The origins of present-day Qigong go very far back in time. I was taught that its earliest Shamanic roots were “shrouded in mystery,” and so that is all I ever shared on the subject. Recently, however, I came across an image of a seven-thousand-year-old Neolithic ceremonial receptacle, excavated in China in 1975. Attributed to the Majiayao culture, scholars guess that it may have been used in Shamanic practice as a way of entering the trance state. “According to the Lun Yu (Analects of Confucius) to become a shaman required years of cultivation of concentrated and tranquil states.” (Liu, T, ed. 2010. Chinese Medical Qigong. Singing Dragon, London)
Now, as far as I know none of us aspire to become shamans--- or do we? I looked up the definition of Shamanic practice, and found it refers to cultivating a connection to nature and the spiritual dimensions of life, often for the purpose of healing. We play with this interconnectedness in Qigong class each time we use our imaginations to express through movement the qualities of the earth, water, trees, or animals. As we do this, we can feel our perceptions and skills expand. We gradually learn to relax into a broader, friendlier relationship with the healing powers inherent in nature.
If you look closely at this ancient vessel, the figure on it appears to be standing in the classic “embrace the tree” posture. When we practice Zhang Zhuang (standing meditation) we assume this same position: eyes closed, we scan our mind and body for hints of tension, stress, or pain. We then use our breath, imagination, and intention to let go of whatever we’re ready to release, letting it flow down and out of our mind and body, right through our feet into the earth. We allow our bossy and negatively biased mind to relax into the beautiful concept that the earth accepts the negative energy we’ve released, and will transform it the same way a healthy garden transforms compost.
That’s about as natural, interconnected, and spiritual as it gets, in my book. It’s also deeply healing. We’re 21st century shamans, dealing with 21st century demons: anxiety, stress, technology that rules rather than assists, etc. I believe that learning how to cultivate a “concentrated and tranquil state” is exactly the sort of medicine we need.
