Are You Stagnating Or Are You Just Consolidating?

Sometimes a plateau is just a waypoint on the way to the next stage.

In a world that is fast-paced, ever changing, and rife with instant gratification massaging all of our dopamine receptors, Qigong represents a polar opposition: something you can’t have now now now, but rather something that slowly and radically improves your physical and emotional quality of life, if only you take the time to practice it correctly and consistently. Nevertheless, particularly with Cosmos Qigong, it is not uncommon to see new students make huge leaps forward when beginning their practice, or advanced students doing the same once they are practicing in a group setting. These students can have often life-changing experiences, only to return to their at-home practice to feel like things have completely stopped moving forward. But is that actually the case?

I’ve written about this topic before in the context of the differences between in-class practice and at-home practice, as well as how to assess one’s progress in their Qigong training, but like all important things, it bears revisiting in a different light. Qigong is not always full of massive breakthroughs and transcendent experiences. This can discourage our next fix-seeking minds if they are not properly prepared. While Qigong can be full of some incredibly special moments, the bulk of our practice that improves our lives is done in the mundanity, in the consistent showing up with an open heart and just letting it be what it’s going to be that day.

Progress with Qigong isn’t always linear, and it’s full of plateaus. Not only is this normal- this is good. Every time we do make significant advancement in our practice, our body needs time to process it- both physically and energetically. Without this, it doesn’t have a solid base from which to advance to an even higher level. What’s more is that too much rapid progress can cause symptoms of overtraining such as pain, fatigue, and fogginess. In the same way that you don’t pick up running for fun by doing a marathon, your Qigong practice will have plenty of quiet time in between the big breakthroughs.

Does this sound like you? Good. Relish it. Enjoy the consolidation time. Enjoy the daily practice that doesn’t feel particularly flashy. If you’re still following the instructions and practicing to the best of your ability, then you’re just preparing for your next great leap forward. ❤️