Recorded from the back porch along the banks of the Ping River here in northern Thailand, I’m joined by Tucker our Temple Cat and a cacophony of singing birds for this episode of the Sober Shaman Podcast. We get into Qi, and not by talking about it, but by having an experience of it.
The focus is one simple, powerful Qigong exercise: hold the ball. In 13 years inside addiction treatment centers, this is the exercise that lit people up. I loved seeing the light bulbs going off when someone felt the Qi between their palms for the first time.
We’ll explore Qi follows Yi. Energy flows where attention goes. Which means we can direct it, move it, use it. Starting with the basics, jaw, shoulders, belly, we work through three lines of relaxation, build the Qi ball between the palms, and then take that ball of love and light to wherever it’s needed: a headache, a knee, gastric upset, anxiety, cravings, heartbreak. No place to put it? Bring it straight into the Heart.
This is a practice that can deliver palpable relief, not a cure-all, but an absolute component of healing that puts you back in participation with your own recovery.
In this episode:
What Qi actually is, and why a thousand types of it exist in Chinese medicine
The three body basics (jaw, shoulders, belly) that shift your state immediately
The three lines of relaxation as preparation for any Qigong practice
How to build and feel a Qi ball between your palms
Directing that ball to pain, discomfort, anxiety, cravings or straight into the Heart
Qi as a pattern interrupt for fast-cycling cravings like nicotine, scrolling, and stimulants
Why fighting the interrupting mind makes it worse, and what to do instead
Want to run through it step by step?
Lesson 23 is waiting at thesobershaman.com.
Let me know how you did, tell me about the experience & shoot me any questions you may have - directly or in the comments below.
With Blessings,
Randal
