Qigong and the Grieving Process
- May 25
- 5 min read
Kellie and Kelly are the founders of the Academy of Embodiment Arts and hosts of the Soul Discovery podcast. They combine Qigong with meditation and energy mastery to guide people to embody new frequency through transmutation and transformation for lasting change.
After losing his father, Kelly found himself turning to his Qigong practice to help process his grief, finding a deeper and renewed appreciation for the incredible arts of Qigong, Neigong, and Baguazhang, and how effective they are for transmuting emotional energy and moving through the emotional spaces of his grieving process.
Ba Duan Jin has the power to change your internal reality through conscious participation in the mental, emotional, and spiritual spaces you move through as you use the instinctual level of breathing any time you encounter deep emotional content. Kelly discovered a distinct alchemical process for transmuting energies in the mind and body as he maintained heart presence as a physical state of being. It unified everything, strengthening the meridians to handle more energy in the body and helping unify the three Dan Tiens into one energy field.
Grief and sorrow trigger the body. Breathing through it using the movements of the Eight Pieces of Brocade allows emotional energy to move and flow, pointing to the importance of understanding the connection of breath to the body and the diaphragms through practice.
Zhan Zhuang requires one to hold static postures. The dynamic micro movements create an internal understanding of using these movements with physical stillness to listen to emotional energy that surfaces during a moment of profound sorrow. Certain postures amplified the strength of the nervous system, allowing the emotional energy in the body to move while feeling. It allowed Kelly to feel safe in the body without being hijacked into an ego spiral. It created an awareness of two realities happening within the body: stillness and the movement of emotional energy. In this way, he consciously controlled the body and his reaction to a trigger. It allowed him to accept what he was feeling in any given moment.
Baguazhang combines both moving and still static postures as its foundation. This makes it an elevated and advanced art, both for combat and for using conscious participation in the alchemical process of transmuting emotional and mental energies in the physical body. The combination of moving and still physical conditioning changes the level of physical awareness. In doing so, it deepens all levels of conscious awareness of internal stories and imprinted patterns that ego and shadow use to trigger us into emotional spirals.
Like all things, Baguazhang is a process, an evolution, and a living alchemical path. Kelly found these practices deeply cathartic for feeling through memories, such as the last hug he and his father shared. It assisted him in moving from sorrow to joy with much more conscious calm. He did not get caught in despair, but transmuted the sadness into gratitude without bypassing his emotions. Allowing emotion to rise and move, he felt safe and in control of his awareness to understand and honour what he felt.
A consistent Qigong practice changes your perspective on the world. Changing inner awareness means you become more conscious of how you view the outside world, and in time, you view it differently. You consciously participate in your reality with stillness and calm. For example, you can express anger without projecting anger or acting angry. When you hold space for yourself, your expression of emotion and understanding is different. People often expect conflict, yet that does not have to happen when you learn to control your inner world this way. Being triggered often makes people feel threatened, but there is not always a threat. Love is always present in any conflict, and when you know and can feel the difference between judgement and discernment, there is no projection.
Observation and stillness replace projection. Qigong practice enhances awareness, and transmutation becomes a primary mode, an instinct. Qigong is potent in its ability to transmute emotional energy. It allows the body to release tension rather than be locked down by it. A counterbalance is created between nervous system agitation and emotional energy. Regular practice means you develop the ability to control your mental and emotional energy so you will not be hijacked by any trigger.
Embodiment of spiritual awareness is, in general, often misunderstood. Physical embodiment is a transmutation process. Neigong helps support the tissues and organs when processing and digesting emotions by moving blood and balancing the body energetically. The Lower Dan Tien is the engine that built you in the womb. In organ theory, every organ holds specific types of energy. The meridians send information from one organ to another, and corresponding acupuncture points on the body are there to help energy flow.
Depending on which Neigong system you practise, there are several palm structures that do specific things to move energy in the body. They also strengthen fascia, connect you to the Earth, connect you to your Wei Qi, and build your Guardian Qi. Transmutation of tension in the body regulates the nervous system. Over time, you build momentum in the fascia, which sends signals to every part of the body, creating a deeper connection to stillness.
To transmute intense emotions such as grief here are some tips to follow:
Listen to the self. What is your ego telling you? Can you identify it? Or your shadow? What stories are triggers trying to resurrect? Tell yourself it is okay to integrate the information, let go of what does not serve, and allow yourself to heal.
Overwhelm is a story. Feeling overwhelmed is a nervous system response to stress. It triggers our physical body, thereby triggering our emotions. Remember that you have control over this. Thank yourself for feeling the trigger so you have the opportunity to reframe it.
Practise. Regular Qigong practice will bring you to a deeper awareness of your body. You can learn the moves in a few classes. Continuing the practice after the class ends makes all the difference. Imagine what years of consistent practice can do. There is a saying in Qigong circles: Do not worry about the man who does 10,000 kicks; worry about the man who does one kick 10,000 times.
Counterbalance changes how the mind works. What is your ego trying to prevent you from seeing? Track the story to its origin.
Neigong gives you the point of context for consciously feeling the origin point of the story in a physical way. We have a physical body; therefore, we feel emotions in the body, not the mind. Chaotic mental energy makes it difficult to feel the body. Therefore, a Qigong practice brings you out of the mind and into the body. To make lasting change, you must feel on all levels, and Qigong and Neigong practices help you in this process.
Grief and the grieving path are very personal and unique for everyone. No one can tell you what is going to happen or how it is all going to work out. It is a constant unfolding and growth process, with big windows to peer at our reflection. It leads us to doorways through which hidden and forgotten hallways hold buried secrets. Unlocking our secrets is the key to healing on all levels.
To connect with Kelly and learn more, email here.
Read more from Kellie Winzinowich and Kelly Whelan-Enns
Kellie Winzinowich and Kelly Whelan-Enns, Active Embodiment Coaches
Kelly Whelan-Enns is a master of Shaolin Qi Healing, Qigong, and the internal art of Baguazhang. Plagued by asthma and hypoglycemic in his youth, Kelly's journey of healing and self-mastery has spanned over 35 years, training with master teachers, and studying Taoist, Zen Buddhist, and Tibetan meditation, teaching many along the way. Kellie Winzinowich is a former elite gymnast whose journey brought her to Qigong and the study of internal alchemy. Now a Certified Hypnotherapist, she helps others navigate personal transformation. Together, Kellie and Kelly guide others to embody lasting change through physical, emotional, and spiritual self-mastery.
