Guiding The Movement of Internal Energy Through Qigong
Baduanjin Qigong Book
We all move and we all breathe; physical movement and breathing are activities common to all human beings. While part of our everyday existence, they are far more than ordinary, and in fact, over two thousand years ago, Taoist sages in China began to employ these activities for uncommon results, developing the foundations of qigong, an internal system of exercise that integrates movement, breath and intention to cultivate qi (sometimes spelled chi), or internal energy, and promote health and longevity.
Through removing blockages and restoring the balance of qi, the positive effects of qigong reads like a panacea for modern ailments: it reduces stress, regulates blood pressure and strengthens immunity, among many other benefits. However, qigong, which translates as “the work of internal energy,” needs proper instruction for the subtle practice to be safe and effective. Eva Wong – Taoist practitioner, scholar and author and translator of fifteen books on Taoism, explains in the introduction to her translation of Cultivating Stillness: A Taoist Manual for Transforming Body and Mind, “Without proper guidance from a qualified teacher, the methods can harm the practitioner.”
How then – with literally hundreds of qigong schools, offering a huge selection of books, CDs, websites, workshops and courses – can the average person gauge the quality of qigong instruction offered? In her lectures, Wong, the nineteenth-generation lineage carrier of Xiantianwujimen Taoism (Pre-celestial Limitless Gate School) and third-generation student of Wang Xiangzhai, founder of Yiquan martial arts and Zhangzhuan (standing qigong), cautions against focusing too closely on the personality of the instructor, even on her, in favor of keeping the attention on the teachings themselves. She likens the consideration of this process to the experience of drinking fine tea: it is better to concentrate on the tea than fixate on the teapot.
The “tea” in this case is the lineages of Xiantianwujimen and Wang Xiangzhai. Xiantianwujimen was founded in the Song dynasty (circa the tenth through the twelfth centuries) by the Taoist sage and hermit, Chen Xiyi, who is recognized as “the father of qigong.” The teachings of this lineage – which specializes in using qigong techniques to build the foundation for sitting meditation – have been passed down for centuries in an unbroken chain of lineage carriers, from founder Chen to the present day.
In the early twentieth century, Wang Xiangzhai founded his Taoist-inspired system of Yiquan, best known for its standing qigong postures called Zhangzhuan, sometimes translated as “post standing,” which are designed to still the mind while simultaneously gathering and circulating internal energy. One of Master Wang’s students was Liuhebafa master Sun Di. Eva Wong is a student of Sun Di and carries the direct transmission of Wang Xiangzhai’s Yiquan.
It’s important to note that Xiantianwujimen is a true Taoist hermit lineage, which has a tradition of non-ego in its teachings that “leave no trace.” It is Wong’s vows as lineage carrier, or quanren, that precludes her in engaging in activities of self-promotion, which is why you won’t see her picture here on this page, on any of her book jackets, nor will you see a direct quote from her accompanying this article.
Wong insists she is not a teacher (she prefers the term “guide”) but simply a conduit for the teachings of the lineage, which, until recently, have never been fully transmitted to students in the West. It was not until 2005 that Wong made a gift of the qigong teachings to Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, the spiritual director and lineage holder of the Shambhala Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Since then, Wong has taught exclusively through Shambhala’s global network of meditation and retreat centers.
Taoist teachings at a Buddhist center might seem incongruous, but not to Wong, who in addition to her Taoist practices is also an advanced practitioner of Tibetan Buddhism, having studied it since she was seven years old.
The Shambhala community has directly benefitted from her teaching. Joel Wachbrit, a co-director of the Los Angeles Shambhala Center, came to qigong with significant back issues, including spinal fusion, scoliosis and chronic pain. Training in qigong with Eva Wong has resulted in transformations that his physical therapist, Linda Langer, did not think were even possible. “To witness this process has been beautiful and amazing,” says Ms. Langer, who was so inspired that she too began studying.
In addition to holding the Taoist lineage of Xiantianwujimen qigong, Wong is a lineage holder of the Hsuan-k’ung (Mysterious Subtleties) school of traditional Chinese feng shui and a practitioner of the San-yuan (Three Periods) and San-ho (Three Combinations) feng shui schools, in addition to writing two books on feng shui. She is also the director of studies at Fung Loy Kok Taoist Temple, which has two branch temples in the United States and four temples in Canada. She has taught graduate-level courses on Taoist and Buddhist philosophy at the University of Denver.
It is better to concentrate on the tea than fixate on the teapot.
Just as she integrates and incorporates different traditions in her own life, Wong strives to promote acceptance among all religions, through the United Religions Initiative (URI), a nonprofit global community committed to promoting enduring, daily interfaith cooperation and to ending religiously motivated violence. Wong has also served on the Interfaith Advisory Council to the governor of Colorado, where she lives with her husband Charles, a graphic designer and master jewelry maker.
As any of Eva Wong’s students will tell you, her lineage tradition of not leaving a trace does not mean she isn’t a unique personality, quick to smile, with a warmth and generosity of spirit that aide the transmission of these teachings without distracting from their powerful effect. Fine tea indeed, these teachings, and rare. But perhaps as rare a teapot that pours so abundantly and without adulteration, distilling without diluting the flavor of the tea inside.
Eva Wong will be teaching a weekend training in qigong, cosponsored by Shambhala Meditation of Los Angeles and the Emperor’s College Professional Graduate School of Traditional Oriental Medicine in Santa Monica. Yun Kim, CEO of the college, is herself a student of the “simple, yet powerful practice” of Eva Wong. “We are very excited to co-sponsor the workshop and in particular to promote it to the acupuncture community,” says Yun. Licensed acupuncturists can earn five CEUs for attending.
The qigong weekend will be held at the Santa Monica Bay Woman’s Club, 1210 Fourth St. (near the corner of 4th and Wilshire), March 13 – 14, 9 A.M. – 6 P.M. Cost $200 for general public, $150 for Shambhala members, seniors, students, and for Emperors College students, faculty, alumni and staff. (Half-price for those repeating this program, full attendance on Saturday is a prerequisite for Sunday.) For more information about Eva Wong’s qigong teachings and to register, go to: la.shambhala.org/qigong.
Javan Wygal is a writer based out of Los Angeles and San Francisco. He lives in Redondo Beach with his wife, Nicole, and his two greatest teachers: his daughters, India and August.
By Javan Wygal
