Qigong:

  • Qigong, which is sometimes spelled Chi-Kung (and pronounced chee-gung), is the study and practice of cultivating vital life-force through various techniques, including:
  1. Breathing techniques.
  2. Postures.
  3. Meditations.
  4. Guided imagery.
  • Qi means “breath” or “air” and is considered the “vital-life-force” or “life-force energy.”

  • Qigong practitioners believe that this vital-life-force penetrates and permeates everything in the universe.
  • It corresponds to the Greek “pneuma,” the Sanskrit “prana,” or the Western medical conception of “bioelectricity.”
  • Gong means “work” or “effort” and is the commitment an individual puts into any practice or skill that requires time, patience, and repetition to perfect.
  • Through study, the individual aims to develop the ability to manipulate Qi in order to promote self-healing, prevent disease, and increase longevity.

    Benefits of Qigong:

  • All living organisms give off a bioelectric field.
  • It is believed that a Qigong healer can detect these fields, as well as their imbalances.
  • The goal of Qigong is to correct the imbalances that have accumulated throughout a person’s lifetime.
  • Imbalances occur from deep-seated emotions (stress, anger, anxiety, depression, grief, etc.), trauma or injury, improper diet, excessive sexual activity, lack of exercise, etc.
  • Imbalances may also be acquired from our parents (both constitutional and emotional).

  • Qigong practitioners believe the Qi that course through our entire being must flow properly, like a river.
  • If there is a block, Qi becomes stagnant and prevents other parts of the body from being nourished.
  • If the Qi flows too rapidly, it causes degeneration or exhaustion of the internal organs.
  • The practice of Qigong helps to balance these energies: filling deficiencies and removing excess.
  • Practicing Qigong and receiving Qigong healing activates acupuncture points, meridians, and organ systems, according to Traditional Chinese Medicine. Therefore, practicing and receiving Qigong is similar to a powerful acupuncture treatment.
  • Qigong also likely works in the same manner as other physical exercise to relieve emotional stress.

Origins of Qigong:

  • Qigong is a special application of Qigong that is used to help people with chronic diseases and injuries.
  • Medical Qigong programs are typically based on the principles of Chinese acupuncture and the body’s meridian system.
  • Typically medical Qigong is used in conjunction with other forms of Chinese medicine, such as acupuncture, herbs and ordinary massage.

  • In the West, it is often used as complementary therapy to Western medical practices.

Medical Qigong is used in the following ways:

  1. To heal and regenerate the body in various ways
  2. To target specific illnesses with specific Qigong sets
  3. To create prescriptions that changes over time depending on the progress of the individual
  4. As a form of treatment by therapists who practice Qigong
    tui na to move and rebalance energy in a clients body