So you might be wondering, “What’s The Void?
The Void is the term used in Qi Gong practice to describe the place beyond the realms that we know. It is the place from which all things come, and all things go.
So in Qi Gong practice, when we are “gathering” qi or energy, we can pull it from the Void, or we can draw from specific energies that are here on Planet Earth such as from a tree, the Pacific Ocean, the creative energy of a musician, an ancestor, a piece of art, a friend or teacher, or any place or entity that inspires or draws us. When we draw on a living person or thing (not the void), we are not “taking” energy from the living being, rather we are generating energy with our love and focus, and the energy is literally entering our field as fuel for use (like lighting fire).
When we draw from the Void, energy from an infinite source is coming to us. When I have an older patient coming for acupuncture, I pull energy from the Void to enter his or her body and field. This way, they can have more energy to enjoy life and continue to share their wisdom without getting so tired, and for their organs and immune systems to function at a high level.
When we have bad energy (a natural metabolic function of living life or from negative patterns), we can send it to the Void to be transformed into positive energy. Anger, frustration, sadness, negative experience– all hold a lot of power and energy. We don’t want them to live too long in our bodies and minds, but we do want the power they hold. With meditation and qi practice, the energy can be sent to the Void to be transformed, and we can draw in new fresh energy.
A lot of our suffering often comes from us caring so much about our loved ones. Ever wonder where this energy comes from? The lifelong energy of giving a damn? Worrying? Wanting things? Inspiration? Excitement? Love? Ever wonder where the energy comes from that makes your heart beat? Or what the physical difference is between a dead human body and a living one in which the heart is beating? It’s a mystery where this all comes from, but in Chinese Medicine, we call it the Void. And we can practice tapping into the Void and charging up what is most meaningful to us.
Oh! I almost forgot. We are talking about allergies. The bottom line about allergies is this: Allergies are a clean up job. That’s a pretty deep statement, and there’s a lot to it, but for now think of them as a storm hit the waterways of your system, and all the debris has to be cleaned up– its overflowing out the nose and face!!
So, here is a qi practice for you to try. You may or may not be experiencing allergy symptoms in this moment, but lie down or relax where you are sitting for a few moments. Elongate the breath, relaxed and long, up and down the spine. On the inhale, gather any debris in your body–in the lymph, blood, feet, heart, head– to the center or to the heart, and on the exhale, send it to the Void. Debris might be allergens in the bloodstream such as cat dander, mucous from overeating, negative emotions or feelings, or simply stress from the day–anything less pure vital qi. Soon I will write about debris, and be more specific about what that is, but It comes from family energy, emotions, and negative feelings about ourselves, and we need to clean the waterways with practice.
Soft long inhale collect, Exhale send to Void to be transformed. Try this for a few minutes and see how you feel.
The thing about Qi practice is that it is a practice. It only works if you actually do it, kind of like exercise, but it really does work! So Lucidia can clean up the physical debris, and you can clean up energetic debris (before it becomes physical) with a simple practice and personal transformational work.
If you’re interested, I’m going to be posting on FB different Qi Practices to learn all different ways to work with Qi and energy in regular life, work, and health. I’m new to FB and Instagram! So I’m learning, but I feel it’s the most important for people to have these simple tools and know how to use them in daily life. See you there!
