Qigong: China's 3000 year old system of self healing
People do Qigong to maintain health, heal their bodies, calm their minds, and
reconnect with their spirit.
When these three aspects of our being are integrated, it encourages a positive
outlook on life and helps eliminate harmful attitudes and behaviors. It also
creates a balanced life style, which brings greater harmony, stability, and
enjoyment
There are a wide variety of Qigong practices. They vary from the simple,
internal forms to the more complex and challenging external styles. They can
interest and benefit everyone, from the most physically challenged to the super
athlete. There are Qigong classes for children, senior citizens, and every age
group in between. Since Qigong can be practiced anywhere or at any time, there
is no need to buy special clothing or to join a health club.
Qigong's great appeal is that everyone can benefit, regardless of ability, age,
belief system or life circumstances.
Anyone can enrich their lives by adding Qigong to their daily routine. Children
learning to channel their energy and develop increased concentration; office
workers learning Qigong to reduce stress; seniors participating in gentle
movements to enhance balance and their quality of life; caregivers embracing a
practice to develop their ability to help others; prisons instituting Qigong
programs to restore balance in inmates lives; midwives using Qigong techniques
to ease child birth.
When an individual or group assumes responsibility and takes action for their
health and healing, we all benefit. It is best to get referrals from people
whose judgment you have confidence in. Check the Yellow Pages for Tai Chi
schools, acupuncturists, or martial art academies. The National Qigong
Association member directory is also an excellent source for finding
instructors.
Keep in mind the following criteria for choosing a qualified instructor: what is
their background and experience; are they of good character; do they treat
everyone fairly and with respect; do they live what they teach; do they refrain
from making wild, unsubstantiated claims; do they encourage and bring out a
student's highest potential? While keeping these points in mind, remember to
trust your intuition in finding an instructor who is right for you.
If there are no instructors in your area, many teachers regularly travel to give
workshops in all regions of the country. Many excellent instructional books and
videos are also available. Begin by familiarizing yourself with the many
resources available for learning Qigong. The internet is one of the best tools
today for learning about Qigong. Seek referrals in your area and visit local
classes. Attending the annual NQA conference also provides an introduction to
many styles of Qigong and practitioners from around the world.
After you have looked into some of these resources, find a style you feel
comfortable with, and develop a consistent daily practice. It is recommended by
experienced teachers to stay with a form for at least 100 days. A consistent
practice is the most important asset you can develop.
When beginners ask, "What is the most important aspect of practicing Qigong?"
The answer is always..."just do it."
We live in a field of qi, "vital breath" or "life energy." Yet, like a fish in
water or a bird in flight, we are unaware of the medium that supports us. Qigong
means "working with the qi." It is the ancient Chinese art and science of
becoming aware of this life energy and learning how to control its flow through
a precise choreography of posture, movement, respiratory technique, and
meditation. Like biofeedback, qigong teaches psychophysiological
self-regulation; the student becomes aware of bodily functions conventionally
considered involuntary-- blood pressure, respiratory rate, even the flow of
blood and nutrients to internal organs-- and learns to restore a healthier
balance. However, unlike biofeedback, no technical devices are needed. Qigong is
one of the most cost-effective self-healing methods in the world. The only
investment needed is time, a half-hour to an hour each day; the dividends of
better health, increased vitality, and peaceful alertness accrue daily and are
cumulative.
Qigong is like a great river fed by four major tributaries: shamanism,
spirituality, medicine, and martial arts:
1. Shamanism:
An ancient text, The Spring and Autumn Annals, states that in mythic times a
great flood covered much of China. Stagnant waters produced widespread disease.
The legendary shaman-emperor Yu cleared the land and diverted the waters into
rivers by dancing a bear dance and invoking the mystical power of the Big Dipper
Constellation. As the waters subsided, people reasoned that movement and
exercise can similarly cause the internal rivers to flow more smoothly, clearing
the meridians of obstructions to health. Qigong-like exercises are found on
ancient rock art panels throughout China. Chinese shamans used these exercises
and meditations to commune with nature and natural forces and to increase their
powers of healing and divination.
2. Spirituality (Taoism and Buddhism):
A. Taoism. Qigong philosophy and techniques are mentioned in the classic of
Taoist philosophy, the Dao De Jing, written in the fourth century B.C. "By
concentrating the qi and making your body supple, can you become like a child?"
Qigong was the ideal way for Taoists to realize their goal of wuji, an empty,
alert, boundless state of consciousness, and xing ming shuang xiu, "spirit and
body cultivated in balance." Taoists and qigong practitioners were both looking
for a harmony of yin and yang: inside and outside, earthly and spiritual,
stillness and activity. The majority of works on qigong are still found among
the approximately 1,100 texts in the Taoist Canon.
B. Buddhism. The Buddhist emphasis on tranquillity, awareness, and diligent
practice are part of qigong. Several styles of qigong were developed by
Buddhists who needed an exercise and healing system to complement their lengthy
seated meditations.
3. Medicine:
Chinese medicine includes acupuncture, herbalism, massage, diet, and qigong.
Qigong is the preventive and self-healing aspect of Chinese medicine and was
used in the past, as today, to teach patients how to improve their own health.
The major early text on qigong is the Dao-yin Tu "Dao-yin Illustrations" (168
B.C.). Dao-yin is an ancient word for qigong. This work contains illustrations
of forty-four qigong postures prescribed by ancient Chinese doctors to cure
specific ailments. The patriarch of Chinese medicine, Hua Tuo (second century
A.D.) was one of the great early qigong masters. His "Five Animal Frolics"
imitate the movements of the Crane, Bear, Monkey, Deer, and Tiger and are still
practiced today. Hua Tuo said that just as a door hinge will not rust if it is
used, so the body will attain health by gently moving and exercising all of the
limbs.
4. Martial Arts:
Qigong practice can improve performance in the martial arts or any other sport.
Chinese martial artists designed or helped to improve many qigong techniques as
they looked for ways to increase speed, stamina, and power, improve balance,
flexibility, and coordination, and condition the body against injury. Qigong was
a major influence on the development of western gymnastics, thanks to Jesuit P.
M. Cibot's 1779 illustrated French translation of Taoist qigong texts: Notice du
Cong-fou [Kung-fu] des Bonzes Tao-see [Taoist priests]. Cibot's descriptions
inspired Per Henrik Ling (1776-1839) to create the first school of modern
gymnastics in Sweden.
You can see why it is hard to find a simple definition for such a comprehensive
system of mental and physical development. Qigong is a spiritual practice with
roots in shamanism and Taoism. It is a powerful method of self-healing and a
warm-up for any sport. It includes both exercise and meditation.
Qigong is practiced by more than 80 million Chinese people and probably by tens
of thousands in the United States and Europe. Qigong has been rigorously tested
in controlled scientific experiments and clinical trials and is often used as an
adjunct to conventional allopathic medical treatment. Hypertensive patients who
take medication and practice qigong fare better than controls who only take the
medication. Similarly, there is solid evidence that qigong can improve immune
function and mental health, and prevent disabilities that come with age. Qigong
acts like Vitamin C, increasing the activity of an enzyme that helps to
deactivate free radicals, highly reactive chemicals that promote tissue
degeneration and loss of memory. In 1995 the Journal of the American Medical
Association published evidence that Taiji Quan, a form of qigong, is effective
at preventing loss of balance and falling injuries among the elderly.
Researchers at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine confirm that Taiji Quan works
like aerobics at reducing high blood pressure.
There are thousands of styles of qigong. Some are designed for general health
and well-being and may be practiced every day for a lifetime. Others are
therapeutic and targeted to cure specific problems. Qigong techniques are
suitable for men and women, young and old, athletes and sedentary, and for the
disabled. All styles are based on similar principles: relaxed, rooted posture;
straight, supple spine; diaphragmatic respiration-- the abdomen expanding on
inhalation, retracting on exhalation; fluid movements without excess effort; and
tranquil awareness.
Quality is more important than quantity. Students are advised to learn one or
two qigong styles that are enjoyable and effective. Finding a qigong lao-shi,
qigong teacher, is not an easy task. Although qigong is popular, the training is
not standardized-- I do not believe that it can or should be-- and both quality
and qualifications can vary immensely from teacher to teacher. There are
unfortunately too many con-artists, charlatans, and magicians among our ranks,
trying to impress the public with stunts of allegedly supernatural qi-power such
as pushing objects without touching them. Students should apply the same
standards of professional excellence to qigong teachers that they would apply to
teachers of any other subject. A qigong lao-shi should be humble and
compassionate and open to questioning and dialogue. He or she has not arrived at
a final goal, but is rather on a never-ending quest for expanded potential and
deeper understanding.
People do Qigong to maintain health, heal their bodies, calm their minds, and
reconnect with their spirit.
Chinese medicine includes acupuncture, herbalism, massage, diet, and qigong.
Qigong is the preventive and self-healing aspect of Chinese medicine and was
used in the past, as today, to teach patients how to improve their own health.
The major early text on qigong is the Dao-yin Tu "Dao-yin Illustrations" (168
B.C.). Dao-yin is an ancient word for qigong. This work contains illustrations
of forty-four qigong postures prescribed by ancient Chinese doctors to cure
specific ailments. The patriarch of Chinese medicine, Hua Tuo (second century
A.D.) was one of the great early qigong masters. His "Five Animal Frolics"
imitate the movements of the Crane, Bear, Monkey, Deer, and Tiger and are still
practiced today. Hua Tuo said that just as a door hinge will not rust if it is
used, so the body will attain health by gently moving and exercising all of the
limbs.