Benefits of Qi Gong Training

[Indo]

As a practitioner, teacher and student i am always asked what the benefits of training in Qi Gong are, so here is a quick summary for those interested.

Regular practice of Qi Gong has many positive benefits especially those that are personal to the individual. Below is a list of common positive effects regular practice can bring.

Qi Gong Health Benefits

Improves cardio-vascular activity
Improves the lymphatic system
Strengthens the immune system
Relieves stress related symptoms like headaches, IBS, poor sleep, mild depression and anxieties.
Strengthens the muscular system
Improves Joint Function
Relieves physical ailments like pain of the neck, back and hips.
Exercises the complete muscular system
Improves range of motion in the skeletal system. Aids relief of Osteoporosis and Arthritis.
Build confidence and self-esteem.
Facilitates hormonal balance
Accesses both creative and logical aspects of brain function.
Teaches self-awareness and instils peace of mind.

In my personal experience Qi Gong practice brings many positive changes to the individual. Qi Gong is easy to learn and simple to integrate into daily life. I find Qi Gong much easier for people to grasp than Tai Chi Chuan as many can lose interest in the early stages due to long forms or problems with learning new skills. Also many of the people that seek improved health from chronic illness or injury naturally think of Tai Chi because it is more popular and better known to western society. This is why there has been a new label of 'Tai Chi Qi Gong' given to seperate it from its martial form.....which i think is quite sad as without the martial aspect it becomes another exercise system. Lets not forget that Tai Chi is in effect a form of Qi Gong and without the early integration of Qi Gong training into Tai Chi then its form becomes external like karate and the health benefits are lost. I was always told by my first Tai Chi teacher that Tai Chi is a martial art with health benifits! It is Qi Gong that gives Tai Chi its health aspect.

Gentle, easy to learn and personally profound!

Qi Gong training is your time to embrace who you are physically and emotionally.
When these two aspects are balanced illness, pain and disease subside.

"Being healthy is not about never being ill or suffering with pain! Its about how well your body responds when most neeeded"

Happy Training

[CarolineN]

Hi Indo - good to see you back!

Thanks for the explanation of the difference between Qi Gong and Tai Chi. I'd have learned Qi Gong except that there is no training near me, so Tai Chi was the only possibility! I'll keep an eye open for any starting up locally in future.

[Indo]

If you have attended a Taiji class then there will always be Qi Gong as the two cannot be seperated, a typical class will start with cultivating energy which is usually specific to that style of taiji.

Below is an a brief excerpt from the information i provide students prior to training. Its not to say that Taiji is a lesser entity, i train it and love it, it is just i have met many patients who have been recommended Taiji by Gp's who have found it hard due to their conditions and lost heart in the training. Another example of western medicine not fully understanding Chinese Medicine. Hope full y the exposure to Taiji will open up the pathways to Qi Gong and vice versa....both are excellent for health.

What is Qi Gong?
Qi Gong (pronounced ‘chee-gong’) is one of the systems of Traditional Chinese Medicine. The others being Acupuncture, Tui Na Medical Massage (twee- nah) and Herbology (the practise of herbal medicine).

The techniques used in Qi Gong have been developed and tested by medical and scientific professionals to help improve the functions of the human body in order to maintain good health, help prevent minor illness and aid recovery during chronic conditions.

Due to its gentle application it is suitable for all ages, shapes and sizes with the aim of building greater health in a slow and profound manner.

Qi Gong? Tai Chi Chuan….What’s the difference?
Qi Gong is a system of gentle postures and movement exercise used to cultivate energy for self-healing and sometimes the healing of others. Qi Gong was later integrated into the martial art we know as Tai Chi Chuan.
Tai Chi Chuan is first, and foremost a martial art for self-defence…..with health benefits. Tai Chi Chuan or taijiquan means ‘Great Ultimate Fist’ or ‘Supreme Ultimate Boxing’.

The focus of Qi Gong is health and longevity, whereas the focus of Tai Chi Chuan is self-defence.

Tai Chi Chuan is commonly recommended to those who suffer with various chronic illnesses and mobility problems. This can be because western doctors and healthcare workers have heard great positive things about the benefits of Tai Chi, but fail to understand or realise that it is a martial art.

Tai Chi Chuan always involves Qi Gong as the two cannot be trained without the other. A Tai Chi class is usually split into half Qi Gong then half Tai Chi Chuan. In my experience many of those who wish to improve their health seek only the Qi Gong element to these classes.

Which is best?
Both Tai Chi Chuan and Qi Gong have equal benefits, the only decision is whether you want to learn a martial art! Both exercise the whole body and both promote harmony of the internal energy system. The martial element of tai Chi teaches you how to apply this energy to fighting.

I will however add that for those with mobility problems or frailness due to prolonged illness, some of the Tai Chi Chuan postures can be difficult and many prefer the gentleness of Qi Gong.

What does Qi Gong involve?
Qi Gong involves gentle movements, standing postures and walking techniques. These are performed mostly in time with breathing methods which aim to relax the physical and mental aspects as well as exercising the whole body.

Qi Gong also teaches us to be still. When we are still the body can begin entering into the healing process, much like when we are asleep or at rest during the day. With prolonged practise this healing can be directed to specific area that you might feel need extra help, like a poor digestive system, shoulder injury or emotional problem.

Heaven and Earth Qigong – Balancing the System
Heaven and Earth Qi Gong is very gentle and flowing in nature. It can be traced back to the very beginning of Tai Chi and many martial applications can be found in its practise. Just ten minutes of daily practise can be beneficial.

The postures are very similar to the traditional ‘Ba Duan Jin’ of the Shaolin Temples. Also known as the ‘Eight Brocades’ there are eight postures that open and nourish the complete system of the main twelve meridians (channels).

These channel are much similar to our blood vessels but are believed to transport our internal energy through each and every cell to maintain our living state. This energy is called Qi (Chi) in china.

What is Qi?
Qi is the spark that gives life to the foetus in its mother’s womb. Qi tells the flowers when to blossom. Qi is the wind, rain, sun and cold. Qi is everything in many different forms.

Our own energy travels within the body to help maintain the functions of the digestion, blood, muscles, bones and the way our mind reflects these functions. When there is illness or injury this energy can become deficient, excessive, change direction and stagnate causing many of the problems we feel in our daily lives.

Qi Gong helps to restore this balance so that the body can heal itself.

The Power of Listening
One of the most beneficial aspects of Qi Gong training is it teaches you awareness of your body and mental process. It restores our natural ability to ‘Listen’ to ourselves, a skill that many of us have lost in our busy modern lives.

Self-Awareness – FREE HEALTH!
By learning to ‘Listen’ to your aches, emotions, reactions and expressions you can make informed decisions on how you live your daily lives and also how your body needs to be treated. Initial signs of pain, fatigue, sleep problems, even headaches are all signs that your body needs attending to.

Qi Gong helps you to ‘Listen’

How long does it take to learn Qi Gong?
Qi Gong is a lifetime experience and is best fitted in to everyday life. The basics can be learned in as little as ten hours or ten classes which is enough to be able to use this health system for your own health benefits.

In the early stages it is recommended to have a qualified instructor guide you, at least for the first year or so, depending on your commitment.
I myself still seek guidance as it gives me space to feel my own energy and you can always learn from others.

What are the benefits?
I believe the benefits of Qi Gong practise are endless; I like to think of it as ‘The answer to all ills’ (within reason!). If more people in the west practised softer, more nourishing exercise regimes there would be greater self-awareness and less illness and injury.

Scientifically Qi Gong has been proven to relieve many common conditions like back pain, joint pain and postural problems. It has a profound effect on mental clarity which relieves stress associated problems like headaches, sleep problems, anxiety, panic and mild feelings of depression.

I myself have witnessed student’s physically changing in body tone and strength, twenty years of back pain relived in just weeks, weight loss, anxiety attacks gone, and years of stress relieved by just learning this simple system.

INDO

[chikung4health]

This is why there has been a new label of 'Tai Chi Qi Gong' given to seperate it from its martial form.....which i think is quite sad as without the martial aspect it becomes another exercise system. Lets not forget that Tai Chi is in effect a form of Qi Gong and without the early integration of Qi Gong training into Tai Chi then its form becomes external like karate and the health benefits are lost. I was always told by my first Tai Chi teacher that Tai Chi is a martial art with health benifits! It is Qi Gong that gives Tai Chi its health aspect.

I am so glad to read this statement. I am really frustrated by traditional "tai chi" instructors who seem to have an air of superiority that "forms" are best and the only way forwards!

So it is quite refreshing to hear tai chi being cited as a form of qigong!

[TCOULSON]

Qi Gong is a great way of staying healthy and spiritual development.

I practice Qi Sword its amazing