How Qi Gong Helped Me Break Free from the System - Schizophrenia, Psychosis and HPPD

A Personal Story of Healing, Energy, and Escaping the Psychiatric Maze

The system told me I was broken.
Qi Gong showed me I was powerful.

For most of my adult life, I was under the care of the mental health system. Diagnosed, medicated, labelled. Like so many others, I was taught to manage my life, not master it. My “treatment” was a cocktail of pills and appointments, delivered by well-meaning professionals who, ironically, made me feel more helpless than healed.

But then something shifted. Something ancient and simple found its way into my life: Qi Gong.

What began as a few minutes of awkward movement and breath turned into a daily practice of energy, strength, and spiritual clarity. It reconnected me to something I had forgotten—my own inner power.

This post is my story. Not a pitch, not a miracle cure—just the raw truth of how Qi Gong helped me break free from a system that wanted to keep me small, sedated, and silent.

Life Inside the System: Labels, Pills, and Fog

Let’s start where many of us begin—with a diagnosis.

For me, it was schizophrenia. Later, they added depression. At times, anxiety. I spent years bouncing between psychiatrists, social workers, and government-funded housing services.

I wasn’t a person. I was a file—a case to be managed.

My life was structured around:

Medication schedules
Centrelink appointments
Short-term hospitalizations
Visits from mental health carers
A weekly routine of compliance and sedation

The drugs numbed me. The therapy looped me. The professionals spoke at me, never with me. I had no control over my narrative. No clarity. No spark.

And somewhere deep inside, I knew: this wasn’t healing. This was survival.

The First Breath: Discovering Qi Gong

I wasn’t looking for anything spiritual. I wasn’t even looking for help. But one night, scrolling through YouTube, I stumbled across a video of Shi Heng Yi, a Shaolin monk, teaching basic Qi Gong.

He moved slowly—fluid like water. His breath was deep, calm, and intentional. He spoke of energy flow, blockages, and inner power. Something in me stirred. It wasn’t hope exactly. More like curiosity. A whisper of what if.

I stood up in my lounge room and followed along.

Raise the hands.
Inhale deeply.
Sink the knees.
Exhale slowly.

I felt awkward. Silly even. But I felt… something.

A slight buzz. A tingle in the fingers. A shift in energy.

And for the first time in years, I didn’t feel medicated. I felt alive.

What Is Qi Gong, Really?

For those new to it, Qi Gong (pronounced “chee-gong”) is an ancient Chinese practice combining:

Breathwork
Slow movement
Mental focus
Energy awareness

Its purpose? To cultivate and balance Qi—your life force energy.

Think of it like meditation in motion. Instead of sitting silently, you move with awareness, syncing your breath with your body, and clearing out stagnation.

Where modern medicine targets the brain, Qi Gong targets the entire energetic system—mind, body, and spirit. It doesn’t suppress symptoms. It transforms them.

The Daily Practice That Changed Everything

I committed to 15 minutes a day.

That’s it.

Just a few simple routines:

Ba Duan Jin (Eight Brocades)
5-Minute Energy Reset
Standing meditation with slow breath

At first, it was mechanical. Then it became meditative. Then—transformative.

Here’s what happened over the next few months:

✅ 1. Mental Clarity Returned

The mental fog from years of medication began to lift. Thoughts that were once jumbled became clear. I could plan, reflect, and focus again.

✅ 2. Emotional Regulation Improved

Instead of being ruled by panic, depression, or paranoia, I began to observe my emotions. Through breath, I could slow down. Through movement, I could release.

✅ 3. Physical Vitality Increased

My body became stronger, more balanced. I had more energy during the day, needed less sleep at night, and no longer woke up dreading life.

✅ 4. Spiritual Connection Deepened

Qi Gong opened the door to something sacred. Call it spirit, call it God, call it your higher self. Whatever it is—it’s real. And it was inside me all along.

Gradually, I Reduced My Dependence on the System

I don’t advise anyone to stop meds cold turkey. That’s dangerous.

What I did was build strength from the inside until I didn’t need as much support from the outside.

I worked with my doctor to taper medications
I replaced hours of couch-time with movement and breath
I swapped doom-scrolling with self-talk and scripture
I shifted from a psychiatric identity to a warrior monk mindset

One day, I realized—I hadn’t called my mental health worker in weeks.
Because I didn’t need to.
I was holding myself.

What Made Qi Gong So Effective?

Here’s why I believe Qi Gong works when other things don’t:

🔥 1. It’s Embodied

Unlike talk therapy, Qi Gong doesn’t just engage your mind—it gets your whole body involved. Trauma lives in the body. So does healing.

🔥 2. It’s Empowering

You don’t need permission to do Qi Gong. No prescriptions. No specialists. It’s available anytime, anywhere, for free.

🔥 3. It’s Energetic

While psychiatry treats the brain like a machine, Qi Gong treats it like a conduit for life force. This shift makes healing possible—not just management.

🔥 4. It’s Spiritual Without Dogma

You don’t have to convert or believe in anything. Just breathe. Just move. Let the experience speak for itself.

Breaking Free: What It Really Means

Breaking free from the system doesn’t mean you vanish off-grid and stop all forms of support. It means you stop being dependent on a model that keeps you small.

It means:

You make your health your own
You build discipline and inner power
You learn to listen to your body and energy
You stop identifying with labels and start training toward freedom

I still live on a disability pension. I still feel the echoes of the old diagnoses. But I no longer belong to the system.

I belong to myself.

Integrating Qi Gong Into Everyday Life

Here’s how I’ve built Qi Gong into my routine—and how you can too:

🌅 Morning Routine (15–20 minutes)

5 minutes of standing breath
10 minutes of flow movement
Set an intention for the day

🧠 Throughout the Day

Use Qi Gong breathing during stress
Shake off negative energy with 3-minute energy reset

🌙 Evening Wind Down (10–15 minutes)

Gentle stretches
Gratitude journaling
Candle meditation or scripture reading

You don’t need to move mountains. Just show up. Every day. Let the practice shape you.

Who This Is For

If you feel:

Stuck in a cycle of diagnosis and doubt
Numb from years of meds and therapy
Disconnected from your body, energy, or purpose
Hungry for something real, something ancient, something sacred

Then Qi Gong is for you.

You don’t need to be fit. Or spiritual. Or disciplined.

You just need to be willing to start.

My Message to Anyone Still Trapped in the System

You are not broken.
You are not your diagnosis.
You are not a patient.
You are not weak.
You are not alone.

There’s a path out.

It starts with one breath.

And once you start breathing on your own terms, something shifts. The labels begin to fade. The sedation dissolves. The fire returns.

You don’t escape the system overnight. But you can walk away from its control—and walk into your own life, fully present and powerful.

💡 FAQs: Qi Gong and Breaking Free from the System

Q: Can I do Qi Gong if I have no experience or physical limitations?
A: Yes. Qi Gong is gentle and adaptable. Start with seated or standing breathwork if movement is difficult. It’s about energy flow, not athleticism.

Q: Do I need to stop seeing my psychiatrist to start Qi Gong?
A: Not at all. Qi Gong can complement existing treatment. Many people use it alongside medication or therapy and taper gradually under supervision.

Q: How long before I notice results?
A: Some feel better after the first session. For lasting transformation, practice daily for at least 30 days. Like anything powerful, consistency is key.

Q: Where can I learn Qi Gong?
A: YouTube is a great place to start. Try channels like Shi Heng Yi’s or search “5-minute Qi Gong for beginners.” Eventually, consider a course or local teacher.

Q: Is Qi Gong religious or spiritual?
A: It’s spiritual in nature but not religious. You can adapt the practice to align with your own beliefs—Christian, Buddhist, agnostic, or otherwise.