What Is Qigong ..? please explain

[April]

Please explain me what is Qigong or Health Qigong is it beneficial for health.,..?

[ChiDragon]

This is the best way I understand, practice and explain it. If one looks into all the styles of Qigong, one will notice that all Qigong involve in slow movements and slow and long deep breathing. One must pay close attention to the slow, and long deep breathing. It is because by going through the movements will not get the health benefits. Both movements and slow and long deep breathing must be done simultaneously, in order, to get the healthy benefits. For that being said, the "Qi, 氣" in Qigong means breathing and "Gong, 功" means the most effective method. Thus "Qigong, 氣功" is the "ultimate breathing method (UMB)".

I have being practicing Tai Chi for more than forty years with the UMB. It gives the ultimate health benefits and hardly go to visit the doctor's office or go to the hospital.

I have been going to the local park and practice Tai Chi with a group of people. Some of them had told me that do not have the health benefits as claimed for practicing. Worse of all, some of them having breathing problem like short of breath or cannot breathe smoothly. I asked them about the breathing during practice, the response was that they sometime they forgot to breathe or holding their breath while doing the movements. Unfortunately, I know what their problem was. They did not do the UMB as the major requirement for Tai Chi practice.

[fchai]

Greetings,
Qigong involves breathing but it is not its raison d'etre. It is about cleansing and stimulating the various meridians that affect your health and vitality. It traces its origins to Taoist traditions which goes back many thousands of years. It is about achieving and/or restoring balance in your body, mind and spirit. Yin and Yang. The various qigong movements have different benefits and influences specific internal organs, nervous and circulatory systems, etc. For instance, if you are familiar with the 'Eight Section Brocade (Ba Duan Jin)' qigong form, the first movement (Two Hands Hold Up the Heavens) is to make the 'San Jiao' flow properly and in balance. This is said to have an impact on the endocrine system. The second movement (Drawing the Bow to Shoot the Hawk) is said to influence the kidney and stimulate the vagus nerve. The eighth movement (Bouncing on the Toes) on the other hand, is said to stimulate healing and the immune system and stimulates the lymphatic system. I am unaware of any scientific studies done to prove or disprove these stated benefits, but it definitely does have beneficial effects that one can feel. The existence of 'meridians' is something western science is sceptical on.
Yours in Taiji,
Frank

[ChiDragon]

Greetings,
Qigong involves breathing but it is not its raison d'etre........
..... I am unaware of any scientific studies done to prove or disprove these stated benefits, but it definitely does have beneficial effects that one can feel. The existence of 'meridians' is something western science is skeptical on.
Yours in Taiji,
Frank

IMMHO Regardless to the existence of 'meridians' is something western science is skeptical on. It is true that there isn't any scientific studies done to prove or disprove these stated benefits. However, if breathing was not done in those practices mentioned above, I can assure you that none of the beneficial effects can be achieved.

The so-called meridians can be found in the physiological diagrams. If one look close enough, each meridian is corresponding to a nerve in the human nervous system. For instance, the Heart Meridian is actually lies on the Ulnar Nerve. When a needle was placed on an acupuncture point of the Heart Meridian, actually, the Ulnar Nerve was being stimulated. Of course, this would lead to another discussion.

Best regards.

[Jaxi]

Although breathing is often focused on, it traditionally was for having something to focus on to eliminate distractions of the mind, and thusly allowed a relaxed and unhindered state from which chi/prana could be felt and directed (mostly followed with attention because the paths and directions the chi flows along them occurs naturally). Qi Gong is simply 'energy art' or 'chi methods of practice' or 'force skill'. Doing any manipulations of chi is qi gong, although usually it's movements like the 8 pieces of brocade exercise set designed to activate the major acupuncture meridians to unblock the flow of chi within the body to allow proper healing and balancing of the body's organ systems. Other lesser practiced chi arts (qi gong) can be used for all levels of internal enhancements, such as creating greater density in bone marrow to lessen the chances of breaks.

Even after this: likely great misunderstanding of what chi actually is... I will likely go into more detail of how to activate and feel it, and what it should feel like, and how it can be used. Subsequent posts, for now: good luck.

[Jaxi]

That being said: I usually place no attention to breath particularly, but rather on feeling the pressure of the chi build where I focus as I relax more and more.

[ChiDragon]

Greetings,
I have been practiced Yang style Tai JI for more than forty years. Since the practice have benefited my health and effected my physical being, I had been doing lots of research by reading the Chinese philosophy in Tai Chi, Qigong and the western physiological view of the function and structure of the human body. I was amazed that the views from both sides are correlated to give me a good understanding about the practice and the human body. Therefore, I would love to join the Discussion Board and share my views. Please feel free to comment on your views too. Thanks!

Here are my point of view about Qi Gong or Chi Kung:
http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/user/31611

[Jaxi]

ATP nice in essence, and granted the regeneration of it is priceless in qi gong, but the directing it to task is the tricky part. Learning how to use it is key. The ancients didn't care so much about what chi was or why or how... They were like drivers who aren't mechanics. Reasonable. They just cared about how they can use it, whatever it was, to benefit. I do like understanding it, I guess I'm a bit more of a chi mechanic than most, but I care more about using it. Could explain how it is transmitted from the body to affect surrounding environment via loose descriptions of how we are much to the earth as a cell is to our body... There is more importance on intention and mentality when working chi than in knowing what it is. Thanks.

[ChiDragon]

..... The ancients didn't care so much about what chi was or why or how...

Hi, Jaxi
Good point. The ancients didn't have the know how, even if they did care. Nowadays, we have the know how; even though we don't care. However, it won't hurt to broaden one's wisdom. Of course, it is up to the intrinsic enthusiasm of each individual. Thanks.

[Jaxi]

ty chidragon you drove the nail home there, we do tend to know more detail, but knowing how a car works doesn't help you drive it or be aware all going on around you during your trip. So much in doing and what your connection to environment is. Nice to know a bit about how it works, but you can study a finger (or anything) scientifically for whole life and barely scratch surface. Never concern too much details, can read all books how to swim, then jump in water first time and drown. Big difference between knowing and doing, and knowing never comes (not completely). You can have a general feeling of it though, but that doesn't help with the details, and the details don't help with the general feeling. Or maybe I should say they both do help each other. If answer to yes or no question always 'yes and no' closer to speak truth.

[ChiDragon]

Qigong is the cultivation of energy by involving with the Ultimate Method of Breathing(UMB). If one just breathing normally, then one is not practicing Qigong. Normal breathing only keeps one alive. The UMB will enhance the function of the internal organs. The body will take care itself internally. Unfortunately, nothing will reach the ultimate efficiency without doing the UMB.