Hi,
Firstly, qigong and meditation are not two different things. 'Within' the practice of 'qigong', there is active, and inactive, or meditation.
Just as bouncing is done before an exercise or meditation, an active exercise can be done before meditation. It is preferable to have the qi flowing and body awake, going into a meditation. Whether that is a tai chi form, yoga, part, or all of level I active, or bouncing, etc. At the level 4 retreat I attended, the morning session of sm universe meditation was preceeded by about 20 -30 minutes of the moving of yin and yang. I enjoy , very much, doing meditation right after a thorough active exercise session.
It is best, to get a feeling for your own state of being as you balance all these things. Going by a rule book, without self awareness of 'feeling' what you are doing, can be a bit rigid. The good, better, best, rule of thumb, allows you to comfortably do the best you can, given your situation. Pay attention to 'your' body, and how you feel regarding all these things. I would say, 'for me', having part of an apple five minutes before a session, is better than eating a steak 30 minutes after, or even 2 hours after. The time is irrelevant. I am referring to life style in general. These guidelines, are within that larger context.
Also, as you become more aware of what you are doing, you can easily discern what works and what doesn't, regarding other activities in an energetic sense. I am sure you have a sense of whether or not watching TV is 'good' for you, or talking a walk, being in the present or not, listening to qigong music or heavy metal, etc.. The combos or mixtures of one's activities start with what they are in and of themselves. If you know that, it is easier to then look at combinations of them, in regards to qigong activity, or just life in general. As you study qigong or other systems that strive to raise one's consciousness, you get to know more about what's good for you and where your head should be at. No one's perfect, or has to be, and you do the best you can, if you are motivated to do so.
The general guidelines bring up not getting in water/bathing, for 30 min 'after' a qigong session. It doesn't mention before, what kind of soap you are using, using a hair dryer or hand fanning, or, what you thought about in the shower. The concept behind this water thing, has something to do exposing yourself to contact with water, when you are energetically 'open', as after a qigong session. The worst case scenerio would be practicing something like tai chi , in a pool, which some people do. The water gets into the bones. Regarding food, it has to do with allowing the time for your body to absorb the energy from your session. Drinking or eating diverts your body to processing that.
love,
gallen
