Sensing Qi

We have a sense beyond our five obvious senses. We can cultivate this “sixth sense” by slowing down the conclusions we draw from our five senses. Practice not believing what you see, hear, smell, taste or touch for a few hours. What else could be “true” about what you are sensing? How else could sense your surroundings? What else could the object or being you are looking at be?
Questioning the quick conclusions of our five regular senses is a way of letting go of our attachments to the stories we have developed based on them. These can be our own stories, or the stories we create based on evaluating a client’s symptoms.
Consider a recurring memory that bugs you. Get yourself into a patient, curious mood. Let the memory arise as you keep your attention on your breath and replay the scenario. Slow it all down, feel into the scenario with something other than your habitual five senses. That “something other” is your” sixth sense.”
This sense is much more subtle than the other five. Many of us were taught that ideas and intuitions gained via this sense only suggested or proved that we were crazy, foolish, gullible, stupid, psychotic, etc. As these conclusions are not very exciting or validating, we stopped using this sense, and we lost the skill of using it.
But we can always get this sense back. Like every function in our body-mind, as soon as we start using it again, it will grow. With practice and perseverance we will be able to rely on our finely tuned sixth sense once again.
In order to sense Qi, we use this extraordinary “sixth sense.” How you come to know and trust what this sense is telling you will be a unique experience for you. The more you practice with honesty and sincerity, the more skill you will have when sensing the Qi of others.
This sense is invaluable for hands-on practitioners. It is developed completely by oneself. Developing this sense does not cost anything and no can give it to you. Practice, perseverance, patience, and awareness are tools I have relied to develop this sense in myself.