Medical Qi Gong, or external Qi Gong, is little known in the West. It is a method of working directly with another person's Qi, as opposed to using acupuncture needles, herbs, or any other external tool. Internal Qi Gong as a form of self-healing, health maintenance, and martial art is a practice for laypeople to do themselves. Medical or external Qi Gong is a practice for a Medical Professional--most likely an Acupuncturist or other trained practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)--to use for healing others. There is much confusion in the West about use of terms and distinguishing between the two types, so these definitions are for the purpose of this article, and may be disputed elsewhere.
In my experience as a practitioner of Medical or external Qi Gong, Medical Qi Gong can be more specific than other forms of "energy healing." The way I have learned to use it is more specific than any healing modality I have heard of, and integrates modern knowledge of anatomy with TCM. Medical Qi Gong depends upon the framework of TCM and Taoism, and the training of a professional.
In Acupuncture School, I learned to accomplish healing with specific tools. My challenge was to learn to do all of those things and more, without those tools. A needle is one way to access Qi. It is not the only way. It is not always the best way. I learned to refine and focus my intention and to further develop wisdom and compassion as healing tools. I found, to my surprise, that I could do far more with subtle tools than I had ever managed to do with needles and moxa.
At the time, I was working primarily with people with allergies. Clients with severe Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) taught me the most, because they had become so sensitive in general. It didnŐt take much to get a response from such sensitive people, be it positive or negative. I deepened my appreciation for a "less is more" approach. I learned to bring the organ qi (Zang-Fu) back into balance with my focus of intention, and to measure the improvements with Medical Divination, a technique I developed in the process.
Approaching Medical Divination as a Taoist discipline taught me to become a Medical Intuitive. Accuracy in diagnosis and treatment depends on the ability to perceive the deepest truth about health imbalances, and to know what to do about them. Refining the medicine requires ever-deepening accuracy in diagnosis and specificity of treatment. Intuitive knowing for the purposes of healing is a priceless tool.
Divination is an ancient tradition, with about as many forms as there are cultures in the world. The basic principle is access to information that is not normally available to our conscious minds. Divination is often a tool of traditional healers, shamans and mystics. I found that divination helped me to access all the teachings I needed to learn Medical Qi Gong as well as Medical Intuition. I did not realize this was what was happening until looking back on it. I was incredulous--I had no idea that what I had just accomplished was possible, and doubt I would have believed it if someone had told me so. I am in awe of the Mystical path of TCM, and thrilled to finally be learning what most inspired my decision to study TCM ten years ago.
Taoist Medical Intuition and Medical Qi Gong have a tremendous future in the West. These techniques are 100% sustainable, having no negative impact on the environment whatsoever. Accuracy, subtlety, and a gentler approach are ideal for an evolving humanity. There is a strong tradition for these approaches, though largely unfamiliar in the West, and rarely mentioned in academic circles. The key for a practitioner is to reunite one's heart and mind.
Thank you to my teachers, both known and unknown.