Disclaimer This article is written for educational purposes only.

It is not offered for the healing of any serious illnesses. If a person is sick he or she must
see a proper professional, in either (or both) western or traditional Chinese medicine.

External Qi for Healing

By John Voigt

For thousands of years the Chinese have fashioned an art and a science of projecting vital life energy to heal illnesses. It was first called Bù qì (布氣)
“Spreading the Qi.” Now it is called “External Qi Healing Therapy,” (Wài qì liáofǎ - 外气疗法). The basic technique has the practitioner emitting Qi [vital
life energy] into the appropriate acupuncture points on the client’s body. There are different methods, but most often the healer emits qi through the fingers
and palms. There is no direct physical contact or touching and the client is fully clothed.

In External Qi Healing (EQH) qi-energy is transmitted by an experience sender to a ill client, thereby regenerating depleted qi, opening blockages in the
meridians, and bringing about the removal of pathological elements (xié qì - 邪气). The cardiovascular, respiratory, lymphatic and nervous systems are all
stimulated and vitalized. This strengthens immunity to diseases, resulting in better health. There is extensive documentation of External Qi curing life
threatening diseases of all kinds. Today, especially in China, EQH may be combined with other Traditional Chinese Medicine methods such as qigong
movements and meditations, acupuncture, acupressure, tuina-massage, moxibustion; even modern psychotherapy, and western medicine.

EQH works best on resolving chronic health problems. However the general belief is that it “cannot help in cases of purely physical damage, such as broken
limbs … and it certainly cannot cure mental-illness.” [Paul Dong, Empty Force, 2006, p. 84.]

How to Do It:
A - The Preliminaries.
The beginning student of EQH should be able to sense qi; and then be able consciously to lead and guide it in his or her body—the common standard being
the “Microcosmic Orbit” (xiǎo zhōu tiān - also translated as “Small Heavenly Circuit”) where the qi is cycled up the back and down the front of the body. It is
also important that the healer be in good physical and mental health. The stronger the qi of the healer, the more effective he or she will be. There are several
qigong exercises that help to accomplish this. “Standing Post” and “Muscle/Tendon Change Classic” are often cited as superior methods to increase and
strengthen a person’s qi. See Zhan Zhuang and Yijin Jing in the Bibliography below.

Learning to Move the Qi. This is one of my favorite qi exercises, loosely adapted from Qigong Empowerment (pgs. 215-217): Stand with loose shoulders,
spine comfortably erect, and breathe smoothly, softly, deeply, and silently. Arms are in a half circle with palms facing. Gently, playfully—but making sure
the hands do not touch—use a push-pull technique squeezing the palms back and forth as if playing a small accordion. Inhale when the hands go out, exhale
when the hands go in. Sense the activity of qi in the palms. When the hands go to the sides then flex open the palms. This will open the Pericardium-8
acupressure points, the laogong. When the hands comes back, relax the palms which will automatically relax the laogong. This should increase the
sensations of the presence of qi. Now without any more “accordion playing” movements, have the arms move back into a “hugging a tree” pose. Continue
breathing gently but firmly into the lower abdomen. Sense the qi in the hands and with mental will and intention have the qi emanate out from your right hand
into your left hand. It helps to make very slight pushing forward movements with the right hand. (It also helps to do a warm-up by flexing both hands and
fingers open and closed, which spreads out the palms, thereby opening the Pc-8’s.) When the sensation of qi has become stronger, and continuing the right-
to-left send, next move the qi up to the left elbow. After success with that maneuver, send qi from right hand palm into left palm and continue up the left arm
into the left shoulder, then across the upper torso into the right shoulder, down the right arm and into the right hand. Continue with this circling of qi for two
to five minutes. Then reverse the direction by send qi out the left hand palm into the right palm, then to the right elbow, right shoulder, then through the upper
torso and shoulder back down the left arm into the left hand. Practice the entire circling for two to five minutes.

Small Circulation: Then send qi from right palm to left palm, then send the qi to the left elbow, then to the upper central chest, then lead the qi to the dantian,
then to the perineum (CV-1) then to the tip of the spine. Then lead the qi up the spine to the head, then down the center line to the chest, then to the sending
arm to the right palm. Then for a moment allow the energy to radiate between the palms. Next do the entire circulation again, but alternate the directions by
beginning sending qi-energy from left palm to right palm.

Grand Circulation: Begin with the same procedure as before: Lead qi from right palm to left palm, then to the left elbow, then chest, then to the dantian, then
to the perineum (CV-1) then to the tip of the spine, then up the spine to the head, then back down to the chest, then dantian, to the perineum, where it divides
into two columns down the both legs to the yǒngquán (Kd-1’s) where it remains for a few seconds, then up the legs, perineum, to spine, to head, back to chest,
down the sending arm to back between the palms. Reverse directions by sending qi from the left palm into the right palm. Continually emit qi from the
sending palm to the receiving palm as you guide and lead the qi in your body.

Once you have built up your personal qi supply and had some experience in leading and guiding it you are ready to proceed to the next step of the process.

B - Diagnosis.
In interviewing the client about their ailments, it is important to spend more time listening than talking. When you actively listen, the client will tell you things
you need to know—for both of you this can take place consciously and unconsciously. Then you will gain more knowledge and intuition on how best to do
this energy work. Which means finding out what is wrong and where to send the qi to correct it.

Here is an intuitive technique to find where to direct the healing energy: Using an open flat hand, scan and spiral around and over the client’s body to sense
the location of any pathogenic disease triggering elements. These pathogenic elements are called xié qì (pronounced something like shay chee. A similar
Chinese term is bìng qì meaning “diseased energy.”) Your scanning should be done in what is called a “Mindful” way: by turning off the thinking mind and
without touching just feel for the afflicted area. The healer—now “reader”—may sense places of excesses (heat) or deficiencies (cold) or turbidness
(befouled); even sensations which could be described as “demonic” such as biting, itching and sticking. It is to these places—be they acupressure points,
energy meridians, organs, or any other part of the client’s physical or energetic body that the EQH practitioner should direct the healing qi .

Here is an even more abstract diagnostic method: Using both eyes and what is called the third eye, allow yourself to gaze into the body of the client—this will
seem both literal and imaginative. But be prepared to possibly witness unpleasant sights. Once after being requested to do so by a client, I began looking at
the major organ groups to find problem areas where to direct healing qi. (The client was suffering from a medically supervised withdrawal from a doctor
prescribed mood altering drug.) As I looked into his Heart I saw something that resembled a darkly lit cavern of black stalactites and stalagmites covered with
foul black tar. Even though it was the Heart there was absolutely no red to be seen. Over weeks of EQH treatment the black foulness began to dissipate and a
healthy organic pink-to-rose color began to appear. The thought processes of the client became more intelligent, rational and positive. (Although it should be
stated that the he also was using other more “spiritual” modalities which easily could have been more helpful than any of my energy transmissions).
C - The Sending. It is important to be relaxed, both physically, mentally and emotionally. Never send healing qi if you are fatigued, sick, or mentally
distressed—your client could become sicker, and you could become more easily infected with their illness. Then, proceed in the following manner:
1) Ground yourself, center, and connect to your sources of spiritual energy. Breathe fully, softly, deeply. Have a hint of a smile at the corners of the
mouth. Gently tighten the muscles in the perineum area.
2) With your creative imagination, build an Energy Shield all around yourself to prevent the entry of any polluting xié qì. Rub your hands together.
Stretch open your palms and wiggle your fingers.
3) Bend your knees and crouch down a little to better ground yourself and to increase, solidify and intensify the qi in your body. Look directly at the
area or areas on the client that you are about to send to (qi follows sight) and form a “Tiger’s Claw” with your right hand; the left hand is held by
the left side - [see picture].
4) Send to the acupuncture points related to the condition. As with acupuncture treatments, simultaneously send to as many points and places as the
condition requires. The healer’s “sent qi” will become the client’s “internal qi” and dissolve and drain off the pathogenic elements.
5) It is proper to feel heat – especially in the hands – when engaged in a send, and even to heavily sweat. But if you feel cold then stop, do a qigong
closing form and try again the next day.

Although there are many accepted places from which to emanate healing qi, the author prefers the acupuncture points Large Intestine-1 (Shangyang),
Pericardium-8 (Laogong) and Pericardium-9 (Zhongchong). The locations are LI-1 on the outer side of the index fingers just below the corner of the nail. Pc-
8 is on the palm approximately where the tip of the middle finger would fall when making a fist. Pc-9 is at the center of the tip of the middle finger. [insert
picture/s of these points]. Generally the sending comes from the right hand, with the left hand functioning to release noxious energy – but both hands can be
used. Hands could be stationary, but it is best to lead and guide the “good qi” forward and move the bad qi out of the troubled areas of the client. This is
done in pushing-pulling manipulations; or in waving, rotating, or quivering motions. Good qi can be “screwed in” and bad qi can be “unscrewed” by moving
the right hand in a clockwise motion, or the left hand counter-clockwise. Remember these are only a few suggestions: there are many other different, but well
established, methods to carry out an EQH send.

Scan-Snatch-Throw method to remove harmful qi. If the practitioner is skilled enough he or she may be able imaginatively bring their hands into the
client’s body and, as it were, scoop and pull out the polluted illness causing qi. One of my teachers succinctly described this as, “Scan-Snatch-Throw.”

Correcting Yin-Yang Imbalances. Health problems are often caused by imbalances of yang-heat and yin-cold. This EQH treatment comes from
VitalityLink Finder: If a patient shows signs of excess heat or cold we are able to rebalance these energies through emitting wai qi [external energy] of the
opposite quality. This conforms to the TCM treatment principle of using cooling techniques on heat conditions and warming techniques on cold conditions.

To create warming energy, the therapist imagines drawing down the energy of the sun into the Dan Tien, a major energy centre below and behind the navel.
The energy then collects in the Dan Tien in the form of light and heat. The therapist then draws the qi from the Dan Tien to the Laogong point (Pc 8) in the
centre of the palms. This qi is then emitted to the client.

To create cooling energy, the therapist imagines drawing cool earth energy up into the Yongquan (Ki 1) points on the soles of the feet. The qi should then be
mentally drawn up from the feet to the Laogong points in the palms. Imagine cool wai qi forming on the palms only, and emit this qi to the client. It is
important not to imagine this cool energy anywhere else in your body as cold has a tendency to slow qi and blood flow. [Bryn Orr. “Wai Qi Liao Fa –
Healing by External Qi Projection, by VitalityLink Finder.”]

Sensations experienced during healing. When doing External Qi Healing both the sender and the client may feel tingling, itching, hot or cold or electrical
pin-prick sensations, especially in the hands, and in particular the palms and fingers. The client may also experience quivering in the problem areas. Any of
these sensations may also travel in the meridians, especially in the arms and legs—but more often this feels like numbing electrical currents. These all may be
signs that suggest a healing is taking place.

When the energy is being guided and moved by your mental intention to leave the fingers, palms, eyes – even from parts of your body. You might actually see
the qi. From my experiences and what teachers have told me, this often appears as a phosphorescent mist (interestingly the originally meaning of qi was
something like a “vaporous foggy mist”). Or something like a luminescent white cloud may appear clustered around the hands, fingers, and especially the
palms (laogong points). This light may increase as your practice deepens and become something like a bright moon shining on a clear dark night. During
distance healings at night I twice saw rays of this phosphorescent qi substance running from my hands to the targeted subject. At another sending a client saw
it as resembling heat waves rising from a summer sun-baked highway.

D - After the Send. The healer might offer suggestions and instructions to the client in such things as meditation, qigong or tai-chi exercises, or appropriate
dietary changes and other lifestyle modifications.

After the client has left: It is important to remove any unwanted qi you may have picked up during the send:
1) Shake your hands as if you were shaking off dirty water; kick your feet front and back as it you had stepped in dog feces and you were cleaning it
off your shoes. It will be absorbed into the ground and function as compost.
2) Rub down the outsides and insides of your arms and again flick the “evil qi” from your hands. If practical, jump up and down to further rid
yourself of anything noxious. This is all best done outdoors and in sunlight.
3) If the transmission took place at night (understanding daylight sending is best) stand and raise your arms up in front on inhalation and down on
exhalation (like the beginning exercise of many taijiquan and Shibashi qigong forms.) Also lift your heels on the inhale, and drop them on the
exhale. The goal is to have the pathogenic elements flush out the soles of the feet and the tips of fingers.
4) After washing and changing clothes, use inner (nèi dān) qigong-like meditations or visualizations that gather into yourself qi from external
sources, which may range from flowers and trees to the sun and—if acceptable to the healer—divine spiritual entities. This is the time to do
whatever is necessary to clean and recover your life force.

E - FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS.

Is it necessary to ask permission before doing a Sending?
Absolutely yes. The practitioner must ask permission from the receiver before emanating qi. To send without gaining approval is insulting, offensive and
invasive.

Is it “your” qi that you are sending? Or does it come from somewhere else? Well, yes and no to both questions. At one level qi is the energy you have
brought into your body by breathing and eating; and have built up and preserved through qigong practices, as well as by reducing or eliminating physical and
emotional problems. Additionally it is important to reduce or stop the loss of Jing (often thought of as being sperm or ovum, which is only partially true.)
Jing is better understood as being a highly perfected subtle energetic potentiality: in other words the essence of life. So from this perspective, you are not the
one sending your qi, but rather only being a conduit for a universal force that is flowing its jing-essence-qi down and through you. Where does this essence
come from? Many healers refuse or cannot answer that question. Others simply say it comes from nature, or the sun, or the direction of certain stars. There
isn’t enough space here, nor do I have the wisdom, to explore this much further, except to point out that throughout the ages mystics when in visionary states
perceive all and everything as a unity in a universal consciousness. So much so that our individual consciousnesses appear to them as being joined elements
in a larger more profound reality. Personally I call this the Tao (Dao) but at this level definitions are not that important; rather it is about experiencing and
manifesting this Power. A number of quantum scientists have reached a similar understanding in believing such things are beyond rational definition but do
offer doorways into practical applications in the use of energy. Likewise EQH offers practical applications with Life Energy (Qi). But whatever your specific
beliefs, this approach offers a possibility to prevent a basic problem in sending healing qi: the depletion of the healer’s personal qi.

Can Healing Energy be Sent from a Distance? Yes. But the sender and recipient have to agree on a specific time and make sure that the client understands
they are not to be driving a car, using anything or doing anything (machinery, tools, etc.) where an accident could take place. Once on the telephone just
before doing a distance external qi healing, I half-joked to a person “not to be on a roof repairing leaks” – which was just what she was going to do as soon as
I began the send!

About the Sending: How Often and for How Long? Paul Dong offers this advice: Depending on the severity of the condition, a send is required every day
or every other day. Concerning the health of the healer he writes, the more internal qi you give out the weaker you become, therefore: “One to three healings
a day are about the right number… A young healer with strong power can do as many as six healings in one day… One session usually takes 10 or15 to 20
minutes, or up to 30 minutes in more serious cases. The first healing session for a new client should be no longer than 10 minutes.” [Dong, 2006, p. 84; 90-
91].

How Long Does EQH Take to Learn? Two of the preeminent masters of External Qi offer slightly deferring suggestions: “People should at least go on
doing Qigong exercises for 2 – 3 years in order to be able to emit the “external Qi” without doing any harm to his own health.” [Lin Housheng, p. 332]. “By
practicing [‘healing chi kung’] an hour a day, one can master it in nine months to a year.” [Paul Dong, 2006, p. 24]. Slowly and steadily practice your
sending qi skills. First send to qi sensitive family members and friends. Then begin the healing practice with those afflicted with minor conditions such as a
sprained ankle, a cold, a sore muscle, then slowly go to more serious conditions. And never approach this as a silly party game; it’s unlikely, but people could
get hurt that way.

Sure it seems to work sometimes but isn’t it just psychosomatic or a placebo? To do controlled scientific experiments on the “validity” of EQH there would
have to be Healing Qi Emissions done without a qi-energy component. But that by definition would not an External Qi Send: you cannot have a healing life
energy transmission of qi without the qi. Even if possible, if the psychological suggestions of EQH were removed then the qi energy and the information it
contains would be compromised or blocked. Nevertheless, the energetic components of qi have often been measured. See the scientific study done by Kevin
Chen Ph.D. MPH, An Analytic Review of Studies on Measuring Effects of External Qi in China. An abstract is available on the internet. See Bibliography
below.

A personal anecdote about someone being unable to accept the validity of EQH; I am sure the reader will draw his or her own conclusions. I was offering a
qigong class at a local senior center. No one came and I was about to leave when then entered a middle-aged man who had great difficulty walking. We spoke
and he told me his story: that he was a Vietnam veteran who had gone through several operations for a war injury in his right hip and that there had possibly
been some botched surgeries. He was in continual pain, but he was frightened about becoming addicted to any prescribed painkillers. I offered to send him
healing qi and he agreed. As the qi was pouring through me into him, we both could feel it. After a send of ten minutes I stopped. He looked stunned. I asked
what was happening, how did he feel? He answered that the pain was gone. He continued to silently mull over the experience. Finally he said to me, ”But
what happened, that is only psychosomatic.” I was taken aback but answered him, “But it seemed to have worked.” He shrugged, and seemingly continued to
do his best to reject what just had taken place. I told him when I would again be at the senior center and if he wanted another send I would do it. And at no
cost—perhaps that was my biggest mistake—but in any case I never saw him again. I deeply hope he is better.

There is another thing that causes many people to disregard and discredit External Qi Healings: the phony internet healers and quacks. As a rule of thumb stay
away from anyone who claims he or she can heal terminal illnesses, and who charges exorbitant fees for their services. If a so-called healer has many cancer
clients and all except a few die, the charlatan can point to ones who are still alive as proof of their healing “powers and abilities.” In all of this both seller and
buyer beware!

Isn’t it the same as Reiki or Therapeutic Touch? There are obvious similarities, but EQH comes from and uses Traditional Chinese Medical concepts of the
inter-relationships of Energy-Body-Mind-Breath to bring about well-being. Unlike Therapeutic Touch, Craniosacral Therapy, or even much contemporary
Medical Qi Gong, EQH does not add in extensive Western medical belief systems, although many today, especially in China, are trying to scientifically
justify EQH. (This is not necessarily a bad thing for this may lead to a better understanding and more productive use of this exciting healing modality.)

Conclusion. Remember there is a difference between healing and being healthy: there are situations where even the most accomplished energy healer cannot
“cure” their patient; but with energy healing there is an opportunity of bringing someone who is terminally ill to a place of mental and spiritual health which
can make the process of dying be no more than a passing from one sphere of existence to another higher one.

The information given herein has been gathered from personal teachers, from primary texts, and from limited – but hopefully informative – personal
experiences. The author may be contacted at john.voigt@comcast.net

Bibliography.

-----------------------
Bi Yongsheng. Chinese Qigong Outgoing-Qi Therapy. Shandong Science and Technology Press, 1997.

Kevin Chen, Ph.D. MPH. “An Analytic Review of Studies on Measuring Effects of External Qi in China” [abstract].
[at] http://www.qigonginstitute.org/html/Chen/Waiqianalysis_0704.pdf

ibid. “A Criticism of Qigong with Pseudoscience Method--Book Review of Qigong: Chinese Medicine or Pseudoscience?” [at]
http://www.qigonginstitute.org/html/Chen/Qi_Review1.htm

Paul Dong & Thomas Raffill. Empty Force: The Power of Chi for Self-Defense and Energy Healing. Blue Snake Books, 2006.

Roger Jahnke. The Healing Promise of Qi. Contemporary Books, 2002.

Alice Langholt. “Methods for Sending Reiki or Energy Healing Over Any Distance.” [at] http://voices.yahoo.com/methods-sending-reiki-energy-healing-
over-any-1699123.html

Lin Housheng. 300 Questions on Qigong Exercises. Guangdong Science and Technology Press, 1994.

Lin Zixin, et al. Qigong: Chinese Medicine or Pseudoscience? Prometheus Books, NY, 2000. [see also K. Chen “A Criticism of Qigong with Pseudoscience
Method ….” [at] http://www.qigonginstitute.org/html/Chen/Qi_Review1.htm].

“Wai Qi Liao Fa – Healing by External Qi Projection; by VitalityLink Finder [Bryn Orr]”. [at]
http://www.vitalitylink.com/article-qi-gong-1132-wai-liao-healing-external-projection-energy

Elizabeth Reninger, “Qi Emission (Fa Gong) & Distance Qigong Healing” [at] http://taoism.about.com/od/Stages_Of_Qi_Cultivation/a/Qi-Emission.htm
Ibid.

Ibid, “Stage Nine & Ten Of Qi Cultivation: Dissolving & Transmitting Qi “ [at]
http://taoism.about.com/od/Stages_Of_Qi_Cultivation/a/Dissolve_Transmit.htm
[this is Healing Promise book of Jahnke maybe only use for your copying pasting]
-------
Shou-Yu Liang & Wen-Ching Wu. Qigong Empowerment. Way of the Dragon, 1997.
------
Tianjun Liu, and Xiao Mei Qiang, editors. Chinese Medical Qigong. Singing Dragon. 2013.

Michael Winn. “The Gentle, Easy Way to Pack Your Iron Shirt.” Universal Tao Journal, vol. 4.
[at] http://www.precisiondocs.com/~altaoism/IS1WinnGentleEasyWay.htm

Yijin Jing “Muscle/Tendon Change Classic.” http://www.egreenway.com/qigong/yijinjing.htm#Biblio

Zhan Zhuang “Standing (like a wooden) Post.” “The Ultimate Energy Exercise” FULL TITLE in Qi Journal vol. 23, no. 2: Summer 2013. Also “Zhan
Zhuang” NAME in Qi Journal vol. 23, no. 4: Winter 2013-2014.
=============

LINKS - Youtube
John Chang Qigong Demonstration Abridged [at] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LY5UhN4iyEM&feature=youtube_gdata
[this site has other links attached.]
-------
“Qi Gong Powerful Qi Emission” [at] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVNvzZ24JmE

Sifu Kelly Kwan. “Qi Energy Projection - Chi (Qi) Healing 布氣” [at] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9fGiPSBUUA