Qigong & The Reptile Brain

"The region of the reptile brain (brainstem) is one of the most important areas for Qigong and Dim-mak. In Qigong it is used to help us to go into the reptile brain where we are in survival or reflex mode allowing the body heal itself or to help us to heal others. There is a good rule as to whether or not you are doing your Qigong correctly and it has to do with the Reptile Brain. When we are taught the basic standing Qigong, we usually begin by getting used to all of the new physical things that we are faced with and are feeling. Like the shakes that accompany the stances. Once over this area and we are faced with a mild vibration which is quite pleasant, we feel the Qi ‘lifting up’ the back and being activated at the points known as GB 20 (gallbladder points No. 20) just below the base of the skull. We feel something lifting up and ending at these points, like a sensation. Everyone’s sensation is different so it is difficult for me to tell you what to feel, better for you to feel it yourself. But be warned, you MUST do Qigong correctly and that means that every tiny peripheral is in its correct place, the weight is placed exactly in the correct place, the head is held exactly correctly, the breathing is being performed exactly and so on. I recently heard from a chap who had been doing so-called Qigong with some ‘master’. He complained that he felt ill after every session and his mind was scattered afterwards. So I sent him my Basic Qigong tape so that he could see exactly what he was doing wrong. He discovered that just about everything he was doing was wrong and thus having a detrimental effect rather than a healing effect! The worst thing that most people do when learning Qigong is to place the weight over the balls of their feet right onto Kidney One point. This is the most damaging thing that one can do as it causes ‘adverse cyclic Qi’ to be generated which can damage the reptile brain! Not many ‘masters’ realize that KD 1 point is NOT the activation point for KD 1 but rather that it is the area of the heels that activates KD 1 point on the foot, the energy input point for ground Qi. So when we place weight onto KD 1 point, it actually stops the Qi from entering into the body. However, if the ground Qi did not enter the body we would die so it must come is some how. So, it builds up to such a degree that it comes through in violent bursts, which reach right up, into the reptile brain damaging it! This is the reason that many people experience violent shakes and body movement while standing in a basic Qigong stance. Many ‘masters’ say that this is powerful, but they are wrong. The weight must be placed upon the heels thus leaving KD 1 point free of all tension and allowing a moderate and balanced flow of Qi to enter the body gradually, thus enhancing the reptile brain.

We are always told to ‘sink the Qi’. But why? The reason is that only in this way does the Qi turn into ‘jing’, a more purified and evaporated type of Qi which is then able to flow to all parts of the body, condenses and settles into the marrow as fat enabling our body to produce more ‘T’ cells for our immune system. In ‘sinking’ we allow the ‘activation points’ for the Reptile Brain to work, activating the Reptile Brain. The very instant that you begin to discover ‘sinking’ or as the Chinese call it, ‘Sung’, you will feel the reptile brain come into play. For a short time, you feel invincible but do not worry that will go away, leaving you with a feeling of well-being because in this condition, your body is free to do what it has to without external tension and the Reptile Brain is free to help you to survive. Survival does not only mean survival against physical attack, but also against disease and pathogenic attack. Tension is one of the greatest things that affects the well being of the Reptile Brain so Qigong is able to help the Reptile Brain do its subconscious work unhindered by tension. All of your glands will be able to do their allotted work. Your Thymus gland, which is in charge of balancing the Qi, will not shrivel up as it does in most people at age around 15. The Thymus gland is more susceptible to stress than any other gland. When we are younger and have not much adult stresses placed upon us, this gland is large and healthy, a tuber shape reaching down from CV 22. So when we begin to get rid of stress, this gland comes back again to control our flow of Qi again. By becoming aware of the Reptile Brain we also activate and assist the Pineal gland, which is also responsible for our perception of nature and the things around us and our place on the planet. So it is not unusual for this gland to increase in size. There are some animals whose size of this gland is half the size of their total brain at birth enabling them to be totally aware of their environment from day one and be in total survival mode.

So while many people do Qigong simply to become more relaxed, they do not know that this ‘simple’ exercise is one of the most beneficial that anyone can do to enhance the Reptile Brain, hence enhancing the workings of the whole body. See (Photo No. 1) for the basic 3 circle standing Qigong stance."

~Erle Montaigue