You have 3 Sacred Treasures Inside!

Collection: Qi Gong

In Qi Gong practice, we work with a concept called the Three Treasures: Jing (body), Qi (energy), and Shen (consciousness). These treasures always exist within us, waiting to be discovered and nurtured. Let's have a closer look at these three marvels or jewels as they are also called. In a future post I will share more on how these inner treasures correspond with the outer world, but let's start with the basics...

The Body as Foundation

In these fast times, and with the emphasis that western culture places on cognition, it's easy to forget the profound wisdom of our body. Yet this Jing, our physical structure, is the starting point of all our experiences - and the place where we always return. I see the body as our primary gateway to presence. This might be a radical notion, certainly different to spiritual traditions that want to transcend the body, and deny its desires and pain. To me this simple doesn't feel realistic.

Walking through life hand in hand with our body rather than trying to escape it, provides anchoring in the wild oceans of life. Our body is the vessel for our alchemical journey, where we learn to shape-shift and have fun with form, just like kids playing with clay.

I hear you wonder... "that's a nice notion, but what if your body is in pain, or exhausted all the time? What if the body doesn't feel like a safe or pleasant place to hang out?" That's where we invite the awareness of energy, or Qi, so please read on!

Energy Within

As we delve deeper into the body, we encounter the pulsating essence of Qi, the second treasure. This is our vital, animating life force. Like the sap stream of a tree, Qi permeates every fiber of our being. You can't 'touch' it, it can't be explained, yet it makes the difference between life and death. Qi flows in every living creature.

So if you feel particularly challenged in your body, try to focus on your breath. Use your breath as the simplest form of movement alchemy. You can breathe out pain, exhaustion, and old emotions so you can let them go. In that spaciousness you can breathe in relaxation, courage, and inspiration.

Life, like the dance of yin and yang, is a tapestry of light and shadow, joy and sorrow, expansion and contraction. To truly embrace the fullness of our existence, navigating these polarities with as much grace as possible is a wonderful skill to explore. Did you know that Qi Gong literally means the skill or mastery of your life force?

The Light of Consciousness

Let's look at the third treasure, Shen. This is often associated with the mind, but is more than our cognition. Indeed, it is our conscious awareness that observes and integrates our experiences. I like to think of this as a lighthouse, illuminating what is going on, or as the conductor of the symphony of our life. Tune up the bass, quieten down the drums... While thoughts, just like emotions arise without us being able to stop them, we do have a choice what we then do with them. Do we amplify the negative self talk, the relentless inner critic, or do we gently rein it in like an unruly horse. Perhaps you recognise a same pattern and you think, 'hey, this is familiar. I know where this road goes, let's try something else'.

I believe the language of our soul is one of symbols and images, which is why I speak and teach in metaphors a lot. Some images will resonate more with you than others. I encourage you to find your own too.

Opening the Flow: Integration of Body, Heart, and Mind

Qi Gong is all about flowing with life. There is one particular movement called "Opening the Flow," which I integrate in most of my classes. Here too I always use metaphors for transforming the Three Treasures. Here are some.

Imagine water as its solid form, ice. This resembles your physical body. It has structure, shape and form. With warmth generated by movement the ice can melt into liquid. This corresponds with the flowing state of Qi and the emotions. Imagine flowing through, around and over things that you experience in life, with least resistance. Finally, the third transformation to Shen, resembles steam or water damp - a distillation of essence, rising from the surface.

Another metaphor is related to fire. Imagine the candle stick as Jing, your body; the warmth of the flame as Qi and your love and passion for life; and the light as Shen, illuminating the space inside and around.

What do you think?

Please feel free to leave a comment below, what came up for you when reading this article!