Secrets of Full Moon Qigong Practise

Note: The following post is the transcript of part one of our Instructor Training Tea Talks.

The character of qi (energy) is closely tied to cycles. Everything about qi moves in cycles, which you can think of like a wave. Qi cycles between yin and yang, shifting from one to the other and back again.

There are very obvious natural cycles. For example:

The cycle of the year.

• In midwinter, qi is at its most yin.
• In midsummer, qi is at its most yang.

Yang is hot, fiery, aggressive, expansive, and masculine. Yin is cool, calm, condensing, and feminine.

At midwinter, it’s at its coolest and most yin. At midsummer, it’s at its hottest and most yang.

The cycle of the moon The cycle of the moon is perhaps the most powerful of these natural cycles.

• Sunlight is very yang — it’s hot, fiery, and quite aggressive. If you stand in the sunlight for too long, you get burned.
• Moonlight, on the other hand, is the opposite. Moonlight is cool, calm, and gentle. You can absorb as much moonlight as you like, and you’ll never get "moonburn."

The moon cycles from full to new (when there’s no visible moon).

• During the full moon, it’s the most yin time of the month.
• During the new moon, it’s the most yang time of the month, as there is no yin influence.

So, the full moon is the peak of yin energy for the month.

More cycles of qi:Cycle of the week.

• Over the course of the week, qi is most yin on Wednesday night and most yang on Saturday. Why this is the case is still unclear, but it’s what all the experts agree on.

Cycle of the day

• Over the course of the day, qi is most yang at midday (when the sun is at its highest) and most yin at midnight (when the moon’s influence is strongest).

When midnight coincides with a full moon, two cycles of yin energy overlap, making it an extremely yin time. This makes it the perfect opportunity to go out, practice, and absorb that gentle, harmonious yin qi.

Why practice during this time?

1. Stay in tune with natural cycles. It’s easy to lose touch with nature, especially if you live or work in built-up areas. Practicing helps you reconnect.
2. Balance your energy. Modern life is fast-paced and stressful, which builds up too much yang energy. Too much yang energy can lead to imbalance and stress.

Yang energy clashes with more yang energy. It’s like putting two north poles of a magnet together or two bulls in the same field — they repel each other. Similarly, absorbing too much sunlight can make you sick because it overloads your yang energy and causes a clash.

Yin energy, however, doesn’t clash. It merges and flows continuously, like a peaceful field full of cows. (In contrast, two bulls in a field would fight!) Therefore, you can absorb as much yin energy as you like without creating conflict or imbalance.

Ideal practice times and methods: The ideal time for full moon practice is midnight on the day of the full moon. However, you have a three-day window:

• The day before the full moon
• The full moon itself
• The day after the full moon
• The day after the full moon is often considered the best.

What to do during practice:

1. Arrive around 11:15 p.m.
2. Start with your qigong routine.
3. Practice your shuang yang routine at least once.
4. Sit quietly and meditate, absorbing the calm yin energy surrounding you.

For meditation, I usually recommend 108 breaths, but you can shorten this to 5 or 10 minutes if you prefer. Afterward, just go back and get some sleep.

Practical tips:

• Dress warmly if it is chilly.
• Avoid sitting directly on cold surfaces - use one or more cushions - sit on those to stay warm and comfortable.
• If you feel too cold, it’s perfectly fine to cut your practice short and head back to sleep.