive (Yang), this Qi is strong, and your pores will be open. When your body is negative (Yin), this Qi is weak, and your pores will close up more to prevent Qi from being lost.

      In the summertime, your body is Yang and your Qi is strong, so your Qi shield will be bigger and extend beyond your physical body, and the pores will be wide open. In the wintertime, your body is relatively Yin (negative), and you must conserve your Qi in order to stay warm and keep pathogens out. The Qi shield is smaller and doesn’t extend out much beyond your skin.

      Wei Qi functions automatically in response to changes in the environment, but it is also influenced significantly by your feelings and emotions. For example, when you feel happy or angry, the Qi shield will be more open than when you are sad.

      In order to keep your body healthy and functioning properly, you must keep the Ying Qi functioning smoothly and, at the same time, keep the Wei Qi strong to protect you from negative outside influences such as the cold. Chinese doctors and Qigong practitioners believe that the key to doing this is through Shen (spirit). Shen is considered to be the headquarters which directs and controls the Qi. Therefore, when you practice Qigong you must understand what your Shen is and know how to raise it. When people are ill and facing death, very often the ones with a strong Shen, which is indicative of a strong will to live, will survive. The people who are apathetic or depressed will generally not last long. A strong will to live raises the Shen, which energizes the body’s Qi and keeps you alive and healthy.

      In order to raise your Shen, you must first nourish your brain with Qi. This Qi energizes the brain so that you can concentrate more effectively. Your mind will then be steady, your will strong, and your Shen raised. Shen will be more thoroughly discussed in a later section.

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      There is another way to categorize the body’s Qi: Fire Qi and Water Qi. As we discussed previously, the Qi generated from the food and air you take in warms the body, and so it is called Fire Qi. This Qi is associated with the emotions. The second type of Qi is called Water Qi. It is also called Original Qi because it is generated from Original Jing. It has its root in the kidneys, and it has a cooling effect on the body. It is associated with Yi and wisdom. As a Qigong practitioner you want Water Qi and Fire Qi to be balanced, so that your body and mind are centered and balanced. It is also said that your Yi should be in the center of your emotions. This way wisdom rules and the emotions are controlled, not suppressed.

      As a Qigong practitioner, in addition to paying attention to the food and air you take in, it is important for you to learn how to generate Water Qi and how to use it more effectively. Water Qi can cool down the Fire Qi and, therefore, slow down the degeneration of the body. Water Qi also helps to calm your mind and keep it centered. This allows you to judge things objectively. During Qigong practice, you will be able to sense your Qi and direct it effectively.

      In order to generate Water Qi and use it efficiently, you must know how and where it is generated. Since Water Qi comes from the conversion of Original Jing, they both have the kidneys for their root. Once Water Qi is generated, it resides in the Lower Dan Tian below your navel. In order to conserve your Water Qi, you must keep your kidneys firm and strong.

       Shen

      It is very difficult to find an English word to exactly express Shen. As in so many other cases, the context determines the translation. Shen can be translated as spirit, god, immortal, soul, mind, divine, and supernatural.

      When you are alive, Shen is the spirit which is directed by your mind. When your mind is not steady it is said “Xin Shen Bu Ning” (), which means “the (emotional) mind and spirit are not peaceful.” The average person can use his emotional mind to energize and stimulate his Shen to a higher state, but at the same time he must restrain his emotional mind with his wisdom mind (Yi). If his Yi can control the Xin, the mind as a whole will be concentrated and the Yi will be able to govern the Shen. When someone’s Shen is excited, however, it is not being controlled by his Yi, so we say, “Shen Zhi Bu Qing” (), which means “the spirit and the will (generated from Yi) are not clear.” In Qigong it is very important for you to train your wisdom Yi to control your emotional Xin effectively. In order to reach this goal, Buddhists and Daoists train themselves to be free of emotions. Only in this way are they able to build a strong Shen which is completely under their control.

      When you are healthy you are able to use your Yi to protect your Shen and keep it at its residence: the Upper Dan Tian. Even when your Shen is energized, it is still controlled. However, when you are very sick or near death, your Yi becomes weak and your Shen will leave its residence and wander around. When you are dead, your Shen separates completely from the physical body. It is then called a “Hun” () or “soul.” Often the term “Shen Hun” () is used, since the Hun originated with the Shen. Sometimes “Shen Hun” is also used to refer to the spirit of a dying person since his spirit is between “Shen” and “Hun.”

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      The Chinese believe that when your Shen reaches a higher and stronger state, you are able to sense and feel more sharply, and your mind is more clever and inspired. The world of living human beings is usually considered a Yang world, and the spiritual world after death is considered a Yin world. It is believed that when your Shen has reached this higher, sensitive state you can transcend your mind’s normal capacity. Ideas beyond your usual grasp can be understood and controlled, and you may develop the ability to sense or even communicate with the Yin world. This supernatural Shen is called “Ling” (). “Ling” is commonly used by the Chinese to describe someone who is sharp, clever, nimble, and able to quickly empathize with people and things. It is believed that when you die this supernatural Shen will not die with your body right away. It is this supernatural Shen (Ling) which still holds your energy together as a “ghost” or “Gui” (). Therefore, a ghost is also called “Ling Gui” () meaning “spiritual ghost” or “Ling Hun” () meaning “spiritual soul.”

      You can see from the above discussion that Ling is the supernatural part of the spirit. It is believed that if this supernatural spiritual soul is strong enough, it will live for a long time after the physical body is dead and have plenty of opportunity to reincarnate. Chinese people believe that if a person has reached the stage of enlightenment or Buddhahood when he is alive, after he dies this supernatural spirit will leave the cycle of reincarnation and live forever. These spirits are called “Shen Ming” (), which means “spiritually enlightened beings,” or simply “Shen” (), which here implies that this spirit has become divine. Normally, if you die and your supernatural spiritual soul is not strong, your spirit has only a short time to search for a new residence in which to be reborn before its energy disperses. In this case, the spirit is called “Gui” (), which means “ghost.”

      Buddhists and Daoists believe that when you are alive you may use your Jing and