Improve quality of life with daily Qi Gong

“By practicing Qi Gong, one can turn Jin (essence of life) into Qi, then Qi into Spirit. So for Qi Gong masters, the three levels are very concrete. For people who do not practice Qi Gong or some form of meditation, these three levels of existence—Jin, Qi and Spirit may be hard to understand.” --- Dr. Shui Yin Lo, The Biophysics Basis For Acupuncture And Health

Conserving energy has become a reasonable concern for the environment and the individual as we work collectively to reduce our unnecessary consumption of non renewable resources. Within the microcosm of this conservation ethic comes about the understanding that personal habits do indeed matter. Cultivating and maintaining personal energy is one of the most important practices to staying balanced in an increasingly complicated society. The market is inundated with products and services to help us minimize our ‘stress’ though the answer is often not endogenous. Our perception of the world around us shifts along with us into alignment as we tune into the capacity of our intentions with breath and movement. The daily tuning provided by having more organized and focused energy can be a lifelong technique for developing a calm mind, a healthy body and thriving spirit. Qi gong is a simple measure one can take to improve the quality of their life and bring into harmony all surrounding phenomenon.

Wellbeing can be defined in many ways. Qi gong allows the extraordinary capacity to increase sensitivities to energy, and heighten awareness. Very much like perambulatory motion, your physical body is meant to move in certain ways. Walking and riding a bike become easy once you learn how to. Tai Ji and Qi Gong and other martial forms are no different. Programming these movements into your subconscious allow numerous benefits.

Qi gong doesn’t require a huge financial investment or a lot of tools. All you need is your focused attention and your breath. A good teacher is important to help you develop the confidence that you can perform the exercises correctly on your own and motivate you to continue. Other workouts may require special equipment or machines. Various meditation practices can also encourage body awareness, and taming of the mind. Regardless of the technique, the first step is committing to a little each day. A valuable tool to help me understand the importance of adding qi gong, or other practices to my daily regimen is recognizing how my energy feels when I have completed a set. Checking in with my energy level throughout the day becomes second nature after a while. Sensing how distinctly different my body may feel, and how my mind is calm and clear is enough to convince me to keep at it. My energy is replenished and I am more productive. Though every individual benefits differently, I do not exaggerate when I say all can and will benefit.

Health is optimal when an individual has adequate energy. Qi Gong helps stabilize energy and nourish the various organ systems and anatomical structures. Energy systems beyond this can include the meridians and chakras. The basic premise for a lot of the practices is simple. Breathe and move smoothly. A teacher of mine once told me you can determine a person’s age by their flexibility. This is absolutely true. “Flexibility implies a continual adaptation while preserving or recreating a pattern of balance. This holds at all levels, from the biological system, to mental outlook, to personal relationships, to ones relationship to the world, and ultimately ones spiritual being. (Shui Yin Lo, pg. 90)”

Expressed in manifestations of spatial arrangements and proper alignment, Qi Gong and Tai Ji forms are about returning to tradition, natural rhythms and simplicity.
Qi gongs gentle movement exercises are refreshing in a no pain no gain dominated paradigm. Many of us move too fast running on empty for too long, and think this is normal. In traditional Chinese theory it is advised to exercise to the point of sweating and then to stop. Training your body to work more efficiently, by relaxing muscles that aren’t required and minimizing the impact stress has on your life; you do actually increase your metabolic capacity. Greater strength and muscle tone will naturally develop along with a heightened awareness of the space around you.
Balance in all aspects can be achieved with a daily Qi Gong practice. The exercise will begin to leak into your daily activities. Refining your awareness for the ordinary creates energy reserves. Needless expenditures of energy, emotional or physical are minimized as we become more aware. Stress has become an overused term, and no one is immune from fight or flight syndrome. By promoting maximum efficiency with movement and reactions, it becomes second nature to relax what is not necessary to utilize and respond gracefully to stressful circumstance. Our circadian activities that require little or not thought could benefit from the assistance. Whether it be blinking, movement or digestion and resting, when our bodies are working more effectively at doing what they must do, we will be clearer to do the things we want to do. Productivity is increased and our lives are more fulfilled. When energy is flowing as it should, better circulation is possible.
Circulation is possible with Qi. Emotions are movements of Qi and pain results when there is not free flow. Qi helps the blood stay warm and do what it needs to do. Performing regular exercise routines helps program your natural rhythms into your central nervous system. With the awareness received here, with what “normal” feels like, you have the capacity to be your own doctor. Sensing blockages where they exist before they cause pathology is possible.

Having body awareness is critical when learning to shift habits of stress. Behavioral patterns can influence or hinder our ability to heal. All of life is our experience and reactions. Our lifestyle indicates how we handle difficult situations. It is possible to have programmed ways of dealing with energy. Our excesses and deficiencies can be noted and worked with. A simple exercise routine adds to our experience of life as we know it. Practicing Qi Gong allows the body to adapt more effectively to stress or other circumstances. Cultivation exercises such as Qi Gong and Tai Ji enable people to work at their optimum, transform adversity, feel energized, and be more productive all leading toward healthier communities and ultimately a happy planet. As we work mindfully to conserve our energy, our livelihood increases and our life becomes more meaningful and enjoyable.