The first of the 4 secrets of qigong is “eyes.” But what does this mean?
The simplest way to put it is that eyes direct the qi. Of course it isn’t only the eyes, there has to be some awareness and attention behind them as well.
We’ve all had this experience in one way or another. Think about times when you’ve been in a public place and turned, for no obvious reason, only to find someone looking at you. You were able to sense their gaze by its effect on your energy.
I once did an informal experiment to see how true this is. At the time I worked in an office space that faced a busy street with a decent amount of pedestrian traffic. My desk faced a window looking out onto the street.
As people walked by, I’d watch them. There was no specific intention on my part aside from noticing if they somehow would respond to my looking at them. During these experiments I was sitting in a dark room with blinds on the window slightly closed. There wasn’t any way someone outside could physically see me.
The curious thing was that at least half the people walking by would turn and look at the window where I was sitting. Some even stopped and tried to look in.
I know, this isn’t a controlled experiment, but it is interesting.
When practicing qigong movements, the way you apply this secret is this way: as you go through the movements, you keep a soft focus on your hands. This soft focus will amplify the flow of energy inherent in the exercise.
Here’s a quick exercise you can do for yourself to prove how this works:
Stand with your feet slightly apart. While standing, bring your hands up in front of your face with your arms extended in front of you, but with your elbows bent and shoulders relaxed. Your palms should be facing you and your fingertips should point towards one another.
Here’s a picture of your hand position (from your viewpoint):
The trick here is to focus your eyes (remember, soft focus) on one hand and then slowly move your focus to the other hand. If you are relaxed enough, you will feel a shift in the sensations from one hand to the other.
I won’t pretend to know exactly what you’ll feel. Some people feel a kind of pressure on the hand they’re focusing on. Others feel a tingling sensation or warmth. It could be almost anything, but there will be a distinct difference between the hand you’re focusing on and the one you’re not focusing on.
Go ahead, try it!
Next post… the second secret.
Be well,
Dr. Bruce
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