Clinical medicine raises a profound moral issue. Medical philosophies as well as the spiritual philosophies of Daoism and Buddhism invite the practitioner to very high ground regarding values and respect for the evolutionary process of all persons. Not every person who has the skill to use Qi emission also has the spiritual maturity and judgment to use it for highest good. The ego, for better and for worse, can become involved. It is always reasonable, in conjunction with treatment to inform and empower people to more efficiently care for their own wellbeing.

A Qi-oriented practitioner, who is doing healing work without teaching clients to access their own Qi, may be leaving out the most important aspect of the clinical relationship – fostering personal health responsibility. Qigong is designed to give each person an open channel to universal resource that is free and pervasive. Healing work, even by trained professionals, falls short of its highest calling when the healer neglects to encourage the health seeker to learn and practice self-care methods and develop a personal universal connection.

Often the person who seeks healing deludes himself or herself with the belief that the essence of healing lies outside of oneself. This invalidates the profound possibility for self-healing and self-reliance that is promised in Chinese Medicine and Qigong. I will always remember a woman, who accompanied our group on a trip to China. As soon as we left China she said, "I really must start saving my money to go back and get healings from the Qi master." The physician at the regional hospital who had given her a Qigong healing treatment had stated very clearly, "When we do this work I am not actually healing you; I am assisting you to heal yourself. My work is to support you in maximizing your Qi." She experienced significant relief and was very impressed.

The doctor explained that she should use a few simple health promotion methods that he described. “With my assistance you have opened up to what is already there.” As my hands are moving before you and around you, I am assisting you in coordinating your Qi field – finding the areas of discord and helping to bring them into harmony. I am reaching into your channels and organs with Qi guided by mind intention to remind you of what you can do for yourself. I am particularly interested in helping you to find the underlying emotions that deplete or stagnate your self-healing capacity. When you sigh or weep, it is an important release of withheld or toxic Qi. The most profound medicine does not come from the doctor. It comes from the universe, and every human being has direct access to it--personally."

Some people who use Qigong healing methods leave their clients with the impression that the healing comes from the healer, often for a significant fee. When we disrespect an individual by administering a healing process that is not acknowledged as complementary to self-care, it is not so different than those in conventional medical fields who put forth the idea that patients must take medications or receive treatments to be healthy. 

Personal Qi cultivation empowers the body, mind and spirit. Mind-Body Energetics as part of a clinical protocol assists an individual in both experiencing the inner healing resources of Qi, and becoming inspired to personal cultivation.

Personal Cultivation Is the Key – The Three Intentful Corrections

You can begin right away to experience your inner resources for healing and peace of mind. The Three Intentful Corrections, a foundation practice common to all forms of Qigong and Tai Chi, is a beautiful form of Qigong, that can be completed in about fifteen seconds ... and can be done standing, sitting, or lying down. One of my favorite teachers, Master Zhu Hui from Tian Tai Mountain in eastern China told me, “A person who makes wise use of the Three Intentional Corrections a few times a day will resolve their pains, cure their diseases, and achieve longevity.”

First Intentful Correction — Adjust and regulate your body posture or movement.

Sit or stand fully upright, or lie outstretched. Visualize a connection lifting the top of your head into the heavens lengthening your spine. Next visualize a connection from your sacrum to the center of the earth. The upward lift and downward pull opens the center of the body and fills the body with Qi. Adjusting your posture optimizes the inner flow of blood and lymph in your body.

Second Intentful Correction — Adjust and deepen your breath.

The breath is the most powerful tool for gathering Qi and is the easiest to practice. Inhale slowly through your nose, and hold your breath for a count of one, one thousand; two, one thousand; three, one thousand. Allow your breaths to be deep, slow and relaxed, but not urgent. On the exhalation, relax even more. With your patients, encourage them to breathe deeply during their acupuncture session.

Third Intentful Correction — Clear your mind.

A Qigong proverb states, “When the mind is distracted the Qi scatters.” Briefly, or for as long as you wish, focus your mind on something simple like clouds drifting across the sky, a prairie of grass in the breeze, water moving in a river or waves against the shore. Smile gently. Relaxation cannot occur without the willingness of the mind. The essential point of the Third Intentful Correction is to hold the focus on something that does not produce stress or resistance in your body with an attitude of mindfulness, or awareness of the present moment.

Use the Three Intentful Corrections throughout your day. This simple Qigong practice takes only moments and can be applied throughout your day—whether you are caught in a traffic jam, between patients, or sitting in a business meeting or classroom. Be inventive in the ways you remind yourself to do this practice and share this with your patients.

Remember that personal cultivation is the key when practicing.

Align the Body.

Adjust the Breath.

Clear Your Mind.

This is an original article by Roger Jahnke, OMD