Is Qigong the right practice for you?

People often stumble across Qigong when they’re searching for relief — from illness, stress, emotional turmoil, or the quiet sense that something essential is missing. Qigong can absolutely ease those burdens. A short practice in a moment of overwhelm can be incredibly soothing. Getting to a class on the weekend can lift your energy and make everything feel just a little more manageable.

The reality, though, is that either of these approaches — a short practice here and there or once-a-week classes — probably isn’t going to change your life.

Ultimately, Qigong is the right practice for you if you're ready to change your day-to-day habits — not just add another thing to your to-do list. It asks you to slow down, feel more, and take full ownership of how you move, breathe, think, and live.

Qigong isn’t just about cultivating Qi — it’s about cultivating you

The version of you that’s aligned, responsive, and deeply attuned to what actually supports your life force. This is a practice for people who are willing to embrace radical self-responsibility.

That means not outsourcing your health, energy, or emotional balance. It means giving attention to the choices you make each day — what you consume, how you speak to yourself, where your attention goes, and realising they all affect your Qi.

Qigong gives you the tools. But the transformation only happens when you’re willing to use them — consistently, honestly, and with deep respect for your own inner authority.

I say this not as someone new to the practice, but as someone who has devoted the last 12 years of my life to it. And yet, just recently, I was reminded how much deeper this path goes. I’ve just returned from a 10-day Qigong training, and it completely altered my understanding of what this practice really is. I went in thinking I had a solid grasp on things. After all, I’ve trained, taught, and lived this work for over a decade. But a few days into the training, after morning practice, I sat with my journal and wrote five words that stopped me cold:

“I finally get Qigong.”

That moment still makes me pause, not because I hadn’t been practicing sincerely, but because I felt the truth of it in my energy. Quite literally.

What I had been doing up until that point was real, but I now see it was rooted primarily in the physical. This training cracked something open. It showed me how easily our perception can narrow, even inside a dedicated practice. And how much power is released when we’re willing to question what we think we know.

That’s the heart of radical self-responsibility: being willing to meet yourself anew. To let go of your comfort zone, your ‘expertise’, and your identity within the practice — so you can keep discovering what’s real.

This experience also brought something else into sharp focus for me — the non-negotiable importance of devotion to daily practice.

The Deeper Benefits of Qigong

Beyond offering relief from stress and discomfort, Qigong holds profound, long-term benefits for the body, mind, and spirit. While it’s true that a short practice can provide immediate calm and a class can lift your energy, Qigong is more than just a quick fix.

Physically, Qigong stimulates the body’s energy system, supporting circulation, immune function, and detoxification. Through its gentle, flowing movements, it allows the body to release stagnation and invite vitality, helping you feel lighter, more grounded, and balanced. Emotionally, Qigong helps to cultivate an inner peace that ripples outward. It offers tools for managing emotional turbulence, anxiety, and stress, allowing you to develop a sense of equanimity no matter what’s happening in your life.

Spiritually, Qigong is a practice of connection. It invites you to tune into the subtle energies around you, creating a deeper sense of alignment with your own body, your Qi, and the natural world. As you deepen your practice, you may find yourself feeling more in tune with the rhythms of life — calm yet dynamic, receptive yet engaged.

Radical Self-Responsibility: It’s Not Just a Concept, It’s the Practice

Radical self-responsibility is at the core of Qigong. It’s the commitment to stop outsourcing your health and emotional well-being and instead, taking full ownership of how you show up every day.

This doesn’t mean you have to have it all figured out, but it does mean being honest with yourself about your choices: What do you eat? How do you speak to yourself? Where do you direct your attention? These seemingly small actions directly affect your Qi, your energy, and ultimately, the quality of your life. If you’re staying up late, endlessly scrolling on your phone, eating junk, and rushing through your day like a whirlwind — it doesn’t matter how much Qigong you practice. It’s not going to make a significant impact on your life. There’s too much static in your daily routine, too many distractions interfering with your energy.

Qigong invites us to witness ourselves without judgment and to take responsibility for how we nurture our energy. It’s not about perfection, but about showing up — consistently, intentionally, and with respect for your body, your mind, and your spirit. When you begin to take ownership over your daily choices, the subtle yet powerful shifts in your energy become undeniable.

Common Misconceptions About Qigong

There’s a common misconception that Qigong is simply another form of gentle exercise — slow movements to calm the mind and body. While Qigong does involve slow, mindful movements, it’s not just about physical exercise. It’s a dynamic, holistic practice that engages not only the body, but your energy system, breath, and mind.

Qigong is a powerful method for cultivating a strong body, but it’s a misconception that you need to be physically fit to practice it effectively. In truth, it’s more about your mind and focus than about what you’re doing with your body. The physical movements are beneficial, but they serve as a tool to unlock your body’s natural flow of energy. Unlike in our fast-paced modern culture, Qigong isn’t about pushing yourself to do more; it’s about tuning in, slowing down, and allowing yourself to align with energy.

Devotion to Daily Practice

Over the past 12 years, there have been seasons where I’ve been deeply consistent — showing up every day with commitment and clarity. But there’ve also been phases where, even though I was still immersed in Qigong-related study, my actual daily practice slipped.

I’d rationalise it: "It’s fine, I’m still engaging with the philosophy, the theory, the healing principles…"

But truthfully — it’s not fine. Not if you want to truly evolve. There’s only one way to transform yourself:

Do the practice. Do the training. Every day.

Reading, reflecting, learning — all of it can support. But none of it can replace the internal rewiring that only comes from showing up, moving your body, breathing your breath, and cultivating your Qi, day after day.

So, Is Qigong the Right Practice for You?

If you’re wondering, “Is Qigong the right practice for me?” ask yourself instead: Am I ready to show up?

Not just when life feels chaotic. Not just when I need relief. But every single day — as a commitment to who I’m becoming.

Because if you’re truly ready to change your life — not just soothe the surface, but reshape the foundation — Qigong will take you there. But it asks everything. It asks for presence. It asks for consistency. It asks that you stop waiting for the perfect conditions and start meeting yourself exactly where you are.

There is no shortcut.

There is only practice.

And that is the path to real transformation and transcendence.

If the path of Qigong speaks to something in you — if you're ready to embody the path — my Dao Mentorship program might be the next step. It’s a one-on-one, nine-month journey designed to support sincere practitioners who want to integrate these teachings into their daily life in a grounded, personal, and transformative way. If that feels like you, you can explore the details here.