SHIATSU | TUINA | ACUPUNCTURE AND OTHER
“Live with calmness and emptiness; then the true qi follows.
When the spirit is guarded within, from where could illness arise?” – From classical texts.
“Through daoyin (guiding-stretching) and pressing-manipulation, the qi and blood are enabled to flow freely, and illness can be cured.” – daoyin – 導引
“Whoever wishes to prolong life must practice daoyin, and breathe and refine qi, causing the inner and outer to connect.” – Ge Hong – 4th century
Doctors always were engaging in qi-based cultivation practices.
| Ancient medical practitioners did not always clearly distinguish between physician | healer and cultivator | immortal-seekers.The boundary between medicine, philosophy, longevity practices, and spiritual cultivation was often blurry. |
| The phrase “恬淡虛無, 真氣從之, 精神內守” is often interpreted as advocating for a way of life involving inner calm, preservation/cultivation of true qi (真氣) and guarding spirit | essence (精神) internally — which resonates strongly with the core ideas of qigong/daoyin (breath regulation, internal cultivation). |
For me, in these last two ( bracketed) parts point toward the now well known nei gong system, that I study extensively in practise and theory. Thanks to this methodical learning process, classics about medicine and cultivation both makes more and more sense. As someone mentioned once a nice painted picture of a glass of clear water do not truely quench thirst as a true glass of water in hand. Analogy can be used about text, and philosophy and nei gong practise.
Shiatsu, tuina and acupuncture is strongly rooted in nei gong, in my opinion more than yoga or other self cultivational practises, i would say they are more compatible. Medicine, qi gong , nei gong and nei dan ( alchemical, medtitational ) terms are well mixed up amongst these areas, borrowing, interchanging. The reason is that they have the same root, and during thousands of years millions of practitioners in a huge country like China, practised generations after generations. As you can revisit the bracketed quote, it is very clear, there were times internal cultivation and medicine wasn’t two things.
Hence in my understanding best a therapist can do to deepen their internal cultivation , aka nei gong. Inner calm, cultivation and accumulation of Qi, and guarding Spirit and Essence, are core pillars where, around our journey can start with lifelong studies abut nei gong.
Information and collected knowledge is still not the real thing, nei gong provides the practical tools, that help a therapist explore their inner world, and become a more authentic “doctor”. Those who claim to treat with Qi, classicly known, must be able to find and cultivate Qi in themselves. And this process is very detailed, mapped out in nei gong. From preparation, through stabilization of stages until truely becoming ready to cultivate Qi. During and after this process a doctor will be more likely able to diagnose, treat Qi imbalances in others, by manipulate by touch or inserting needles according to manyfold diagnostic processes, which include pulse taking and other Qi based methods.
First step of a longer term plan in Austria for such therapists and those who look for strong nei gong | qi gong foundations, is our 3, linked events in Graz, see here . In the next three years these series of events will unfold further, and cover theory and practise neccessary for therapists to own to lay down nei gong foundations, and become able to progress though their internal practise for decades. As well as enable them to understand the strong relationships, eliminate “waste”, useless or confusional informations, and focus on neccessary foundamental practise.
Video content in this topic: here
