“QiGong is essentially a philosophy for living life with mindfulness, an awareness of the present that leads to better understanding of ourselves, others, and the world in which we live. Our first priority must be to cultivate a heart that is at once peaceful, strong, and courageous. Focusing our intention on such a heart is QiGong that can be practiced everywhere, all the time!

In Chinese medicine and philosophy, all mental activities are understood to be associated with particular internal organs, thus affecting the whole body. The mind connects with the heart; the soul connects with the lungs; the ethereal soul connects with the liver; the intention connects with the spleen; and the will connects with the kidneys. Among these five relationships, the mind-heart association is most important, because the mind supports the animation of our whole body: our appearance, facial expressions, bodily gestures, speech, response, and overall consciousness. It is also the source of our mental and emotional states. Disturbances of the heart/mind show up immediately in our bodies. When we’re frightened, our hearts beat faster and our breathing becomes short and shallow. Love can make our hearts tremble, while anger makes our eyes fierce and our faces red.”

– Master Liu He, Jade Woman Qigong: The Healing Power of Taoist Medicine for Every Woman
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