Questions for Beginners
Question # 1:
"I am new to qigong, where should I start?"
 Suggestion: The best time to start is right now! Take a deep breath, filling each cell with healing energy; exhale and release tension and toxins. Take another. Then another. Continue…..
Then look at the free video demostrations of Zhineng Breathing Exercises on www.alqic.com. Videos/DVDs are also available of Zhineng forms (www.chilel.com) and Spring Forest forms (www.springforestqigong.com) that will show you the beginning forms. I also recommend Luke's book, "101 Miracles of Natural Healing" which tells the stories of many different Chinese people of all ages with many different kinds of illnesses and problems. It is an invaluable aid to continued practice. Chunyi's book, "Born A Healer" also has several powerful stories as well as a very understandable description of qigong. When you are able, come to a workshop for the power of group practice and more in depth instruction and feedback. (See Workshops on this web site)
[TOP] Question # 2:
"Will qigong help me with all my health problems: obesity, bad back, weak knees, emotions, and so on?"
 Suggestion: While qigong is not a panacea, solving all problems and imparting immortality, it helps many people with many different problems, with recoveries that seem miraculous sometimes. We are all unique, and what may help one person may not help another. For example, the "Pulling the Tree" form is excellent for some lower back problems. "Lift Chi Up" is wonderful for lung and heart problems. "La Qi" as well as Spring Forest Qigong, Level 1 and 2 can be done by almost anyone, even those in bed or wheelchairs or unable to move at all. Try it, and see what changes come into your life.
[TOP] Question # 3:
"I barely find time to take care of other things in my life, how can I possibly fit in a daily practice?"
 Suggestion: This is a challenge that most of us face. However, some of the results of an overly-busy lifestyle are fragmentation and fatigue (emotional, mental and physical). If you don't have a constantly-renewing source of energy, like water in a well, your well will eventually run dry. Then you become seriously ill, or you look for another source of energy to fill your well, such as a diet change or exercise or a new health care professional--or qigong! Although a minimum of 20-30 minutes of daily practice of qigong is recommended, even 10 minutes will put some water in your well! Qi is accumulative with practice as it "cleans us out" and harmonizes our being; the more we focus (mentally and physically), the faster the clean up job and restoration of our vital energy.
[TOP] Question # 4:
"I have a lot of problems with fatigue and fibromyalgia. I cannot hold my arms up for more than 30 seconds. The "Lift Chi Up" form looks way too hard for me. Would you still recommend I start this qigong?"
 Suggestion: Yes. Do what you can, how you can. If you can do part of the movement, do that. If you can do the movement in a modified way, do that. Or, try a different form: something from Spring Forest Qigong or Zhineng Breathing Exercises. "Just do it!" Even just doing "La Chi" and breathing has cured many people, some of them able to begin only mentally releasing and absorbing qi. When I broke my arm, I couldn't do much of "Lift Chi Up" but I could do some of it, and I could do some of the other forms as well such as “La Chi.” I feel qigong speeded my recovery and definitely kept me going during the long process of healing. Some people with severe illness find Spring Forest Qigong or ZBE easier to practice, and it is wonderfully fulfilling.
[TOP] Question # 5:
"I consider myself quite fit and healthy. Why do I need qigong?" 
Suggestion: I cannot answer this question for you, for the goal and the motivation have to come from you. You might ask yourself why you are on this website! Many people who considered themselves healthy have suddenly contracted serious diseases, or died. Qigong for the "already healthy" is just like any maintenance program: it helps you keep yourself healthy and continually refines that health to deeper and more pervasive levels. It is also the best form of "health insurance." You might be surprised at all the ways you grow in your definition of "healthy"!
[TOP] Question # 6:
"I've tried many different kinds of healing methods, but haven't stuck with any of them for any length of time."
 Suggestion: This seems to be a common problem in our society. We want a "quick fix" that will keep us healthy and motivated over time (and we want someone else to do it!) I tried many different healing methods myself before I finally "came home" to Zhineng and Spring Forest Qigong. There are some effective aids in Chi-Lel™, ZBE and Spring Forest Qigong :
• There are all the DVD/videos and CDs.
• Setting up the qi field before each practice is very powerful.
• Doing a 100 day Gong (100 continuous days of a particular form or movement; if you miss a day, you have to start counting over again!) helps to establish a habit of doing qigong everyday. By 100 days, many people feel the benefits of qigong and continue on their own.
• The online support community helps, too.
• Reading the success stories helps.
• Practicing with a group if available helps.
Qigong helps us change our attitudes about whether we CAN do this, whether we CAN successfully take charge of our own lives, health and well-being. We are worth it. Qigong gives us the skills.
[TOP] Question # 7:
"My problems are more mental and emotional than physical. Can qigong help me?"
 Suggestion: From my own experience, I can say "Absolutely!" For you, you will just have to try it and see. Qigong is absolutely compatible with traditional medicine (in your case, it might be psychotherapy or medications). ZBE, Chi-Lel™, and Spring Forest Qigong are among the safest qigong forms available. However, do check with your health care professional before you start and as you practice, because your medications or your method of treatment may need to be modified. People with diabetes, for example, are sometimes able to completely stop their medication over time.
[TOP] Question # 8:
I have just been given six months to live. I am desperate! Is it too late for me to start qigong?
Suggestion: Unless you are on your deathbed and well into the process of transitioning out of this life (comatose),  it is never too late. While qigong may not help you recover from your illness (and yet, it could, too!), it will help ease your last days, give you a sense of empowerment of your life, and perhaps a lot of insight that will give you a sense of peace. Your caregivers could also do it with you. I remember one man a colleague worked with and his wife said it made his final days so much more peaceful. I saw this happen with my own 96 year old mother who tried Chi Lel ™ a few years ago, but really practiced Spring Forest Qigong with enthusiasm this last year as she was able to do it sitting down, and even lying down in bed. I believe it made her final days more smooth and more important, changed her attitude about her disabilities. Try it. Also read the stories in Luke's book, 101 Miracles. Several of these people had medical doctors tell them to go home and wait for death, and yet they recovered.
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Questions from Ongoing Practice
Question # 9:
"I recently started qigong, but I seem to feel worse rather than better. This is scary and makes me doubt this is the right thing for me."
Suggestion: There are several things that could be happening here.
• Qigong changes the way you have done things for years, and this is your body/mind/spirit protesting the change--the known and "comfortable" and "usual" have a strong attraction!
• Remedy : Sympathize with your body/mind/spirit and reassure yourself that you are at least going to try this. Affirm that this will work for you! And keep practicing! You may want the advice of one of the qigong masters, or your health care professional.
• You may be doing the form "wrong;" for example , doing the Wall Squats, your knees go over your toes, or your lower back is not yet flexible enough to go down as far as you have been trying.
• Remedy :  Study the instructions again, or ask an instructor or fellow practitioner for feedback. Pay attention to how you are doing it, what you are thinking (where is your focus while you do the form?), etc. Often the form "collapses" when the mind wanders or is too focused on a particular outcome. Modify the form to fit your capabilities or try another form (e.g. La Chi instead of Wall Squats or Spring Forest Qigong which generally is not physically challenging) Each form has the power to heal.
• Qi is cleaning you out, and the toxins, both physical and emotional are being released, much as we get colds to clean out the debris in our system. These reactions are called "Qi Reactions." See “Practice Hints/Articles” #9.
• Remedy : These are temporary manifestations and will pass. If they do not pass in a reasonable time, try a different form. If it reassures you, visit your health care professional for suggestions. Read the stories in 101 Miracles; many of the people there had qi reactions. Often, the problem is more that our mind is afraid than that our body is sick! See also the next suggestion:
• You may be trying to do too much (or too little) qigong: a little goes a long way in the beginning for many people; for others, they need a massive dose to jump-start healing. Listen to your body, encourage and invite rather than force the changes.
• Remedy : Try doing less or more. Try a different form. Try a different time of the day. Find a qi partner to practice with. Log on to the discussion forum for some support. Revisit your goals for doing qigong. Are you in this for the long haul? Read the stories in Luke's book, 101 Miracles. Several of these people had adverse reactions.
• You may be too focused on a particular outcome.
• Remedy : Let go. Let the qi do the work. Think: empty mind, healthy body.
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Question # 10:
“I've been doing Lift Chi Up™ daily for 100 days now and still don't feel any qi. Is anything happening?" 
Suggestion: Is there nothing in your life that has changed "for the better?" Do you sleep better? Are you handling stress better? Are you more focused mentally? Has your breathing deepened or slowed? Blood pressure? Cholesterol? Trust? Energy? "Feeling the qi" is a good motivator to continue qigong, but if you see and feel no difference in your daily life, something needs to be changed in your practice. Learn to see "with new eyes." Focus more on releasing (tension, stuck qi, illnesses) and absorbing healing qi and less on what you expect to see or feel. Trust that healing is happening.
[TOP] Question #11:
“I seem to have reached a plateau and have lost most of my motivation. What do I do now?”
 Suggestion: Realize this is very normal, and happens in almost everything we do, particularly exercise programs, and particularly starting something new. See
“Practice Hints/Articles”, #7 g.
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