Harnessing Calm: How the Embodied I Ching Alchemy and Neigong Movements Regulate the Nervous System
In today’s fast-paced, overstimulated world, our nervous systems—and our hearts—are under constant strain. For those living with PTSD or CPTSD, the body’s stress response can become locked in survival mode, always on alert for danger even when none is present. Over time, this constant tension creates a protective layer around the heart—an emotional shield that was once necessary for survival but now keeps us distant from the deeper connection, love, and ease we long for. What if there was a way to soften this armor, re-train the body’s inner rhythm, and allow the heart to return to its natural state of safety, flow, and open-hearted balance?
Embodied I Ching Alchemy and Neigong movements offer just that. These practices combine ancient Chinese wisdom with modern practice, using breath, mindful movement, and elemental energy to release trauma patterns stored deep in the body.
Alchemy offers a unique pathway to melt these protective layers, not by force, but by creating gentle, intentional inner harmony and alignment. Each practice draws on the wisdom of the I Ching’s elemental forces—Thunder, Lake, Fire, Water, Mountain, Earth, Heaven and Wind—inviting the heart to feel safe enough to open.
The Neigong movements work like a conversation with the nervous system, slowly reassuring the body that it is no longer in danger. As the armor softens, we begin to feel a deeper connection to ourselves and to life—where the heart can lead with presence, courage, and compassion, rather than fear.
What Is Embodied I Ching Alchemy?
The I Ching, or Book of Changes, is a 3,000-year-old Chinese text that maps the natural rhythms of life through 64 hexagrams—patterns of change and transformation. Embodied I Ching alchemy takes this ancient philosophy and brings it into the body, using mindful visualization—inviting you to “run” these natural energies through your chakra system, to harmonize the mind and nervous system. This isn’t just metaphorical. When you visualize and move with these elements, you’re rewiring the body’s energy pathways (meridians) and teaching your nervous system to feel safe, grounded, and present.
The Role of Neigong Movements
Neigong, meaning “internal work,” is a soft, meditative movement practice, a form of moving meditation, that works directly with the body’s internal energy (qi), rather than relying on muscle strength. Unlike intense exercise, neigong focuses on slow, deliberate, movements intended to connect the breath with the rhythm of the body.
For people living with trauma, this is profound. Neigong allows the body to:
Release trapped energy from freeze responses (often experienced in PTSD).
Reconnect to bodily sensations in a safe and gentle way.
Re-establish rhythmic breathing, which helps shift the body from a fight-or-flight state to the parasympathetic “rest-and-digest” mode.
Build resilience in the nervous system, creating an inner sense of stability and strength.
Why It Works for PTSD and CPTSD
Trauma lives in the body. Even long after the threat has passed, the nervous system can remain stuck in survival mode—reacting as though danger is still present. The combination of Embodied I Ching alchemy and neigong interrupts this cycle by:
Grounding the Body: Earth and Mountain elements influence stability within the physical and energetic bodies.
Softening Hypervigilance: Water and Lake elements help to soothe the body and encourage a sense of openness and receptivity.
Balancing the Heart: all of the elements are paired with their own unique neigong practice for the heart, helping to balance emotional highs and lows.
Releasing Energy: Thunder movements help shake out stored tension, while Heaven expands awareness, allowing you to feel supported and connected.
These movements act like a dialogue with your nervous system—teaching it how to settle, reset, and return to a state of safety.
A Simple Alchemical Practice to Begin
Through alchemy, the Fire and Water elements can be placed in the Solar Plexus center, to inspire a balancing and harmonizing effect.
Fire (yang energy) in the Solar Plexus: Represents activation, warmth, and clarity. Energetically, it helps “wake up” the solar plexus and bring light to patterns of fear or stagnation. It can stimulate healthy sympathetic energy—confidence, purpose, and action—without tipping into hypervigilance.
Water (yin energy) in the Solar Plexus: Represents flow, cooling, and emotional softness. It soothes overactivation, dissolves tension, and brings the parasympathetic system online—helping the body to exhale, feel safe, and return to rest.
When these two forces are run together, they act like a yin-yang polarity within the solar plexus, teaching the nervous system to self-regulate between activation and rest. Instead of swinging between extremes—panic or numbness—the body learns to hold both fire (aliveness) and water (calm) in dynamic harmony.
Why Fire and Water in the Solar Plexus Chakra Help Re-Regulate the Nervous System
The solar plexus chakra—located just below the sternum—is often described as the energetic “command center” of the body. Physiologically, it corresponds with the celiac plexus, a dense network of nerves that directly influences the autonomic nervous system (ANS), including the balance between the sympathetic (fight-or-flight) and parasympathetic (rest-and-digest) branches. When we experience trauma or chronic stress, this area often becomes tight, overcharged, or “frozen,” leaving us stuck in hyperarousal or collapse.
A Simple Neigong Practice to Continue
Two simple yet potent Fire element movements are a great daily practice for helping to balance and regulate the nervous system.
Fire in the Sacral Center: Represents creative force, flow, and emotional vitality. The knee hug movement compresses and massages the lower abdomen and pelvis, generating gentle heat to unlock tension or frozen energy patterns. This practice nurtures grounded confidence, reawakens creativity, and helps the nervous system find balance between activation and relaxation.
Fire in the Heart: Represents warmth, joy, and expansion. The Neigong movement Repulsing Monkeys channels fire energy into the heart center, opening the chest and releasing emotional constriction. It helps clear the “protective armor” around the heart, bringing clarity and courage while stimulating healthy sympathetic energy—confidence, love, and expressive vitality—without tipping into hyperarousal.
The Synergy of Heart Fire and Sacral Fire
When Heart Fire and Sacral Fire are practiced together, they create a powerful “inner ignition” that harmonizes the upper and lower body. Heart Fire (repulsing monkeys) opens and expands the chest, melting emotional armor and fostering courage and joy. Sacral Fire (knee hugs) grounds this energy, awakening creative flow and releasing deeply stored tension in the belly and pelvis—areas often frozen by trauma. Together, these movements build a balanced fire: warm, empowering, and steady rather than overwhelming. This synergy teaches the nervous system to safely shift between activation and relaxation, restoring emotional balance, resilience, and a renewed sense of inner vitality.
Final Thoughts
Embodied I Ching alchemy and neigong aren’t just exercises—they’re tools for reclaiming your inner peace. For those with PTSD or CPTSD, these practices offer a pathway to safety, balance, and a renewed connection to the self. Over time, they build emotional resilience and help you move through life’s challenges with greater ease and confidence.
If you’re seeking a holistic, body-based approach to healing trauma, this fusion of ancient wisdom and modern somatic understanding may be the key to unlocking your nervous system’s natural capacity for balance and flow.
