What Is Qigong?
Qigong (pronounced chi-gong) is a very old Chinese mind and body practice that is mostly used for healing. It’s a standing meditation with a very simple hand movements that everyone can learn. People practice Qigong to maintain health, heal their bodies, calm their minds, and reconnect with their spirit.
Qigong is recommended by:
• Harvard Medical School
• Cleveland Clinic, Mayo Clinic
• National Council on Aging (NCOA)
• National Institute of Health NCCIH
• American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM)
The style we teach is called Medical Qigong, that is really part of Traditional Chinese Medicine, together with Acupuncture and Acupressure. We work on the same meridian system used in acupuncture, and add visualization, mind intent and breathing techniques to physical movements. When these dimensions are added, the benefits of exercise increase exponentially. The gentle, rhythmic movements of consistent Qigong practice can reduce stress, build stamina, increase vitality, and enhance the immune system. Regular Medical Qigong practice have also been found to improve cardiovascular, respiratory, circulatory, lymphatic and digestive functions.
Why We Should Practice Qigong and Tai Chi
Studies have shown that Tai Chi and Qigong may improve bone density, cardiopulmonary health, arthritis, fibromyalgia, tension headaches, and other medical conditions. Given the relationship between physical and mental health, general improvements in physical health or reductions of chronic disease symptoms may help to improve mental health. Many chronic diseases are associated with stress, anxiety, depression, and poor mood. 90% of diseases are caused by stress. Qigong and Tai Chi are proven to reduce stress and calm down nervous system. By reducing stress, we can help to improve our health and prevent many diseases to happen in the future.
Qigong Health Benefits
A scientific research shows a wide range of positive health benefits of regular Qigong practice. An analysis of Qigong interventions, published in the American Journal of Health Promotion, also concluded that regular Qigong practice had a positive effect on:
– Asthma
– Arthritis
– Cancer treatment support
– Depression
– Fibromyalgia
– Hypertension
– Obesity
– Parkinson’s disease
– Enhancing general wellness
– Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, and much more.
Tai Chi Health Benefits
When learned correctly and performed regularly, tai chi can be a positive part of an overall approach to improving your health. The benefits of tai chi may include:
– Delay Aging Process, and lead to Longevity
– Increase Flexibility
– Strengthen Muscles and Tendons
– Increase Strength and Endurance
– Aid in the Treatment of:
– Heart Disease
– High Blood Pressure
– Arthritis
– Digestive Disorders
– Auto-immune disease
– Depression, anxiety
– Cancer healing and prevention
– Improvement of Balance and decrease the Risk of Falling
– Increase Mental Health
– Increase Aerobic Capacity
– Decrease Stress
– Decrease the Symptoms of Fibromyalgia or pain
Medical Qigong Therapy
What Is Medical Qigong Therapy?
Medical Qigong Therapy is the energetic foundation of Traditional Chinese medicine. It addresses the root cause of disharmony within a person, while working with them as a whole. Medical Qigong Therapy is one of the four branches of Traditional Chinese Medicine. While acupuncture, herbs and massage are better known by the public, Medical Qigong also has a long history and application in promoting health and strengthening the body/mind/spirit. The word “Qigong” means “Energy Work”. It is a highly refined system of exercises and meditations that develop our ability to acquire, store, circulate, and purify our Qi (Vital Energy).
Medical Qigong Therapy is the application of Qigong for medical purposes. The practitioner assists the client by redirecting, cleansing, and restoring the patients vital energy based on the principles of Chinese Medicine. During a Medical Qigong treatment, the client generally lies or sits on the treatment table while the practitioner uses various hand movements and mental images to perform the energetic healing procedure. Often the client can feel certain things happening in the body, both on a physical and emotional level. Sometimes, the client simply gets a sense of deep relaxation and well-being. The experience of the treatment will be different for each client. There are no invasive techniques used, and little to no physical touching is required.
How Is Medical Qigong Therapy Done?
Qi /Vital Energy/ can pass through air and clothing, so there is no need to disrobe. The practitioner often works about a foot away from the client’s body, and sometimes lightly touches the client to guide and manipulate the movement of Qi. The client may feel varying sensations as the Qi moves, such as warmth, tingling, coolness, vibration, and sometimes twitching as the stagnant energy releases.
Generally, clients find the treatments extremely relaxing and rejuvenating. Sometimes clients may become aware of uncomfortable emotions that have been suppressed and have an emotional release either during or after the treatment. As one of the primary goals of Medical Qigong Therapy is to release toxic emotions from within the body’s tissues, having an emotional release is extremely beneficial to one’s psychological and physiological well-being.
After the treatment the client will be given Qigong prescriptions to assist in their ongoing healing. These Medical Qigong exercises and meditations are tailored specifically to the clients, similar to an acupuncturist prescribing healing herbs or a medical doctor giving a pharmaceutical prescription.
How Does Medical Qigong Work?
Qigong treatments work on the energy field. It is the energy that courses through the organs, the different body systems, and the energetic flow of the acupuncture meridians. The goal for the Medical Qigong therapist is to identify and remove blockages in the system. Treatments strengthen and regulate the internal organs, nervous system, and immune system, relieve pain, regulate hormones, and address stress and emotional upset. Medical qigong works in four ways:
1. Qigong exercises are practiced to heal and regenerate the body, reduce stress, calm the mind and soothe the central nervous system.
2. Qigong can target specific illnesses or body functions. For example, there’s a specific Qigong form that is used in China to help treat cancer and mitigate the effects of chemotherapy and radiation.
3. Using traditional Chinese medical and qigong diagnostic methods, Medical Qigong doctors design exercises for specific health problems, similar to the way herbalists create prescriptions. The treatment and how the exercises are done change as the individual progresses.
4. Medical Qigong therapists can project energy from their bodies to move and re-balance the energies of their clients. They may also use hands-on techniques and Acupressure to manipulate their patients’ tissues. In a Medical Qigong session, the practitioner, having developed through dedicated study and self-cultivation the ability to sense and manipulate energy, uses qi emission to restore health and wellness to the client. The practitioner may also teach medical qigong exercises and meditations.
What Does Medical Qigong Treat?
Medical Qigong Therapy is currently used in China in the treatment of all medical conditions. Sometimes the entire treatment consists of Qigong therapy, other times Qigong is used in conjunction with herbs, Acupuncture, and Western medical approaches.
Some of the conditions treated in China include:
• Cancer (all types)
• Cardiovascular disorders (chest pain, hypertension, high cholesterol, etc…)
• Chronic and post-operative pain
• Gastrointestinal disorders (Irritable bowel, acid reflux, constipation)
• Orthopedic disorders (sprains, strains, sports injuries, broken bones)
• Emotional disorders (depression, ADHD, Bipolar disorder, and more..)
Here, in the United States is mostly used to balance energy within the body to enable natural healing. We are not medical doctors, we don’t treat nor diagnose the client.
