Qi Gong
Almost all Chinese medicine based their effective alternative treatment procedures from the life energy called Qi. This life energy needs to be in proper harmony in the body to prevent illnesses as well as cure certain kinds of diseases. Qi Gong is no exception to this rule. This is a system of healing that uses gentle movement, breathing techniques, and meditation to help cleanse, circulate, and strengthen the life energy for better health and state of mind.
Areas of Qi Gong
There are four different areas of application of this traditional Chinese medicine such as the following:
- Healing Qi Gong. This is also called as Yi Gong. This is Qi Gong's self-healing and preventive aspect. Yi Gong teaches patients to control common reactions to stress so as to ensure that symptoms like anxiety, frustration, and high blood pressure will not be experienced.
- External Qi Healing. This is a more sophisticated Qi Gong, which involves exercises that can help increase sensitivity to the energy fields to promote more efficient healing. This can be used as a stand-alone healing technique but can also be used together with massage, acupuncture, osteopathy, and the like.
- Sports Qi Gong. This is also called Wu Gong, a kind of sports and martial arts that promotes stamina, coordination, strength, balance, speed, and flexibility. It also promotes resistance to injury. Sports Qi Gong is most often credited for improving sports performance such as accuracy in tennis, stamina in swimming, and the like.
- Spiritual Qi Gong. This has evolved from Buddhism and Taoism, which makes this discipline focused on tranquility, harmony, and self-awareness.
From the above-mentioned applications of Qi Gong, it can be noted that this discipline can help in various purposes. This is a Chinese traditional approach for various areas including health, self-cultivation, and arts.
How Qi Gong is Done
Since there are different areas of application of Qi Gong, this traditional Chinese practice is done in different ways. Depending on the end results expected by the patient, the approach will be different.
One approach towards promoting and balancing the flow of Qi in the body is through dynamic training. This uses a carefully choreographed movement including mind focus and breathing coordination. The most popular style of dynamic Qi Gong is Tai Chi. This involves a relaxed, slow, graceful, and fluid motion dance. This exercises the whole body, which can mean results beneficial to the whole body.
There is also the static Qi Gong, which involves holding one posture or position for a certain period of time. This practice is somewhat similar to yoga. The Chinese beliefs say that the physical and mental effort that the patient practices while keeping the position can often result to the proper manipulation of Qi.
Meditation is also another Qi Gong practice. This uses visualization, philosophical concepts and breath awareness to lead Qi to the right meridian pathways so that a smooth flow of the Qi in the body is maintained. Moreover, this practice can also be done through the use of other agents such as herbs, physical manipulation, and massage to promote proper Qi flow.