To begin every 5 Element Qigong session start by standing in what’s called the Wu Chi position. This means that you stand with your feet a little wider that shoulder width apart. Next close your eyes for a moment and ground yourself. Imagine that your feet are rooting into the ground and bend your knees slightly. Your hands can be placed over each other touching your abdomen over the Hara. Place most of your weight on the balls of your feet and connect your feet with the yin energy of the earth. Imagine an energic connection from the centre of the earth to your feet. Next become aware of your spine. Connect this energy from your feet up the insides of your legs to the base of your spine and run it up the spine to the Crown Chakra at the top of your head. From here imagine the energy extending straight out of the top of your head up into the sky connecting with the heaven yang energy. Take a few breaths here sending the energy upwards and downwards following this path. You have now learned the Wu Chi position of 5 Element Qigong. Open your eyes slightly maintaining the same energic connection and feel.

Metal Element Qigong (Large intestine/Lung meridians)

Begin breathing into the Hara, feet parallel. Take the hands off the Hara and press them palms together like in a prayer position. Separate the hands but keeping the thumbs and index fingers touching. Roll your hands over having the thumbs and index fingers all pointing down and touching together like as if you were pinching a wire. Inhale raising hands to shoulder height, arms outstretched in front of the body keeping the same pinching position with the fingers. Exhale at the top of the movement. Inhale pulling arms and hands apart as if stretching elastic but keep the thumb and index finger of each hand together. See if you can notice an elastic or magnetic connection as you slowly separate the hands. This movement opens and expands the chest. Open your arms as far as possible. Exhale while turning palms up, returning the hands back in front of you. Once your little fingers touch, fold your hands over into prayer position and point the thumbs and index finger back down in that pinching position and continue this opening arms and closing movement 10 times. Next bring both hands back to your abdomen covering your hara.

While you are doing this keep the following in mind. Metal = letting in and letting go. Spirit begins to move into the unconscious mind and allows animal instincts to emerge. The associated colour is white and the season is autumn. Acceptance/openness is the balanced emotional state of metal and grief/holding on creates imbalance. Inhale white pure air and chi. Exhale grey and dirty chi. This is great for clearing and cleaning the lungs.