When adapting Qigong as an integral part of your daily routine, you should follow the traditional guidelines formulated by the ancient Chinese masters, based on thousands of years of experience. Observing these rules will accelerate your progress and help avoid pitfalls along the way.:
- Do not take up the practice of qigong with any preconceived notions or grand expectations regarding results. Simply follow instructions and practise diligently, keeping your mind open and aware.
- Do not permit your mind to get distracted by external phenomena or peculiar sensations while practising qigong, Remain peripherally aware of your surroundings and sensations, but focus attention primarily on the form and content of the exercises you are practising.
- Try to keep your mind clear of discursive thoughts and avoid the mental rambling of internal dialogue.
- When feeling ill or fatigued, practise gently and slowly, without excessive exertion, and stop to rest when you get tired.
- Avoid exposure to winds when practising. Qigong opens the pores and energy channels, so it is easy to contract 'wind injury' in strong cold Wind conditions. Wind also has a tendency to scatter qi during qigong practice. For the same reason, it's best not to bathe for at least twenty minutes after practice, until the pores close.
- Remove watches, bracelets, and any other binding objects from the limbs, and loosen belts and buttons, especially around the waist. Even the slightest pressure against the skin can inhibit abdominal breathing and obstruct energy flow.
- Do not practise qigong or meditation during heavy thunderstorms, lightning, hurricanes, and so forth. Violent, unstable qi can enter your system in such weather conditions and severely upset your energy balance.
- Do not try to rush ahead of your own level in practice. Be patient and advance step by step along the path. Practise all exercises as correctly as possible, and do not proceed to a higher level until you feel you have mastered the techniques you're working with first.
- Always commence practice with a calm mind. Do not bring problems at work, home, or school into a practice session. It is impossible to relax the body unless your mind is clear and calm.
- Always swallow the clear sweet saliva secreted from the glands below the tongue during practice. Known as 'medicinal brew' or 'sweet dew', this secretion is highly beneficial to the stomach and is also regarded as an immune factor in traditional Chinese medicine. Spit out any phlegm coughed up from the lungs or drawn down from the sinuses, but do so gently. Hard, forced spitting during practice scatters qi.
- Remain confident in your practice, and do not permit doubts and impatience to undermine your determination to persist in your practice. 'Practice makes perfect` applies to qigong as well as any other skill.
- Regulate your diet properly in order to provide the best possible fuel for the essence-to-energy conversion of internal alchemy. Especially avoid refined sugar and starch, deep-fried foods, dairy products, and pork. Eat plenty of fresh fruit, vegetables, and whole-grain products.
- Do not commence practice if you are emotionally upset, and do not get emotionally upset during or immediately after practice. Emotional outbursts scatter energy, and if this happens during qigong practice, it can be quite harmful.
- Do not practice on a full stomach. It's best to wait about two hours after a full meal and at least one hour after a light meal before commencing a practice session.
- Try not to urinate immediately after qigong practice, try to wait a while to allow qi accumulated during practice to be absorbed, otherwise the qi will be dissipated unnecessarily.
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