Qigong is a method of eliminating diseases and enhancing the health. There are some deviations in the exercise but it isn’t the problem of Qigong itself. It is evoked because the practicers do not predominate it entirely and it’s error to negate the Qigong therapy unilaterally for the deviation.

The deviation in Qigong exercises refers to some partly and all over the body’s discomfort and abnormal sensation appears in the exercise or after the exercise, which may cause to the distress of mind and physical body. The common deviation includes dizziness, fullness in head, shaking head out of control, flowing of Qi sensation up to the head, stuffiness in chest, panicky, heat in chest and cold on back, Dantian distension, lower limb numbness, drowsy state, heated evil spreading all over the body, shaking shoulder and arm, movement out of control, insufficiency of the kidney-Qi, nocturnal emission, yang-Qi hyperactivity, etc.

There are many kinds of factors lead to deviation, which can be divided, into subjective and objective reasons. The subjective reasons are not differentiating in exercises, regardless of deficiency and excess of yin-yang and ups and downs of Zang-Fu Qi, doing a certain exercise rotely. The practicers chase blindly being-touched sensation and being-touched phenomenon in legend, which abets the being-touched degree and leads to deviation consequently because of large movements and out of control. It violates the nature law in the exercises because of guiding the intrinsic Qi intentionally which leads to regulating the meridian and collateral Qi mistakenly .The body doesn’t relax and the mind makes all the body over-tension which leads to deviation too. The practicers are not accord with calming and natural principal, the orders of nature, announcements or the preparations don’t attain the exercises standard, which occurs deviation too. Some practicers attempt others’ exercises recklessly but not apply to the reasonable method which fits to himself and leads to deviation. Some practicers are short of scientific knowledge in the exercises such as the fear mind of hallucination and treat it with superstitious ideas.

The objective reason is considerable which causes to the deviation such as affecting by the suddenly shock from outside, badly exercise site, blare and scream in the exercises, being greeted by gust, uneven exercise site, falling down in practice, cautious and anxious, bad weather condition, very hot weather, severe cold stormy weather, thunder and lightning, burning sun, etc. All these above are not suitable to do exercises.

In sum up, Grasping the “three regulation ” improperly can cause to deviation. The center-tache is regulating mental activities, which is also the important factor to bring effect. In daily life, man has all kinds of rich and colourful activity of thinking such as worrying about his illness and the uncompleted work (he may think it about in the exercises), which is distracting his thought and does not concentrate on one sight with body in stillness. The early practicers are hard to concentrate on one sight with the body in stillness and even harder because of restless emotion. Some practicers appear this condition because of having the idea of curiosity, dubitation (half-believing and half-doubting) and disarry. If you can’t concentrate on one sight with the body in stillness you will not relax your body which is invisible physically and mentally tension that lead to dizziness, fullness in head, numbness and aching pain of trunk or extremities. Moreover, the mind activities can evoke deviation. Regulating mind must adjust the cerebral cortex mental activities. Then it requests the practicers concentrate mind on a certain part of the body such as “mind concentrating on Dantian” which is a relaxed and natural manner and a suitable degree. If mind concentration is too strong it will lead to perturbed, dizziness, fullness in head, etc.

The adjustment of posture improper can evoke deviation too. Adjustment of posture is making exercise posture to fit the physiological state. It may occur breathholding and depressed sensation in chest if the center of gravity affected by benting over and extending over when practicers bend form the waist in leg-crossed sitting state. It may appear shaking head out of control, numbness of leg, even falling down because of standing too longer, drooping head and the distance different between shoulder and two feet.

The proper or wrong of regulating respiration is intimate with deviation. The proper regulating respiration not only have the effect of regulating Qi and blood circulation and massaging internal organs but also help to relax the body, promote Qi circulation and mind stillness. So in the Qigong exercises it is important to regulate respiration, but it should let nature take its course and must not enforce it. If you don’t follow that the deviation will appear such as emotional strain, heavy-breath intently and chasing deep, long, thready breath which may lead to breathholding and depressed sensation in chest. If it enforces abdominal distention and contraction in abdominal respiration it will appear Dantian gassiness.

The deviation can be avoided completely. The particular methods include: (1) Selecting the exercise according to your constitution and state of illness, no doing all the exercises rotely and automatically. (2) In the exercises, no enforcing the coincidence with other’s and doing it mechanically and monotonously, doing it calmingly and naturally. (3) No chasing blindly the being-touched phenomenon, no believing legend, thinking about it scientifically. (4) Following the basic principle in the exercises, running Qi and mind calmingly and naturally, no undertaking reluctantly or enforcing to guide. (5) Relaxing the body, avoiding overstress. (6) Selecting the method applying to yourself and insisting on doing it, no doing more greedily, no trying all the method recklessly, avoiding the activities of Qi disorder and evoking deviation. (7) Preparing before doing the exercises, eliminating distraction factors followed the announcement, doing the finishing act wholly, making the body recovery step by step as before. (8) Taking no panic when meeting hallucination, taking it with scientific attitude and letting nature take its course.

If the deviation appears you can redress it with right process .The remedial principle is: (1) Pausing to do the exercises. (2) Altering the method to apply to your body constitution. (3) Doing partly or total body relaxing exercises. (4) Massaging Laogong (palm of the hand). (5) Massaging Yongquan (center of the foot). (6) Having rest enough. If the deviation cannot be corrected, you should ask for the experienced Qigong master who can give you differentiation treatment to redress deviation.

There are many good methods and ideas in prevention and cure deviation from ancient to modern. The preventing and redressing deviation measures above are verified by the author’s clinical study, which are effective. The Qigong fan can refer to them.

Sep. 1986, Chouchow Hospital, China