27 Aug Daily Detoxing With Qigong

I started Qigong, more specifically Tai Chi ( the martial Qigong), in the late 1990’s and found it to be a wonderful additive to my daily meditation. I highly recommend this practice because it promotes flexibility, balance, and good body awareness.

So what is Qigong?

The name originated from the Mandarin words qi, meaning energy or life force, and gong, meaning work or skill.  This practice is designed to improve mental and physical health by unifying posture, body movements, breathing and focused intention. It is an energetic form of movement done to heighten the flow of qi in the body.

.For the most part, Qigong utilizes the breath, the mind (intention) and body movement to circulate the qi. Qigong exercises range from those that are meditative with little to no body movement to extremely vigorous movements.Qigong dates back 5000 years to early Chinese civilization beginning with shamanism practices. In the more “modern” times the Taoists and Buddhists developed many forms of Qigong for treating and preventing illness as well as for martial arts. Qigong can be used by most everyone.

According to Bill Douglas, founder of the International Health Education World Tai Chi and Qigong Day, Qigong is a highly effective stress management tool to help decrease daily stress. Mr. Douglas contends that Qigong may also tone the cardiovascular system, lower blood pressure, boost immune system function, and modulate disorders of mood.In fact it is said there are over 1000 forms of Qigong and different forms of Qigong have a unique focus.

Medical Qigong focuses particularly on improving qi to strengthen the body’s organs, tissues and systems (respiratory and immune, for example) for the purpose of obtaining optimal health and diminishing the effects of aging whereas Spiritual Qigong is done to lead the individual closer to his or her spiritual source. And Martial Qigong, better known as Tai Chi, is practiced to increase strength, flexibility and balance by bringing qi into the muscles, bones and tendons through designed routines.

Click here to find Qigong classes, groups and events in your neighborhood.

Namaste, Dr. Laura

Source: Andrew Weil, “Wellness therapy.” Qigong. June 23, 2014.