Many people function in a stressed state, some people can even thrive in it. But chronic stress and anxiety are a different ball game. Both anxiety and stress have a biological impact on the nervous system, which includes the heart, kidneys, liver and spleen.  This can lead to serious issues like insomnia, nervous disorders, digestive issues and panic attacks. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, anxiety is understood as disturbance of the heart spirit (Shen).

Anxiety is an intense level of stress that is embodied fear. My new DVD, Qigong Flow for Anxiety Relief, is a series of classic qigong movements designed to transform stress and anxiety back into vitality when you need it most.  The sequence uses sound and breath with tension and releases exercises to clear pent up emotional tension on both the physical and energetic levels. The routine focus on gentle flowing movements to smooth the qi and reharmonize the nervous system to a state of relaxation and inner peace.

What are Emotions?

One of the greatest contributions of Traditional Chinese Medicine is the understanding that the state of our health is linked to the state of our emotions. We intuitively know that stress, anger, worry, grief, and fear have a direct effect on our body and our perception of life. For example, fear-based emotions stimulate the release of one set of chemicals while love-based emotions release a different set of chemicals. To achieve harmony and wellbeing, a fundamental aspect of qigong training is to transform negative emotions into positive virtues.

One of the most powerful methods is through sound. In my new DVD, The Six Healing Sounds, (Liu Qi Fa 六氣法), combines the power of sound, intention, and posture to clear out old emotions and cultivate virtues. The method is a purging technique that combines breath, posture, sound and intention to clear the body of stress and create long lasting transformations.

Qigong views the world through the language of energy. Emotions are a frequency, and they are stored in the energy field as an energetic charge. Since like attracts like, fear-based emotions attract fear-based energies, while love attracts love-based energies. Over time, the accumulation of too many negative emotions creates a low vibration frequency in our magnetic field. Qigong works through this energetic level of our being to transform your frequency into your highest potential. The truth is you are already perfect. The Six Healing Sounds practice is designed to help you let go of what is blocking the way to your true nature.

Practice

The Six Healing Sounds practice can be done any time of day and is great to use as a purging method before other qigong or Neigong practices. It is also recommended to practice in the evening before you go to bed to clear out energy that may have accumulated throughout the day and to promote a good night's sleep.

In this DVD, there are two routine options: a short form and a long form. The long form incorporates eye movements to help release distressing memories and beliefs. The method of The Six Healing Sounds is a purging and regulating formula that is practiced in this order:

  • Combine the sound, posture and intention to clear out the negative emotion
  • Recycle negative energy into mother earth
  • Spiral the hands over the target organ
  • Visualize colored light to infuse the organ with healing energy
  • Smile and activate the virtue of the organ

Basic Qigong Guidelines

There are basic qigong guidelines that will help you with your practice. And remember to trust in the natural intelligence of your body.

  • Wait at least one hour after eating to practice qigong or any exercise
  • Practice qigong on a warm surface barefoot or in flat training shoes
  • Sit down or take a break if necessary
  • Keep your eyes relaxed and open, unless directed to close them
  • Use 70 percent effort so that you move with intention rather than force
  • The breath is abdominal unless otherwise directed

Some Daoist History

Long ago the Daoists observed that humans and animals instinctively make sounds to express and release different emotions in different situations. They discovered that certain frequencies of sound produce pulses of electromagnetic currents that connect to specific glands, organs, and tissues in the body.

Sounds may be used to heal the liver, stimulate the heart, balance the adrenals, activate digestion, and even lower blood pressure. While the use of sound detoxifies the organs, the visualization of colors infuses healthy energy into the organs. This combination of sound and color visualization creates a vibration in areas of the body where long held stress, toxins, emotions and stagnation can be transformed back into vitality.

The Six Healing Sounds method (Liu Qi Fa 六氣法) dates back to the AD fourth century. The practice is recorded in the Record of Longevity and Nourishing Life (Yang Sheng Ming Lu) by Tao Hong. Today there are many applications and interpretations of the sounds.

The above is an original article by Marisa Cranfill.  Both DVDs, Qigong Flow for Anxiety Relief, YMAA Publication Center, ISBN: 9781594397769 and The Six Healing Sounds, (Liu Qi Fa 六氣法) ISBN: 9781594396984, YMAA Publication Center, will be available August 2020.