I became exposed to the practice of qigong recently in undertaking an adjunct offered this semester. This course has opened my eyes to a difficult, yet gentle form of exercise that has left my body and mind feeling more at ease. Since the first class, I have aspired to understand more about this new perception of energy and self-awareness.
When beginning to look into qigong, the first thing that comes up is its rich Chinese history. The practice of qigong has been around for thousands of years and has only recently come to light with other currently rising in popularity meditation practices. Qi (pronounced “chee”) is often referenced as some sort of mood or feeling, but in traditional terms, qi refers to life energy—the energy that exists in the universe all around us. This includes everything that is suspended in open space—heat, air, energies, spirits, etc.
The relationship between ourselves and this spatial energy around us is fundamental to qigong, the cultivation, or practice of life energy. This practice has proven to provide immense healing to the trinity of the body, mind, and spirit.
Moreover, the combination of these three targets has the ability to promote a positive sensation and improvement in poor attitudes. Millions of people in the region of China support these beneficial associations of qi with Taoism, acupuncture and herbal medicine.
Although Westernization has infiltrated Chinese healing practices, qi gong still remains a strong, powerful exercise to relieve pain and ailments within the body. Qigong practice itself a gentle combination of movements that work to create greater fluidity in the body, mainly blood flow and lymph movement. External and internal movements work together to lessen stress on the body.
By noticing emotions, thoughts, moods, and how the body feels through space, healing powers become more evident. Most physical problems can be aggravated by inner imbalances. The peace of mind generated through this practice is often far too overlooked.
Additionally, the stretching, simple nature of qigong differentiates the practice from many Western forms of exercise that place such a great focus on increasing heart rate. Calming the mind and regaining balance across emotional fields is the goal of generating this enhanced awareness of the body in space.
Understanding how the body is grounded in the Earth and how it is able to receive, or pass off, the energy circulating the body is a continual challenge of concentration. You can choose to get stuck in a negative mindset where you believe nothing will ever get better, or you can decide to embrace the mantra that all is temporary and will work itself out.