Why You Can’t Sleep (And What Qigong Can Do About It) 😴🌿
You’re tired. You want to sleep. But as soon as your head hits the pillow, your mind turns into a late-night DJ spinning thoughts like a greatest hits album from the past ten years. Sound familiar?
Insomnia’s not just a modern nuisance—it’s an energetic imbalance. And Qigong, with its ancient roots and modern-day practicality, offers a deeply restorative way to reset your internal rhythm and finally get some real rest.
Let’s break down why your sleep’s a mess—and how to fix it using the wisdom of Traditional Chinese Medicine.
🌙 The TCM Take on Sleepless Nights
In TCM, sleep is governed by the Heart and the Shen (spirit), with support from the Liver, Spleen, and Kidneys. When these organ systems are out of harmony, the Shen gets restless—and instead of drifting into dreamland, you get stuck in thought loops or full-blown anxiety spirals.
Here are the usual suspects behind chronic insomnia:
🌀 Liver Qi Stagnation: You’ve got unprocessed emotions (especially anger or frustration) stuck in the system. This leads to internal heat and restlessness.
🔥 Heart Fire Flaring Up: Your Heart isn’t anchored by Yin, and the Shen can’t settle down. Think: racing mind, vivid dreams, night sweats.
💧 Kidney Yin Deficiency: This one’s tied to chronic stress or overwork. It causes a Yin-Yang imbalance, so your body can’t cool down at night.
🫀 Spleen Qi Deficiency: Poor digestion and worry weaken the Earth element, leading to fatigue during the day and wakefulness at night.
🧘♂️ How Qigong Helps You Sleep Like a Baby
Here’s the good news: You don’t need pills to sleep—you need Qi flow.
Practicing Qigong daily helps smooth out Liver Qi, cool Heart Fire, nourish Kidney Yin, and strengthen your Spleen. It’s not about knocking yourself out—it’s about balancing the body so it naturally winds down when it’s time.
Some of the best Qigong techniques for sleep include:
🌾 Liver Soothing Movements – Gentle twisting, side-bends, and spiraling arms (like in the 8 Trigrams Qigong) help release tension and stagnation.
💤 Shen-Calming Breathwork – Deep abdominal breathing, especially with the “Shhhh” sound (linked to the Heart), cools the system and settles the spirit.
🌊 Kidney Yin Nourishing Forms – Slow, grounding movements from Soft Fist Qigong or Water Element Qigong rebuild your energy reserves and restore calm.
🕯️ Nighttime Qigong Rituals – Try a 10-minute form before bed with dim lighting and silence. This conditions your nervous system for rest.
We recommend starting with 8 Trigrams Qigong—a powerful form Joe Moody swears by for balancing emotions and grounding energy. It’s short, potent, and designed to smooth the Liver Qi that’s often behind insomnia.
🛌 Joe’s “Walk ’n Talk” for Sleep Troubles
Want to hear how Joe personally works through sleepless energy? Check out his Walk ’n Talk on nighttime Qigong and Shen care over on the Club Qigong blog. It’s like a peaceful chat with a friend who also happens to know ancient healing arts.
💡 Bonus Tips for Better Sleep
🛁 Evening Foot Soaks – Especially with Epsom salts or mugwort tea to draw energy down and release heat.
🫖 TCM Teas – Goji berries, chrysanthemum, and jujube date tea nourish Heart Blood and calm the Shen.
📵 Screens Off by 9 PM – Your Liver will thank you.
🙏 Silent Listening – Sit for 5 minutes and just listen to your body. Don’t “do” anything. This Yin space alone can be deeply healing.
Qigong helps you feel your way back into harmony—not just “fall asleep,” but return to center. It’s not about forcing rest. It’s about being so balanced, so smooth in your flow, that sleep becomes the natural next step.
Want to go deeper? Explore Joe’s courses: Qigong for Sleep and 8 Trigrams of Qigong—a curated path of forms, breathwork, and meditations to reclaim your rest.