Qigong Healing

Qigong and the Principles of T'ai Chi. Part I

2012-01-20T09:46:00.000-08:00

Qigong is based on the principle of T'ai Chi, maintaining circular continuity and on establishing a center between Yin/Yang dualities: substantial and insubstantial, full and empty, heavy and light, etc. The T'ai Chi, or Supreme Ultimate, provides the source of movement and stillness, and it births Yin and Yang. Our center provides a middle ground between excesses and deficiencies. Our movement from the center allows Yin and Yang to act independently. Stillness allows the two to merge into unity.

Establishing one's center requires mindful and persistent practice. Through diligent practice it is possible to understand one's energy field and attain spiritual enlightenment. Supernatural knowledge can be attained.

How can this occur? Developing familiarity with your intrinsic "empty and full" dualities will facilitate "letting go." It is this emptying which allows you to become sensitive. In learning a qigong form, the mind is persistently returned to what the body is doing. This introduces the practitioner to tranquility, it quietens and relaxes the mind, calming one's emotional nature.

A Chinese Self Massage in the Morning

2011-11-21T07:30:00.000-08:00

A self-massage is good for you health, too.

Instead of a cup of coffee, right after you get out of bed, you can give yourself a Chinese self-massage to wake up your body and help balance your energy channels. It only takes a few minutes, but it will give help you wake up and feel great about starting your new day. These techniques trace the energy channels of the body and help clear them for proper energy glow. Without further adieu, here is the sequence and methods that I use as I sit on the side of the bed when I get up:

1. Place both hands with the palms facing the nape of the neck and bring both hands over the top of the head to the forehead, down to the jaw and back to the nape. Do this eight times in this direction and reverse the direction for another eight times.

2. Place the second knuckle of each of the thumbs where the nose meets the bottom of the eyebrow and rub outwards eight times. Also trace below the eyes in the same manner eight times.

3. Roll the eyes in a circle eight times in one direction and then eight times in the opposite direction.

4. Rub the ears with the thumb and the forefinger, starting at the top front, working your way backwards to the ear lobes. Do this eight times and then do the same thing in the reverse direction.

5. Rub with your first two finger tips on each side of the nose 20 times. You may want to do more repetitions of this one if you are having sinus problems.

6. Click the teeth together eight times, then roll the tongue three times in one direction and then three times in the next direction. Swallow your saliva and follow it down to your lower dantien. Repeat this sequence eight times.

7. With the right palm, follow the left arm from the palm of the left hand to the armpit and then over the shoulder and down the outside of the arm to the hand. Allow the palm of the right hand to whisk past the top of the left hand and then repeat seven more times. Repeat this on the other arm.

8. With the right palm, stroke the front left side of the body twenty times, going from the shoulder to the inguinal crease of the hips. Do the same on the right side of the body.

9. With the palms of the hands, massage the ming men or kidney area of the back twenty times.

10. Stand and place the palm of the right hand on the lower dantien (2" below the navel) and then place the palm of the left hand over the right. Rub in a clockwise direction, making larger circles until you get to the outer edges of the belly for a total of 36 circles. Change the orientation of the hands, and move from the outer edge of the belly back to the dantien in a counterclockwise direction. For men, use the opposite hand orientation.

11. At the inguinal crease area on top of the thigh, place your thumbs with the palms of the hand on the side of the thigh. Rub outward to the knee twenty times.

12. Place the palms of the hands on the top of each knee and rube twenty times in a circle in one direction and then twenty times in the opposite direction.

13. Place the thumbs on the shin below the knee and the palms on the outside of the calf and rub downwards twenty times.

14. Place the palms of the hands at the inside of the ankles and rub up and down the inside of the legs twenty times.

15. Put one of the feet on top of your knee and rub the bottom of the feet from the toes to the heel twenty times and then massage the K1 (Yong Quan) point in front of the middle of the foot. If you don't know where it is, there is a depression in the foot between the first knuckle of the toes and the middle. If you still don't know, there is a picture on this site. Do the same on the other side.

16. Place both feet on the floor and rest the palms of the hands on the lower dantien and take 20 abdominal breaths and focus your attention on the lower dantien, letting the energy settle there. Then get up and do some qigong exercises to take advantage of the abundant energy that is flowing in the morning!

May your practice be rewarding!

Yahoo Group Qiresearch for Science Updates

2011-10-11T07:48:00.000-07:00

An ancient character for Qi

About a year ago, I joined a Yahoo group that has updates on scientific research regarding the use of qigong, Tai chi and medical qigong for healing. This group is called Qiresearch, and it includes some members of the research community. Join the group if you want to get updates on the research results. A lot of studies are ongoing in the United States and Europe, and it is great to see the results as they come in.

This testing is an important step in assessing the validity of qigong techniques for overcoming specific health challenges, because many of the past studies were not well-designed trials. As a scientist, I appreciate the more robust methods that are being used, which lends greater credibility to the numerous personal testimonials of the healing power of qigong.

Namaste.

Simple Qigong Exercise Set Stops Parkinson's Disease Symptoms

2011-09-14T20:22:00.000-07:00

This video by Cheyne Towers shows three simple qigong exercises. Cheyne goes through each with showing the mechanics for doing the movements and later there is testimony from a practitioner on how his shaking from Parkinson's Disease has stopped since he began his qigong practice.

I would add the following tips as part of the exercise set instructions for more advanced practitioners:

1.) In the first exercise the right and left hands need to be aligned with the right and left extraordinary channels of the torso as the hands are moving downward. As the hands move up, there can also be a vertical opening of the kwa, or inguinal crease at the hip and groin area. As the hands move down the body, the kwa closes.

2.) Turning at the waist, or kwa, should be a part of exercises 2 and 3, where there is movement to the sides. The kwa is the inguinal crease, and if you are turning your torso and not twisting it, you will move into the inguinal crease as you move from side to side. The knees stay stationary, but you will note that the muscles of the thighs will twist.

3.) Aim towards performing the movements smoothly, slowly and without any jerky or mechanical-like motions.

4.) Breathe naturally and abdominally. The movements are not coordinated with the breath, but even, relaxed breathing should occur without any holding.

Many Parkinson's sufferers have reported a reduction in symptoms as a result of taking up qigong practice. Several studies have been summarized on the World Tai Chi and Qigong Day web site. It is one of the many types of diseases that improve due to qigong exercise. A variety of qigong exercises sets, as well as Tai chi styles, can confer these health improvement results. The great benefit of qigong exercises is that simple exercise sets can confer so many health benefits. They can even be done in a chair as shown in the book below.

Qigong Postures and Postural Alignment Correction with the Egoscue Method

2011-08-11T07:39:00.000-07:00

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The development of good qigong posture and alignments can be aided with cross-training using the Egoscue Method, developed by Pete Egoscue. His method can be adapted to people that have various body types and pain experiences. The exercises and stretches emphasize correct alignment and are based, in part, on your current posture.

I have used this method in the past and have incorporated various of the stretches and exercises to help correct postural mis-alignments that occur due to bad habits (like sitting too long in front of the computer writing articles). It is a method that definitely works, which is why I keep going back to it on a regular basis. I highly recommend looking at the video produced recently. A link to that video is given to the left.

Qigong standing meditation postures will reinforce correct postural alignment, starting with the wu wei posture where the hands rest at the sides. In this regard, I suggest looking at a recent post on Master Lam Kam Chuen's videos for various standing postures. This is a 10-video series on Youtube that includes some of the Eight Pieces Brocade qigong. The series is meant to be practiced over a 10-day period to familiarize yourself with various standing postures and their benefits. All of the exercises are discussed in further detail in the blog post and in the book by Master Lam, "The Way of Energy."

Doing both methods simultaneously is a slam-dunk for improving your health. Poor postural alignment is the cause of many different health problems that people experience as they get older. Doing both as an exercise routine can also increase your total body awareness and help correct long-term bad habits that prevent you from functioning at an optimal level. So, if you want to live longer and with more vitality, correct your posture!

Final exercise recommendations: Be conscious of your breathing and follow the Taoist water method of doing exercises, which means to go into the exercise routine being gentle on your body. Doing excessive repetitions of the exercises is not for everybody. Doing the full exercise routine should only be done as your body strength allows. So, do the number of repetitions that you can do, but do all of the exercises in the routine to get a rounded and complete set. "No pain, no gain," is a ridiculous phrase that has no application when you are using qigong for improving health.

Qigong Breathing Methods

2011-07-31T14:54:00.001-07:00

There are two sites that I recommend which describe the first two stages in learning qigong breathing methods. The first is Following the Breath. This is where you learn to relax, allow distractions to disperse and focus your intent. Some would call this stage "training the monkey mind." The second stage occurs after you have learned the first, it is called Stages in Abdominal Breathing. This blog entry describes the process of learning normal abdominal breathing.

Reverse abdominal breathing is an advanced method of Taoist respiration which is practiced by martial artists who practice tai chi chuan, ba gua and martial forms of qigong. It is also used as a meditative technique for gathering qi in the dantien and increasing your total life force, making it of great utility in healing and disease prevention.

It is good to intellectually know these different methods and the sequence for learning them. However, it is important to not leap forward before you have significant experience with the lower levels. Thus, learning of reverse breathing should only occur after having some experience in the first two methods. I recommend that you be comfortable with each stage for at least a month before proceeding to the next stage. Patience in learning these breathing methods will serve you well.

Qigong Breathing Exercises for the Lungs and Five Element Theory

2010-10-18T19:35:00.000-07:00

The Five Elements and the Diurnal CycleThere are specific qigong exercises, three that are mentioned here, that help bolster the energy of the lungs when they are deficient in qi. Disorders that are indicators of deficient lung qi include asthma, emphysema, bronchitis, and various causes of shortness of breath (dyspnea). Respiratory exercises are important to increase the flow and movement into the tissues of new qi, and to correspondingly allow the stagnant qi to leave.

Using the Five Element Theory to Help Heal the Lungs

According to the five element theory in medical qigong, when your lungs are deficient in qi, your overall energy is less because the lungs feed the kidneys with qi. In order to improve the lung qi, you need to nourish the qi in your spleen and allow it to move to the lungs. One way of doing this is to visualize the color yellow and the sound "who" during inhaling. Take in the yellow-colored qi into the spleen (which is in front of the left kidney in the middle of the body). You can also visualize the elements associated with the spleen and lungs: earth and metal, respectively. Do this 9 or 18 times, and afterward, visualize the qi moving to both of your lungs while breathing normally and relaxed. Let it move and do not force it. Do this 2-3 times a day when you are challenged by any of the disorders mentioned above. Beginners should use 9 repetitions.

The color for the qi of the lungs is white and the sound is "Tzzzzzz." Breathe in the color white for the healing energy of this color, and on the exhale make the sound to allow the vibration to release toxic qi within the lung tissue. You may do this 9 or 18 times.

Either of the above exercises can be done lying down, sitting or in a standing wuji posture. When doing the sitting or standing posture, maintain an erect but supple spine and suspend the head from the neck, tilting it slightly down to open up the occipital area.

Finishing Standing Exercise for Tonifying and Clearing the Lung Channels

This exercise is done standing. Stand with the feet parallel and shoulder width apart and assume a relaxed wuji posture. Inhale and move the arms out to the side of the body and arch backwards slightly, inhaling the white qi. On the exhale, bend down (to your comfort level) and bring the arms down, swinging and crossing them back and forth while breathing out and making the lung sound. On the inhale, bring the hands up the legs and body, following the right extraordinary channel with the right hand (palm up), and the left channel with the left hand. When the hands reach the nipples, make a beak hand (all fingers and the thumb are connected) and extend the arms outward following the lung channel down the arm to the thumbs. When the arms are fully extended, open the beak hand with the palm upwards and thumb back, and exhale. Repeat the movement 9-18 times. For beginners, start with less repetitions.

Note: The Taoist method of breathing (in qigong and tai chi) that is most common for healing is normal abdominal breathing. In this type of breathing, the diaphragm drops and allows the lungs to fill with new air. You will know if you are doing it right if your belly and sides of the body move outward when inhaling. On the exhale, the diaphragm relaxes and allows stagnant air to leave. Correspondingly, the belly contracts when exhaling. Also note that, in healing exercises, the inhalation is through the nose and exhalation is through the mouth and it is not forced. Inhale and exhale at only 70-80% of your capacity.

Taming the Monkey Mind

2010-10-04T21:10:00.000-07:00

Most of what the mind does is to churn the same thoughts over and over. One of the goals of Taoist meditation and Qigong is to tame this "monkey mind" so we can complete one of the three main goals of practice: regulation of the mind (the other two are regulation of the breath and body). Without regulation of the mind, regulation of the breath and body are impossible. This is why Taoist meditation practices are important as a component of a program for improving health and energy. The ultimate goal is much deeper, however. "Attaining the Way" is that ultimate goal which is sought by Taoists.

Tranquility of the mind and tranquility of the breath are inextricably linked. That is why many of the meditation approaches devised by Taoists use the breath as a vehicle for realizing the Way. Dr. Jwing-Ming Yang has published the excellent book, Qigong Meditation. Embryonic Breathing, which is an invaluable resource for understanding ancient documents which describe the meaning and intent of meditation breathing practices that have been historically employed by Taoist masters. He points out that the first goal is to attain a peaceful mind. Deep, profound breathing via the lower dantien is a means of achieving this goal. The lower dantien, centered in the body below the navel, functions as the major center for breath origin and circulation of energy up (Du meridian) and down (Ren meridian) the torso. This circulation helps regulate the spirit (shen) by cultivating space within the mind.

I was listing to an audio presentation by Dr. Wayne Dyer, a couple of days ago. This presentation is a part of his book, Getting in the Gap. This is another approach to help tame the monkey mind, and the image of returning to the space between thoughts is useful to illustrate that meditation methods are designed to create this sense of openness, space and tranquility.

Another helpful resource for learning how to use the breath as a vehicle for transformation is the audio presentation by Bruce Frantzis, Tao of Letting Go. In this audio tape, the listener is guided in a progressive series in how to experience the use of the breath to obtain inner transformation via the water method of Taoist meditation. This method is a gentle but very powerful method of practicing and allowing tranquility to manifest in your body, mind and emotions. I have attended several of Bruce's workshops and highly recommend this tutorial for obtaining mental tranquility and spiritual advancement.

Use of these methods for obtaining psychological as well as spiritual maturity in your life. The world can use more people who are capable of using the power of tranquility to deal with the difficult situations that life sometimes presents us. These inner transformation methods are essential tools for helping us along the the Way, or Tao.

Qigong Meditation

2010-09-06T19:32:00.000-07:00

"Qigong meditation" is a redundant phrase, because if you are doing qigong, your are engaging in a form of meditation. Static meditation postures are probably more familiar to most, sitting cross-legged or in a chair. In the qigong tradition, there are also static standing postures, or zhan zhuang.

The principles used in static meditations are carried into the movement forms, where practitioners observe tranquility and maintain internal awareness to become familiar with the emptiness within movement and the interplay between yin and yang energies as they practice the forms.

A meditative mindset is aided in the movement forms by focusing on centering the movements from the lower dantien and by doing them in a mindfully - mindful of the physical movements and how they are being performed, the state of mind, the internal aspects including the energy flow and the breathing.

Meditation can be done on a single physical aspect of a movement over fixed periods of time so that one makes stepwise improvement in awareness and ability, much in the way that sitting meditations often focus on a single aspect, such as following the breath. Once this is mastered, one can progress to a more advanced practice like abdominal breathing. In moving practices, repeating a movement oven and over is helpful, but it is also helpful to focus on one aspect of a movement, such as movement from a single part of the body like the wrists or elbows.

Another aspect of Qigong Meditation in the Water Tradition is that there is no force. Force has no role within this tradition, rather, it can hinder your progress. Use your intention in a gentle fashion to bring you back to your practice when distractions occur. Return back to your central point of meditation.

So, if you are doing qigong and you aren't meditating (or focusing in a relaxed manner), you are just dancing or doing free-form movement. Not that this wouldn't improve your health or result in healing (it would help with flexibility and mobility at least) but it does not include the internal aspects of meditation and energy development that are the principle benefits of Chinese qigong practice.

Qigong Healing Methods for Lower Back and Neck Pain

2010-07-28T18:55:00.000-07:00

If you are suffering from lower back or neck pain, I suggest you look up the instructional series that Lee Holden has prepared. I have personally met and known Lee Holden during qigong workshops that have been held in Portland, Oregon. Lee is an advanced practitioner of Chinese martial arts has the training and ability to demonstrate effective methods for opening up the spine and neck so that they can heal and function normally. For your convenience, I have included Amazon links to his materials so you can check out his materials. Check them out and see what they can do for you.

Qigong and Science

2010-07-28T17:54:00.000-07:00

I was looking at a physics forum the other day and was interested in the nature of the discussion regarding qigong and science. However, I found that this particular forum (http://www.physicsforum.com), which was dedicated to the topic "Chi - A Real Force, was placed under the category of "Skepticism and Debunking." I have found other sites on the web that are similar, such as Quackwatch, where opinions and personal experience regarding qi, qigong, tai chi and other alternative healing practices do not have a welcoming audience. My thought was, why waste time posting information about personal experience in these forums if it is set up from the start as forum for negative attitudes that are based on a lack of experience? It amounts to mental claptrap that says nothing other than a rigid adherence to professional ignorance.

I have a scientific research background and have looked up many of the research articles that have been done regarding the effects of qigong and Tai Chi. There have been an overwhelming number of studies that have been done that have demonstrated a positive effect of qi practices for health improvement. A significant number of these studies may have used better experimental designs; however the sheer number of these tests have demonstrated healing for many different medical disorders provides a body of evidence that cannot be ignored. Except for professional skeptics or those with blinders.....

Standing Qigong Meditation

2010-07-01T22:23:00.001-07:00

As Taoist lineage master Bruce Frantzis says, standing qigong is the million-dollar secret to qigong energy practice. It may not seem like one is doing anything by "just standing," but both gross and subtle changes occur while engaging in this practice. One must follow the proper postural recommendations and let the breath change from chest to abdominal breathing. During the course of standing, the body becomes both physically and energetically balanced. Relaxation and qi blockages (physical, emotional and spiritual) can be dissolved. It is from the physical and energetic foundation that is derived from this practice that one can advance further in moving qigong or Tai Chi forms.

Qigong Breathing and Internal Awareness

2010-06-14T17:20:00.000-07:00

Qigong breathing practice begins with Following the Breath. This practice introduces you to internal awareness and training of the mind to stay focused in a relaxed manner. Once you have practiced this for a couple of months, you can advance to abdominal breathing.

When you first start abdominal breathing, you may not notice movement in your dantien area. If you don't, keep visualizing a ball of energy in the center of your body in your lower dantien Visualize the ball massaging the sides and lower back as you are inhaling and exhaling. Over time, the energy ball will open up your lower back and the sides of the abdomen and you will feel the physical as well as the energetic movement. Also be sure not to force the movement. Let the breath do the work, just following it as it goes in and out. Doing without doing will facilitate your advancement in your practice.

Qigong Healing Through Breath Exercises

2010-06-12T12:09:00.000-07:00

A fundamental reason why qigong healing occurs is abdominal breathing. Just from a mechanical perspctive, when you breathe using your diaphragm fully, this allows the massage of your organs in your abdominal area and, because the pericardium is attached to the diaphragm, there is also a massage of the heart. If you can breathe deeply without effort, and allow the diaphragm to drop and relax on inspiration, then it is also an indication that you are relaxed. Chest breathing on the other hand, implies that you have restricted movement of the diaphragm and that you are using chest muscles to help you breath. This type of breathing is associated with tension and tight muscles in the chest and neck area.

You can check in with yourself to see if you are doing abdominal breathing by placing one hand on the upper chest and one on the belly. As you inhale, the belly should move out due to the diaphragm movement. The chest should be still. If it isn't, relax the muscles of the ribcage and allow the diaphragm to do its natural work.

Initially, it is easiest to lie down to do this practice. Some people even put books on the abdomen to help keep them aware of the movement of the belly during respiration. Once this breathing method is mastered lying down, you can progress to a seated posture. Later, if you do standing meditation, you can do it in that posture. The goal is to master this type of breathing through all of your Taoist exercises, whether it be qigong, Tai Chi or Ba Gua. There are advanced abdominal breathing methods, but this is where you start.