Video: QiGong For Emotional Release

By Courtney Alex Aldor

One of my favorite things about QiGong is that it works on the physical level, emotional level, and spiritual level (ideas, thoughts, beliefs) all at once. In this practice, we’ll work on releasing emotional energy. This can either be energy of emotions from the present or energy that has gotten stuck in our fields over the years as a result of not expressing our emotions fully in the moment they arise. For instance, it’s frowned upon to express anger or jealousy, therefore many of us hold back these emotions, feeling some sort of shame for having them. As a result, we hold them in our energetic fields until we allow them to move…like we do in this practice! Another reason I love this model of emotional energy is because it gives us the opportunity to consciously work to experience both sides of various emotions in a loving and accepting way. It gives us permission to feel our emotions in a healthy way. This particular Chinese model of emotional energy provides a simple picture of how every negative emotion can have a positive polar opposite - a yin and yang that bring about harmony when brought together. This helps remind me that there’s nothing wrong with experiencing sadness, as it will eventually lead me to have more courage.

The practice itself is quite easy to carry out. I try to do it every day; even if it is only for 20 seconds, it has a profound impact on my emotions. I find that they pass quicker, like clouds, and they don’t feel as heavy when they come because I know what to do with them.

In this particular Chinese model (see diagram below), each sound is connected to an organ system, an element in nature, and an emotion. This allows us to give love and respect to each layer of what sustains our body and mind. So, we’re simply going to shake our bodies through sound (to work our emotional layer) and visualization (to work our spiritual layer). Each sound also refers to a season, a color, and a type of experience…for ease of visualization. You don’t have to use all of them; you can choose one thing to visualize while shaking and making sound.

Typically, we start with the metal element because it relates to Fall - or, releasing - and finishes at our center. When you’re done, recharge each system with its corresponding color of energy and the emotion you’d like to feel. I find calling up a memory is something like giving gratitude and reinforcing what we want to experience. For example, when I charge my liver, I think of a time when healthy anger helped me realize where my boundaries were, and when I charge my heart, I think of a time I felt love. It’s super simple!

DIAGRAM:

Organ System.——Element——‘Negative’ Emotion——‘Positive’ Emotion ——Season——Color ——Sound

Lungs/Skin——Metal——Grief, Sadness——Courage, Healthy Boundaries, the ability to transform energy by letting go——Fall——Gleaming Bright White——Ssss…

Kidney/Bladder——Water——Fear——Safety, Vitality, Wisdom——Winter——Ocean Blue——Choooo…

Liver/Gallbladder——Wood——Frustration, Anger——Healthy Anger That Fuels Our Passion——Spring——New Grass Green——Shhhh…

Heart/Pericardium——Fire——Hatred, Resentment, Jealousy——Passion, Compassion & Self-Compassion, Love, Connection——Summer——Fire-Engine Red——Haaaaa…

Spleen/Stomach——Earth——Worry, Anxiety——Groundedness, Centeredness, Abundance, Trust & Self Trust——The restful period between Summer and Fall ——Sunny Yellow——Whoooa…