Energy Cultivation Keeps Us Whole and Healthy

​Finding the “qi” to your wellbeing

Most of us come into the world healthy, with our bodies thriving in a state of balance with the world around us. But as we get older strange things begin to happen — we develop chronic pains, physical and emotional illnesses, and a laundry list of conditions that limit our wellbeing. 

It’s common wisdom that to solve a problem in a meaningful way, we need to address the root causes, and not merely the outward symptoms. It’s very curious then that Westernized yoga “therapies” seem to only address symptoms and seek to merely reduce pain. This isn’t health in the true sense, and these aren’t lasting solutions.

Taoist philosophy has seen through these deceptions since the earliest days of recorded history, and developed many disciplines to overcome our barriers to wellbeing. These arts include Taoist practices like SunDo, Qi Gong, and Tai Chi. These arts all have one thing in common: an understanding that energy (qi/chi/ki) and the body’s ability to circulate it are decisive factors in not only maintaining a state of health, but feeling great and enjoying life to the fullest.

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Channeling your qi into practice

Taoist practices direct their breath and focus inwardly on the qi energy system. If the mind is not able to focus on and ultimately direct Qi at will, one's practice is considered to be just an empty shell. Outwardly, it may look great. But inwardly, there is no true connection between the breath, energy within the body and the mind.

Meridians, or the body’s energy pathways, are another important aspect of the qi system. In order to feel not only free of discomfort, but in a true state of balance and wellness, our bodies need to regularly and efficiently send qi energy through the meridians — this is one of the major goals of Taoist arts like SunDo. For example, in a typical SunDo routine, a practitioner will work through three stages of activity that ultimately result in a balanced qi distribution within the body.

• Activating Sequence: A stretch-based warm up phase focused on unblocking energy channels for optimal distribution of qi across the meridians. 
• Building Sequence: Once the body has been warmed up and prepared for qi cultivation, participants practice deep belly breathing to build and store qi in the lower abdomen, also called the "sea of chi."
• ​​Circulating Sequence: Finally, students circulate their built-up qi from the lower abdomen throughout their bodies using a series of energizing stretches, tapping of meridian points and strengthening exercises. 

Being healthy is being whole

We see the seeds of Eastern wisdom buried deep in the language of the Western World. The word “health” comes from the Old English hælþ, which means “wholeness” or “being whole,” and from the Proto-Germanic “hailitho,” also meaning “whole” or “uninjured.” We begin in a state of wholeness. Things are in their truest, most pure form when they are whole, just as living creatures are in their most natural states when they are healthy.

While energy cultivation routines are effective in managing numerous medical issues, their greatest objective is to keep us whole — to give us the ability to enjoy the highest of quality of life. And to that end we say, why wait until you have an ailment to reap the benefits of these transformative tools? Start up an energy balancing discipline now and begin getting the best out of your life.

Learn more about SunDo and our uniquely powerful method of self-energy cultivation.