Qigong Meditation

Laying down meditations were the most popular with my graduate students. They would joke about it, but over the years I recognized the need for these ‘power naps.’ My students were onto something.

The oldest forms of Qigong were said to be these laying down varieties. My finding is that older is often better with this medicine. Some of the deepest insights on acupuncture come from our oldest text, The Inner Classic. There is something very fresh at the source, rather like hiking up to a mountain stream for a drink of water very different than what comes out of a city tap.

This meditation was a widely shared form in the Qigong community in Beijing in the 1980s, and was shared by my teacher, Chen Hui-Xian. It did especially well after lunch breaks on weekend intensive workshops. It is so old that it is not associated with any particular school or teacher. It was taken up by many because it is useful.

Click here for an audio file of a 30-minute laying down meditation to release stress and induce sleep. I recommend this to many of my acupuncture patients for insomnia. If you find this helpful, you are encouraged to make an adjustable donation to support sharing Qigong by clicking here.

There is another laying down meditation from the same source, where one simply breathes in and out of the middle of one’s lower abdomen (lower Dan Tian) for about 36 times. (Breathing in and out counts for 1 breath.) After breathing, one may continue to lay down and drift off for about 10-15 minutes as a meditation. This helps develop one’s Lower Dan Tian energy center. It is good to do while waking up in the morning to transition into the day. Relative to the other meditation form above, this is more tonifying or boosting to one’s Qi.

For both forms, it is perfectly fine to drift off or fall asleep during the meditation.

For extra effect, start both in the following way: Lay on your back and stare with open eyes through the ceiling and into the vast sky. Gather Qi with your mind into the middle of your forehead, and then slowly guide it down the center of your body (Central Channel) into the middle of your lower abdomen (lower Dan Tian), as you simultaneously lower your eyelids and vision. Your eyelids are closed by the time you have looked down into your lower abdomen and gathered your Qi there.