How Visualizations in Qigong Practice Actually Work
9 Cows, Looking Over a Fence, and Swallowing Jade Dew
I have always loved the names given to Qigong forms: Pulling Nine Cows Around by Their Tails, The Old Man Searches for the Reflection of the Moon in the Tide Pool, or more poetic names like The Moon Shining on the Lake. We can think of these names as fun or cute, but in my recent reflections, I have come to realize that they point to a very important aspect of Qigong practice: the embodied essence of the form's purpose, both at the level of the body and at the level of spirit.
Pulling Nine Cows Around by Their Tails, for example, is a form that requires the engagement of the core through the legs and hip flexors, known as the kua system. The full expression of the form can only be activated through the imagination of pulling something. Imagining nine cows running in every direction turns on the core of the body in a way that is far more dynamic and responsive than imagining pulling something static. The nine cows are also a metaphor for the strength and persistence needed to train the mind. The cows represent the mind that continually convinces us to go this way or that, while the form asks us to remain steady. The image of the cow therefore influences not only how I move, but also the deeper intention of the form as mind training. Instructions from people of the past were often given this way…through story and metaphor.
These mythical instructions aren't only used in complete forms. One of my dear teachers was explaining to me the fundamentals of standing posture through the primary "up, down" movement of the main yin and yang channels, the Ren Mai (Sea of Yin) and the Du Mai (Sea of Yang). He told me that the essence of Du Mai energy is a subtle upward stretch, like trying to make yourself taller so you can look over a fence. The essence of Ren Mai energy is the softening of the front of the throat, chest, belly, and down through the feet, like swallowing a drop of dew from a leaf in the early morning, what is often referred to in the texts as “jade dew” - which is a whole rabbit hole in itself.
As I implemented these instructions into my practice, visualizing looking over the fence and swallowing the jade dew, I noticed a shift in my posture, particularly in the placement of my head and neck. I also noticed emotions arising as I felt into the nourishment I was receiving from the jade dew, allowing the front of my body to melt into this way of receiving. I noticed immediately how difficult it was to look over the fence without slipping into my habitual pattern of stretching and straining my neck and jaw- a pattern rooted in fear and unmet needs. As I allowed the jade dew in through my imagination, was able to soften the back of my neck, elongate my spine, and expand my breath. Then, I could look over the fence, extending through my feet and through the strong muscles of my spine, accessing yang from a place of rooted fullness rather than striving and strain. It was a major "aha" moment for me on every level.
All of this came from what we would simply call a “visualization.” But through this experience, I realized these are not just visuals in the way we might imagine a story or a movie in our minds. We are using an image as a tool to evoke an energetic imprint within the body, helping it return to its naturally alive and coherent state. Whether that image is cows, golden light, the reflection of the moon, or jade dew, it invites the body and heart into alignment in a way that a more anatomical cue may not land.
So when you are practicing with a visual that I suggest in class, ask yourself: What is this image asking of my body? What would it be like if this image were an energy my body could try on for the sake of healing, or a new possibility?
