A student recently told me after watching my latest class recording:

“Your teachings are going deeper and deeper.”

That stuck with me, not just because it was nice to hear, but because it points to something real about this work: There are layers. Depths you don’t see at first. And the longer you stay with it, the more it opens.

Going Deeper: The Layers Within Yang Sheng Fa

Yang Sheng Fa — the art of nourishing life — isn’t one thing. It’s a living tradition made up of many layers. Each one builds on the last. Some people come in through movement or breath, others through quiet reflection or emotional healing.

When I first started Qigong, I thought it was just gentle movement. And I loved it for that — simple, calming, accessible. But over time, something shifted. I started to feel more than muscles moving, I began sensing my energy body, the flow inside me. That’s when I realised something that maybe should have been obvious — considering the name of the practice: Qigong isn’t just movement — it’s energy moving.

That opened a door for me. And beyond it, there was a whole world.

Back then, I was still much more a ‘doer,’ still holding onto that ‘achievement mode’ so many of us in the Western world are programmed with. Somehow, I came across Neigong — practices that work with internal energy, the Dantian, and congenital pathways. I was determined to build my Dantian and feel that internal energy flow.

My Journey Through the Layers of Practice

Like many, I was more comfortable working with tangible feelings of energy and form than facing my emotional and mental patterns. I skipped over Shen Gong at first, but eventually, I realised I had to backtrack, and really meet myself, not just the energy I was cultivating.

That’s when Shen Gong became a bright star in my night sky — not as a set of techniques, but as a real necessity. I began working consciously with my HeartMind, the emotions, beliefs, and deep internal dialogue. It’s been some of the toughest and most freeing work I’ve done.

After years of Qigong and Shen Gong, life began to make sense. I continued to dabble in Neigong practice — which, in reality, you can’t just dabble in! Without fully realising it or intending to, this year I stepped into Nei Dan — and it completely turned my world upside down. Like Neigong before it, Nei Dan demands daily, dedicated practice; it’s a non-negotiable commitment if you want to truly engage with the depth and transformation these practices offer. Of course, as with everything in life, it was perfect timing.

Understanding the Four Layers of Practice

So yes, my teachings are evolving as I am, and I’m now sharing practices and techniques across these various layers. Here’s how I break down the layers I teach and work with:

Qigong:  

Usually the entry point — gentle movement, breath, presence, and intention to build and circulate Qi. This supports health, vitality and grounding in the body.

Shen Gong:  
The layer that works directly with the HeartMind and spirit — psycho-emotional inner work, contemplation, stillness. It sharpens awareness and deepens connection to the Self.

Neigong :

This is where internal work gets more focused. Developing the lower Dantian, opening the microcosmic orbit, building energetic structure and coherence. Over time, it reshapes how you relate to yourself and reality — sometimes dissolving the sense of a separate self.

Nei Dan (Internal Alchemy):

 The alchemical layer — sensing energetic frequencies, refining essence (jing), energy (qi), and spirit (shen). Spacious, deeply internal, and profoundly transformative. At its core, Nei Dan is about aligning with the Dao’s greater intelligence, living in resonance with the cosmos and the natural world, beyond the personal self.

These layers — from Qigong to Nei Dan — aren’t just for monks or advanced practitioners. They’re part of Yang Sheng Fa, meant for everyone.

While I’ve shared these layers in a way that might appear linear, the deeper truth is that they move in a spiral. Each layer feeds the next, yes, but over time you circle back. Nei Dan brings you right back into Qigong, but now you move with more subtlety, more awareness, more presence. Shen Gong doesn’t get “completed” and left behind — it deepens as your capacity expands.

I remember once, my teacher told me she believed Nei Dan was the place to begin. At the time, I didn’t fully agree — it felt too vast, too abstract, too removed from the grounding and structure needed early on. But as I write this, I’m seeing her comment in a new light.

I can now see how it’s possible to begin with Nei Dan — especially for those whose awareness or orientation to the inner worlds is already highly refined. But I still feel that the foundational qualities cultivated in Qigong are essential. If someone were to begin in Nei Dan but never spiral through the grounding of Qigong, the emotional integration of Shen Gong, or the energetic stability of Neigong — they’d be missing out on so much.

Each layer brings something vital. It’s not about where you start — it’s about being willing to keep circling back, deepening each time.

Living Fully with Yang Sheng Fa

This tradition isn’t about escaping life. It’s about living it more fully. Building vitality. Moving through challenges with steadiness. Showing up with compassion and healthy boundaries. Feeling your place in the natural world — not apart from it, but flowing with it.

If you want to live more in tune with yourself and what really matters, you’re already on the path. Yang Sheng Fa meets you right where you are, inviting you deeper, one layer at a time.

If you feel called to explore these layers more deeply, I invite you to join me for the Inner Temple — a one-day workshop this August designed to introduce you to Nei Dan and Neigong practice, plus my ongoing Inner Temple monthly practice group, where we deepen together in group practice.