what is qigong?
A 19th-century Chinese doctor, Fei Boxiong, once said: “There exist no miraculous methods in the world, only simple ones and the perfection of the simple is miraculous”.
Qigong (pronounced and sometimes written Chi Kung) consists in techniques that have been used in China for many centuries to maintain and improve health and flexibility, strengthen the body, mobilize the joints, calm the mind and regulate breathing.
Qigong in Chinese is written 氣功 . The first character (“qi” – pronounced “chi”) represents steam over a grain of rice. The “qi” is a fundamental concept of Chinese philosophy, it is considered the foundation of vitality, the breath of life, that can be translated as "vital energy". The second, “gong”, means practice, or exercise. Qigong exercises are practised to accumulate, revitalize and circulate our vital energy, our qi.
Since ancient times Chinese culture has given a lot of importance to methods of health preservation, including exercise, mind-calming techniques and nutrition. Modern science agrees that these three components can help us preserve and maintain health, and even reverse the process of ageing (see the book The Telomere Effect).
The ancient Chinese were very observant, and noticed how flexibility was lost with age. They valued flexibility, not only in physical terms, but also mentally in the sense of adapting to changing circumstances. This flexibility was considered a quality that helps us maintain our physical and emotional health, and postpone ageing. The classic Chinese philosophic text Dao De Jing says: "Man, when he enters life, is soft and weak. When he dies he is hard and strong. Plants, when they enter life, are soft and tender. When they die, they are dry and stiff. Therefore: the hard and the strong are companions of death; the soft and the weak are companions of life" (trans. R. Wilhelm).
This philosophy suggests being like water, the substance that is so soft, so adaptable and at the same time so powerful. The concept of water includes the fluidity of the movements, the stillness of the mind and perseverance with practice.
What is so special about Qigong?
The main principles of Qigong are the following three regulations:
Qigong (pronounced and sometimes written Chi Kung) consists in techniques that have been used in China for many centuries to maintain and improve health and flexibility, strengthen the body, mobilize the joints, calm the mind and regulate breathing.
Qigong in Chinese is written 氣功 . The first character (“qi” – pronounced “chi”) represents steam over a grain of rice. The “qi” is a fundamental concept of Chinese philosophy, it is considered the foundation of vitality, the breath of life, that can be translated as "vital energy". The second, “gong”, means practice, or exercise. Qigong exercises are practised to accumulate, revitalize and circulate our vital energy, our qi.
Since ancient times Chinese culture has given a lot of importance to methods of health preservation, including exercise, mind-calming techniques and nutrition. Modern science agrees that these three components can help us preserve and maintain health, and even reverse the process of ageing (see the book The Telomere Effect).
The ancient Chinese were very observant, and noticed how flexibility was lost with age. They valued flexibility, not only in physical terms, but also mentally in the sense of adapting to changing circumstances. This flexibility was considered a quality that helps us maintain our physical and emotional health, and postpone ageing. The classic Chinese philosophic text Dao De Jing says: "Man, when he enters life, is soft and weak. When he dies he is hard and strong. Plants, when they enter life, are soft and tender. When they die, they are dry and stiff. Therefore: the hard and the strong are companions of death; the soft and the weak are companions of life" (trans. R. Wilhelm).
This philosophy suggests being like water, the substance that is so soft, so adaptable and at the same time so powerful. The concept of water includes the fluidity of the movements, the stillness of the mind and perseverance with practice.
What is so special about Qigong?
- Qigong is very versatile, and can be adapted for people with different levels of physical training and people with disabilities. It includes more physical and more meditative forms, and the same exercises can be adapted for people with different needs.
- The active relaxation principle (fang song) in Qigong helps us to become aware of the tensions in our body, and little by little learn to relax them. Qigong teaches us to use minimum muscle force and attain maximum relaxation in every movement or static pose.
- Qigong is a very effective method for calming the mind and learning to deal better with the stress of day to day life. Mental and emotional stress produces oxidative effects in the body, which makes us age faster.
- Qigong exercises have been developed not only with the physical body, but also with the bioenergetic system in mind. Qigong works with qi, our vital energy, through stretches of the acupuncture channels and concentration in energetic centres and acupuncture points.
- Qigong breathing not only helps us to oxygenate the body better, but also gives a soft massage to the internal organs.
- Due to all the above, Qigong helps us find our physical, mental and emotional balance. The body finds homeostasis, the mind finds peace and we find our true self, something that brings us not only health, but also happiness.
The main principles of Qigong are the following three regulations:
- Regulate the form (body): includes learning the movements, but also developing body awareness
- Regulate the breathing: most exercises require deep, calm, silent and slow abdominal breathing. Some exercises are done using so-called "inverted breathing", which helps liberate respiratory muscles and direct the flow of qi
- Regulate the mind: the foundation of the Qigong practice is full attention, in which the mind is involved in harmonizing the body and respiration.
Photo: Tim Maher
