What is the best way to learn Qi Gong
Ancient master
Learning Qi Gong in general follows a certain pattern. It will start by learning the body movements, the connected breathing, supported by a mental focus. After practice, practice and more practice slowly you will start to feel your energy in a more consistent way; your first real feeling of Qi. Then you can start to grasp the concept of Qi little by little; what is it and how it affects you and others. This is the old way of learning Qi Gong. You can even call it the ancient way where the adapt trusts and follows his teacher. He will follow his master and in time will be given the knowledge, wisdom and ability to work with energy. If he is a good student he will slowly grow into mastering energy in the same way as his master can. Difficult to say how long it will take, but we are talking many years here for sure.
Learning has changed.
This is not a model that fits into modern life anymore. No matter how attractive and romantic it may seem. Times have changed, the way of getting information has changed, the way of thinking and therefor the way of learning things. If within a circle, one thing changes, everything else in that circle will change simultaneously. This being said in another way: ‘you cannot change anything if don’t change everything.’
Secret knowledge
When it comes to Qi Gong, these changes are held back. For whatever reason, most teachers still use the old way of teaching their students. Some even try to hide the fundamentals of their knowledge. To me this has always felt strange. Like they are afraid that somebody can steal their secrets and pass them on as their own. Like they are afraid that they, themselves become less interesting. But here we are not talking about an individual ownership. We are talking about a knowledge that should be available to all people. It can help for a better understanding, not only of yourself, but also of each other. Therefor it can help to heal the world. So let’s put all ego’s to the side.
Start teaching from the inside out.
I call upon all teachers; If you grasp the concept of Qi; its workings, its core and its place in the universe. Then turn this knowledge inside out and start teaching from within. Start with the core and give your students immediate results. Motivate them in this way, so they will pick up the challenge and go on their individual quest. I always taught like this, and although not everybody did, some picked up the challenge and went their own way. It never occurred to me to keep them attached to me, to keep them following me.
Modern people
Teaching always brought me more if somebody challenged me; to give answers, to show the complete concept. The ones who really want to learn Qi Gong today are the ones who want to improve themselves, want to learn about their abilities and know there is more to discover in life than the material world. They are modern people which mean they can think for themselves, they can analyze information and put it in the right perspective. They are familiar with teaching methods that start at a base and build up from there.
Followers will never change a thing
If you follow, you will never change a thing, because you just copy and repeat. But the world needs changing. That is why Qi Gong today also should be taught in reverse order compared to the centuries-old traditional methods of teaching. Instead of slowly working towards an understanding of the essentials, you start immediately with the core elements and build your way up from there. In this way Qi Gong immediately will be effective. In this way Qi Gong becomes an individual experience. There are no boundaries, no mirroring to average accepted values. It can become your own way, because if you start at the base, you control the elements that you want to add. In this way you can grow further; following yourself