Qigong and Nature are intertwined. The image of
water is omnipresent in Taoist philosophy as Taoist sages believe we are
always immersed in Tao that our lives are spent in this moving river of
life. Images of trees usually willows situated near water their
branches moving in the gentle breeze permeate the ancient texts which
guide Qigong practice. While there has been considerable research
recently on Green and Blue Spaces on exercise in general however, there
has been very little modern research on the health or any other benefits
of practicing Qigong outside in natural surroundings. This article
offers a commentary on the experience and perceived benefits of
practicing Qigong in natural surroundings. It presents 20 years of
teaching Qigong classes in Natural surroundings through the eyes of my
students and of Qigong colleagues around the world and places these in
the context of academic research. It concludes that the ancient Taoist
and Buddhist master’s perceptions written many years ago are correct.
The quality of the experience health benefits, and the energy accrued
from Qigong is enhanced by practice in nature.
Keywords: Qigong; Health; Wellbeing; Nature; Water; Forests; Green space; Blue space
I retired from full-time University teaching 3 years
ago. One day I sat down and realized I have been offering Qigong
classes for over 25 years and outside in natural surroundings for more
than 20 years. As I started to reflect on this. I decided to write an
article about this topic. My intent was to gather personal anecdotes
about my own experience and the experiences of my students and Qigong
colleagues around the world about their perceived benefits of practicing
Qigong in natural surroundings (by/over water amongst trees in fields
on hills/mountains etc.) and to put these in context against a backdrop
of academic research drawn from international studies on health benefits
of Qigong and of being in Nature. I sent a brief note to my current and
former students and to a few other colleagues around the world. I asked
each of them:
“are you able and willing to contribute some
personal anecdotes-a few lines (or more if you wish) about your own
previous experiences practicing Qigong in natural surroundings. This
could be about what you felt or saw and/or about any perceived benefits
you experienced”.
Their comments are recorded verbatim indented and in italics in the
text. However, what follows is not a research paper per se but rather
focusses on personal reflections on my own journey through both Qigong
and research and the experience of others who engage in Qigong practice
within nature Foot note.
I have practiced Japanese and Chinese Martial Arts
for over 50 years. In 1993 I met my current teacher Master George Ling
Hu [1]. In 1994, Master Hu encouraged me to offer Qigong and Tai Chi
classes for adults. I began very slowly but offered both Tai Chi and
Qigong. I quickly realised that while Tai Chi was more recognisable and
thus more popular it was also more difficult for participants especially
those who attended classes only sporadically. Participants who attended
only 3 of 10 classes and those who did not practice forms outside of
class time were not only frustrated but also frustrating to participants
who attended regularly and practiced dutifully outside of our class
meetings. Qigong on the other hand was easier for students to pick up
and attend classes as their schedule allowed. Also, I was drawn more and
more to its benefits for health. In part this is because it is easier
to begin and practice as there is less to memorise but also because in
my opinion the benefits to participants were more
tangible.
In the past 25 years I have offered regular weekly Qigong
classes for adults in many diverse locations including among
other spaces: a small pharmacy a large university gym a portable
‘Nissan Hut’ various Yoga studios and even a realtor’s office in
various communities throughout Ontario Canada. In addition to
my regular weekly classes I have run weekend classes and Train
the Trainer workshops and programs based on these weekly
classes at various locations worldwide including Australia,
China, Portugal, New Zealand, South Africa & the UK
While the term “Qigong” is a modern construct many of the
methods that are used today are derived from age-old Chinese
traditions-most notably Taoist & Buddhist longevity (so called
immortality) techniques, meditations and martial arts training
exercises [2]. The monasteries of Wudang (Taoist) and Shaolin
(Buddhist) feature prominently in the history and practice of
what has come to be known as Qigong. Wudang Temple was
situated high in the Wudang mountains and Shaolin Temple
high in Song Mountains. Each in their own way exemplified and
in modern times inform the idea of practicing Qigong outside in
Nature. In researching this article, I was initially struck by the
paucity of research connecting natural surroundings and Qigong.
True there are references in several ancient texts to the value of
practicing amongst trees or on mountain or by lakes and there
are some modern articles primarily in health blogs that follow
the same line. However, I found almost no research qualitative or
quantitative specifically linking the health or any other benefits of
practicing Qigong outside in natural surroundings. However, the
therapeutic value to Human Health and Quality of Life of “Green
Spaces” (i.e. woods and natural meadows, wetlands as well as
urban parks and sports fields) and “Blue Spaces” (i.e. waterfront
parks, harbors, ports, marinas, rivers, open air streams, canals,
lakes, ponds and fountains) and especially their inclusion
within urban environments is well documented [3-7]. Research
in this area is extensive and ranges from studying the effects
of simply spending 5 minutes in an urban park to the practice
of Shinrin-yoku (bathing in the forest atmosphere or taking in
the forest through our senses) – usually referred to simply as
Forest Bathing. Dr Qing Li suggests Forest Bathing can reduce
your stress levels and blood pressure strengthen your immune
and cardiovascular systems boost your energy, mood, creativity,
and concentration even help you lose weight and live longer [3].
Other findings from research on exercising in Green and Blue
spaces which are often interlinked include the following:
I. Participants who exercised outdoors expressed more
restorative feelings compared to ones who exercised indoors
… (they) said they felt like the activity allowed for them to
escape they were fascinated by their surroundings they felt
like their interest during the activity was sustained [4].
II. Compared with exercising indoors exercising in natural
environments was associated with greater feelings of
revitalization and positive engagement, decreases in tension,
confusion, anger, and depression, and increased energy [5].
III. A positive association between greater exposure to
outdoor blue spaces (with) benefits to mental health and
well-being [6].
The overwhelming finding from research on exercising in
Green and/or Blue Spaces is that each have significant health
benefits for human beings. The term Green Exercise has been
coined in the research to describe any activity in the presence of
nature irrespective of whether this is deemed a Green Space or
a Blue Space. The evidence shows that pursuing Green Exercise
leads to positive short and long-term health outcomes. Getting
outside and moving for as little as five minutes at a time improves
general good health. Every green environment improves both
self-esteem and mood; the presence of water generated greater
effects. Interestingly, low-intensity to moderate-intensity
physical activity shows greater improvements in self-esteem
than high-intensity outdoor exercise [7].
Qigong in nature is the ultimate gift: The tangible nurture
which nature brings me plus the renewed energy I feel being
bare foot on the earth-is like an enhanced power boost to my
body, mind and spirit-all in one go. Qigong and Nature are
intertwined. As mentioned elsewhere [8] images of water are
omnipresent in Taoist philosophy, as Taoist sages believe we are
always immersed in Tao that our lives are spent in this moving
river of life. Images of trees, usually willows, situated near water,
their branches moving in the gentle breeze permeate the ancient
texts and artwork which guide Qigong practice [9] while Lao Tzu
and other Taoist Sages make many references to trees, water
and nature in general [10]. The exercise Stand Like A Tree, the
basic exercise for Yi Chuan-Zhan Zuang, (the so-called Iron Shirt
training exercises for building strong bones and muscle) is based
on the Chinese theory-sky above, earth below, and man standing
like a tree rooted between the two. Considerable research has
been conducted on the benefits of Qigong and remarkable
results have been suggested not only for persons with medical
conditions (such as High Blood Pressure, Cancer and even
Spinal Cord injuries) but also in helping to prevent illness and
increase longevity [11]. My own research over the last 20 years
has suggested that 30 minutes of seated Qigong helps normalize
blood pressure, lower pulse rate and reduce stress. This research
also showed that participants reported having more energy,
less illness (shorter duration and less severe) and generally felt
healthier [1,8]. However, the ancient Qigong masters prescribed
how and when to practice. How the time of day, and the direction
one faces while practicing influence the effects of Qigong on the
body and mind. Similarly, the position of the sun and whether
one should have its rays in front or behind you. Emphasis was placed on the four primary times to practice: Sunrise, Midday,
Sunset, Midnight, because of the quality of energy at these times.
In addition, the Ancient texts warned against practicing in cold
wet windy conditions especially with wind behind you as this
leached chi from the body.
In 1993 I was still practicing the Japanese (Judo, Ju Jitusu,
AiKi Do) and Chinese martial arts forms (Tai Chi, Ba Gua, Kung
Fu) I had learned over the previous 25 years from my former
teachers such as Sensei O’Tani and Professor Chee Soo. Slowly
I was starting to introduce the Chinese forms I was learning
from Master Hu into my routine and was practicing for 60-
90mins each time sometimes 2-3 times a day. I found practicing
indoors somewhat restricting and so started to move my practice
into my back yard and practiced there until the snows made
it impossible. My old cat Tikka a Zen master of the first order
would accompany me and ‘help’ me in my practice. However, my
backyard was not a particularly tranquil space and did not at the
time have great Feng Shui. Although later I did put in a fishpond
which changed the ambience and distracted Tikka and the other
cats. At that time was living in Windsor Ontario Canada and my
house bordered a large city park - Jackson Park. One day I decided
to move my daily practice to the park. So sometime around 4am
I would walk for 5 minutes find a space amongst the trees as far
away from houses and the road as I could. I would practice until
just after sunrise and then return home and get ready for work.
Once in a while this regime was disrupted such as the time the
Police stopped and asked me what I was doing-I was practicing
Sword forms at the time and they were a little concerned that I
was wielding a dangerous weapon in a public park-albeit at 4:30
in the morning!
I first began to offer Qigong classes on the water in 1998 when
my then assistant John Taylor was living on the Lake St Clair and
offered me the use of his deck to teach. I offered 5 linked classes
on his deck which was almost at lake level alongside the water.
By any measure this pilot project was very successful. Soon after
this I moved to live in a house that had a deck that extended out
over Lake Erie. For 12 years I offered classes on the deck 1-2
times a week throughout the summer come rain or shine. In
2015 I moved again and for the past 4 years I have been offering
classes once a week on a bluff which looks over Lake Erie and
from which point you can see all the way to Ohio. Each of these
locations offers a different aspect and feeling but the quality of
energy experienced practicing by a lake is special particularly
when conducted at a time that we can watch the sun go down.
Over the years I have come to call the classes I teach Breathe
and Smile Qigong. This came about when I realized that Master
Hu was always smiling and sharing jokes and witticisms to help
his students relax. I came to realise that this was not an accident
but a conscious teaching tool because when you simply breathe
and smile you relax making it easier for Chi the essence of Qigong
to flow. The Breath and Smile Qigong class I teach has changed
only a little over the years. It was designed to run for a total of
1hr with 50-55mins of this being exercise. I have run the class
at various times throughout the day such as at lunchtime (12-
1), immediately after work (4:45-5:45). However, for the last
16 years my class has run predominately in the early evening
(6:30-7:30). Irrespective of the time offered the most significant
classes have always been those I have offered in natural
surroundings. Over the last 20+ years the class size has varied
from 6-24 people. On average 8-10 people regularly attend class
each week. By and large the participants are relatively healthy
and come to the classes to remain that way. Most are women
aged 45-80 but occasionally my university students’ former
students participants’ children and the occasional man (usually a
participant’s partner or spouse) also attended. Participants have
been very loyal often attending for more than 3 years and usually
only stop coming to class due to health problems (their own or
family members) or relocation.
While specific exercises change from time to time the
program follows a simple and similar pattern. I use exercises
described in Stand Breathe Smile [12] and for many years the
sequence of exercises in my classes was:
a. Sinews Changing Exercises
b. Preparing the Body for Action
c. Opening and Closing Breaths
d. Ba Duan Jin
e. Sinews Changing Exercises – Repeat
f. Opening and Closing Breaths – Repeat
g. Cool Down
However, as I and the participants in my classes have been
growing older some of these exercises have become more difficult
to perform without frustration. So more recently I have started
to include exercises which are more suited to people as they age.
About 2 years ago I started to include more Yi Quan (Standing
Mediation or Standing Pole) exercises being careful to limit the
length participants hold each posture. Slowly working up from
holding each pose 3 long breaths to 2mins. More recently still
I have introduced some simple exercises from Wu Qin Xi (Five
Animal Frolics). In part I introduced these because the exercises
work on specific areas of benefit to aging humans e.g. Crane
Stretches to the Heavens (improves breathing) Crane Stands
on one Leg (helps improve balance) and Crouching Tiger Grabs
Prey (strengthens muscles and bones). I also introduced them
because I am working on a health promotion book for younger
children linking the Five Animal Frolics health and environmental
awareness especially to animals and their habitats
Many participants made general comments about being
surrounded by nature: Practicing in a natural setting near trees
and water provides tangible feedback that encourages the
natural relationship we as humans have with our environment
thus creating a deep sense of peace and well-being.
Other participants made references to how specific exercises
amplified the feelings of being in nature:
A. The exercises themselves have an outdoor feel as the
fresh air fills my lungs when I stretch my arms wide doing
Cleansing Breath. I see the sky above when I raise my arms
up to perform the exercises (Separate Heaven and Earth.
Salute the Sun or Place the Moon Back in the Sky). My fingers
sense the water in the lake when my hands cup and move like
Lilies Floating on the Water.
B. Being outdoors, Lotus Flower Opening & Lotus Flower
Closing are the two exercises where I am able to completely
let go relax my mind and be one with it all. The feeling is
fleeting but it is there and draws me back for more.
Interestingly few participants wrote about specific health
benefits from practice outdoors. Most were on the general nature
of feelings of wellbeing and tranquility.
a. Qigong exercises in a peaceful tranquil outdoor setting
nourish both body and soul.
b. I found it easier to connect with my senses so, I felt
connected to my body. The sense of somatic connection
happened more quickly and felt more profound than when I
was indoors.
c. (playing) calming music helps calm the mind and body
to allow focus on breathing. once this happens, you hear
nature’s music. Waves, rustling leaves, birds, bugs and you
feel the breeze and tiny ants crawling on your toes. Healing
and loving one’s self are made possible.
d. However, several did comment specifically on health
benefits e.g: Through the movements, I found my physical
self, relaxing and healing. Stress, tension and muscle aches
gently dissolved. I found that my digestive properties
were strengthened, and joints became more supple. With
increased flexibility and more energy. I could move on to the
next event in my life with greater ease and a clarity of mind a
focus that wasn’t there prior to the session.
Many commented about the meditative and calming nature
of being outside
i. Performing Qi Gong in natural surroundings gave
me a sense of tranquility and peace-each simple repeated
movement was much like a repeated mantra in meditation:
the focus and repetition allowed my mind to relax allowed
my thoughts to let the noise go and a sense of ease and peace
ensued.
ii. (Outdoor practice) is quieter easier to concentrate and
lose yourself in the act good for the mind as well as the body.
iii. With Nature’s presence all around. I begin to relax in
body, mind & spirit and connect with the feeling energy from
the heart.
iv. The outside environment has a transformative effect on
Qigong exercises making the movements less mechanical and
more invigorating; exercises flow more freely and naturally
as I feel the gentle breezes off the lake smell the roses in the
garden and see the sun peeking through the cloud’s overhead.
v. Outdoor practice left me feeling rejuvenated because
not only did it allow time to connect with myself but also
time to reconnect with natural elements that resonate deep
within.
a) Several other teachers talked about the effects of
Qigong on their students: whenever we were forced to move
our class indoors due to inclement I found my participants
were much more talkative; it took them longer to get settled
and harder to remain focused throughout. It’s interesting
because there was actually less going on around us while we
were practicing indoors.
b) Others talked of how difficult it is sometimes for a
student to allow nature in: Sometimes (it takes a) long time
to get rid of old habits and ways of thinking and being able to
see change in one’s own life differently and reconnect with
nature where we are a part of!
c) At which time guidance can come in the forms of guiding
the senses: Feel the wind how he embraces you! Listen to
the songs of the birds and leaves of the trees how they sing
the song of life for you! Feel the touch of the sunlight which
shines through the trees to warm your skin! See the play of
colors of the flowers and the butterflies dancing in the wind!
Practicing outside has its problems from time to
time. As
one older participant observed: I sometimes found the heat,
mosquitos and the time of day challenging. Mosquitos and
biting flies are a reality of a South-Western Ontario summer.
However, as another participant commented they are not usually
a problem while practicing Qigong: I seem to attract mosquitoes
and often the bites become very inflamed to the point of leaving
me with a bruise. In addition, I avoid the use of insect repellent so I
wasn’t sure if practicing Qigong in the evening on a lakeshore
would be possible for me to do comfortably. To my great surprise
while practicing Qigong. I was not bothered at all by mosquitoes!
the way mosquitoes stayed away from me. was so surprising. I
remember you described it as “Qigong armour”. This idea of
Qigong Armour is very interesting to me. It is commented on
obliquely in some of the ancient texts and I have found that when
practicing Qigong these biting insects are unable to pierce my
skin. I can feel them trying but to no avail. I am not sure if this
is a side effect of studying so called Iron Shirt techniques or
practicing Qigong in general for so many years
The Weather is another matter. The reality is the weather
is often fickle and beyond the control of the Qigong teacher.
Summer in my area is sub-tropical-very hot, humid and we get
LOTS of thunderstorms that often come out of nowhere. There
have been days when the weather was so inclement that class
had to be cancelled. However, in over 20 years of practicing
Qigong by the water and amongst trees these days were very few
and far between. On the occasions when the weather changed
while we were practicing Qigong on my deck over Lake Erie. I
tried a technique I had read somewhere in an ancient text where
masters gathered the energy of the group and used it to affect
the wind and rain. What surprised me was it works! Using the
concept of Yi leads Chi I shaped the energy of the group to divert
the rain and thunderstorms. It was almost unbelievable-it was
thundering and raining ALL around us and yet it was as if we
were in a bubble with no lightning or rain! If this had happened
once I would have said it was a coincidence but I managed to do
this on numerous occasions. Everyone who was present on these
occasions spoke of the energy they felt and the experience itself
as being beyond belief!
During my practice I have experienced interactions with
domestic animals and wildlife. I have been watched closely by
coyotes’ foxes and deer during my practice. Eagles have swooped
low over my head to take a closer look at me and I have even been
dive bombed by a squadron of purple martins while practicing
my sword forms. So persistent was this attack that I had to use
the flat side of my sword to repel their attack! Dogs and Cats are
naturally drawn to Qigong. My own cats used to join me every
morning on my deck over the water. One time in Portugal I was
practicing outside among the trees and my host’s cat Tigger sat
on a wall.
a. As she commented: I will never forget my cat Tigger
mesmerised with your slow movements, sitting on the wall
watching you for a whole hour and following your slow
movements with her head in time and as if hypnotised.
b. Another couple commented: We both have extremely
fond memories of your cats hanging out and practicing with
us!
I have often spent large parts of my practice with a cat
rubbing itself between my legs or laying down in the exact spot
where I have to place my foot.
Being outside whether under the warmth of the sun the
heat of the humidity the cool breezes from the offshore wind
the sights and sounds of the lake the lovely colours of the sunset
and the rising moon with its emerging stars. The essence of
being outside in natural surroundings enhances all the senses
to contribute to a better quality and more mindful practice! By
and large the writings of the ancient sages were poetic written at
a time before the internet and google and prior to the ascension
of modern science with its emphasis on evidence based best
practice. Nevertheless, my own experience and that of many
others is that natural surroundings affect Qigong practice. Not
only this but each location has its own Feng Shui effect that
exerts an influence on the quality of energy felt and thus the
overall experience itself.
As one participant put it: In addition to the benefits of
improved flexibility and strengthened immune system in a
studio type setting there is infinitely more benefit to the practice
of qigong in a natural setting. I found that I began to unwind as
I began sensing the tranquility of being on the lake. The sunsets
were beautiful the fantastic view of the water as we focused
upon the horizon all added to managing tension and anxiety. A
truly spiritual experience transmuting all the hustle and bustle
into sheer peacefulness and bliss.
I have found there is a difference between practising over
water, alongside water and simply viewing water. Exactly what
this is hard to describe for like attempts to describe Tao the
feeling is visceral fleeting-embodied rather than quantifiable
or describable. The presence of trees near the water also
exerts an effect. The quality the taste of the air in each natural
surrounding is different. Practice with warm summer wind is
very invigorating. Breathing in as the wind blows creates an
amazing feeling of the body filling with energy
Performing Qi Gong next to the water was very beneficial for
me as water has always held great spiritual meaning for me. I
feel a sense of deeper meaning to the universe when surrounded
by bodies of water. The trees flowers birds and other aspects of
nature also helped create this space of spiritual healing. When
performing the Qi Gong i gained a sense of balance in energymy
physical being and spiritual being became one. This in
many ways summed up my own experiences. For me from the
very beginning the feeling of practicing in natural surroundings
amongst the trees hearing the bird’s dawn chorus and the quality
of the energy experienced felt tangibly different from practising
indoors even in the most balanced space with great energy and
light. The later classes by the water had different views and
birds but the feelings and the energy experienced were very similar. My own experience and those of my students and other
teachers around the world tends to reaffirm the ancient Taoist
and Buddhist masters perceptions written many years ago that
the quality of the experience the energy and the overall health
benefits accrued from Qigong is enhanced by practice in nature
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