Introduction to Qigong by Rebecca Brooks

"Qigong is the art and science of refining and cultivating internal energy." - Ken Cohen

Rebecca Brooks, Qigong and Tai Chi Instructor, discusses the similarities and differences between the two disciplines and how they draw on ancient wisdom from the Far East in supporting health and vitality, in part, through aligning with the elements of the natural world. 

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Qigong is an ancient practice with roots in Daoism, which seeks to find balance in nature by harmonizing the 5 elements of metal, water, wood, fire, and earth. Qigong honors our body, mind, and spirit as a microcosm of nature’s macrocosm. Nature strives to balance the 5 elements. We seek harmony within ourselves. When focusing on the 5 elements during practice we bring health, vitality, and qi/chi into balance as yin and yang meet in the middle
Qi/chi (pronounced ‘chee’) means life’s energy. Gong means practice or method of exercise. Qigong and Tai Chi, which is a form of Qigong, are based on the principle that chi flows through the body enhancing health and a sense of wellbeing. Qigong nourishes body, mind, and spirit though practice of slow continuous movements, known as forms, and controlled breathing. Qigong practice calms the mind and improves strength, flexibility, and balance and can help reduce stress. Qigong forms can flow one into another or stand alone to be practiced through repetition. When I consider the practices of yoga, Qigong, and Tai Chi, I place Qigong between yoga and Tai Chi. It is built on slow continuous movement as is Tai Chi, but the stretches can be deeper and more vigorous like yoga. The structure of a Qigong class is similar to that of a yoga class in that one class does not necessarily build on the previous class, as is the case with Tai Chi. Tai Chi requires memorizing a pre-determined sequence of forms, whereas in Qigong that is not necessarily the case.
In Qigong each element is associated with a season, an emotion, and an organ and meridian system within the body. There are many Qigong practices. The most foundational practice is probably 5 Elements because it lays out the philosophical construct of Qigong. There are many variations of the 5 Elements practice, but the conceptual foundation is consistent. I like to begin 5 Elements with metal because it is associated with the lungs, and therefore we focus on our breath as we begin practice.
Metal is about confidence in yourself and respect for others

• Fall, grief, lungs, large intestines
• Associated with purity, strength, integrity
• Gather: inspiration, strength, courage
• Clear: stagnation, toxicity, uncertainty, timidity

Water focuses on your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing; it is all about you

• Winter, fear, kidneys, urinary tract
• Water is fluid and reflective but also tenacious and powerful 
• Associated with inner tranquility and wisdom
• Gather: confidence, power, knowledge
• Clear: insecurity, fear, inaction, anxiety

Wood is about living life to its fullest; it is about optimism and new beginnings

• Spring, anger, liver, gall bladder
• Trees are strong but flexible; they grow around obstacles
• Associated with kind intentions, purpose, and flexibility 
• Gather: clarity, perspective, resourcefulness, creativity, patience
• Clear: irritation, impatience, frustration, confusion, procrastination 

Fire is the connection to your inner self and the universe 

• Summer, joy, heart, pericardium, triple heater
• Associated with empathy, peace, and warmth 
• Gather: love, compassion, acceptance, kindness
• Clear: indifference, emotional pain, judgement, prejudice

Earth is about caring for yourself and for others

• Late summer but is active through each season, worry, stomach, spleen
• Associated with home and feeling grounded and nourished
• Gather: sense of balance, belonging, safety, fulfillment 
• Clear: insecurity, loneliness, sense of being stuck or disconnected

The 5 elements are interconnected and interdependent 

• Water flows through the earth to nourish wood
• Wood grows from the earth
• Wood reaches toward the sky to absorb the fire of the sun
• Fire of the sun awakens life on earth
• Earth condenses to create metal deep beneath the soil
• Fire melts metal
• Wood feeds fire
• Water cools metal and extinguishes fire
• Earth is active through all seasons and grounds the other elements

As a microcosm of the macrocosm we seek harmony within ourselves as nature strives for balance

• Grief is essential, but too much grief can rob you of joy 
• Healthy fear is protective and helps you make safe decisions, too much fear can paralyze action
• Balanced anger encourages you to stand up for yourself and honor your values, out of balance anger can be destructive or violent
• Joy allows your heart to fill and your essence to grow and flourish, unless it becomes frivolous or shallow
• Worry fosters reflection and thoughtful decisions, but if out of balance it can weigh you down and make you negative or inactive ​​

​Rebecca Brooks grew up in East Tennessee on the edge of the Smoky Mountains. The meditative effect of the mountains and respect for nature and the environment were engrained at an early age. She moved her family to Tuscaloosa to take a position as an audiologist in the Department of Communicative Disorders at the University of Alabama. She began practicing Tai Chi and Qigong in 2015 receiving training through the Tai Chi for Health Institute. Since spending her professional career teaching and training students, extending her practice to teach Tai Chi and Qigong was second nature. Her goal is to increase awareness of Tai Chi and Qigong in the Tuscaloosa community. 

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