“Everything is energy and that’s all there is to it.” - Albert Einstein 

Everything is Energy

Albert Einstein doesn’t mince words with this quote about energy. The universe including our bodies is energy.

The question is, how skillful are we working with our own internal energy and the external energy around us?

I will be the first to admit, I had no clue how to work with my internal energy or what to do with other people’s energy, especially toxic energy.  

We aren’t taught this all important skill as kids, let alone as adults. This has led to a myriad of problems in our world today.

 Feeling Powerless on the Inside

The common denominator is that we feel powerless on the inside, so we try to have power over others through force, whether it’s physical, mental, emotional or spiritual.  It’s a painful reality that has gone on far too long.

The possibility that I see is that we can become skillful at working with our own internal energy through the ancient practice called Qi Gong. I know it’s a weird name, one that most Westerners are unfamiliar with. I had no clue what Qi Gong was up until a couple of years ago. 

Empower Yourself

I am going to do my best to bring this Self-empowering practice into the lives of men. It’s a practice that I came across by accident, literally, after three hard crashes on my gravel bike. It has brought deep healing into my life, not just physically, but mentally, emotionally and spiritually.

Qi means energy and Gong means skill. It’s the skill of working with energy both internal and external.  Qi Gong is a form of inner martial arts developed by the Chinese over 4000 years ago that aligns breath, movement and awareness.

I became a Holden Certified Qi Gong Instructor so I could impart this wisdom and practice with others, particularly men.

Qi Gong is the art and science of refining and cultivating our internal energy.  

Transform Out of Control Energy to Controlled Inner Power

I hear this from the men and something I have experienced many times in my own life. 

Our energy feels out of control whether from feeling overly stressed, from anxiety, past regret and most often times trying to fill our inner emptiness with something outside of ourselves. 

We are energetically needy trying to get energy from someone else. Most often we go to a woman to get our energy tank filled up from a place of desperation and neediness and the woman feels the pressure to make us feel whole and validated, an impossible task.  

Instead of simply sharing our own unique expression of energy with others from a place of wholeness and Self-fulfillment, we go to others to tell us who we are from a place of feeling powerless and unworthy needing someone outside of ourselves to validate us. 

Become a Master of Your Energy

That is where the practice of Qi Gong comes in. It’s a practice that teaches us how to cultivate our inner power and inner strength. We find the power within ourselves becoming skillful of managing both negative and positive emotions. 

The practice teaches how to transform stress into vitality, how to balance our feminine and masculine energies known as yin and yang in the world of Chinese Medicine and Qi Gong. 

It is also a powerful practice that helps us to work with our energy in a skillful way that doesn’t cause harm to ourselves or others. 

There are approximately 3000 forms of Qi Gong. In my practice, I primarily focus on five forms of Qi Gong described below. 

Microcosmic Orbit

The Microcosmic Orbit practice teaches you how to consciously circulate your Qi throughout a circular energy channel in your body. It helps to full integrate the energy of your mind, emotions, spirit and physical body so you can experience more energy and get an all natural vitality boost in every area of your life. 

Three Treasures

The Three Treasures teaches you how to work with core energies within your body. Specifically, it helps you cultivate and integrate the energies of your physical body, emotional center, and spiritual consciousness. This practice will help you tap into the power of the Three Treasures within you.

Five Elements

The Five Elements practice is one of the foundational forms of Qi Gong. In Chinese Medicine and Qi Gong, the Five Elements refer to five essential energies within your body and nature. These include Metal, Water, Wood, Fire and Earth. In order to experience health and vitality, it’s important that these Elements are strong and balanced within you.

Tao Yin

Tao Yin focuses on opening energy meridians so Qi can flow more freely throughout your body, which is an important part of your health and vitality. Tao Yin practice includes stretching exercises, making it a great practice for cultivating flexibility in your body and your mind. 

Iron Shirt

Iron Shirt is a martial form of Qi Gong developed in Shaolin temples. Originally, soldiers used it to cultivate power to help them in battle. Iron shirt practices focus on strengthening your internal energy and “packing” it in your organs.

The Iron Shirt practice offers many benefits for modern life. For your physical body, Iron Shirt can help strengthen your muscles, ligaments and tendons. Not only does this help you enjoy greater physical mobility, but it also helps prevent injuries. Iron Shirt practices can also help boost your overall energy levels and sense of vitality. 

Plus, who doesn’t want to wear an Iron Shirt metaphorically? That is the power of this practice and Qi Gong. It empowers us to cultivate our inner power, not needing to look for power outside of ourselves because we have learned the art and science how to work with our own internal energy.

Try Something New that is Ancient 

I invite you to try something new that is steeped in ancient tradition. I am challenging men to dare to dream again being courageous souls, pure of heart, rebelling against how the world defines success. True success only comes when we are masters of our own internal energy balanced and harmonized with external energy. 

“Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom. Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power.” -Lao Tzu

Let’s become masters of ourselves through self-discipline, Self-fulfillment and Self-realization, finding inner power and strength within bringing our deep inner peace to the world.