Qigong and Warm Hands: Part 1

January 16, 2011 at 7:31 pm · Filed under Qigong, Qigong Prescriptions, Qigong Principles

On December 03 of 2010 I invited a friend with a thermal imaging camera to come to my Qigong class to take heat photos of our bodies and hands. This camera is a hand held device used primarily to look for heat leaks in buildings. We previously photographed hands in a class earlier in the year.   

The thermal imaging camera works great as tool for exploring certain aspects of Qigong. The swashes of bright colors give an overview of how someone’s Qi and blood flow are. The balance of colors show how balanced the body is. The type of color shows the level of warmth in each area. Extech i5 is the camera’s designation. 

Thermal Imaging Camera

We took photographs both before and after class. Our class exercises consisted mostly of slow, whole body charging exercises with particuar focus on the hands, Kidneys, legs, Dantian and Lungs.    

Following are some of the things we learned.    

First Student

Even though cold at the begining of class, this persons’s hands were much more balanced to start with than earlier this year.    

And the hands are way hotter after this class than before it.     

Before class hands

After class hands

Notice also how the heat of her head becomes more balanced by the end of the class compared to the photo before class.  She has distributed some of the head heat down into her arms, hands, torso, and legs. 

Body shot, beginning of class

Body shot, end of class

She is learning how to use Qigong to shift the state of her body in an intentional way.     

Second Student

This person’s hands and fingers heated up a lot from the Qigong.     

Before class: warm palms, cool fingers

After class: warmer, but with an imbalance

Though the hands warmed up signifcantly, an imbalance shows between the right and left hands. There is a bright circle of warmth in the right palm that does not express in the left hand. This might have to do with blocked lymph flow in the left arm and axilla (armpit). I suggested to keep practicing  with awareness of allowing the left flow to be open and equal to the right. The way to do this is to pay attention to the various sensations in both hands, gently seeking for more similarities left and right.

Third Student

These photos show that the hands heated up very well from the Qigong, and that there is more energy in the head than is probably healthy. Too much energy in the head is a precursor to many kinds of problems. After viewing the photos, I suggested she focus on her feet more to bring more energetic, thermal and neurologic balance to her entire body.    

And focus on the Dantian when practicing Qigong.    

Hands before

Hands after

In the photos below you can see that clothes keep the heat in. But both the head and the hands were visible and comparing them was useful. A hot head and cold hands are, in general, the reverse of what you want. Seek a cool head and warm or hot hands.    

These photos show lots of energy in the head and moderate energy in the hands.     

I suggested working on learning how to send that head energy to the palms and fingers.This is actually the essence of a Qigong headache remedy: Send the excess heat in the head down the arms to warm up the hands. The pain in the head will often reduce or go away through this simple prescription.    

Before class: hot head and cool hands

After class: warmer hands

Fourth Student

This person heated her hands up significantly.    

Before class: sort of warm hands

After class: hot hands of Qi

My Hands on This Day

My hands are usually warm to hot. They tend to heat up and turn on when I do hands-on healing work with people. People who have practiced Qigong regularly for a few years usually have hands that are warm, alive, and balanced in Qi. This is a generally true even at the beginning of a practice. Warm hands become a way of life. Warm hands, balanced left and right, are usually indicative of health.    

Before class: Robert's hands

After class: Robert's hands

Fifth Student

Here is another example of the power of Qigong to energize. This student’s palm areas (Lao Gongs in Qigong lingo) are warm to begin with, but his fingers and left thumb are cold.    

Before Qigong: cold fingers
After Qigong

With Qigong practice this person’s Qi and blood began to suffuse his fingers. This student has been practicing Qigong for less than two years, and is learning well how to reorder his blood and Qi flow.    

Sixth Qigong Student

This student’s hands show a cold and imbalanced profile to start. Notice the marked purpleness on the right hand. The left hand is more lavender. Both are cold.   

Cold and Imbalanced to Start

     

So much better after Qigong
Wow! Warm and very close to being balanced. This person has been studying Qigong for more than two years. He is making great progress in learning how to shift his energies.

Seventh Qigong Student

Cold fingers with some brightness of  heat in the central palms to start.

Cold at the beginning

Warmer at the end of practice

Notice how much improvement there is here. A little imbalance shows in the fingerpads, but overall, the photos show a marked improvement in less than an hour of Qigong practice. This student has been practicing Qigong for a little more than a year.

     

 

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