Introduction to advanced Qigong practices
Advanced Qigong: Cultivating Shen, Refining Qi, Uniting with the Tao
As Qigong practice deepens, attention shifts more and more from the external form to the internal content (neidan). The body already knows the movements, breathing becomes natural and the practitioner begins to touch the core of the art: the subtle transformation of energy and consciousness.
We will explore what it means to practice Qigong at an advanced level, with special emphasis on cultivating Shen, the internal refining for integration with the Tao.
1. General Approach to Advanced Qigong
Before going into specific practices, it’s important to recognize the three main areas of internal Qigong:
Working with Yi: Clear intention directs Qi
In the advanced path of Qigong, working with the Yi – conscious intention – becomes a subtle and powerful key. The ordinary mind, often scattered, jumps from thought to thought, fueled by emotions and external stimuli. But when one enters a state of deep practice, the practitioner learns to rest in one state of clear presencewhere the Yi acts as a guide for the Qi, without effort.
In Chinese they say: “Yi dao, Qi dao” – where intention goes, Qi goes. This means that the energy flow in the body is literally led by the focus of the mind. When we cultivate a Yi serene but preciseIt’s as if we were giving silent orders to our energy system, which responds immediately and faithfully.
Working with Yi is not the same as imagining or visualizing in a forced way. É be present with clarity and depth. When our feet are on the ground, our spine is aligned and our heart is calm, intention flows naturally, like water guided by invisible channels.
In practice, this can mean
- Focus Yi on the Lower Dantianto feel the subtle heat rising.
- Conducting Qi through a specific meridianwith a stable mind.
- Expand the energy field with the simple intention of “being space”, without getting lost in images or desires.
Over time, Yi matures. It stops being a mental force and becomes a quality of the Shen – clear, compassionate, empty and luminous. And this is where the practice of Qigong changes from an energetic exercise to a spiritual path.
Neidan – Inner Alchemy
Refining Jing (essence), Qi (energy) and Shen (spirit)
At the heart of the Taoist tradition, especially in its highest practices, is the Neidan – internal alchemy. Unlike external alchemy, which sought to transform metals into gold, internal alchemy is the process of profound transformation of beingwhere the body, energy and mind are cultivated until they unite with the Tao.
In advanced Qigong practice, Neidan is much more than a philosophical concept: it is a direct experience of refinement and integration. This process is based on three fundamental levels, which are at the same time substances, states and phases of the journey:
“Start with the essence, transform it into breath, breath becomes spirit, and spirit returns to the Void.” Zhang Boduan
1. jing – the essence
O Jing is the body’s densest and most precious vital substance. It is associated with the physical body, genetics, sexual vitality, the endocrine system and the reserve of life stored in the kidneys.
At Neidan, the first step is to preserve and refine the Jing. That means:
- Avoid excessive energy dissipation (for example, through sexual excess, stress or physical overload).
- Practicing static postures such as Zhan Zhuangwhich root the Jing in the Lower Dantian.
- Breathe deeply and gently to strengthen the kidneys and tone the Yuan Qi (ancestral energy). The abode of Yuan Qi is the Lower DantianIt is also linked to the Mingmen, the point between the kidneys in the lower back (at about the level of L2-L3). This is where the vital heat, which is essential for life, manifests itself.
Over time, the Jing subtly transforms into Qi.
2. Qi – Energy
O Qi is the movement, the vital breath, the invisible current that animates all of life’s processes. Once the Jing is stabilized and purified, the energy begins to to flow more powerfully and clearly.
Qigong at this stage can include:
- Working with the meridians, opening and unblocking the channels (as in the 8 Pieces of Silk exercises).
- Circulation of energy through the Small Heavenly Circulation (Xiao Zhou Tian), where Qi is intentionally conducted through the orbit of the Du Mai (Governing Vessel) and Ren Mai (Conception Vessel).
- Breathing practices (Tu Na, Huxi) that amplify and refine Qi.
The purified Qi, in turn, begins to nourish and transform Shen.
3. Shen – The Spirit
O Shen is the conscious spirit, the inner light that observes and gives meaning to experience. It is the most subtle and elevated aspect of the human being. When Qi is pure and stable, Shen can emerge clearly, like a mirror without dust.
In this phase of internal alchemy:
- The practice is increasingly meditative.
- The mind becomes serene, lucid, silent – not asleep, but alive and awake.
- Shen begins to merge with Wuji – the Primordial Void, the source of all manifestation.
“Refine the Jing to transform it into Qi, refine the Qi to transform it into Shen, refine the Shen to return to the Void (Xu).”
Neidan is not just an energetic practice; it is a path back to the Source. Through discipline, internal listening and serene dedication, the practitioner is transformed from within. They become more stable, more subtle, more united with Heaven and Earth.
He no longer acts only with the body, but with the spirit.
Integration with the Tao: returning to the flow
At the deepest heart of advanced Qigong and Internal Alchemy is the integration with the Tao – the return to the origin, to the spontaneous harmony that permeates all things.
In the initial phase of practice, we cultivate the body (Jing), refine the breath and energy field (Qi), and serenade the mind and spirit (Shen). However, behind all these layers, there is an invisible thread that connects everything: the Tao – the natural, mysterious and all-encompassing flow of Life.
Integrating with the Tao is more than achieving a state of health or peace: it is living in tune with the invisible order of the universeA state of deep trust and spontaneous action. It’s to stop fighting, without falling into inertia. It’s letting go of control, without abandoning clarity. Then comes Wuwei – o non-doing that does everything.
“The wise act without acting, teach without words. Everything flourishes without his control.”
– Dao De Jing, Chap. 2
So what is Wuwei?
Wuwei does not mean passivity, but rather absence of egoic effort. The action comes naturally, like a bamboo that bends in the wind without resisting, or like water that goes around obstacles without losing its way. When the practice reaches this level, Qigong ceases to be a sequence of movements and becomes a state of being.
The body moves without the mind having to order it.
Breathing adjusts to what is present.
Energy flows because there is no longer an inner blockage.
How to cultivate this integration
- Stop trying to “improve” the practice: instead, observe. Be a witness.
- Meditations in silence prolonged, without object: just being.
- Contemplation of nature: rivers, mountains, wind, animals – everything is Tao in manifestation.
- Progressive reduction of effortIt’s the same in the body as it is in the mind. Each movement becomes light, fluid, almost invisible.
The Tao manifests itself when the practitioner disappears
When the ego dissolves – even for a moment – the practice becomes a prayer without words, a silent return to the source. At this level, Qigong is inseparable from the TaoAnd everything aligns: the breath, the gesture, the emotion and the intention. It’s no longer us practicing: is the Tao that breathes through everyone.
Advanced Internal Practices
We stop just “doing” exercises and start “being” the practice itself. These internal practices don’t just serve to cultivate energy – they transform the body, refine the mind and pave the way for a return to the Source. Here, Shen begins to shine.
Let’s now give a short introduction to some of the practices that are considered to be the most advanced in IT.
Zhan Zhuang in depth
The practice of standing still like a living mountain.
You stay there for 20 to 40 minutes, with your eyes closed or half closed, with your body aligned and relaxed.
Here, time is diluted.
Subtle listening emerges: micro vibrations, small spontaneous adjustments in the body, the internal pulsing of the meridians.
At first, there may be discomfort or resistance. Over time, you enter a pure presence, where the mind becomes silent and the body becomes a living channel.
The aim is not to endure pain, but to transform the mind.
Zhan Zhuang is a gateway to Wuji – the primordial state of dynamic stillness.
Our intention and attention rest on the lower dantian, so that it cleanses itself, collects vital energy and begins to heat up.
Embryonic Breathing (Tai Xi)
It’s not about breathing more… but less.
Embryonic breathing is a forgotten art – a return to the breathing of the fetus in the womb, where the breath is neither pulled in nor expelled with force.
It’s like an internal breeze that comes and goes by itself.
The practitioner takes the subtle breath to the Lower Dantian and learns to rest in that center.
Over time, the breathing cycle slows down until it becomes imperceptible: the state of Fei Xi (非息) – non-breathing.
Here, the Qi begins to circulate through you.
The mind rests.
The body regenerates in silence.
Inner Light (Nei Guang Qi Gong)
In the dark interior of the being, a light can be turned on.
You start by visualizing a small flame in the Upper Dantian (between the eyebrows or in the center of the head).
This light grows with attention. It becomes alive, pulsating, conscious.
The practice is simple but profound:
Visualize. To feel. Become light.
Over time, the practitioner remains a luminous consciousness – lucid, awake, unified.
This light dissolves emotional shadows, purifies Shen and brings clarity to the mind.
Little Celestial Orbit (Xiao Zhou Tian)
It is one of the most classic practices of Neidan and Taoist Qigong.
The aim: to open up the circulation between the Du Mai (back channel) and the Ren Mai (front channel), creating a circuit where Qi flows naturally.
But be careful: it’s not about “pushing” the energy with mental force.
It’s a process of listening and surrendering.
First, feel the Qi in the Lower Dantian.
Then, with a relaxed and attentive mind, gently guide the flow along the central axis of the body, to the rhythm of the breath or intention.
It goes up the spine, down the front of the body. And back up again.
When the circuit is completed smoothly, a deep peace arises.
The body vibrates like a harmonized bell.
Fusion of the Three Dantians
Jing. Qi. Shen.
Three treasures. Three centers. Three levels of human existence.
This practice begins with the recognition of the three Dantians:
- Lower (Jing): vitality, foundation, energy root.
- Medium (Qi): refined emotions, love, compassion, living presence.
- Higher (Shen): vision, pure consciousness, spiritual connection.
By focusing on each center, the practitioner harmonizes and attunes each layer.
Then it all comes together in a single sphere of light or heat in the center of the body – often in the Heart area.
This unified field generates great transformation.
The fusion of the three Dantians dissolves separations.
Body, mind and spirit become one.
Wuji Gong (Qigong of Emptiness)
There’s no technique here – just delivery.
Wuji Gong is not “done”… it happens.
You start by listening to the body standing in a simple, neutral posture.
From silence comes movement – light, fluid, spontaneous.
It’s Qi moving the body from within, without effort or mental direction.
The practitioner enters the field of the Tao – and allows himself to be moved.
The body dances with the wind of the universe.
The mind is silent.
And emptiness becomes fullness.