Qigong: A diverse option of exercise and self healing.

Practicing Qigong is a practice that can be added into your life by enhancing your weight training routine, jogging, yoga, meditation, relaxing your mind, and keeping you grounded to name a few. After my 1st day of a Qigong 4 day seminar I felt this incredible tangible amount of energy pulsing through my hands and body that just enhanced my Yoga and Weight Training routine. It was then that I realized another piece of the puzzle to my health, fitness and spiritual path.

For example, with Qigong you burn more calories while standing still than running without increasing your heart rate and it also keeps a clear calm mind like having a 6th sense activated. These are a few of the many benefits linked to Qigong incorporated into your daily lives.

Qigong is a 5,000 year old practice from China involving movements similar to those in tai chi or yoga that are synchronized with deep breathing to improve overall health. Qigong is the core of martial arts, tai chi and acupuncture. In China’s parks many different Qigong forms are practiced by over 18 million people every day for different ailments. There are healing clinics in China that provide Medical Qigong led by trained doctors in both Eastern and Western medicine. Medical Qigong differs from Qigong practice in that Medical Qigong requires the emitting of “Qi” by a doctor or practitioner used in healing others where as Qigong is a self healing practice. These clinics offer Medical Qigong as a viable health care option to provide a more complete system of healing and empowering the patient with their health care.

Pronounced “Chee-gung” it loosely means the cultivation/practice of life force energy. This life force energy stems from the elements around us. In ancient times Qigong was used by warriors to become better soldiers in battle; the Shaolin monks used it in their kung-fu and meditation practices. Qigong was long kept a secret by the martial artists and the elite or rich due to the knowledge and powerful “Qi” cultivated giving them greater strength. It was traditionally passed down only within family members to keep the lineages sacred and privilege to only a few. Now it is practiced by millions people of different walks of life that span across the globe with no formal experience or training required. Qigong is not a religion nor does it require a change in faith only daily practice to reap the rewards.

Some of Qigong’s rewards range from lowering hypertension, boosting immune system, eliminating stress, and increasing bone density. According to Dr. Kenneth M. Sancier a retired director after 35 years of the Stanford Research Institute and the president and founder of the Qigong Institute in California states “Qigong is a therapy for chronic conditions primarily although not exclusively, whereas western medicine is primarily for acute conditions, like surgery….these two the Eastern and Western approach can be worked together as they complement each other because they are dealing with different aspects of healing.”

Qigong also revitalizes muscles, improves sex drive, relieves pain, increases oxygen and blood flow plus many more benefits. While supplying the body with more oxygen via intentional deep breathing, the oxygen is used for fuel by the body for maintenance of health and repair. Therefore, the less stress placed on the immune system the more it will focus its energy on staying healthy and fight off potential disease and ailments. Qigong is not meant to replace western medicine but simply work in conjunction with it.

In conclusion, this deep breathing and gentle meditative exercise provides the body the ability to heal itself or improve the current health. With the results of regular Qigong practice you will have a peaceful mind, healthy invigorating body and a calm spirit capable of dealing with daily stress and disease.