An Introduction to Qi Cultivation: The Fundamentals of Qigong and Internal Alchemy

Working with Internal Vital Energy

Using the mind to absorb vital energy, direct its flow, store it, and use it for strength, healing and longevity

The purpose of this course is to offer you a direct, personal experience of the flow of Qi within your body.

Rather than relying on abstract theory or distant philosophy, the practices presented here are embodied, experiential, and transformative. They are designed to bring you into living contact with the subtle energies that animate and sustain your life.

Across all meditative traditions — regardless of cultural origin — one foundational principle is shared: the use of an object of concentration. This object may be the breath, a mantra, a flame, a visual symbol, or even a paradoxical question, as found in Zen koans. By repeatedly returning the attention to this anchor, the practitioner cultivates steadiness of mind, presence, and clarity.

In the Taoist tradition, the preferred object of concentration is the flow of energy within the body. This approach brings the attention inward — not toward thought or concept, but toward sensation, awareness, and movement within the energy body itself.

As attention deepens, the practitioner begins to feel and work with the Qi directly — guiding it, amplifying it, and refining it with the power of focused intention. The mind and energy begin to work as one. Awareness becomes an instrument of vitality. Rather than drifting away from the body, the mind dives into it, initiating a process of healing, renewal, and awakening.

The practices in this course draw from time-honoured traditions of internal energy cultivation, particularly Taoist Qigong and Yogic energy systems. For thousands of years, these lineages have preserved powerful methods for enhancing vitality, longevity, emotional balance, and spiritual evolution.

At the heart of these systems lies a profound understanding: the body is not just a physical form — it is a dynamic, intelligent matrix of energy. When we attune to this energy and learn to direct it with awareness, we harmonise the physical, emotional, and spiritual layers of our being.

These practices do not add something new or foreign to you. Instead, they help you reconnect with what has always been within you — an innate, living intelligence capable of healing, transforming, and thriving.

Qigong is often described as “push-ups for your energy body.” Just as physical strength develops through consistent exercise, the strength of your energetic system — your ‘energy body’ — grows through regular, mindful practice. Each breath, each intention, and each movement becomes a form of inner training — awakening and refining the subtle forces that govern vitality and awareness.

But there is one crucial difference between physical and energetic training:

You cannot take your physical body with you when you leave this life — but you do take your energy body.

Your energy body — shaped through breathwork, attention, and internal alchemy — becomes the vessel that carries your consciousness beyond this lifetime. The clarity, stability, and vibrancy you cultivate through these practices become part of your deeper being.

Qigong, then, is more than a tool for health and longevity. It is a spiritual investment — a way of preparing the energy body for awakening, and for enduring connection with the Source. In this way, Qigong is not only a practice of wellness. It is a preparation for eternity.

By completing this course, students will walk away with a lifelong toolkit of Qi practices — allowing you to maintain vibrant health, emotional harmony, and a deeper connection with the natural and spiritual forces of life.