Baihui: The Crown Point and Its Connection to Heaven

At the lower part of the body, Huiyin is often discussed as an important gateway connected with grounding, stability, and the downward movement of Qi. At the crown, Baihui represents the complementary upward connection toward Heaven.

At the crown of the head is Baihui (pronounced “bye-hway”) GV-20, one of the most important points used in Qigong and Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Baihui is traditionally translated as “Hundred Meetings.” In many Qigong practices, however, the crown area associated with Baihui is also described as a kind of Heaven’s Door because of its relationship with Heaven, spacious awareness, and the upward direction of Qi.

This makes Baihui an important point for understanding one of the central ideas of Qigong:

Root into the Earth while remaining open to Heaven.

Key Points About Baihui GV-20

• Baihui GV-20 is located at the crown of the head.
• Baihui means “Hundred Meetings.”
• In many Qigong practices, the crown area is described as Heaven’s Door because of its connection with Heaven.
• In Qigong, Baihui is often used for awareness, alignment, and the relationship between Heaven and Earth.
• In acupuncture and acupressure, GV-20 is approached as a specific point within a broader treatment strategy.
• Qigong practice emphasizes relaxed awareness rather than forcing the point open.

What Is Baihui GV-20?

Baihui GV-20 is located near the highest point of the head.

The name Baihui, or “Hundred Meetings,” reflects the importance of this area as a place where energetic pathways are understood to come together.

In Qigong practice, Baihui is often used as a point of awareness during standing meditation, seated meditation, alignment work, and internal cultivation.

When posture is relaxed and balanced, we may imagine the crown of the head gently suspended upward.

There is no strain.

The chin does not lift.

The shoulders stay relaxed.

The spine simply lengthens naturally.

This gentle sense of upward extension can help us feel more balanced between Heaven above and Earth below.

Baihui GV-20 in Qigong vs. Acupuncture and Acupressure

Baihui GV-20 is used in both Qigong and Traditional Chinese Medicine, but the emphasis is somewhat different.

In acupuncture and acupressure, Baihui is treated as a specific point on the Governing Vessel. Practitioners may use it as part of a broader treatment strategy related to patterns involving the head, mind, spirit, or the movement of Qi. The point is approached therapeutically, according to the person’s overall pattern and the goals of treatment.

In Qigong, Baihui is often experienced less as an isolated point and more as part of the body’s energetic relationship with Heaven and Earth.

Rather than pressing or needling the point, we may simply bring relaxed awareness to the crown of the head.

The emphasis is on:

• posture and alignment
• awareness of the crown
• a sense of upward openness
• connection with Heaven
• balancing that openness with grounding through Huiyin and Yongquan

This difference is important.

From an acupuncture perspective, Baihui may be selected as one point within a therapeutic treatment.

From a Qigong perspective, Baihui can become part of a whole-body experience of alignment, awareness, grounding, and connection.

The point itself is the same.

Why Baihui Is Often Described as Heaven’s Door

Although Heaven’s Door is not the literal translation of Baihui, the description makes sense within Qigong practice.

The crown represents the uppermost point of the body.

It is the place where our awareness naturally turns upward.

For this reason, many Qigong practices use Baihui as a symbolic and energetic connection with Heaven.

This does not mean that we are trying to force something open at the top of the head.

Quite the opposite.

The practice is usually one of relaxation, awareness, and allowing.

We become quiet.

We become aligned.

And we allow the connection to be felt naturally.

Some people may notice warmth, tingling, lightness, spaciousness, or a gentle sense of movement at the crown.

Others may feel very little.

Both are perfectly normal.

In Qigong, sensation is not the goal.

Awareness is the goal.

Heaven Above and Earth Below

Qigong continually brings us back to balance.

If we focus only on upward movement, we may become less grounded.

If we focus only on sinking and rooting, we may lose the feeling of openness and expansion.

The practice is to experience both at the same time.

Baihui brings awareness upward.

Huiyin brings awareness to the lower gateway.

Yongquan, or Bubbling Well, connects us with the Earth beneath the feet.

Together, these points create a simple energetic relationship:

Heaven above.
Earth below.
The human being in between.

This relationship is not something we need to manufacture.

It is already present.

Qigong simply helps us become more aware of it.

Baihui and the Central Channel

Many Qigong and Neigong practices work with the idea of a central energetic pathway through the body.

We can bring awareness from Baihui at the crown, down through the center of the body, toward Huiyin, and then continue that awareness down through the legs toward Yongquan at the soles of the feet.

There is no need to push or pull Qi.

There is no need to force energy through the body.

Simply bringing relaxed awareness to this central axis can help the posture become more natural and balanced.

The crown feels open.

The spine lengthens.

The chest softens.

The lower body becomes rooted.

This is one of the simplest ways to begin experiencing the relationship between Heaven and Earth within the body.

An Emei Qigong Perspective

Through practice, we learn to remain rooted in the Yin energy of Mother Earth while staying open to the Yang energy of Heaven.

Baihui helps us experience our connection upward toward Heaven, while Huiyin and Yongquan help us maintain our connection downward toward Earth.

Within Emei Qigong, the goal is not to force Qi in one direction or another. The goal is to create the conditions that allow Qi to move naturally and remain balanced.

This is something I have learned repeatedly through the teachings of Grandmaster Fu Wei Zhong.

Rather than chasing sensations or trying to open energetic points through effort, we learn to relax, align the body, quiet the mind, and allow the natural movement of Qi to emerge.

Heaven and Earth are not opposing forces. They are complementary expressions of Yin and Yang that help create balance within us.

A Simple Baihui GV-20 Practice

You can experience this relationship in just a few minutes.

Sit or stand comfortably.

Allow your shoulders to relax.

Soften your jaw and face.

Feel both feet connected to the ground.

Bring your awareness gently to Baihui GV-20 at the crown of the head.

Imagine the crown being lightly suspended from above, as though a fine thread were gently lengthening your spine.

Do not stretch upward.

Do not tighten the neck.

Simply allow the body to become naturally upright.

Now bring your awareness slowly down through the center of the body toward Huiyin.

Continue your awareness down through both legs.

Finally, feel the soles of the feet and the Earth beneath you.

Remain here for several breaths.

Notice the full pathway:

Baihui above.
Huiyin below.
Yongquan beneath the feet.

Feel yourself standing between Heaven and Earth.

There is nothing else to do.

Just breathe and become aware.

Why Grounding Matters

When people first become interested in energy practices, there can be a tendency to focus on the upper areas of the body.

They may become interested in the crown, the forehead, or the upper Dantian.

But Qigong continually reminds us that upward awareness should be balanced with grounding.

The stronger our connection with the Earth, the more comfortably we can experience openness above.

This is why I prefer to work with Baihui together with Huiyin and Yongquan rather than treating the crown as an isolated point.

The body functions as a whole.

Heaven and Earth work together.

Returning to Natural Balance

Baihui GV-20 is more than simply a point at the top of the head.

It can become a reminder.

A reminder to lengthen without straining.

A reminder to remain open without losing our grounding.

A reminder that we are always standing between Heaven and Earth.

When the body becomes quiet and the mind becomes still, we may begin to sense that relationship more clearly.

We become rooted below.

We become spacious above.

And somewhere between the two, we find balance.

Root into the Earth.
Open gently toward Heaven.
Become still in the space between them.