Dear teacher, I have a question about a qi sensation. Before falling asleep, during the relaxation phase, my whole body feels light, empty, warm—almost like a cloud. The only thing moving is the natural rise and fall of my abdomen. I worry that this might be “qi floating upward,” so I often move my body quickly to break the sensation.
I remember you said, “A calm heart and peaceful qi is the best state.” So should I leave it alone when this happens next time, or should I move to interrupt it?
Recently I’ve been working on relaxing my shoulders, chest, and head. Some parts are difficult, but everything seems to be progressing in a good direction. Thank you, teacher.
Teacher’s Answer
If what you feel is warm, comfortable, light, and natural, then there is no need to worry.
Move if you want to move. Don’t move if you don’t want to move. Simply follow the body’s natural tendency.
If the body wants to adjust its posture, let it adjust. Forcing yourself to remain still is also a kind of “intentional effort.”
The key is not the sensation itself. The real issue is whether you are using mental force.
What is “mental force”?
It is a very subtle kind of internal activity:
When a part of the body feels sore, tense, or swollen
When emotions arise
When you want the body to change in a certain way
When you expect, chase, or worry about certain sensations
Behind all of these reactions, a kind of inner force is moving.
Once the mental force moves, the body becomes unsettled and the qi begins to behave chaotically.
This is why people feel “qi floating,” “qi rising,” or discomfort— not because qi is wrong, but because the mind is stirring it.
What should you do?
Simply notice it.
“Ah, my mind just moved.”
“Ah, I started expecting something.”
“Ah, I am trying to control it.”
After noticing, let the heart soften and settle a little.
At the beginning, this effect is small, and it may feel difficult to regulate. This is normal.
But with repeated practice:
✔ Mental force becomes softer ✔ The body becomes more stable ✔ The qi becomes more harmonious ✔ Sensations stop disturbing you
Gradually, you develop the ability to stay peaceful inside— and this is the ability to stop harming yourself.
This is exactly what the classics mean by:
“Qi nourishes itself naturally and does not cause harm.”
If your experience before sleep is light, warm, quiet, and natural, it is simply a sign that your body is entering a deeper level of relaxation. As long as you don’t over-focus on it, everything will be fine.
Qi Sensations During Relaxation Before Sleep
Student’s Question
Dear teacher, I have a question about a qi sensation.
Before falling asleep, during the relaxation phase, my whole body feels light, empty, warm—almost like a cloud. The only thing moving is the natural rise and fall of my abdomen. I worry that this might be “qi floating upward,” so I often move my body quickly to break the sensation.
I remember you said, “A calm heart and peaceful qi is the best state.”
So should I leave it alone when this happens next time, or should I move to interrupt it?
Recently I’ve been working on relaxing my shoulders, chest, and head. Some parts are difficult, but everything seems to be progressing in a good direction. Thank you, teacher.
Teacher’s Answer
If what you feel is warm, comfortable, light, and natural,
then there is no need to worry.
Move if you want to move.
Don’t move if you don’t want to move.
Simply follow the body’s natural tendency.
If the body wants to adjust its posture, let it adjust.
Forcing yourself to remain still is also a kind of “intentional effort.”
The key is not the sensation itself.
The real issue is whether you are using mental force.
What is “mental force”?
It is a very subtle kind of internal activity:
Behind all of these reactions,
a kind of inner force is moving.
Once the mental force moves,
the body becomes unsettled
and the qi begins to behave chaotically.
This is why people feel “qi floating,” “qi rising,” or discomfort—
not because qi is wrong,
but because the mind is stirring it.
What should you do?
Simply notice it.
After noticing,
let the heart soften and settle a little.
At the beginning, this effect is small,
and it may feel difficult to regulate.
This is normal.
But with repeated practice:
✔ Mental force becomes softer
✔ The body becomes more stable
✔ The qi becomes more harmonious
✔ Sensations stop disturbing you
Gradually, you develop the ability to stay peaceful inside—
and this is the ability to stop harming yourself.
This is exactly what the classics mean by:
“Qi nourishes itself naturally and does not cause harm.”
If your experience before sleep is light, warm, quiet, and natural,
it is simply a sign that your body is entering a deeper level of relaxation.
As long as you don’t over-focus on it,
everything will be fine.