Breaking the old reference framework in Zhineng Qigong  

In Zhineng Qigong and we are encouraged to transform our old frame of reference. This blogpost is based on a personal experience of mine. It involves the things I have learnt from the perspective of a Zhineng Qigong practitioner and future Hunyuan Qi therapist.

What is the old reference framework?

But the same way plants are sometimes uprooted from a pot they have grown into and called their home. Breaking the old reference framework was moving into a bigger pot where my roots weren’t cramped. Instead, they could expand outward, and this helped me to grow (Until I need a bigger pot of course, the goal is to get rid of the pot altogether. Then I would be rooted into the earth with unlimited space and unlimited opportunities for growth).

But what does breaking your old reference framework actually have to do with healing?

This idea is imperative to Zhineng Qigong and Wisdom Healing Qigong methods. When we break out of our old reference framework, we discover that anything is in fact possible. There are no limitations to our progress. When being faced with an illness and being constantly aware of that illness and incorporating it as such a huge part of daily life can be inhibiting, although it might seem constructive. Breaking the old reference framework includes transforming old ideas of health. When we have a bigger pot to grow into, we transform old roots. And we can begin to nourish ourselves by being nourished by new and abundant materials. Using the positive information, we change “I am sick, and I cannot do this” into “I am healthy, and my body has no limitations on what it can achieve”.

Negative information – The scratch that feeds the itch.

Later that day I went for a lovely swim and after that decided to meditate on the beach. My intention was to understand all of this. I sat down legs crossed, got into my posture with Baihui raised up and a straight back. I adjusted the mind and relaxed. Soon I stopped shivering and the calmness kicked in. Intention: understand what breaking the old reference framework means and why it is so important.

Out of nowhere, my right arm started itching. I scratched it and went back into meditation. Another itch further down my arm, I did the same thing. After the third scratch which was long and very extensive, I was even more determined to ignore the itch. I wanted to meditate so I could understand. I must’ve looked very strange to the kids playing nearby: scratching, going static, scratching, going static clearly in frustration. But anyway, I adjusted the mind again and suddenly, my entire body started itching! It was no ordinary itch, it felt fiery all over my skin and even from inside of my body. This persisted for a while and within the meditation I thought “ignore, ignore, ignore you want understanding”.

And then it hit me like a wave. This was the point, and it finally came to me in a way I could digest:

Scratching only made it worse. In meditation I thought of the itch as negative information. It felt only natural to scratch it, to soothe it, to acknowledge it with force and expect it to go away. In the same way, I could reinforce the negative information I was feeding to myself with a ‘scratch’ (that helps me in the moment). But what I noticed is that when I scratched it, it would only itch more intensely. The itch spread until my entire body was an itch and my mind was lost in the experience of it. I tried to ignore it hoping it would go away but my mind was still there, on that one spot in my arm. Eventually on the sensation in my while body.

By scratching it I was in fact, only making it worse. By not scratching it I thought, I would have had much less of a problem. It would disappear all on its own. My intention, my desire to understand, was the only thing that directed my mind somewhere else. And the uncomfortable sensation was met with some relief.

How do I know when to fight for something and when to let it go?

This was my question to Master Liu towards the end of our training. His response showed wisdom and allowed me again, to change my way of thinking. He told me that the true self , the Yiyuan Ti, will always know when to fight for something. I should trust my true self to know what is right for me. And then he mentioned something pretty amazing. He looked at me with a smile and said “Leilah, it’s not about letting go, it’s about transforming”. He was right, letting go didn’t make the problem go away. Before, I let go of things and often they would come up again and again. The key was to transform it. Transform it from something negative into something positive. I thought no wonder that itch didn’t disappear completely.

How does one accept information?

During training, a fellow Qigong practitioner and budding Hunyuan Qi therapist asked Master Liu

“How do I accept positive results of the Qigong-Practice. I was very consistent in my intention and my practice. But as soon, as the positive results were real, I struggled with accepting them?” His answer was that in order to live from the new point of life, it is very important continue when your intention becomes a reality. And from the new mindset, we continue the practice and find a new purpose. A new intention that replaces where the old reference framework once lived. He told her that her purpose was not to care for the illness anymore. Instead she had to find something new, something that does not “feed” the frame of reference anymore. He said to step out of the old frame of reference, and create a brand-new one, that is connected to new thoughts, feelings, actions.

What better way to cultivate healing?

Zhineng Qigong Methods and Hunyuan Qi Therapy:

A way to access the true self and make it more present in daily life is by practicing Zhineng Qigong. This true self can be a torch shining brightly in one’s life making them observe more and be more aware of what is best for them. These methods are good in allowing us to break the old reference framework and guide us into a holistic way of life.

Hun yuan Ling tong:

Zhineng Qigong practitioners use this term to change and transform information. This can be used to transform the information from an illness to the little things like when you are having a bad day, or when you hear bad news.