Basically the taiji qigong exercise known as “Regulating the Energy” is about learning to rise (Sheng) and sink (Chen) the Qi within the body as the practitioner slowly and gently performs the exercise. It is important that the practitioner smoothly connects the five components of the body together, the legs, torso, arms, breathing and concentration to actively promote the circulation of the blood, Qi and lymph fluid around the entire body to strengthen the health and wellbeing.
The rising (Sheng) of the body is performed with a slow, deep and long inhale through the nose, the both arms slowly rise upwards in front of the body and slightly above the head, trying to keep the both shoulders from raising upwards. As the both arms and body slowly rise the practitioner should begin to experience a warming sensation of heat rising upwards through the body. Or maybe they might experience a pressure slowly coming up, as one teacher of mine once mentioned, think of a lift, slowly rising upwards from the ground until it reaches the top floor, the top of your chest.
The lowering or sinking (Chen) of the Qi through the entire body, should start in the legs, with the ankles, knees and hips slowly sinking downwards, which then pulls the torso and the torso pulls the arms downwards smoothly as one complete unit. The practitioner performs a slow, long exhale of the breath out through the nose, timing the movements with their breathing. As the both arms separate to both sides of the body from above the head, the both arms entry extend outwards keeping the elbows slightly bent. The fingers gently extend guiding & leading the Qi to the extremities. Here the practitioner should feel their bodyweight increase into the legs as they slowly lower their body downwards, making them feel a heavy weight descending slowly down through the body.
At first the practitioner may not have any sensation of their Qi rising (Sheng) or sinking (Chen) through their body. It can take several weeks and months of regular practice before a practitioner can begin to feel the movement of their Qi inside themselves move. Usually individuals will experience the sensations of warmth, heat, tingling, coolness or fullness within their extremities, but not so much within the torso. As it can take a long time before the individual can become relaxed and still enough physically and mentally to feel the Qi rising and sinking through the torso as they perform the “Regulating the Energy” taiji qigong exercise.
LFIAA Under Technical Director Keith Ewers 