Qigong - flowing with the river of life

Most people have heard of Taiji (aka Tai Chi Chuan) and can picture hordes of middle to late aged Chinese people practicing together in the park. They move with the synchronized grace of a gentle ocean wave through a slow dance of rising and falling, expanding and contracting movements. But what most people haven't seen are all those in the nooks and crannies of any park in China doing individualized qigong exercises as prescribed to them by their physician. They may be standing still in a given posture or doing exercise movements while sitting, walking, or standing in front of a tree, stream or some other natural phenomenon.

Qigong simply means, "energetic flowing over time", and it refers to any of thousands of possible movement sets designed to improve specific aspects of health like blood circulation, digestion, energy and mental clarity, or even lung or other organ function. Qigong is often prescribed by a physician of Chinese Medicine along with herbs and acupuncture to make a more rounded approach toward improving a patient's condition or simply to increase wellbeing and prevent a decline in health. It also gives patients a sense of empowerment in doing something themselves to improve their condition and helps treatment effects to last longer between visits to the physician.

Many people swear by the health and longevity promoting benefits of qigong and enjoy its capacity for clearing the mind and helping them to feel invigorated and ready to engage in each day. In my practice I find it particularly helpful for people with back problems, chronic shoulder and neck tension or stiffness in the hips. I also regularly incorporate qigong exercises in a patient's treatment plan when working to balance internal problems such as asthma, constipation or endometriosis.

Some people may find qigong easier to learn than taiji, because it is generally taught as a few simple movement exercises which can be practiced individually or as a set rather than in the long "form" style of taiji where one has to remember many movements which follow one another without pause. Like Taiji, a class is often the best way to get introduced to qigong, as one is motivated to continue by the group participation and at the same time one learns complete movements that can be practiced daily between classes. Qigong is also often taught to patients by their Chinese Medicine physician, as mentioned earlier, as a part of their therapeutic treatment.

In any case qigong is an awesome way to promote an invigorated balance between being clear-minded and relaxed and feeling like you have the energy to conquer the world. And when you have that balance, man, you're just flowing with the river of life!