Tag Archives: energetic healing

How Standing Qigong Healed My Foot Pain When Fascia Stretching Wasn’t Enough

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Last fall, I started having pain in my foot. It felt fine most of the time, but if it got bumped—especially in bed—I would shout as a sharp, intense pain radiated through my ankle. In November, during a bodywork appointment, the practitioner investigated and told me a bone felt dislocated. She gently guided it back into place, taped my arch for support, and voilà—the pain was gone. For a week.

The Foot Pain That Wouldn’t Stay Gone

After I removed the tape, some of the pain returned. It was never as intense as before the correction, but it lingered, coming and going. I spent the next few months pushing bones around in my arch, taping, and working on the fascia in my hips and legs. Feeling better one day and worse the next, I eventually took my foot to Kaiser for more diagnostics.

Medical Clarity and a New Question

The doctor examined it and ordered an X-ray. It revealed no structural damage and nothing dislocated. Whatever was going on appeared to be slightly different from the original issue. They recommended good supportive shoes—I was already wearing a brand from their approved list—and suggested a daily Achilles tendon stretch. I gave the stretch a try, and it seemed beneficial, but it wasn’t solving the underlying problem.

The diagnostic information was invaluable. Now that I knew my foot itself was structurally sound, I began thinking about what else might be contributing. I suspected a misalignment somewhere in the leg or hip. My knee had been clicking when I walked, after all.

April’s Simple Daily Practice

In April, I made a commitment to do two hours of qigong each day. It was a bucket-list item, not specifically aimed at my foot or leg, but I thought it would probably help. Didn’t every physical malady have an underlying energetic (as well as mental) component?

As part of my routine, I started including standing qigong. That practice became a true diagnostic.

The Standing Posture That Revealed the Twist

Standing in Wuji

After about 20 minutes of simply standing in the wuji posture, I widened my stance slightly and began to shift my weight. My knee didn’t buckle, but it had the distinct sensation of not being able to carry any weight at all—it felt completely locked up. I was surprised and curious. I wiggled it around, and it seemed to reawaken into a more stable configuration. Still, I knew it was likely slipping back into the twisted pattern that had been bothering my foot.

Each time I practiced the standing, it got a little better. Today, after finishing a 20-minute standing qigong session, my foot and knee felt about 95% better. I could still sense a faint something, but I had no trouble shifting weight or holding it on that leg.

Why Standing Qigong Felt More Complete Than Fascia Stretching

I’m still surprised and amazed at how effectively standing qigong resolved my issue. I knew standing was a powerhouse for energy cultivation and building structural integrity, but I hadn’t anticipated how holding a passive position could correct a twist in my physical body so profoundly. I had assumed the fascia work I’d done would address the alignment piece, but apparently it wasn’t robust enough for my particular pattern. In the traditional view, qi moves through the body via the connective tissues. Standing qigong, it turns out, may be one of the most powerful ways to work with the fascia—energizing it from within, removing blockages, and allowing the body to self-correct misalignments throughout the kinetic chain.

While fascia stretching has become incredibly popular for releasing tension and improving mobility, my experience suggests that standing qigong offers something deeper and more integrative. By holding space in a relaxed, mindful posture, it gives the body permission to reorganize its structure from the ground up while simultaneously cultivating qi flow. It doesn’t just mechanically stretch the fascia; it energizes and realigns it in a way that active, targeted stretching sometimes cannot achieve on its own.

Try Standing Qigong for Yourself

If this story resonates, I invite you to try standing qigong for yourself. Start with just 1-5 minutes in a relaxed wuji posture: feet shoulder-width apart, knees softly bent, arms at your sides with palms facing backwar, spine tall but not rigid. Breathe easily and naturally. You don’t need to “do” anything—just stand and notice what your body reveals. Many people are surprised by how much subtle shifting and realignment happens in stillness.

Have you experienced something similar with qigong, fascia work, or mysterious foot or knee pain? I’d love to hear your thoughts, questions, or stories in the comments below.

This is a personal account of my experience and is not intended as medical advice. Always listen to your body and consult qualified healthcare professionals for persistent pain or injuries.

Toxic people

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In 1996 or 1997, about two years after I had left an abusive relationship, I was in my osteopath’s office.  My internal arts teacher was also there.  I was complaining of an energy block in my third chakra. It was chronic and persistent.  My osteopath was working on opening my energy and getting it flowing when he asked my teacher’s opinion.  My teacher came over to take a look, then said, “I’m not going in there” as he backed away.

Oh my goodness, was it that bad?  And what was it?  My teacher referred me to Anne Mackenzie an energy healer and intuitive.  The initial session took hours.  She removed everything that was ready to go from the multiple energy bodies that we all have.

The third chakra is about our self will, our personal power, and our ability to assert ourselves in the world.  What Anne “saw” in my third chakra was a huge stake – about four inches in diameter.  It was the accumulative affects of the verbal abuse from my previous partner.

I had thought that I was not taking on the “crap” my partner was putting out.  I was aware that he was a “sick” person and thought that was my defense against internalizing his messages.  However, the conscious mind is only 15% of my mind and apparently the 85% of my mind that was subconscious was not only believing his messages, it was holding on to them.

That relationship had ended two years prior and I had naively thought it was done and over.  I had never dreamed that I was suffering from long term effects.  Needless to say, Anne pulled the stake out and got rid of it.  My feeling of blockage was relieved.

What I learned was that “sticks and stones can hurt my bones, and words can damage my energy body.”   I also learned that my ability to “let words slide off my back” was not as strong as I thought.

I am now more aware of the effects of words and subtle attacks.  I also know that the only way people can attack me or insert stakes into my chakras is if I am vulnerable.  These vulnerabilities are caused by misbeliefs.

For instance, my mother thinks it is good when people she loves yells at her, since it helps them release the tension they carry.  (And carrying tension leads to illness.  So she fulfills her need to be helpful by being yelled at.)  From her actions we can ascertain that she might have beliefs like: ” I have to tolerate abuse for the good of others” or “other people can only relieve their tension through me”.  She might also have, “I am responsible for other people’s health”.  The list of related subconscious beliefs goes on and on..

My actions within that abusive relationship suggest I may have internalized my mother’s beliefs about tolerating abuse.  Having a belief about being responsible for other people’s pain, would lead me to be vulnerable to other people’s verbal attacks.  I might have the tendency to subjugate my power to the needs of other people.  These are all beliefs that can be changed.

Avoiding “toxic” people is great when I’m vulnerable.  However, it is not a long term solution.  I want to heal completely and become invulnerable.  Uncovering my misbeliefs and correcting them is the way I obtain freedom from toxic people.  If I’m not vulnerable, they are not toxic.