Well, this post is not only written for men, provoking a question but a lot about Qi gong practise for everyone.
A turning point has come, the internet as we knew changed drastically lately and as well as people changed drastically lately, wether they are aware of it or not. Qi gong is my main topic here, and only summarize a few changes currently happened around us.
Qi gong a few decades ago in Europe connected more to martial art circles, and majorly men practised it, due the approach risen in martial artists. As well as it was more mystical, and circles were closed, hence people use the little informations as they wished. Remainings of this attitude still alive today, but nothing more than an embarassing relic.
Since than another change, or turn swept through people, as well as yoga become slowly softer, and watered down, pleasing only desire based demands, selling goods and selling images rather than true need for deeper practise, qi gong as well went through this softening. Rather i would say the rider turned around in the horse saddle. When masses of “teachers” serve needs and desires to be able to sell their classes, dynamics will shift. Same for yoga and qi gong.
During this phase qi gong somehow got feminized, meaning 90-95% of qi gong classes dominated by female participants, and amongst general opinion qi gong became women’s hobby. Or at least people see it more that way. I may risk also feminized men searched mainly for local qi gong classes. This is due to the fact mostly we lost the deep search for roots of traditions or authentic reasons for practise.
With the above mentioned turning point, as some topics were also cooking in me for years, and never truely posted about it deeper.
Qi gong practise that is based on authentic nei gong principles and methods are defenitely for men ( and for women too ), but it is neccessary at this point to emphasise it a little more. Due to the tendencies i wrote about above. There are lines of aspects of preparation needed for effective Qi gong practise. Unavoidable, and watering down these practises through masses , due to trends and delusional approaches only makes it unacceptable to many.
Without strength one will never accept that there are mistakes made, cognitive dissonance wont let people accept they were wrong, their beliefs were wrong. Changing is difficult, turning view points around, shed old and transform along.
Qi gong is for men too, it can be demanding and it is not easy, nor physically, neither mentally. Men avoided qi gong due to the common belief it is soft and only for “house wives on saturday”… Long lost it’s deeper meaning and purpose, the search for inner change, strength, core, ability to adapt quicker, resilience and exploration. Softened down to delusional needs instead.
Or the other opposite from men, the belief :it is magic, mystical and can only talk about it through delusional high minded phrases. Inqonsequentual language, no true structure and illusions about its purpose and results. That is the other end, the grounded middle is very rare. The one understands authentic nei gong practise has a lot of preparation of body , ethics, morals, mental work, before even talk about Qi / Energy. Let alone Spirit / Shen, and meditational work. Spice it up with embarassing mixing of chinese medicine slogens, to fill gaps that they dont understand in confusion.
So for men ( as i am a man too, can only speak for them in this particular article ) nei gong practise contains a lot of aspects need to fulfill for their NORMAL functioning. Periods of times of repetitive bodily work out, meditation, concetration, insight, Qi practises and cultivating healthy lifestyle principles
Work out for prolonged time to harvest it’s benefits on body level, adequate strength, flexibility, cardiovascular health, musuclar and hormonal well being is neccessary. It is base! As mystical qi gong knowledge time is over, a lot can be known now and false believes thrown out. Men’s body need to be taken care of in a special way, womens on another way, to gain normalcy, as ground point for effective qi gong.
Seated and standing practises from nei gong and other energetic (Qi) work builds on top of that normalcy, complementing the practise as a whole, with healthy ( normal ) diet and good sleep and rest. Later, if cultivated for prolonged time will balance hormones out, once the physical body is taken care of regularly, as well as personal hygine. Just get tired sometimes but differently!
Deepening qi gong preparation starts here somewhere, and according to nei gong authentic principles Qi gong practise itself can be demanding time wise, requires planning and valuation of time we got in this life. Hence peace of men is valuable, and much as stress. Cultivation is navigating through these two to explore, experience and further understand. Challenge, work, rest, have different types of them and need to be cultivated well.
Coming to nei gong courses, as we talk about Qi gong and we practise , some may will be suprised. And it is due the the common believes that spread out in the last decades as talked about above. Naturally will avoid the difficulties or challenges and the changes it brings into their lives. It is common now to speak soft, and avoid presenting the truth, anticipate others desires and comform to it. I asume these times are over, as the gap grown bigger, it does not matter any more. Current articles will also be understandable to those few, who still – thanks to some grace – willing to search for something meaningful. And wont buy watered down , comforming promises about imagined outcomes.
As strong core muscles are pillars of healthy bodily structures, so as strong mental qualities and moral pillars. And that is where it becomes interesting, when talking about Qi gong and on deeper level nei gong practise. As energy and Qi is not as mystical as many merchants want people to believe, so much so, that strong core need to be build energetically too, numerous things the qi gong world takes as given is non existent and must be build through prolonged consequetive daily practise. As you can see now how on different level it already showed itself the same quality or principle manifest in different forms. The times has gone when it was enough to imagine these or intellectualize about, now men and women has the chance to work through these layers and build the whole of their being. Men especially has the chance to change earlier belief and realize the potential of nei gong practise, that is about internal transformation, build physical, mental and energetic structure.
So to arrive to their main question. Purpose of their life, connection to something higher, and become inspired to live their lives, build they standards and become able to behave accordingly. From normalcy into Qi gong practise.
A linked video format connecting to this topic, in hungarian language: here
