Tag: Qi Gong
Qi Gong Exercises That Can Help Cure Your Asthma
There is an age-old Chinese saying that says, “Your lung is not well if you have nose congestion.”
According to Chinese medicine in Fremont, each organ should be balanced in such a way that the life force or Chi of the body can attach to the other organs making the entire body as one holistic system. This means that there is no way to consider one body part or organ as an isolated condition without taking into account the entire body system. The Chi or life force is in the blood and requires blood to feed it, blood, in turn requires Chi to mobilize it. Hence, you will need to enhance the Chi in your blood in order to boost the flow of your blood.
One ideal way of increasing your Chi is by performing the ancient Chinese therapeutic art of Qi Gong. Qi Gong is mostly made up of breathing and relaxation exercises and meditation using certain standing or sitting postures, as well as light movements to perform an internal exercise.
When your body suffers from pains and aches, you may have a part of your body that contains blockages in the flow of Chi or that you have negative Chi in that area. It might be necessary to boost blood flow to release the blockages in your body. These obstructions increase when your body’s loaded with stress. Whatever area is weak in Chi, that area may contain blockages and can also be the underlying cause of your illness. A person afflicted with breathing difficulties such as asthma may suffer from Chi obstructions in the nose, trachea, or lungs. He needs to clean out the negative Chi in his insides. Health starts to improve and their body feels better when this negative Chi is expelled from the body.
Western medical science has studied how Qi Gong works, and over the years, several video documentaries have been aired on TV revealing the manner in which Qi Gong is utilized to treat a slew of health conditions.
Based on medical studies, the capillaries of a normal body are functioning at around 50 to 60 percent capacity, or at the most, 70 to 80 percent for people if they’re in good health. This is the reason the facial color of some people turn pale-white – they’re capillaries aren’t wide open. We can increase blood circulation if we can widen the dilation of our capillaries. During a Qi Gong exercise, the body parts that usually get less blood will start to get more. This will increase the supply of T-cells, antibodies, oxygen, and nutrients to all parts of the body. This increased flow of blood is at the center of Qi Gong practice. All health problems start in the flow of blood inside the body. Any illness will profit from any increase of blood flow.
The lung inhales oxygen, which is an indispensable element that the body needs to exist. The body can only survive with a constant supply of oxygen. The heart needs oxygen to pump blood. A normal individual inhales about 16 to 18 breaths a minute. Qi Qong newbies learn to work, relax, and breathe slower by breathing four breaths a minute. These slow breathing exercises allow them to inhale in more oxygen into their lungs. Veteran practitioners perform even slower breathes such as two breaths a minute.
Aside from helping breathe in more oxygen into the body, a Qi Gong exercise also helps accumulate more Chi energy that is stored in the body. We can say that we are “generating” Chi within us.
People are actually surprised how much heat they can generate by merely doing a few hand motions. When performing typical physical activities like swimming, basketball, running, or even walking, we deplete a significant amount of physical energy and this indirectly affects our internal organs. The return of Chi is few. On the other hand, when we perform Qi Gong exercises, we exhaust very little physical energy. Our movements make us relaxed and so, we derive lots of Chi, which brings direct benefits to our organs. We’re required to conserve our Chi when we need to our body to heal. We utilize our Chi to heal ourselves physically, mentally, and emotionally. People with extreme health conditions really need to conserve their Chi and sometimes, perform less physical exercise in order for their body to catch up with the healing. You can participate in physical exercises again, once you get better.
If you have asthma or know one who has, you can get it under control with the right Qi Gong exercise, which you can learn from a Master of Qi Gong. Hopefully, by practicing Qi Gong everyday, this will put an end to those difficult days when you have an asthma attack all of a sudden and you are struggling to find the inhaler in order to ease your breathing. The symptoms of asthma are mucus buildup, shortness of breath, coughing, and wheezing/ they tend to lessen gradually with time.
Make the practice of Qi Gong an everyday part of your life. It could be the best thing you can do for your health.
Qi Gong For The Cure Of Anxiety
Pronounced chee-gung, the ancient Chinese holistic system of Qi-gong, is a combination of two words that mean:
• Qi: vital energy, breath, air, life force
• Gong: work
Therefore Qi-gong means “working the vital energy”.
Qi-gong practice incudes breathing, visualization, and gentle movements of the body to work (gong) the qi (vital energy) inside the body. It has its roots in China and is performed by millions of people throughout the world to enhance mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical health.
Chinese hospitals have adopted Qi Gong as a form of treatment and important Chinese universities are teaching it to their students. Qi Gong is a nationally recognized medical form of therapy in China. The healing art of Qi Gong is made up of exercises that are good for the body as a whole and exercises that are aimed at certain bodily systems. It can aid in the restoration and balance of the digestive, lymphatic, cardiovascular, and nervous systems. Aside from their self-healing and personal benefit, practitioners of Qi gong also use it to treat other people.
According to Taoist philosophy, physical and emotional disorders are tie to blockages in the flow of energy in the body. Based on this standpoint, Qi-gong is able to treat mental and emotional problems because it balances and removes blockages to energy flow in the body. Practitioners always benefit from Qi-Gong regardless if they believe it or not.
All people regardless of sex, age, and health status can practice this healing art lying on the back, sitting down, or standing up. One goal of this practice is to attain a calm and tranquil state of mind. You can do this by focusing on your breathing or focus on one point of your body. The more profound your peaceful state of mind is, the less you will be distracted by light, temperature, or noise. The body and mind is transformed into a sea of peace and tranquility. Its’ very hard to find someone who has reached this state of tranquility, but with perseverance and patience, you will be able to go deeper and deeper into it.
As with most things in life, a person should practice Qi Gong on a daily basis to obtain optimal outcomes. Majority of individuals do Qi-Gong in the morning, before they begin their everyday activities. This is excellent since this is the time when your body and mind are at their most relaxed making it much easier to focus on the exercise; in this time of day, Qi is at its best and air is at its freshest. People perform Qi-Gong at other times of the day. In the end, it will be up to figure out what time you feel is best for you.
Qi Gong exercise can take as short as just a few minutes (at least five) and take as long an hour to finish. Over-an-hour practice and you would have overdone the exercise. This healing technique is not meant to be a replacement to standard medical treatments, although it can be used as an adjunct to it. Your mind relaxes, your body slows down, your breathing slows and you get more focused. These outcomes get resolved by themselves with the decrease of anxiety. Consistent Qi Gong practice leads to a peaceful mind, and more vital energy in the body.
In combination with other therapies like visualization, physical exercises, and meditation, Qi Gong can result in a powerful way to curing anxiety attacks.
Emily Farish is a licensed acupuncturist in Spokane, WA with advanced training in modern acupuncture techniques and traditional Asian therapies.
The Healing Benefits Of Qi Gong For The Soul, Mind, And Body
In the world all around us, stress is a pervasive factor- we worry about the safety of our water and food and about the environment, we have fears over the political instabilities happening all around the world, and have to deal with financial anxieties over the economy. A lot of people are affected by the negative energies that come from concerns and worries of other people even if they are not directly focused on their stressors.
Stress is based on messages that are interpreted by the body. The adverse energetic vibrations associated with stress are extremely erratic, and may lead to some level of uncertainty and disorientation.
People who are very prone to stress may feel lost, uncertain where they should be headed or where they are in their lives. Feelings that are unresolved can cause physical and emotional health problems. Studies have, in fact, shown that many forms of chronic stress are tied to a greater risk of heart attacks and heart disease. Chronic stress can cause health problems as it increases the amounts of adrenal steroid hormones and adrenalin in the body.
According to one homeopathic study, adrenalin arousal can be compared to “a car engine being left idling at high speed.” Even a simple dispute can make our blood pressure shoot up and make our hearts beat faster. Disturbed sleep and depression, which can create other health issues, can also be caused by stress. Stress is not just a personal matter, it may adversely impact the relationship you have between family and friends; anyone in touch with the stressed individual can be negatively affected. We may be unable to control what other people do, feel, or say, or control events, but we can control the various stresses that we have to deal with every day.
Practicing the ancient Chinese healing art of qigong (or Chi gong) in Fort Lauderdale is one extremely effective and very safe way of soothing these unsettling energetic vibrations generated by stress. When we practice Qi Gong, we allow our energy to flow freely which can help us feel more balanced – emotionally and physically. Qi Gong practices involve performing an internal exercise to balance Qi (our body’s energy), simple movements, visualization, and breathing.
The Chinese have been performing qi gong exercises for thousands of years as a way to calm the spirit, mind, and body. Qi is the energy of creation. It is the vital energy of our body, the energy of life itself. It is in all living things, animals, plants, and people. The original energy of the universe is called Universal Qi. All of us are born with qi and blood. The Gong in qi gong means to practice or work. Qi gong therefore, means to practice with life energy.
Qi Gong – The Benefits
When you practice qi gong, you are focusing consciously upon holding and building up qi within the body to maintain and increase vitality. When you are practicing qi gong, your mind forgets the stress around you. You free yourself of worries and thoughts as you concentrate on moving and working the qi.
On several instances, some of us have heard participants report that their problems are not only forgotten while they practice Qi Gong, their pain and aches seem to also go away. When one practices, their stress starts to decrease in their body naturally.
Qi boosts the immune system and balances the body. It promotes stability and security to the emotional body. It raises your levels of energy, enabling you to feel content and more connected. Practicing qi gong daily can boost your general health, keeping you strong, and making you youthful. Even though the practice may be uncomplicated, we recommend that you learn from a qualified instructor who has positive Qi energy. The exercises should be performed for at least 5 – 20 minutes a day.
While there are thousands forms of qi qong involving discipline, regular practice, and in a lot of instances, light physical movement, qi gong is neither a competition, nor a sport. It is about promoting health through meditation, controlled breathing, and focused relaxation. Wu’s Fitness & Health Qi Gong, Longevity Qi gong, Wu’s Anti-Cancer, and Wu’s Eye Qi Gong, are some of the more famous forms of qi gong. It is after all, for all those who have a desire to take charge of, and to partake in their own well-being. And you will actually look forward to your practice because practicing makes you feel good.
An Uncomplicated Qi Gong exercise
By performing this easy Qi Gong exercise to relieve stress you may be able to connect with Universal qi from the earth and heaven:
1. Stand relaxed with your arms beside your body, your tongue touching the palate and your knees slightly bent.
2. Inhale through your nose. Imagine positive qi descending from the universe and penetrating through the crown of your head.
3. Exhale through your nose. Imagine the qi cleansing and detoxifying your body, washing away the stress, down to your feet and out to the earth. Repeat, if you so desire.
Inherently Qi gong raises your consciousness and transports your emotional body into a more positive state. You must think about moving the Qi, when you start move the body. When you perform the exercises, any feelings of concern and worry will effortlessly and naturally go away. Qi gong is an extremely relaxing therapy that heals and balances your soul, mind, and body. Within us, it brings in a sense of well-being that gives us the power to cope with stress and the stressors in our life in a far more efficient way.
The Positive Effects Of Qi Gong In The Treatment Of Type 1 And Type 2 Diabetes
Medical researchers all agree; for managing diabetes, both for type 1 and especially the more common Type 2, exercise works extremely well as a self-regulating and effective modality. In Type 1 diabetes, the body is unable to produce adequate amounts of insulin (insulin deficiency) to manage blood sugar. Type 2 diabetes is caused by the body’s resistance to insulin, (which is manufactured in adequate amounts at the cellular level) resulting in the person having a constantly high level of blood sugar.
According to a study entitled “The Effect of Qi-Gong Relaxation Exercise on the Control of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus”, published by the American Diabetes Association, in 2002, “Due to the fact that obese patients benefited from Qi gong exercises which led to a significant reduction in C-peptide in this study, researchers have concluded that Qi-gong exercises can indeed improve insulin resistance. Various other studies described relaxation training’s effects on type 2 diabetes, which meant that Qi-gong may improve glucose metabolism due to the body’s relaxation response from the exercises. Based on these findings, it was concluded that Qi-gong relaxation exercise is a proven beneficial complementary treatment for people suffering from type 2 diabetes.”
This discovery is important for a number of reasons; one, it indicates factors which are inter-related, which may lead to degradation in overall health. This degradation may be triggered by one or more of the conditions: heart disease, obesity, and type 1 or 2 diabetes. Each of these conditions may lead to a sedentary lifestyle, which may involve emotional or recreational eating that in turn, can result in both or one of the other conditions. The conditions may probably worsen as activity decreases, and as the conditions worsen, life can becomes more stressful.
A type of immune deficiency disease, Type 1 diabetes cannot be prevented although it can be properly managed through exercises, diet, and drugs. On the other hand, type 2 diabetes is considered to be manageable and preventable. If your doctor diagnoses you with pre-diabetic conditions, he may suggest certain lifestyle modifications. The advised changes may be profoundly simple, but in the start, can be agonizingly difficult: Exercise and Diet. Reference was made a while ago to benefits for obese patients, most people are aware that obesity can be a predecessor for type 2 diabetes and heart conditions. Of course, diet will entail both the amounts and types of food consumed.
Exercise can help regulate the level of blood sugar by boosting the uptake of glucose. It can help create muscle cells that can replace the fat stored in the body: muscle utilizes more sugar. Exercise burns calories which can maintain and/or help you lose weight. For people with Type 2 diabetes, exercise promotes sensitivity of their body cells to insulin. As this sensitivity is increased, the natural insulin produced by your body begins to works better helping your blood sugar levels to likewise get better. According to the University of Iowa Healthcare Hospitals & Clinics, when you perform exercise every other day at least, you will more likely to experience this effect. Following a proper diet and regular exercise may help bring your blood sugars within the target range without the need to use drugs.
Your doctor or healthcare provider in Overland Park should monitor your exercise if you have been living a sedentary lifestyle for quite a while or have been ill or injured; too fast and too much exercise can cause more harm than good. Your exercise plan may lead to failure if it causes you to over-stresses (if it is “too hard”, or hurts too much after). Qi gong is one of the exercises recommended for the management of diabetes mellitus. For the three conditions of heart disease, obesity, and diabetes stress is the one factor that is most common among people who have had encounters with the three diseases. Stress can be controlled by real relaxation (this does not mean eating a bag of treats while lying around the pool or watching shows on your 50” plasma TV). Qi gong gives you at the same time a dose of exercise and real relaxation therapy.
Qi Gong is an ideal way to start up an exercise. It may lead to higher levels of duration and intensity without you needing to “work out” on a gym or buy and use expensive equipment. People who perform some type of qi gong exercises usually see it as play than work. Its popularity is growing by the day and may someday rival that of Tai Chi, another form of relaxation exercise that secures your well-being and health. Tai Chi is actually one style of Qi Gong which has literally thousands of styles and forms. However, all these styles and forms have essentially the same core: gentle and slow movements synchronized with rhythmic, deep breathing. Qi Gong exercises may be very easy, basic, and simple or it may be difficult, confusing, and extremely complex – for every person there is a corresponding form or style. People can learn it from video and books; however the best and easiest way to learn is from a good instructor in a group. You’ll know if your instructor is competent during the first session.
If you want to learn Qi Gong in a class or group, you can check the program listing of your community center. If you reside near a university campus or a college, you may check their listings of “continuous learning” programs, and if there is a local martial art studio near your area that offer Tai Chi, you can call them to inquire about qi gong. There are listings that are posted on-line as free basic samplings or paid courses of learning.
Qi Gong For Curing Anxiety And Panic Attacks
Qi Gong (pronounced chee-gung) literally means “working/activating the vital energy.” It is derived from two Chinese words Qi, vital energy, breath, air and Gong, work or activate.
Qi Gong is a healing technique that involves gentle movements of the body, mental imagery, and breathing to gong (activate) qi (vital energy) within the body. Originating in China, Qi Gong is now practiced by tens of millions of people around the world as a way to boost their mental and physical well being.
In China, Qi Gong is an officially recognized treatment method and is used in Chinese hospitals and taught in major Chinese universities. It consists of exercises beneficial to the whole body as well as exercises that target specific anatomical systems of the body. This technique can enhance and restore balance to the digestive, lymphatic, cardiovascular, and nervous systems. Practitioners of this healing art can use it to heal people and themselves in order to maintain or enhance general health and well being.
From the viewpoint of Oriental medicine, physical and emotional conditions are connected to blockages of energy in the body. This perspective is one of the major reasons why Qi Gong is effective in healing mental and emotional problems. It balances and removes energy blockages in the body. It does not really matter if you believe in this theory or not, you will still derive certain health benefits from Qi Gong.
This therapy can be performed lying down, sitting, or standing. It is safe and can be performed by virtually anyone. During a Qi Gong practice, one of the things you need to achieve is a calm and quiet state of mind. This can be accomplished by focusing your mind on one point of the body or on your breathing. The least you’re distracted by external stimuli (such as light, temperature, noise) the deeper your quiet state of mind is. Your body and mind becomes a sea ocean of peace and tranquility. This state of mind is quite difficult to attain for most individuals, but with perseverance and patience it is very possible to go deeper and deeper into that state.
As with most things in life, one needs to practice Qi Gong each day to get better results. A lot of practitioners perform it in the morning, prior to beginning their daily activities. This helps relax their bodies and minds at the start of the day helping them to function well physically and mentally. Doing Qi Gong in the morning also makes it easier to focus on the exercise; the air is also a lot fresher during this time and hence you breathe in really good Qi. Qi Gong can be practiced at any time of the day and it is up to you as to what time you think is best for you.
A Qi Gong exercise can last for a few minutes to up to an hour. This type of exercise can be excessive if done for more than an hour. It should not be used as a substitute to standard medical treatment, although it is recommended as a complementary treatment for it. Your mind and body becomes relaxed, your breath slows down, and your mind becomes focused whenever you perform Qi Gong. All these benefits can lead to the relief of anxiety. Practicing Qi Gong religiously produces a calmer state of mind and increased vitality that can last the whole day.
When integrated with mental imagery, physical exercises, and meditation, Qi Gong can be an extremely effective way for curing anxiety and panic attacks
Jacksonville Acupuncture Clinic
8855 San Jose Blvd
Jacksonville, FL 32217-4244
(904) 260-2598
http://www.jacksonvilleacupunctureclinic.com
Qi Gong Exercises That Can Help Increase Qi In Your Body
According to ancient Chinese medicine, if your lung is unwell, you have nose congestion. Also, each organ in the system of the Chinese healing arts needs to be balanced in a manner that the life energy or Qi of the body can link with the other organs and cause the whole body to become a holistic system. This means that it is impossible to view one body part or organ as a detached problem without considering the entire body system. The blood is where life energy (Qi) is found. Blood is needed by Qi to nourish it and Qi needs blood to move it. Therefore, we need to strengthen the Qi in our blood in order to boost blood flow.
Practicing the ancient Chinese ancient healing practice of Qi Gong is an excellent way to boost our Qi. Focusing on relaxation, gentle motions to carry out an internal exercise, and mind control through the use of standing or sitting postures coupled with mind control are major components of Qi Gong.
According to Chinese medicine practitioners in Fort Lauderdale, a specific part of the body has “bad” Qi or Qi blockages in that area when it is sick, ailing or in pain. To clear the Qi blockages in our body, it is necessary to enhance the circulation of blood. When the body is besieged with stress, these blockages arise. Whatever part of the body area is deficient in Qi, that part may be the underlying cause of health problems and is where the blockages are located. For example, a person experiencing asthma or other breathing problems may suffer blockages of Qi in the nose, trachea, or lungs. To rid of bad Qi, we must clean ourselves from the inside. When bad Qi is cleansed off the body, health improves and the body starts to feel better.
There are quite a few of video documentaries on Qi gong that have been televised over the years and medical studies have also conducted regarding it that show how Qi Gong can be an effective way of treating various health conditions.
Clinical studies have shown that capillaries in the body tend to normally function at fifty to sixty percent capacity while for people in good health, it can function a maximum of seventy to eighty percent. This is why sometimes the facial color of some people is pale due to the fact that their capillaries are not totally free of blockage. If the opening of our capillaries is freed of any blockages, the circulation of blood can definitely be enhanced. Body areas that ordinarily receive less blood will start to receive more during a practice of Qi Gong. This helps deliver T-cells, antibodies, oxygen, and nutrients to all parts of the body. At the core of Qi Gong theory is the idea of “improved blood circulation”. All illness has its beginnings in the circulation of blood. Any health issues will get better when there is better and stronger blood circulation.
Oxygen, which is indispensible in the proper functioning of the body, is breathed in by the lungs. We all need oxygen to survive. Oxygen is needed by the heart to pump and beat blood. Healthy people breathe an average of 17 breaths a minute. Qi Gong beginners learn how to relax by practicing breathing slower by about four breaths a minute. This practice of slow breathing allows a person to breathe in more oxygen into the lungs. Veteran practitioners work on even slower breathing such as two breaths a minute.
Besides taking in more oxygen in the body, during Qi Gong practice, we can also take in more Qi to use as reserve in our body. We can say that we are literally creating more Qi. Usually, it actually surprises people by how “hot” they can get by doing few and simple hand movements. When we do swimming, basketball, running or other physical exercises regularly, we consume lots of physical energy and this benefits our organs indirectly, but in these activities, there is less return of Qi in our bodies. Unlike when we do Qi Gong exercise, we exhaust very little physical energy. The exercise/movements also cause us to relax and help get us a lot of Qi directly into the organs of the body. We need to conserve our Qi when we want our body to heal so that it can use this Qi to heal any illness we may have. It is very important for sick people or people with poor health to conserve their Qi and perform less physical exercises so that their bodies can have the strength to heal by themselves. The can engage in more physical exercises once more when they become better.
Qi Gong Practices That Can Help Improve Breathing
1. Position: You may choose to sit or stand. If you elect to sit, your legs should stick out a third over the perimeter of the chair. Legs should be parallel to each other and open to shoulder width, hands rested on legs near to knees and palms facing up. Your head should be in level position, chin slightly in, waist straight. Relax waist/chest/back, and place tongue near roof of the mouth. Eyes are looking far ahead and closed lightly.
Open the leg to shoulder position if you elect to stand, turn toes in gently and bend knees slightly.
2. Relaxing the entire body: Breathe in lightly and inhale with the nose. Breathe out while relaxing your head. Using the same procedure continue to relax the neck, toes, shoulder, feet, chest, legs, stomach, fingers, back, hands, and arms. Then visualize relaxing your entire body from the top of your head to the tip of your toes three more times.
3. Close and open arms exercise: Stretch your arms in front of your body to around shoulder height. Breathe in and stretch arms sideward to a “T” position. As you return your arms in front of the body, breathe out well. Repeat this procedure 9 to 35 times.
4. Open your arms and imagine yourself collecting lots of Qi. Then close your hands over your bellybutton. (For men, place right hand over left. For women, put left hand over right). You need to accumulate Qi at the end of every practice in order to store it into your body.
It is suggested that you perform these movements two times a day. Understand that you improve the life energy in your chest by the simple act of opening up your arms.
If you or someone you know suffers from health problems like asthma, with the proper practice of Qi that you can learn from a Master of Qi Gong, you may be able to learn to manage these illnesses. As you become aware of how much you can actually improve by practicing every day, you may realize that your illness-plagued days are becoming few and far between. Over time, the symptoms of mucus, shortness of breath, coughing, wheezing and the asthma itself slowly vanishes.
Everyone should take the first step to practice and integrate Qi Gong exercise into your everyday life. Your health will certainly improve in a safe and significant way!