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As easy as it gets...
When you think of
exercise, images of sweaty runners,
straining weight lifters and exertive yoga postures
come to mind. Qigong is not like this.
Few exercises in the world are as easy to perform as 'moving qigong'. No
hardship, no suffering, no pain. The main challenge lies simply in doing the
movements 'naturally', healthily and comfortably.
Almost anyone is capable of doing qigong; but the real trick is doing it
correctly...
Powerful exercise
Qigong is a powerful way to exercise the body:
• Starts simple but becomes more challenging
• Increases stamina and endurance
• Improves balance
• Stress-relief
• Encourages a calm mind and composed emotions
• Energises
• Does not strain the body
• Strength-building
• Emphasis is placed upon mobile joints, relaxed
muscles and natural movement
• Improves skeletal alignment, poise and coordination
• Low-impact
• Can be practiced by most people
The exercises are performed
standing up.
None of our qigong or tai chi exercises
are performed whilst sitting down.
Our energy is more precious than all the gold in
the world. It is a more powerful anti-aging tool than anything else.
Energy regenerates our liver and other tissue cells, flushes toxic waste from
the body, helps maintain our ideal weight, keeps our skin smooth and our hair
healthy.
The more energy we have, the better we feel and the more beautiful we
become.
(Kimberly Snyder)
What does qigong mean?
The term 'qigong' refers to a variety of exercises
designed to cultivate the
flow of blood and oxygen around the body, as well as released trapped energy
within muscle tissues.
Other spellings commonly used - qi gong or chi kung.
It is pronounced 'chee gung'.
You do not feel wiped out
Qigong offers an interesting way to
exercise the body.
When performed correctly, qigong feels to be so mild that it is hard to believe that anything is really
happening.
There is no sweating, straining or panting for breath.
Not like the gym
This is a major contrast to going to the gym, running, swimming, cycling,
Pilates or yoga.
Qigong is mild.
After a session you may feel relaxed, energised
and comfortable.
Gong does mean work
Although qigong is much milder exercise than
running, body building or gym machines, it is still exercise.
People forget this.
If your instructor spends the
lesson talking about 'qi', they are short-changing you. Let the
qi take care of itself and get on with the work.
Immune system
Your immune system grows stronger when you train qigong.
The common viruses, colds, flus and diseases that are making the rounds
often have little effect upon you.
Instead of a week in bed you have a sore throat and a runny nose for a
couple of days.
Students who train qigong every day seldom experience any of the 'bugs' that
are affecting everyone around them.
Their bodies are stronger and more resilient.
Everyone is different
The effects of qigong differ from person to person.
It depends what you eat, how often you exercise, how well
you perform the
qigong.
If your health is bad to start with, you have a lot further to go than
somebody who is already fairly healthy.
Persevere.
Psychological awareness
The mind can easily become rigid
and inflexible so it is important to make it supple
again. Qigong encourages the mind to become calm and
expansive, open and
receptive.
Everyday thoughts, worries and emotions soon
become evident.
Students learn to be aware
of what is taking place.
Meditation
To perform qigong correctly, the student must place their
attention on what they are doing.
They must concentrate fully.
This will be a challenge initially.
Emotional comfort
When you feel at ease with yourself,
it is easy to let-go and
relax.
For many people, this is very difficult.
Often, the first stage is just to feel comfortable around other people.
Postural tension
Everyday body usage involves a range of bad habits.
Work, confrontational situations, driving, using a mobile phone,
sports can cause the body to store tension
in the neck and spine.
The body needs to relax properly. Often the tension resides in the legs.
Hot hands
When doing qigong, your hands may become warm. This indicates improved blood
circulation.
They may also appear blotchy as the skin
breathes more
fully.
Varicose
veins
If you have varicose veins you should not
undertake standing (static) qigong for long periods of time. Perform
moving qigong instead.
Qigong in our school
All tai chi students practice qigong.
balancing fitness level qi rejuvenation strength types