File this post under some of the stranger things that happen sometimes when practicing the Shaolin Arts. I’ve written before about some of the less than glamorous things that might occur in Qi flow: passing gas, letting out fabulous belches, these sorts of things. As we move into the colder months in the Northern Hemisphere and we turn to practicing indoors more frequently, some of you may notice, particularly after a vigorous Qi flow, that the room, well...smells really funky, up to and even George Clinton level funky. What does this mean when you notice this and is it a sign of incorrect practice?
The short answer is no, so you can breathe a sigh of relief if this is something you commonly or occasionally experience. As we know, Qi flow is the state of our energy moving freely as a result of a Qigong state of mind and a pattern we have selected to induce it. One of the reasons why Cosmos Qigong is so effective is because it can do just this, and with Qi flow, especially vigorous Qi flow, we cleanse the negative energy stuck inside of our bodies that can result in illness, according to the qigong paradigm. That bad energy is released in a variety of different ways, including smelling a little gnarly at the end of your practice. So, if you are experiencing this phenomenon, remember it’s just a sign that bad energy is moving out of your body as it should.
What can you do if you’ve finished your practice and the air around you has that no so fresh feeling? If you are able, opening the window for a few minutes is helpful to clear out the air. If that’s not possible, then simply leave the door open to let the space air out for a time. As I’ve mentioned before, any plants in the room actually benefit from that negative energy. I’ve attended many courses with Grandmaster Wong where he has instructed the doors to be left open at the end of a training session and with good reason because, whew! A large group of people in vigorous Qi flow? That training hall was powerfully stanky.
Part of developing a good qigong practice is not just the exercises themselves, but also learning how to set up that practice, having aims and objectives, and knowing how to identify and correct common pitfalls. Our beginning qigong classes start up again in early 2020 and show you how to do just that. Head over here for class info and to be notified when registration opens.