What is Qigong? It is a fabulous treasure!

Qigong hand postures. What is Qigong?

What is Qigong (Chi Kung)?

Qigong (pronounced chee gong) exercises can often look like, and can be wrongly taught like, slowed down aerobics. Qigong exercises are more than the movement of the body…….much more. It is the movement of the Qi through focus, relaxation and intent. It is an art that is almost impossible to appreciate without being exposed to proper tuition and the development of the ability to listen to the Qi.

Qigong is the attainment of the skills necessary to work with Qi at a tangible level. It is the art of using, working with and cultivating Qi “life energy” to enrich one’s life by controlling and strengthening the flow of Qi throughout the body. It is the achievement of “vital energy skill cultivated through steady practice”.

What is Qigong? – Its subdivisions

Qigong exercises can be sub-divided into Passive Qigong and Active Qigong, and these can be further sub-divided into Medical, Martial and Spiritual Qigong.

  • Active Qigong is when the breath, the body movement and the Yi brain) stimulate and guide the movement of Qi – Shibashi exercises, Embroidered Brocade, etc.
  • Passive Qigong is when there is no body movement and it is solely the Yi  that is used to stimulate and guide the Qi – Standing as a Tree, Standing as a Column.
  • Medical (health) Qigong promotes the smooth, free-flow of the Qi in the meridians. When there is a deficiency or stagnation of the Qi, this leads to illness. Qigong balances and harmonises the Qi, bringing health and vitality.
  • Martial Qigong packs Qi into the facia and organs. This is to strengthen the body so that it can withstand heavy blows, etc. The most famous of these sets of qigong are Iron Shirt and Golden Bell.
  • Spiritual Qigong is used to alter states of awareness, giving access to higher levels of being.
What is Qigong?

What is Qigong? – It is Stillness and so much more

With Yoga, one of the goals is to find stillness within. The Taoist sages said that this stillness, the stillness within stillness, is not the true stillness – only when there is stillness within movement is it the true stillness. In Qigong you can find this stillness within movement, but you will also find movement within stillness.

Our universe is in constant flux, the change is ceaseless with the myriad qualities of Qi swirling, altering and manifesting in different forms and energetic fields. This flux is reflected in each of us, the continual changes in the quality of our Qi affects us physically, emotionally and spiritually. These changes start with the Qi before being manifest as physical or emotional dis-ease. Therefore by practising Qigong we can ward off disease before it can be come established. Qigong is now being positively promoted for people who are recovering from major illnesses and surgery heart bypass etc. However, it is not being used to anywhere near its full potential as a method of treating chronic illness, or for its potential to treat illness at a sub-clinical level.

What is Qigong? – Its use within Chinese Medicine

The cornerstone of Chinese medicine is built on the concept that the universe is made of Qi and that all living things have a particular quality of this Qi. Qi is life, without Qi life does not exist. During the Healing Qigong course you are taught to listen to the Qi, and by using these listening skills you are able to identify the changes in the Qi occurring during the treatment. This instantaneous feed-back brings accuracy and confidence, and in the knowledge that all illnesses have an energetic pattern you can treat any dis-ease that may be presented to you.
As a therapy, Healing Qigong can be used either on its own or to augment any other therapy. In China it is used in the treatment of cancer as part of a regime that may use allopathic medicine, surgery, or Traditional Chinese medicine (herbalism and acupuncture). Although Qigong is the Chinese name for this type of therapy, as a method of healing it is known to exist in many different cultures. Even with the new scientific technology available to us today, the validity of these ancient arts has not been diminished and current research is only now rediscovering the wisdom of our forbears.

medical qigong.

What is Qigong? – The theory behind it

Theoretically, Qigong follows the same rules as Acupuncture, Shiatsu, etc. in that it uses the concept of Yin and Yang, uses the meridian system and the exceptional vessels, and incorporates the Five Element Theory. The goal is to reduce excess and feed deficiency, reducing Yang conditions and increasing Yin conditions. In acupuncture this balancing is brought about by the techniques of stimulation and reduction that involve the way in which the needles are turned, or inserted and retracted. In Shiatsu these conditions are known as Kyo/Jitsu and the techniques are called tonification and sedation. These techniques are utilised to facilitate the raising or lowering of the condition (Yin or Yang), to either cool or heat the Qi in order to achieve a particular result; healing the patient, or to act as prevention against illness.
By practising Qigong, the therapist/practitioner can increase their Qi capacity, and their ability to direct the Qi, so that the energy can be used during treatment. The therapist is also able to prescribe specific Qigong exercises to be used by the client in the healing process. For the healer to heal, he/she must first be healthy and have strong Qi. By the daily practice of Qigong, the therapist/practitioner remains in good health (the immune system is boosted and the endocrine system is more active). This health is not confined to the mere physical; it is health/balance of body, mind and spirit – Qi, Jing and Shen. The Qi affecting the physical, the Jing increasing and maintaining vigour, and the Shen affecting the consciousness, providing clarity of thought.
The practice of Qigong is mainly used to treat chronic aliments although it can also be used to treat acute conditions like aches and pains. However, as in most of the oriental healing arts, the Qigong therapist is like the gardener who is constantly tending his plot, weeding and making sure that the ground is nurtured – rather than the repair-man who only calls when there is already something wrong.

If you are still asking yourself “What is Qigong? Why not join the San Bao Qigong community on Facebook. We are a group of friendly practitioners who are keen to share their experience! Click here to request to join – sanbaoschool.co.uk/community

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