If You Say You’re Too Busy to Practice Qigong, You’re Missing the Point
I’ve been hearing the same questions a lot lately about daily Qigong practice:
“How long do I have to practice?”
“How often?”
Or from membership students — “I’m cancelling because I’m too busy right now.”
In teacher training students, it shows up differently — sloppy details, lack of depth, and a missing commitment to true embodiment through Qigong.
Why “Too Busy” Is Just an Excuse — The Reality of Priorities
Here’s the blunt truth: nobody is too busy. It’s just not a priority. The “noise” of daily life will never disappear — the to-do list will always be there. At some point, you have to decide that cultivating your physical health, emotional regulation, and mental clarity is the most important thing to do each day. Everything else flows from there.
No judgement here — just reality. We make time for what matters most, even when life feels full and messy. The noise won’t stop. The to-do list won’t clear. If you wait for the perfect moment or the right mood, you’ll wait forever.
There’s a Zen saying that nails this perfectly: “Meditate for twenty minutes every day. If you’re too busy, meditate for an hour.” When life is hectic and full, that’s when you need daily Qigong practice the most. The busier you are, the more urgent it is to carve out space for cultivating your vital energy.
Cultivating Vital Energy Daily
Yang Sheng Fa — the Daoist art of life-nurturing and energy cultivation — isn’t a hobby or a luxury. It’s radical self-responsibility: daily cultivation of your body, emotions, mind, and the subtle energetic currents that flow through and sustain them. Without that foundation of consistent Qigong practice, everything else runs on empty.
Make your Qigong practice non-negotiable and watch how everything else shifts. Your clarity sharpens. Your energy steadies. Your internal landscape quiets enough to listen and respond rather than react. You move differently — in your relationships, your work, your life’s flow.
I’m not perfect either. Some days my practice is short because my mind’s racing ahead. If I don’t do it first thing, and think later, later rarely shows up. Miss a day, and the next day my Qigong practice is my top priority — I feel the difference not just in body and mind, but in my Qi — in vital energy.
Consistent Qigong Practice Transforms Your Body, Mind, and Energy
The question isn’t how long you have to practice — the real question is: How long will you disconnect from your own vital force? How long will you let your energetic system struggle to maintain balance?
Remember: the “noise” of daily life will never disappear. The to-do list will always be there. But when you decide that daily Qigong practice — cultivating your physical health, emotional balance, and mental clarity — is non-negotiable, everything else aligns.
See daily Qigong practice as your foundation — not an “extra.” Stop bargaining. Show up because your life depends on this energetic nourishment — because it truly does.
Quality Over Quantity: What It Really Means to Practice Effectively
Building this habit isn’t just about willpower. It’s a skill — patience, consistency, and kindness to yourself. The best approach is to take the time to learn Qigong properly. Rather than relying on random videos online, learn the theory and fundamentals so you can confidently practise on your own. This foundation not only supports correct form and alignment, but also deepens your understanding of Qi flow, energy cultivation, and how to adapt your practice to your own body and needs. When you invest in learning well from the start, you set yourself up for a lifetime of meaningful, effective practice.
If you want that kind of solid start, my self-directed Modules 1 & 2 or the Qigong Fundamentals Weekend Immersion are designed to give you the exact theory, structure, and guidance you need to build your own daily practice with confidence. From there, you can start small with a clear structure — for example: 5–10 minutes with your Qi Brush, moving through 2 or 3 Qigong forms, then finishing in stillness or internal alchemy. A personal practice like this becomes your energetic anchor.
Over time, your body and mind learn to settle in. The habit forms. The skill deepens. Your Qigong practice stops feeling like a chore and becomes essential — a sacred replenishment of your life’s energy.
Remember: quality beats quantity. A focused 15 minutes nourishes your whole system far more than a distracted hour. That said, if you’re training to teach, a longer, dedicated daily Qigong practice is essential. You can’t teach what you don’t truly embody. If you can’t find the discipline or will to commit at this level, question your readiness to teach authentically.
Your Practice is Your Foundation — Make It Non-Negotiable
Your Qigong practice is your foundation — not a box to tick, but an ongoing conversation with your health, vitality, and life force. Decide today: make it non-negotiable. Start where you are. Build from there. Showing up for your practice means showing up for yourself — fully, honestly, and without compromise.
That’s where true transformation begins.
If you’re ready to move beyond the “too busy” mindset and truly commit to your Qigong journey, I invite you to explore my self-directed Modules 1 & 2 online courses. They’re designed to help you build a strong foundation in daily Qigong practice at your own pace — perfect for full lives.
Or, if you’re craving immersive, hands-on guidance, my upcoming Qigong Fundamentals Weekend Immersion is a powerful way to deepen your connection to your body, breath, and Qi with focused teaching and support.
