Some may wonder why I call what I teach Alchemy and not simply Qigong. I base my work on ancient Daoist practices that have been around for millennia. Traditionally these practices were called Internal Alchemy (Nei Dan). In brief, the basic premise of Nei Dan is to cultivate an embodied spiritual reality. As a result, this tangible spiritual reality transforms you, your body and your life. And this is what Inspirit Way Alchemy aims to do.

How do we define Qi Gong?

The term Qi Gong originated in China in the 1980s. At that time, communist authorities had imposed restrictions on traditional Daoist and Buddhist spiritual practices. Thus, using new terminology with no historical association to prohibited methods allowed teachers to continue teaching. In other words, new semantic definitions like Qi Gong, fitness exercises, martial arts or health practices helped teachers avoid persecution. 

For instance, the term Qi Gong means ‘breath practice’ so can be used for a whole range of methods and activities. Today in China, it is used to describe Martial Arts and Tai Qi sequences; breath-based keep-fit exercises; medical practices, vitality and longevity cultivation; energy healing; esoteric cult rituals; and even sorcery!

How we define Internal Alchemy

In Internal Alchemy, actual breath-work is only one of many practices used. Other techniques include physical forms, postures and sequences; spontaneous movements and voice-work; spiritual visualisation, meditation and attunement. Furthermore, Internal Alchemy works with transpersonal processes as well as energy-based and body-centred ones. In particular, its purpose is to bring about spiritual realisation as well as improve our vitality and health. Hence this practice has endured for millennia because it brings many benefits to the individual. These are the reasons I practise and teach it. 

What is Inspirit Way Alchemy?

Another way to describe Inspirit Way Alchemy (Shen Dao Dan) would be as an Internal Qigong. Daoist spiritual and transformational practices have traditionally been called alchemical and internal. They bring the forces of nature, the earth and the universe together with our inner Three Treasures of energy (Qi), essence (Jing) and spirit (Shen). These natural forces of our environment include Yin and Yang and the Five Elements – Fire, Water, Wood, Metal and Earth, 

The term ‘alchemy’ describes the way that this practice infuses and cultivates energies and states in our body, mind and heart. It is this alchemy that brings about genuine physical, personal and spiritual change and development. Hence, we can describe the process as ‘internal and alchemical’. 

Nei Dan creates a spiritual transmutation of baser states into more exalted ones; a ‘purification of dense into fine, turbid into clear, heavy into light, dull into brilliant, disordered into harmonious’. 

If indeed this is what we are practising with Inspirit Way Alchemy, it is time we honour this way, Dao in Chinese, by naming it what it is. Only then can we say that by practising it; realising our spiritual and human potential as those who practised Nei Dan for millennia, we are following The Way/Dao.

My client came to me after suffering with reoccurring anger issues in his romantic relationships. These were making him aggressive towards his partner and causing significant problems within his existing relationship.

Anger issues – Client background

My client had a childhood shaped by a neglectful mother and violent father. His parents had a turbulent relationship which got increasingly fraught, angry and violent. When they divorced he first stayed with his mother.  She however became preoccupied with new relationships and scarcely gave him any of the care and maternal affection he craved. So he went to live with his father. He also did not provide the protection and love needed; his father also suffered with anger issues and would often issues threats of violence. Both the parents’ attitudes and behaviour caused my client profound wounding.  This convinced him that he had to shield himself and never make himself vulnerable.

Experiencing his world as one of neglect, anger and aggression, he escaped into sex, drugs, and partying. It took him a long time to manage to live with anyone as his internalised family dynamics kept being repeated in his own relationships. These manifested as hostility, rage and occasional violence, and it horrified him to see himself become like his father.

My client wanted help to recover from this legacy of emotional rejection from his mother and physical aggression from his father. Sadly, this is not an uncommon a story; the details and situations may differ but many share similar dysfunctional childhoods. He was realising that these anger issues and cyclic patterns of need, fear and aggression were destructive in his relationships.

Anger issues – Client observations

As an adult my client avoided acknowledging his emotional need for love and intimacy. He found it impossible to accept his longing for affection and connection, denied to him as a child.  As with his parents, he developed patterns of alternating closeness and hostility. He so dreaded feeling unwanted, as in his childhood, he felt compelled to control and dominate others, often by becoming enraged. In this he was following in the footsteps of his father.

I recognised in him typical defence strategies designed to cope with feeling rejected and unloved. It was important for him to understand his parents’ roles in the forming of his defences, including his propensity for explosive fury.  As he and I interacted, I observed him to have a sensitive and kind nature, willing to love and prepared to change.

Remedy

My aim was to upgrade my client’s perceptions into a more objective experience of life, one not determined by his inner child wounds, conditioned responses and learned behaviours.

I helped him to accept and tolerate his feelings of anger and heart-break stemming from his experiences as a child who didn’t receive the love, care and attention he needed. I guided him into cathartic processing of feelings: vocally, emotionally and physically. We used a repertoire of techniques including bioenergetics, breathwork, movement, hitting cushions, drama enactment and role-play. In a safe, regulated, boundaried and supervised setting he could release emotionally-charged feelings of anger, fear and hate.  He started to let go of his defence strategies which were so detrimental to his relationships and his overall well-being.

In his sessions he gained insight into the causes of his underlying distress. What had hitherto been out of sight and mind became increasingly apparent.  As a witness with a psychotherapeutic lens, I gave him feedback about what was coming up in his processes. We explored and discussed, in an empathic and insightful way, how to replace his negative states with positive ones, so transform his pain and suffering into wellness and understanding.

Examples of psychodrama processes used

With outstretched arms ask your imaginary mother in front of you: ‘feed me, be with me’ as you sense your need for love and nourishment.  Be aware of, experience and acknowledge what you are feeling, so you really know what’s going on inside you rather just in your head.

Demand what you want and need from the m/other.  In as a loud a voice as you want, say things like “you will give me what I want from you”, or ‘I will make you give me what I want from you’, or simply ‘give it to me’.  Let any feelings of rage and anger come to the surface. Express them if you need to on a mattress or cushions.

Reach out to the other with your hands, asking for what you want and need, then close the door to them by putting your hands on your chest to act as a barrier against them.  Possibly even turn your back to them. Feel the effect of disconnecting and closing off.  Sense if any emotional pain is induced by this. If so express it through voice and tears to get in touch with deeper feelings of hurt and grief, rather than any default defensive reactions.

Examples of therapeutic body-centred techniques used

Moving your pelvis to and fro, feel your energy extend outwards in front of you. Let yourself go and let go of any pent-up energy rather than holding it back. Sense any fear you might have by putting your energy out, especially of your father. Visualise that your expressed vitality can flow out into the world with love rather than fear and anger.  Feel that you can connect with others rather than keeping yourself isolated and shielded from anticipated hurt.

See what you need to say to your distressed inner child. For example, ‘I am here for you’ or ‘You have me to protect you’.  Sense how your child wants to be held and, with a cushion as your child, hold and cuddle it. Allow your feelings of care, love, sadness, longing to emerge.

Lie with your hands by your sides and imagine they are being held by your parents on either side.  Imagine they are giving you their full love, care and attention. Using your inbreath take in through your hands their nurturing deep into your very core.  When you feel this perfect parental love is filling you, bring it and feel it deep in your heart by bringing your hands to rest on your chest.  See if you are able to feel any love and relax in this state, so you can feel truly wanted, validated and appreciated.

Drop into the centre of your body and try sense the very core of your being. Feel the wellness and stillness in this place. Try to connect to your core self and tune into its qualities and psychological and spiritual resources. Try to sense the particular spiritual attribute you feel you need to integrate it in yourself. It might be one that will help you deal with what you are going through or address a personality trait causing you problems. In other words enlist your authentic integral core self to help you in your day to day life.