“When I let go of who I am, I become who I might be.” – Lao Tzu It’s not easy to let go. Old habits, old relationships, old clothes… they all seem to hang around far longer than we want or need them to. It can be so difficult to break away from the tensions of our lives. The same can be said for those held within our bodies too. In a recent article we discussed how meditation can help let go of stagnant energy and make space for new energy, light and love to take it’s place. But that is much easier said than done! We all have an idea of what it means to meditate… you sit quietly with your eyes closed for a while right? Don’t think… just breathe. Just RELAX. But how many of us truly know how to do that? It’s hard! So whether you meditate for 10 minutes or 10 hours, there are a few pointers to consider that will help you get the most out of your time. Consider the following saying; “A Daoist does not meditate to relax, but relaxes to meditate.” To discover the real benefits of meditation, we first have to learn how to relax. And that means we need to create certain conditions within ourselves that will allow tension to be released. First on the list is… Safety This is the primary condition of true relaxation. But when we talk about safety, we don’t just mean that you need to meditate in an environment where you won’t get mugged. Although that is definitely a factor to consider! What we are addressing here is...
Visit the fashionable neighbourhoods of New York, London or Paris and you are sure to see the obvious hotspots… a quirky coffee shop, a farmers market, a spinning club. But the last few years have seen a new health trend emerge in cities all over the world. Meditation is hip, and there are studios popping up everywhere, offering respite from the bustling streets and crazy lives of people all over the globe. According to a recent survey by magazine Psychology Today, there are now 10 million people practicing some form of meditation daily, and that’s just in the US. A ritual once only associated with deeply spiritual and religious practices is now becoming universal. Mainstream! But why? Apart from the fact that it’s a cool thing to tell your friends, what are the real benefits of meditation? This was one of the first questions we addressed on the work/study program here at Wandering Dao. Two weeks ago we all arrived from different parts of the globe to start a 100 day journey into Qi Gong and Daoism. During that time we would be practicing sitting meditation for 2 hours everyday. For 100 days. 2 hours of sitting still. What a crazy thing to do! What possible reasons are there for putting yourself through such a thing? Well, we had a variety of answers. Some of us wanted to quieten hyperactive minds. Some of us wanted to know ourselves better. Others were seeking an increased awareness of life. But we all had one thing in common. We all came from the society of the ‘quick fix’. In our world things...
First it may be important to understand the real meaning of Qi Gong to avoid falling into a simple “new age” version of fitness. We must understand that Qi Gong did not originate from a need for exercising, getting fit, looking good, or having a healthy social activity. Qi Gong originated from the need for survival. A few meaning for “Qi” would be energy, vital force, or breath and for “Gong” work, cultivation, or refinement. So brought together we understand that it is about using the breath to increase or refine the quality of our energy. Qi Gong can be classified in four categories: Popular Qi Gong, Martial Qi Gong, Medical Qi Gong, and Spiritual Qi Gong. Although each category come from the same source and have many points in common they are distinct primarily by their goals and by specific training specific to these objectives. Popular Qi Gong is mostly practiced by masses with the intention of activating the energy of their body to maintain health. It is a kind of a holistic workout most likely wrapped into a short form that can be performed relatively in a short time. Martial Qi Gong is mainly a training that complements the forms. Let’s say that the form would be the container and the Qi Gong would be the training that helps the practitioner grow power into the form. We must understand here as well that originally Martial Arts were not a sport or an eastern type of dance or physical expression but a mean to protect yourself, your family, and your country from real invasion. Again here it was...
In Traditional Chinese Medicine an even more extensive chart is used to apply a very precise diagnosis and to determine the appropriate treatment tools or practices but when it comes to nutrition, the “tastes”, “seasons” and “environment” correlations, have the strongest relationship. Before discussing how food fits into the theory, it is important to understand how the elements relate to one another through the Sheng cycle (nourishing), the Ke cycle (controlling), the Cheng cycle (overwhelming), and the Wu cycle (insulting). Five Elements or the Five Dynamic Phases of Energy (Wu Xing) Maybe the Daoist theory of the Five Elements can be seen as a further, more refined step to understand and categorize or analyze the Yin-Yang philosophy. The Theory of the Five Elements describes the interaction and relation between Yin and Yang, between phenomena. Daoism theories use symbols to describe phenomena of reality, hence each of the Five Elements represent an aspect of a dynamic process, processes phases of change. In this sense, Wood is not only the actual wood of a tree as defined by the substance, but describes the character, the dynamic state, the elemental force of the element. Wood – rising, development (of an action), impulse, expansion, decampment Fire – embodiment, definition, action, dynamic phase, design Earth – alteration, transformation, transmutation, change, convert Metal – sinking, contraction, declining Water – contemplation, calmness, (re-) consideration, observation, reflection The basic substances of the material world according to the ‘Theory of the Five Elements’ are Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water. All material things are made of a single or a combination of the Five...
Benefits? How many other sports, meditation, martial arts, or yogic exercise can compare with the number of advantages that qigong/chi kung has? When I started to list the potential benefits, the list became so long, I had to divide the page in two, with health related topics listed on a second page. Qigong (a.ka. chi kung) has been around since the dawn of Chinese civilization, and now, more than ever, people around the world are practicing qigong. Even if you are skeptical about some of the things qigong practitioners claim they can do, with scientists and the medical profession getting into the research, there must be something behind this ancient practice. Qigong can be used for self-defense Qigong itself is not necessarily a martial art but it is called neigong (internal art) for a reason, because it cultivates chi energy that is used in martial arts. Also, some qigong styles, such as tai chi chuan (also phonetically spelled taijiquan), are essentially martial arts, even though contemporary tai chi is more often than not practiced without the aspects of self-defense application. The martial art benefits are not in self-defense alone, but also in strength. A person who practices qigong martial arts benefits by building strength without building muscle. That is how a small weak old man can use qigong to topple his opponent three times his size and weight and strength! I recall one time when I was sparring with a partner who was wearing special prescription glasses. He had paid extra to have these glasses made from lenses that were supposed to be shatter-proof. Without thinking, I had hooked...
Qigong is an ancient Chinese system of exercise and meditation that makes the mind and spirit tranquil, improves performance in sports, and cultivates health, well-being, and long life. Thus, there are three major kinds of qigong: spiritual, sports, and healing. It is a spiritual discipline, inspired by ancient Chinese shamans, Taoists, and Buddhists, all of who sought harmony and peace in the solitude of nature. Evidence demonstrates that qigong may be an effect adjunct in the treatment of many illnesses including cancer and heart disease. Learn about the remarkable 12 benefits of qigong, here: 1. Well-being and improved health. Qigong emphasizes the whole body, whole system health. While it is true that qigong will often cure specific ills, this is not the primary reason for practice. It is not only a matter of adding years to your life, but life to your years. 2. Clear and tranquil mind. When the mind is at peace, the whole universe seems at peace. World peace begins with you; it is your responsibility to find a peaceful heart and mind. Then you can heal and transform others just through your presence. If you have a tranquil mind, you will make better decisions and have the skill to know when act and when to be still. 3. Deeper, more restorative sleep. Qigong will help you find the deep relaxation and mental quiet necessary for sleep. 4. Increased energy, including sexual vitality and fertility. Qigong people have more energy; it can reverse energy and restore youthfulness. 5. Comfortable warmth. Qigong is great for cold hands and feet. Circulation improves, and the body generates more internal...
The ancient practice of Qigong (life-force cultivation) – a form of Taoist Yoga – has numerous benefits. These benefits have been experienced directly by many centuries of qigong practitioners and, more recently, have been documented by a plethora of scientific studies. Health = A Balanced Flow Of Qi: According to Taoism, the health of our bodymind is dependent upon a clear, strong and balanced flow of qi through the meridian system. Since qigong practice accomplishes just this, it should come as no surprise that the benefits of qigong (also spelled “Chi Kung”) practice extend to every physical system of our bodies, as well as to the mental, emotional and spiritual aspects of our Being. Physical Benefits Of Qigong Practice Qigong practice makes the body strong and supple. It improves balance, stamina and flexibility. It has positive effects on the cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, endocrine, immune and central nervous systems. It tends to create smooth skin, and a pleasant feeling of deep warmth within the body. It increases sexual vitality, and allows our sleep-time to be more deep and restorative. Over time, qigong practice can reduce or eliminate chronic pain. It also has the power to reverse the aging process, and restore youthfulness. Emotional Benefits The smooth and balanced flow of qi created by qigong practice shows itself as a joyful, relaxed, optimistic and energized state of mind. While the emotional energies of anger, fear, anxiety or grief still may arise, they will be much less “sticky” – and be held and then dissolved within the larger field of joy, gratitude, acceptance and equanimity. Mental & Spiritual Benefits Of Qigong The...
Introduction In the early 1980’s, scientists in China began to study the medical benefits claimed for qigong. Since then, research on hundreds of medical applications of qigong have been reported in the Chinese literature. Of special interest for the present article are clinical reports of the medical benefits of qigong that claim to retard or reverse some diseases associated with aging. Most of the original research was reported in Chinese, but access in English to most of this material is possible by reference to the proceedings of international conferences of qigong. Since 1986, ten such proceedings contain about 840 abstracts of talks given at the conferences, more than half of which are in English. These abstracts, along with about 160 abstracts of articles in the scientific literature, have been organized as a computerized database. The database enables searches and development of bibliographies across this entire body of information by using any key word. The clinical outcomes reported in this article are partly based on material in the database and partly on the author’s person contacts with researchers. The word qigong is a combination of two ideas: qi the vital energy of the body, and gong the skill of working of the qi. Medical qigong for health and healing consists primarily of meditation, physical movements, and breathing exercises. Qigong practitioners develop an awareness of qi sensations in their bodies and use their mind, i.e., intention, to guide the qi in the body. The benefits of qigong are said to extend beyond health and healing to enhance spiritual life and even special abilities, such as psychic powers. Medical qigong is divided...
Experimental evidence suggests the following healing effects of qigong exercises and meditations. Cardiovascular lower resting heart rate; normalized EKG, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels Respiratory slower respiratory rate, improves gaseous exchange, significant benefits for asthma & bronchitis Immune System better targeting of antigens, significant anti-cancer effect Circulation improves microcirculation, prevents vascular spasms, very helpful for angina, migraine, and Reynaud’s Syndrome (cold hands & feet) Brain improves cerebral blood flow, less incidence of stroke; reduction in frequency and intensity of seizure disorders; slow, high amplitude brainwaves suggest relaxed and integrated state of consciousness Musculoskeletal improves posture, balance, strength, stamina, flexibility Chronic Pain significant pain reduction from all causes, including injury, surgery, arthritis, fibromyalgia Mental Health decreases: stress response, Type A, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive, depression. Improves memory and interpersonal sensitivity Longevity improves: blood pressure, vital capacity, cholesterol and hormone levels, kidney function, mental acuity, vision and hearing, skin elasticity, bone density, immune function, digestion, balance, flexibility, strength, libido. Destroys free radicals (major cause of tissue degeneration) by stimulating activity of superoxide dismutase Source: Qi Gong Research...
