faq

Frequently Asked Questions

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Roots of Ningjing

What it is (and what it is not)

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📌 What is Qigong (Chikung, Chi Kung)?

Qigong is the conscious cultivation and circulation of life-energy (qi) through movement, breathing and attentive awareness. It is often described as an art of vitality, where both the creator and the creation are yourself — expressed through the body, the breath and the mind.

Although Qigong was systematised within Chinese culture, human beings have always practised forms of breathing, awareness and movement that bring harmony to the body and the mind. Qigong helps us deepen this natural ability.

Word origins

Qi (chi) can mean breath, air, life-energy, vital essence; it can also refer to weather, mist or atmosphere — anything subtle that moves and influences.

Gong (kung) refers to skill that develops through practice over time: knowledge that is not learned by effort alone, but refined through experience, attention and repetition.

📌 What is Ningjing?

Ningjing is a modern, yin-based system of Qigong and Neigong. It does not imitate tradition, but grows from practice and direct experience.

Word origins

  • 宁 (níng) — serene ease, inner peace

  • 静 (jìng) — alert stillness, attentive quiet

Combined meaning: a receptive, harmonious, living stillness in which the body, the breath and the mind are not trying to “do”, but remain present — open and aware.

Practising Ningjing nurtures balance, vitality and a form of presence that is deeply relational. Over time, it creates space for creativity, freedom and a calm way of sensing life.

As the practice deepens, the Related Presence invites a different way of turning toward experience: with warmth, acceptance and receptivity — toward the body, toward thoughts as they arise, toward the situations life brings, toward other people, and toward both the lighter and more challenging emotions within us.

📌 How is Ningjing different from other Qigong / Neigong systems?

Ningjing is not force-based, not martial in tone, and not a wellness routine. Its focus is on the yin quality: elasticity, the subtle power of quietness, and the understanding that life-energy does not move through effort, but through connection.

Distinct features of Ningjing Qigong

  • emphasis on the pelvic floor, the heart centre and the spine,

  • spiralling mobilisation of the spine,

  • exercises adapted to the individual, rather than practiced identically by everyone.

Because of this personal adaptation, direct transmission is an essential part of the learning process.

Ningjing is more than movement, breath and meditation. It leads toward a form of Related Presence that permeates everyday situations and the way we live and interact — not only how we practise.

📌 What is Related Presence?

In short, it is an alert, receptive state of awareness. You can experience it as a space that forms from moment to moment — a field that includes you, and whatever you are sensing.

In this quality:

  • perception becomes finer and more vivid,
  • attention flows rather than clings,
  • a natural sense of “co-sensing” opens.

Related Presence is not limited to meditation. It can appear in conversation, in touch, in creativity, in decision-making — in any situation that invites genuine connection.

It is not the same as mindfulness or Buddhist presence. Related Presence does not stay centred on the individual observer; it emerges in the space between “self” and “other”.

(You can read more about it at relatedpresence.com.)

📌 Do I need to believe in it?

No. The practice does not depend on belief.
In fact, it works best when it is not built on assumptions or expectations, but on what you personally notice.

During learning, we often point out that what we work with (for example, an ‘energy ball’) may or may not be something you conceptualise — what matters is whether you can sense anything, and how the body responds.

Belief is not needed. The practice is based on observation.
What helps is curiosity and a willingness to explore.

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📌 What is Neigong (Nei Kung, Neikung, Nei Gong)?

Neigong literally means the cultivation of inner strength. Different Qigong and Neigong traditions interpret this in various ways: in some systems it refers to internal breathing or meditative practices (Neidan), while in others it describes a phase where movement and energy begin to organise themselves without effort — as if the practice “comes alive”.

Neigong is not a technique but a deeper layer of Qigong. It is not something we do, but something that emerges when we practise without force, and the body starts to organise itself.

Neigong appears when:

  • the practice is not driven by effort,

  • the breath becomes spontaneous,

  • the body arranges itself naturally,

  • the quietness of the mind guides movement.

In Neigong, the body, breath and mind tune each other. Inner strength arises not from exertion but from a subtle, natural coherence.

At this stage, we do not direct the breath or use visualisation to lead the practice. Instead, we create the conditions for it to unfold, while remaining attentive witnesses to the processes happening in the body and its energetic system — without interference.

📌 Does Ningjing have a religious background?

No. Ningjing is not tied to any religion and does not teach a worldview. It is based on observation and lived experience, rather than beliefs or doctrine.

To describe what we sense in the body and in the energetic system, we may use traditional Chinese terminology (such as dantian or meridians), but only as practical language — not as ideology.

Ningjing is grounded in what is directly experienceable in the present moment, not in myths or historical narratives.

📌 Do I need any prior experience or good physical condition?

No previous training or athletic ability is required. Ningjing practices can be done with normal physical capacity and can be adapted individually when needed. The practice is not performance-driven — its foundation is attention, not achievement.

📌 Is this too spiritual or esoteric?

Ningjing and Related Presence do not rely on belief systems.
The focus is on experience — what we can directly sense in the body, through breath, movement and awareness.

We speak about energy because it gives language to what we can feel, not because we require anyone to believe in it.
Instead of belief, what matters is openness. For learning, observation is the foundation.

📌 Can men practise Ningjing?

Yes. Yin and yang are present in all of us, and neither exists without the other. The practice supports men just as much as women.

Only the specifically female, womb-related practices are taught exclusively to women.

The Impact on Life & Health

How it supports body, mind, and presence

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📌 How does Qigong affect health?

Ningjing Qigong offers a balanced and gentle system of movement and breathing practices. During practice, the coordination of the nervous system, the breath, movement, and attention supports the body’s natural regenerative processes, improves circulation, and can reduce tension-related symptoms.

The health benefits of Qigong are now widely researched. According to current studies, regular practice:

  • may support respiratory and cardiovascular health
  • can improve posture and musculoskeletal function
  • may reduce chronic stress and the physical effects of anxiety
  • can assist the nervous system in recovery and improve sleep
  • may indirectly support hormonal balance
  • can have a positive impact on digestion

Most research focuses on Qigong as a complementary, preventive, or restorative method — meaning that it does not replace medical care, but supports the body’s natural healing processes.

If you’re curious, you can explore research easily on PubMed. The blog also includes accessible summaries of Qigong studies.

PubMed search:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=effects+qigong

📌 Can it support stress, exhaustion, anxiety, or depression?

Qigong works through breath, movement, and gentle attention, helping regulate the nervous system and strengthening the parasympathetic tone — the state related to relaxation and recovery. Even occasional practice can ease stress responses in the body.

With regular practice, even 15 minutes a day may support recovery from chronic fatigue.

Anxiety can appear on a wide spectrum. Mild, situational anxiety (like exam stress or social tension) often becomes easier to manage with consistent practice.
 When anxiety or depression significantly interferes with daily functioning, Qigong can still be helpful — as a complement to therapy or medical care, not as a replacement.

Qigong often increases vitality, mood, and the sense of enjoyment in daily life. However, it does not substitute professional treatment in cases of severe anxiety or clinical depression.

PubMed Research Links
 The Neurophysiological and Psychological Mechanisms of Qigong as a Treatment for Depression
 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31824346/

Qigong and Tai Chi for Mood Regulation
 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31975898/

📌 How does Qigong support the nervous system?

Qigong works as if we were gently slowing down the body and the nervous system so that it can find its own natural rhythm again. The combination of slow movement, deep breathing, and focused awareness is not only pleasant relaxation — it triggers measurable changes in how the nervous system regulates itself.

Through regular practice, Qigong can help:

  • calm the sympathetic nervous system (responsible for stress, tension, and anxiety),
  • activate the parasympathetic system (the body’s natural “rest–restore” mode),
  • improve heart rate variability (HRV), an indicator of self-regulation and resilience,
  • balance stress-related hormone production (such as cortisol),
  • reduce low-grade inflammatory activity that often contributes to fatigue and mood fluctuations.

Because attention is directed toward internal sensations during practice, Qigong also supports emotional self-regulation. It teaches us not to react from tension automatically, but to return to a grounded, calmer state more easily.

Qigong does not replace medical or psychological treatment in more serious conditions. It works best as a complementary practice that supports recovery, sleep, digestion, mood stability, and overall nervous system balance.

In simple terms:
 Qigong does not “fix” the body from the outside — it teaches the body how to return to its own self-healing rhythm.

📌 How does Ningjing affect mental and emotional well-being?

Ningjing does not teach “positive thinking.”
It supports the body and the nervous system in creating an open, receptive state.
Mental change does not begin in the mind — it arises from how the body, breath, and attention regulate together.
As the head–heart–sacral axis becomes integrated, a clearer perception emerges — one that does not swing into cold rationality, overheated emotion, or automatic reactions.

During practice:

  • the survival mode settles, so we react less from fear or control,
  • self-perception becomes more refined, making it easier to sense what we truly need,
  • our perspective widens, and we are less caught in narrow thoughts,
  • emotional flexibility and intuition strengthen, so tension no longer dictates our decisions,
  • our capacity to relate deepens, bringing a greater sense of safety, compassion, and patience.

Ningjing does not pull us away from life — it teaches how to remain present in it without losing ourselves.

Simply put: it doesn’t try to make us “better people,” but helps us return to the natural balance of our own inner nature.

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📌 Can Qigong support hormonal balance and gynecological health?

Yes — as a complementary method. Qigong may support women’s health indirectly by improving circulation, calming the nervous system, and reducing stress-related physiological responses.

Although there are only a few studies focusing specifically on women’s hormonal cycles, several clinical trials on general forms of Qigong (e.g., Baduanjin) show that regular practice can:

  • reduce menstrual pain and premenstrual symptoms (PMS),
  • ease menopausal discomfort,
  • support estrogen–progesterone balance,
  • improve sleep quality, stress response, and nervous system recovery.

These effects do not “heal hormones” directly. They support the background system that regulates hormones: the nervous system, adrenal function, sleep cycle, circulation, and the stress axis.

📌 How does Ningjing support women’s health specifically?

Many well-known Qigong styles (such as Baduanjin) were historically developed for a male body structure, often emphasizing upper-body strength and yang-oriented training.

Ningjing works differently. Its practices engage:

  • the pelvic floor and womb area,
  • lower abdominal circulation,
  • soft breath regulation,
  • and restorative internal tonus instead of forceful movement.

Through these qualities, Ningjing may affect:

  • ovarian function,
  • uterine blood flow,
  • adrenal stress response,
  • menstrual cycle regulation.

These systems are closely linked to hormonal balance. Therefore, Ningjing can be supportive in cases connected to stress, circulation, nervous system exhaustion, or disrupted sleep cycles.

Ningjing does not replace gynecological care. It should not be used as an alternative to medical consultation, especially in cases of heavy bleeding, fibroids, cysts, fertility challenges, or ongoing hormone treatment.

Ningjing is gentle, safe, and can be practiced alongside any medical therapy.

In essence:

Women’s Qigong does not “fix the body.”  It creates the internal conditions — nervous system balance, pelvic circulation, and a regulated stress axis — in which hormones can work harmoniously. The intention is not to correct the body,  but to help it return to its own natural regulation.

📌 Is it true that menstruation can return after practicing Qigong?

It cannot be promised and should never be generalized — but it can happen.

There have been women who experienced the return of their cycle after several months of absence, with medical causes already ruled out, and after practicing pelvic-focused Qigong.

This is not a “miracle effect.”
In some cases, menstrual irregularities are related to stress, tension patterns, or circulation blocks.
When these soften and improve, the body may simply return to its natural rhythm.

📌 Are there conditions where Qigong is not recommended?

 Ningjing practices are gentle and safe for most people.
 In some situations, individual adjustment and supervision are needed, for example:

  • post-surgery recovery,
  • first trimester of pregnancy,
  • acute musculoskeletal pain,
  • unstable heart arrhythmia,
  • unexplained or heavy gynecological bleeding.

In such cases, the practices can be modified or temporarily avoided. When in doubt, it is always best to consult a healthcare professional.

Disclaimer 

Qigong can support well-being, but it does not replace medical or psychological care.
If you are experiencing serious physical or mental symptoms, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.

Learning & Practice

How to begin without forcing

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📌 How quickly can I notice changes?

Many people feel the effects within the first few days of practice: the breath softens, the body loosens, and perception becomes clearer.

Lasting change, however, is not a sudden “mental breakthrough” — it is a gradual reorganisation of the body.

Just as muscles don’t grow from a single workout, the attention, the nervous system and the senses also need time to form a new equilibrium.

This is not slowness — it is the natural rhythm of being human.

📌 How often should I practise?

In the beginning, 10–15 minutes a day is enough.
You can add one or two longer sessions per week, if you wish.
Some practices can also be integrated into everyday activities — so instead of requiring extra time, they bring presence and energy into what you are already doing.

📌 What if I don’t feel anything?

Many people worry that “something is wrong with them,” when in reality the nervous system is simply overloaded, or the attention is still scattered or directed mostly outward.

The truth is: you already feel things in every moment.
You feel the clothes on your skin, the chair beneath your body, the temperature of the air.
The mind simply doesn’t pay attention to it — so it seems as if nothing is there.

It’s the same with qigong.
We live surrounded by intense stimulation, so at first the quieter sensations go unnoticed. This is completely natural.

Through the Ningjing Basic Course, you learn a way of attention that allows you to sense the subtle — inside and around you.

This is not a special skill, but a natural capacity that you once had and are now returning to.

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📌 Why can’t qigong be learned only from videos or books?

Qigong is not just a sequence of movements — it is subtle perception. The precise details of posture, breathing, rhythm and attention are individual, not universal.

Certain conditions (e.g. high blood pressure, spinal issues, post-surgery recovery) may require specific adjustments rather than standard practice.

Breath and state of mind also need careful fine-tuning. These cannot simply be copied; they need to be understood and refined with personal guidance.

Videos are helpful as support, but true safety and depth arise through direct, personalised transmission.

📌 What is the difference between the Qigong Experience, the Basic Course and the Advanced level?

Qigong Experience

  • awakens perception and attention
  • offers a taste of the Ningjing experience
  • includes simple yet effective stress-relief practices
  • a memorable qigong experience in a special place (in a cave, by the ocean, or surrounded by beautiful nature)

Ningjing Basic Course

  • strengthens the three dantians through waidan (movement-based qigong)
  • mobilises the spine to open the Zhong Mai (central channel)
  • introduces silent neidan meditation
  • gradually restores the yin–yang balance
  • teaches how to gather, hold and circulate qi

Ningjing Advanced

  • prepares for neigong (spontaneous inner practice)
  • more space is given to silence; movement begins to “happen”
  • automatic reactions soften, clear decisions become easier
  • through this, the Related Presence begins to open
📌 Can you overdo qigong?

This fear is very common — many people worry that they might “do it wrong” or “push too much energy”.

In reality, it’s not the amount of practice that matters, but the quality and the state of the nervous system.
There is no “too much” in Ningjing — only too much tension. And tension can be recognised and softened.

Overexertion only happens when practice is driven by force and willpower. 
 Refinement happens when the intention softens and the sensitivity increases.
 In Ningjing, we don’t practise more — we practise more subtly.

Have a question that isn’t answered yet?

If something is still unclear, we’d be happy to help.
Just send us your question.

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