Hiss like a snake
Qigong practices in a pinch
One traditional qigong practice is the “Six Healing Sounds” (Liù zì jué 六字訣—also sometimes translated as the “Six Sound Secret”). There are many, many versions of this practice.
My teachers have typically suggested that it is best, ceteris paribus, to do all six of the sounds, and surely that is right. One can, however, do one sound at a time, at least in a pinch.
So, with that proviso in mind, here’s one of the sounds, ripped out of context and offered on its own, eager for some love:
(1) Say “sssssssss.” Like a hissing snake.
(2) To be clear, say it out loud.
(3) You can do this alone or in a crowd. It can freak people out if you do it in a crowd.
(4) Say it as many times as you want.
(5) The hissing-snake “sssssssss” sound is for your lungs. You can keep that in mind as you do it or you can just hiss away without thinking too much about it. Try it both ways.
(6) In case you’re interested, this Lung Sound can be pronounced in different ways. The “sssssssss” version is pretty common, and it is one that I have learned from various teachers.
(7) If you want to change things up, another version of the Lung Sound is a bit more like you are saying “See ya’!,” except that you make the “ya’!” part drag out and get all breathy so that it it sounds more like “yaaahhhhhh . . . .”
(8) When you are done, stop making the sound.
(9) I am grateful to the teachers from whom I learned various versions of this practice, including Mantak Chia (and a whole bunch of wonderful teachers in the Universal Healing Tao and Healing Tao organizations) and Ken Cohen. I thank all of them for the things they have taught me.
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