Combines meditative and physically active elements, a practice designed to help you preserve your essence (Jing), strengthen and balance the flow of energy (Qi), and enlighten your spirit (Shen). Its dynamic exercises and meditations have Yin & Yang aspects: the Yin is being it, the Yang is doing it. Yin exercises are expressed through relaxed stretching, visualization, and breathing; Yang exercises are expressed in a more aerobic or dynamic way. They are particularly effective for immune stimulation.
Qi Gong is truly a system for a lifetime. The effects may be powerful, but the routines themselves are usually gentle. Qi Gong is a unified process dedicated to creating balance, strength, agility, and grace that assured vitality. Working with Qi to increase mental, spiritual and physical powers. Qi Gong’s physical and spiritual routines move Qi energy through the twelve main channels and eight extra channels, balancing that energy, smoothing the flow, and strengthening it. Chinese Medicine uses Qi Gong to maintain health, prevent illness, attain enlightenment, and extend longevity because it is a powerful tool for maintaining and restoring harmony to the Organ Systems, Essential Substances and Channels. Qi Gong helps maintain health by creating a state of mental and physical calmness, which indicates that Qi is balanced and harmonious. This allows the mind/body/spirit to function most efficiently, with the least amount of stress. It is harder to remedy an illness than to prevent it, and Qi Gong has powerful preventive effects. However, when disharmony becomes apparent, Qi Gong plays a crucial role in restoring harmony.
Students learn to master the intricate manipulation of Qi, infusing the eight extra channels with Qi, and then guiding the Qi through the channels to the bone marrow to cleanse and energize it. The result, according to religious tradition, is that monks can extend their life span to 150 years or more. The Taoists have a saying: “One hundred and twenty years means dying young.” Qi Gong certainly does improve the quality of life of everyone who practices it. The primary goal is to concentrate on letting go. Most imbalance comes from holding on to too much for too long. Through deep relaxation and expanding your consciousness you are able to create a frame of mind that is large enough to encompass your entire body/mind/spirit’s functions, yet focused enough to allow outside distraction, worries, and everyday hassles to drift away. Rather than physical strength in terms of tensing muscles, Qi is different, Qi strength is revealed by a smooth, calm, concentrated effort that is free of stress and does not pit one part of the body against another.
Anyone of any age or physical condition can do Qi Gong. Whatever your nature, Qi Gong can help you become the most balanced you can be.