Mind intent is an important component of Qigong healing. In Chinese thought, there are many different kinds of mind intent. The previous article discussed Yi or intellectual mind intent. This article will outline Shen or emotional mind intent.

If you have ever walked into a funeral or another event where everyone else in the room was feeling sad. The emotion in the air can be so thick that you can almost tangibly feel it yourself. Even if you did not actually know the person who had passed away, you cannot help feeling a little sad yourself or at least solemn in the presence of others who are feeling a certain way. In this way, emotional direction of others influences your own Shen.

In a healing Qigong practice, Shen can be used as a healing art. With Yi or intellectual mind intent, energy is directed through thinking about the technical details of energy balance and flow. With Shen, the healing practitioner wishes the recipient well and feels compassion for them and this is what directs the flow of energy and heals the person. Most people have felt something like this. When someone feels compassion for you, you often feel a positive physical response simply to the heartfelt emotion. This is an example of Shen.

Heartfelt prayer is an example of healing with Shen. For this kind of mind intent to work, the prayer cannot be mechanical. It cannot be a rote prayer someone says simply because the person’s name is on a list of people to pray for. The prayer must be for someone the prayer cares about from the heart. It is more like the prayer of a parent who prays trusting in the love they have for their child.

The easiest way to begin this kind of energy work is for the practitioner to get to know clients. This helps the healer to develop a feeling of compassion for them. In China, one healer was famous for the power of his use of Shen. He would sit with patients for about 30 minutes and talk quietly with them about themselves and their lives. When they would leave, the patients would feel better.

This healer became so well known that more and more people came to see him. His practice eventually became overwhelming. Because of this, he arranged to have a morning tea once a week where he would meet with returning patients of his. He would meet with many patients at the same time and talk to them all at once. In this way, his practice became manageable once again.

Qigong practitioners do not have to choose between using Shen and Yi. In fact, using these two types of mind intent together often works best. Love and compassion in Shen help a practitioner remain focused on the entire being of the patient while Yi intellectual mind intent helps focus on the specific health problem the practitioner is working on. Together, these two types of mind intent can help you develop your Qigong practice.

Author Bio: Sigung Richard Clear has over 30 years of continuous study in Tai Chi and Qigong both in the U.S. and China. Read more on his website at: http://www.clearstaichi.com

Category: Self Help
Keywords: Qigong, Qi Gong, Chi Gong, Chi Gung, Shen mind intent