Practitioner - Arrival of Qi feeling

I've always heard and had emphasized that the left hand is the most important for needling (i.e. the non needling hand) and the right is just the mechanic. What I understand from this is that feeling the points initially and using your sensation is what allows for correct point choice and effective stimulation. As my teachers and my background have led me to use "lighter" needling techniques and rely on qi gong and tuina for heavier stimulation, I don't worry so much about the "de qi" sensation. Accordingly, I rarely manipulate the needles, instead allowing them to do their work without interruption. The lack of heavy needle manipulation is done to avoid what we see as the risk for creating more tension in the patient than actually freeing the flow of qi (our bias admittedly). This similar to Tai Chi where force actually inhibits the flow of qi. I focus more on finding the correct point with my left hand, needling, and then using qi gong and tuina as appropriate to intensify the treatments.

In my experience it varies from patient to patient, depending on the strength of the person's Qi. If the patient is strong enough, it may feel like a fish biting a hook. In weaker patients it can be more subtle. If a person is depleted the whole thing feels like needling tofu.

It also depends on your concentration when needling. As your focus improves with practice, you'll learn to distinguish subtler and subtler sensations of Qi arrival.

Hope this helps.

Sasha