WHAT IS QIGONG? One of the Oldest Healing Techniques in the World Throughout history, meditation has been a powerful tool for accessing inner strength, both emotionally and physically. However, fewer meditation practices are as old and as practical as qigong (chee-gong). Qigong isn’t exclusively a meditation practice. It’s an ancient Chinese exercise and healing technique that utilizes meditation through controlled breathing and movement exercises. Peter Wayne, an assistant professor in the Harvard Medical School and research director at Harvard’s Osher Center for Integrative Medicine, explains that the “qi” in qigong represents a concept from traditional Chinese culture that roughly translates to vital energy, information, breath, or spirit. Practitioners repeat simple, slow movements, perform slow breathing, and develop strength and flexibility. You can practice qigong on yourself or others. At first, it might make you think of a different meditation practice: tai chi. There are many similarities between the two. Some researchers, like Wayne, consider tai chi to be a form of qigong. They even share identical forms in certain versions of each practice. Both practices focus on your life force — the energy of your physical body — and becoming more aware and in control of it. Discussions about energy can often draw skepticism from newcomers, but the benefits of qigong are numerous and well vetted among researchers. In 2010, researchers did a comprehensive research review to evaluate the health benefits of both qigong and tai chi. The magnitude of results was impressive. They found significant improvements to various aspects of practitioners’ health, including bone density, cardiopulmonary effects, physical function, falls and related risk factors, quality of life, self-efficacy, patient-reported outcomes, psychological symptoms, and immune function.
These potential benefits are the result of long-term practice and aren’t immediate, but they still intrigue researchers.
For centuries, the benefits and practice of qigong were kept secret. Only recently have masters stepped forward to defy a hyper-exclusive tradition and share it with the world. Sevenish learned qigong from Master Chunyi Lin, who teaches Spring Forest qigong. Through his practice, you can learn how to control your energy, lessen stress, and become a stronger individual and spiritual healer. To learn more, find Master Chunyi Lin’s teachings and website at SpringForestQigong.com.
Brain WORK!
HAVE YOU HEARD The Good News? Psalm 46:1–3 “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.”
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