Do you feel tired, drained, depleted, and you’re not recovering even after ‘resting?’
If you have been:
- working too much
- thinking too much
- experiencing stress and anxiety
- or spending too much energy
you may feel qi “depleted.”
You may have even had all the tests necessary to rule out any medical reasons for low energy, and nothing has shown up. You may be have been told, “you’re fine” but you don’t really feel like it.
This could be qi depletion – and it is very common!
Traditional Chinese Medicine and Qigong constantly assess the root energy and qi of the body. Ideally, the qi is strong and abundant, flowing smoothly throughout all the meridians, collaterals, soft tissue, and internal organs.
Sometimes the qi can become stagnant, and sometimes the qi can be depleted and deficient.
Why is my Qi depleted?
In a perfect world, we would wake up energized, accomplish all the tasks that we need and want to do, eat some good food, have some fun, spend time with people we love, then go to bed and have a good nights sleep. Then, we wake up refreshed and ‘ready to go’ the next day.
But, sometimes, one or more of those pieces are missing. Maybe:
- we don’t have a good night sleep
- we have too many items on our “to do” list
- we eat foods that aren’t ideal for our constitution
- we run out of time or energy to do the things we want to do
- we are too overstimulated to have a deep sleep
If this happens, slowly over time we can deplete our qi.
Depleted Qi and Deficient Qi
What’s the difference between “depleted” and “deficient” qi? Now we are getting into the finer details of Qigong theory!
Deficient qi occurs when a system (liver, lungs, kidneys, heart, etc.) becomes low on energy BUT it recovers with a little bit of rest and a good sleep.
Depleted qi is when we are deficient for a long period of time without recovering. Qi depletion can show itself over days, weeks, or months. It is a more serious form of deficiency. It can manifest as:
- low energy, fatigue, even after resting
- poor or slow digestion
- weak immune system
- poor focus, concentration, and memory
- slow healing of injuries, and wounds
- feeling moody, emotional, or numb
Fortunately, this easy Qigong practice can help!
A Very Common Reason for Qi Depletion
Beyond the basic rules of a healthy lifestyle, there can be another reason for qi depletion – people.
Some of us are unaffected by being around people, others feel drained, depleted, and tired after spending time in the presence of friends, family, coworkers, people we know, and people we don’t know.
It’s important to mention that there is nothing wrong with you or the people around you – it’s just that it takes more energy than it gives to be social.
If this describes how you feel, you are not alone. We have an entire series about qi depletion from people in the Communi Qi and many tools to help ? https://qigongforvitality.vhx.tv/videos/health-boundaries-part-1-the-basics
The “Gathering the Qi” routine above can help!
Practice this series once or even twice a day, and in time you will notice an increase in your physical, mental, emotional, and even spiritual energy. The best part is that you are creating it for yourself!
Be well, be happy! ?
~Jeff
PS If you are looking for more Qigong practices to help with depleted qi, come join the Communi Qi for many full practices that can help ?
