Qigong Healing Arts

Qigong Research Updates on Fibromyalgia, Stress and Tinnitus

Posted on October 15, 2010 by admin

: Image via Wikipedia

Here are some results of recently published works of studies relating to the use of qigong exercises and meditation for improving fibromyalgia, stress and tinnitus. If you are interested in the use of qigong therapy for improving health conditions, join the Yahoo! group “qiresearch” to get this information. There is more helpful information in the qiresearch reports regarding other research studies as well. Here are highlights of current research on these three health conditions:

1. Fibromyagia – Training in classical Tai Chi was compared with a control group that received wellness education and stretching exercises. The results showed a greater than 18% reduction in fibromyalgia impact as measured by the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire.

2. Stress - Meditative movement qigong exercises were compared to a control group in a student population. Self-reported scores for well being and stress showed that the students who practiced qigong remained stable during the semester, while the control group’s levels of stress increased and feeling of well being decreased.

3. Tinnitus – In this study, half of the patients where given 10 qigong training sessions over 5 weeks, and the control group was had no such training. For the qigong groups, there was a significant reduction in both the scores for the VAS (visual analogue scale) and a tinnitus questionnaire (TBF-12). The positive effects were most pronounced in a subgroup that had somatosensoric tinnitus.

Posted in Qigong Breathing, Qigong Exercises, Taoist Meditation | Tagged Alternative, fibromyalgia, health, qigong, Scientific control, stress, Stress (biology), students, Tai chi chuan, tinnitus, well being | 1 Comment

Natural Asthma Relief from Qigong Exercises

Posted on October 2, 2010 by admin

The primary reason that I began practicing qigong exercises and meditation methods was to help in the prevention of asthma. My experience, as given in the account below, has shown me that it is a very powerful form of natural asthma relief.

I started experiencing symptoms in my mid-30s. After being hospitalized for a severe episode during the early 90s, I knew that something had to change in my life. I began investigating ways that people had used to help heal from asthma. Some books that I read suggested meditation. However, there was one book that really captivated my imagination, Bruce Frantzis’ Opening the Energy Gates of Your Body: Chi Gung for Lifelong Health. That book inspired me to embark on an almost 20-year journey into the use of Taoist methods of healing. I have reviewed asptects of that book on nei gong practices in an earlier post, so I won’t do that again, but I would like to share with you some aspects of using both nei gong and qigong that have helped me keep asthma at bay.

There are differences between nei gong and qigong exercises. Qigong, in many cases, involves the coordination of the breath with the movements. The inhalations are coordinated with the upwards or outwards movements of the arms and torso, while exhalations are done during downwards or inwards movements. Click to read more

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Posted in Qigong Breathing, Qigong Exercises, Taoist Meditation | Tagged Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine, Alternative, Asthma, Bruce Frantzis, chi, energy, healing, health, hypertension, meditation, qi, qigong, relaxation | 4 Comments

Shared Items for Taoist Meditation- Sept. 16, 2010

Posted on September 15, 2010 by admin

: Zhan Zhuang in Israel during World Tai Chi Day 2010

Here are some items that I am making available that support the content and intent of healing using qigong methods. In the future, there will be monthly updates for these shared items to provide readers with more inspirational thoughts about Taoism, meditation and improving health using qigong exercises. These items can also be found on the Google Reader website for Qigong Healing Google Reader Shared Items if you wish to directly subscribe to that feed.

The heart of Tao
March 26, 2010
A short, but useful reminder of the need for peacefulness of mind during the practice of Taoist meditation methods.

Inside Zhan Zhuang
July 15, 2010
A link to a YouTube video by Marc S. Cohen on allowing the energy to go down so it can reciprocate and go up the body while doing standing meditation. There is an interesting demonstration of the movement of energy to another person at the end.

Posted in Qigong Breathing, Qigong Exercises, Taoist Meditation | Tagged Alternative, chi kung, exercises, healing, health, meditation, qi gong, qigong, Tao, taoism | 1 Comment

Grounding Standing Qigong Exercise for Healers

Posted on September 7, 2010 by admin

Standing and rooting like a tree, or standing qigong (zhan zhuang) has been used for centuries for developing grounding in the practice of Chinese martial arts. It also has a corresponding application in the healing arts as well. The following practice will help you do that by improving your ability to work with energy in treatment sessions.

Standing Qigong Posture

The first thing that you do is you place your feet at shoulder’s width apart, with booth feet parallel. (If you have lower back pain or blockages, pointing the toes inward a little will help open it up.) Don’t lock your knees, that is, keep them bent a little but don’t let the knee caps extend any further forward than your toes. Relax the muscles in feet, ankles, knees and hips. Allow the arms to rest comfortably at your sides and allow your armpits to relax and open. One of the ways to open the armpits is to turn the palms so they are facing backward.

Relaxation is Essential for Grounding

Qi doesn’t flow through tense muscles, so follow this muscle relaxation sequence to help release tension. Relax the chest and belly, and place the tip of the tongue on the upper palate behind the teeth. The tongue placement connects the central channel extraordinary meridian (Du Mai) that goes up the back and over the top of the head with the meridian (Ren Mai) that goes down the front of the body and back down to the point between the genitals and the anus.

Breathe naturally, allowing the belly to expand outward on the inbreath and move inward on the exhale. Allow the hips to sink and move the coccyx (tailbone) forward a little. Some recommend using the imagery of having a weight hanging from the coccyx to help it relax downward and gain a feeling of sinking. (Relaxing it downward is better than forcing it into the down position.) Another image to use is the imagining that you are sitting on an imaginary balloon and that it is providing all of the support that is needed to maintain this posture. Click to read more

Posted in Medical Qigong Healing, Qigong Exercises, Taoist Meditation | Tagged Abdomen, Alternative, Body, breath, breathe, breathing, energies, energy, Energy Healing, grounding, health, Practitioners, qigong, rooting, Therapeutic Touch | Leave a comment

Qigong Practice Advice to Keep You On Track

Posted on August 29, 2010 by admin

Qigong practice* can cause disturbances in people who either don’t practice properly, have little supervision and/or don’t have a good internal sense of balance between play and work. There are other factors that also can cause energetic imbalances. These imbalance are called “Qi Deviations” or zouhuo rumo. It is because of this possibility that I am listing practice pointers that should be observed:

1. Avoid practice during times or places where there are a lot of disturbances: phones, doorbells, outside noises. If you can practice before the family arises early in the morning or late in the evening before you go to bed, that will help you avoid these disturbances and allow a tranquil practice period.

2. Practice with a master who can observe your performance of movements and your posture so he can correct any imbalances or incorrect alignments.

3. Do not overdo practice. Practicing for hours at a time is not recommended for beginners. Your body is not ready for the energy. Also, if you sense of play is not a part of your practice, relax, let go and enjoy the time you spend during its performance.

4. Don’t overdo or force your concentration. Your intent is important, but forceful use of concentration is counterproductive and can have unintended effects. Using the mind too much can cause the qi to move upward from the lower dantien. Gently use the mind. Excessive visualization is not recommended. I like the advice used centering prayer practice (a meditation practice that I know) by the Catholic monk, Father Keating, where he advises use of self-humor when bringing back the attention – be able to laugh at yourself and softly return your intention back to your center.

5. Avoid improper breathing techniques. As with your concentration, gentleness and even breathing on the exhale and inhale will foster deep relaxation. Imbalanced breathing methods are not recommended and can reinforce imbalances in your breathing patterns that you already have.

6. Don’t practice when you are emotionally upset. If are going through a difficult period with anxiety or depression, avoid practice. Practice when you are feeling better.

7. Diet and Eating. Eat a balanced diet and don’t eat for an hour or so before practice. If you do need something, have a light snack to help settle the stomach. For general eating advice, it is better not to eat heavy meals often. Lighter, more frequent meals are best.

8. Get adequate rest. Your body does a lot of work while you are resting to help heal the body.

9. Choose a Daily Practice. There are several advantages of doing a daily practice that can keep you on track and avoid deviations. First, you don’t have to think about what you are doing. This will help you maintain internal awareness and tranquility. Second, it helps reinforce muscle memory and it gives you a set point for checking in with yourself. For more information in this regard, see Choosing a Daily Qigong Exercise

*Imbalances can occur in other practices, like yoga and other meditation traditions, which are done without proper supervision.

Posted in Qigong Breathing, Qigong Exercises, Qigong philosophy, Taoist Meditation | Tagged advice, Alternative, anxiety, balance, breath, breathing, chi, Deviations, healing, health, intent, kung, master, Meditation taoist, methods, Muscle memory, practice, precautions, qi, Qigong Breathing, recommendations, Taoist, teacher, tranquility, Yoga | Leave a comment

Podcast Feed for Qigong Healing Arts Posts

Posted on August 22, 2010 by admin

My Podcast Alley feed! {pca-cf62cc806231fd2678a7af37f26b0066}

Personally, I cringe a bit with some of the mis-pronunciations of the Chinese words, but take that with a grain of salt if you can. The information is still there.

Posted in Qigong Healing Arts Info | Tagged audio, information, ITunes, listen, Podcast, qigong healing | Leave a comment

Qigong Healing by Distance and Energy Field Manipulation

Posted on August 21, 2010 by admin

In order to recover from medical disorders, if you can find someone who teaches qigong and is also capable of qigong healing, the journey to healing can be faster. An experienced teacher is capable of much more than teaching movement forms and meditations – they should also be capable of sensing energetic blockages and helping you remove them.

Through your experience with your teacher, you may become aware of that they have these abilities. This blog entry discusses, in general terms, the way in which qigong teachers, who are also healers, can effect healing by distance and energy field manipulation.

Your teacher may not demonstrate this ability, even though they may have it. In some cases they may be testing your commitment to healing and change that is needed for health improvement. They will know if you are committed in your practice by how you practice and how your energy develops. So, if you demonstrate progress (which requires regular practice) the trust that the teacher has in you will more than likely increase and he or she may share their abilities with you to help you heal.

Distance Healing with Qigong

You will find on the web some people who offer distance healing qigong. I don’t want to throw water on this offering, because my belief and experience does extend to this as a possibility. I believe in the power of Christian prayer and that qigong healers can tap into this same source of healing. Being able to tap into the zero-point energy field, which is theorized in quantum physics, is believed to be that source. Dr. Jerry Alan Johnson discusses distance healing methods in his book on Medical Qigong. Part of the training to become a medical qigong doctor at his school includes energy field manipulation methods. Some qigong teachers may have this advanced gift as well. But use of caution for internet offers for distance qigong healing.

Qigong Healing by Manipulation of the Energy Field

In acupuncture, the needles are placed on energy points that help drain, or dissolve blockages that you may have in your body. The needles are usually placed in patterns to help move the energy out towards your extremities, your hands or feet. The same thing can be done by a healer without needles by working with the edge of your first etheric field, which is located at about a fist’s distance from your body. In Jin Shin Do acupressure, practitioners move down the channels though the extraordinary channels to help lead the chi outward. However, Jin Shin Do uses direct physical contact as does acupuncture methods.

Qigong healers can sense the edge of your energetic field with the lao gong point in the center of the palm of the hand. Once the healer contacts the field where there is blocked or deficient energy, they will notice the site by their energy sensitivity at the lao gong. There are specific hand and finger manipulations that can be done to both tonify weak areas and drain areas that have excess energy.

Qigong Exercise Practice Reinforces Healing

: Image via Wikipedia

As I have said previously in this blog and in other blog entries, your commitment to regular practice is a very important aspect of recovery from illness. Qigong exercises and meditation practices help you overcome unhealthful habits and movement patterns so you can move beyond the constraints that may keep you in an unhealthy state or predispose you to disease. But, there is one caveat, the element known as “te,” or virtue. As defined from the classic meaning of the term it can represent “personal character”, “inner strength”, or “integrity.” This term or concept is something that one may have in various degrees and can be a deciding factor in the rate and success of healing. In this regards, a fusion of your intention (will) and self-compassion will go a long way toward facilitating progress. If you have these factors in your practice, you will be on your way to optimum health in your energy cultivation.

Posted in Medical Qigong Healing, Qigong Exercises | Tagged Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine, Alternative, chi, disease, energy, Energy Healing, health, human energy field, Instruction, intent, intention, Jerry Alan Johnson, qigong, recovery, recuperation, te, virtue | 1 Comment

The Timing, Location and Music for Qigong Meditation and Exercise Practices

Posted on August 14, 2010 by admin

Cover of Enya - Amarantine (Songbook)

Qigong meditation and exercises require concentration and focusing of your intent. In order to help you in that regard, there are several things that can help you. These are the timing of practice, where you choose to do it and the music you listen to. If all of these factors are optimal, you can do to make your practice time more effective.

Avoid Distractions and Practice When the Energy is the Most Beneficial for Healing

If you can get up early in the morning to do your practice, this is the best time to meditate. Energetically speaking, it is the best time for your body to benefit. Also, if you have a family, you will not be distracted by their activities at this time and you can focus on yourself. External interruptions can lure your attention away from your attention as to how your practice is going. If you have to practice at a time when your family is active, ask them to respect your time for practice, giving you time to practice effectively. If may also help to have a special room where you practice, a room that is not located near where daily activities of your family occur. Make this room a comfortable sanctuary for practice.

Remember that in Taoist meditation, you really are working on and developing an internal awareness of your body and its energies. As you progress in your practice, you may be able to practice under situations that have more distractions. Maintain your “sung.”

Meditation Music

Music that doesn’t have words can help you focus and go beyond external distractions. There are many CD’s and individual track that people use for stress relief music and are also are suitable for qigong practice. A few recommended tracks, artists and full CDs are listed below. Also check out this link for an inexpensive 30-minute binaural piece (only 99 cents): Probably The Best Music For Relaxation and Meditation. There is also another source for binaural meditation music – The Unexplained Store, and a video that has that music is featured below. Note, however, for binaural music you need to have your earphones on for it to work its magic.

watch?v=twm1cAEWb8w&feature=player_embedded#at=284

Classical Music:
Paul Schwartz – Misere – 6 min, performed by David Visan
Felix Mendelsson – A Midsummers Night Dream, 6 min
Gabriel Fabre – Pavane, op. 50, 10 min
Gustav Mahler – Adagietto, symphony no. 5 in C sharp minor, 10 min, 6 min
Jules Massenet – Meditation – Thais, 5 min
Mozart – Adagio, Clarinet Concerto in A major, KV 622, 7 min
Pietro Mascgni – Intermezzo – Cavalleria Rusticana, 3 min

Electronica, flute and mixes:
Inner Dance – Dr. Jeffrey Thompson (60 min)
Lux – Northern Light, 5 min
Mari Boine – Gula Gula (Chilluminati Mix), electronic with chanting, 4 min
Midori – Bonsai Garden
(Tibetan) Chakra Chants by Jonathan Goldman
Cat with Seven Toes – Ancestral Voices, flute/electronica, Native American
Enya – Amarantine CD
Tim Story – The Lure of Silence, 5 min

Takes from the Soul of the Machine CD
:
Bonnie Herman, etc. – Time and the River, 4 min (good one for finishing practice)
Colin Chin – Ayers Rock, 6 min
Michael Whiteley – Water Trade
Richard Shonerz, Shido – Peace of Mind (piano/electronic)
RoyFinch – Shadows of the Earth
Scott Hitzik, etc –Chorale

You can make your own mix using the cuts for putting together a music session to the length and style that suits your practice. It can help to have a set that you are familiar with so you can emerge from your meditation within the time frame you have available for practice.

Posted in Qigong Breathing, Qigong Exercises, Taoist Meditation | Tagged Cavalleria Rusticana, CD, Clarinet Concerto, enya, Enya - Amarantine, exercise, Gustav Mahler, jeffrey thompson, Jonathan Goldman, Jules Massenet, mahler, Mari Boine, meditation, music, Paul Schwartz, qi, qigong, qigong healing, qigong music, relaxation, stress relief, sung, tai chi music, taoism, Taoist, toaism | 2 Comments

Effects of Qigong Meditation and Exercises on Hypertension (High Blood Pressure)

Posted on August 1, 2010 by admin

Research trials (references given below) have established the benefits of qigong meditation and qigong exercises (like Tai Chi and Ba Juan Din) for helping those who have hypertension. These practices offer an energy healing therapy similar to that which results from meditation practices in other traditions (mindfulness, mantras, etc). Studies have also indicated that it is also possible for practitioners to experience a decrease in serum cholesterol and improvement of cognitive perception.

Meditation is a foundational method for calming the nervous system. Smoothing of the functioning of the nervous system results in multiple benefits for one’s metabolism, including: lowered blood pressure, a reduction of the heart rate, a slower metabolism and less stress hormones. There is a switching from the autonomic nervous system (fight-or-flight) to the parasympathetic nervous system. With regular practice, these changes can become the natural state of your physiology and being. Relaxed awareness can become a part of your everyday being and can serve you better than a nervous awareness that depends on adrenal hormones of the autonomic nervous system. Click to read more

Posted in Qigong Exercises, Taoist Meditation | Tagged alta presion, calming, excess yang, exercise, garlic, high blood pressure, hypertension, lowering, meditation, qigong, Qigong Breathing, reduction, taoism, Taoist, toaism, tranquility | 2 Comments

Qigong Breathing Meditation – Following The Breath

Posted on July 22, 2010 by admin

“Following the breath” is an introductory qigong breathing meditation practice that will help you achieve a tranquil breath and it will help quiet the monkey mind. With regular practice, this for of mindfulness meditation can help lower high blood pressure and reduce stress. There are many other health conditions that improve with regular meditation practice, particularly autoimmune disorders. Do this practice in the morning when you get up, during the middle of the day (if you have time) and before you go to bed. The duration of the practice should be at least 15 minutes to get the health benefits. Some teachers recommend 20 minutes or more per sitting. You can use a timer to help you to determine when to stop the practice.

Meditation Posture
No, you don’t have to sitting in an uncomfortable yoga posture to do Taoist meditation, although some do. I don’t recommend it as it can cut off the circulation in your legs. In this Taoist sitting posture, the buttocks are placed on the forward 1/3 of the chair and the spine is erect and is lengthened from the waist up. There is a slight tuck of the hips forward. The head is held as if suspended by a wire from the heavens above, and it is tilted slightly downward to help open up the occipital region at the top of the spine where the head connects. The feet are placed parallel on the floor directly below the knees. The hands can either rest on the thighs, palms down, or they can be folded palms up in the lap. Click to read more

Posted in Qigong Breathing, Taoist Meditation | Tagged Alternative, anxiety, blood pressure, breath, breathing, health, hypertension, meditation, Mindfulness (Buddhism), Qigong Breathing, qigong meditation, simple, stress, Taoist Meditation | 6 Comments

Qigong Healing Arts

Qigong Research Updates on Fibromyalgia, Stress and Tinnitus

Natural Asthma Relief from Qigong Exercises

Shared Items for Taoist Meditation- Sept. 16, 2010

Grounding Standing Qigong Exercise for Healers

Qigong Practice Advice to Keep You On Track

Podcast Feed for Qigong Healing Arts Posts

Qigong Healing by Distance and Energy Field Manipulation

The Timing, Location and Music for Qigong Meditation and Exercise Practices

Effects of Qigong Meditation and Exercises on Hypertension (High Blood Pressure)

Qigong Breathing Meditation – Following The Breath

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