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Healing Through Qigong - The Art Of
Breathing
The word ‘Qigong’ is made up of the two words ‘Qi’ (meaning
breath or gas in Mandarin) and ‘Gong’ (meaning technique or
work). Thus Qigong basically means ‘breath work’. Qigong,
therefore, is a technique of traditional Chinese medicine
involving the regulation and coordination of breathing patterns
to ensure good health.
Qigong is believed to be the result of decades of struggle by
the Chinese people for survival.
It was noticed that certain breathing techniques used in
conjunction with mental concentration greatly improved bodily
functions. Qigong has also borrowed heavily from Taoism and
Buddhism. Thus religion and spirituality plays a very important
role in Qigong techniques. Some forms of Qigong even believe
that an individual can attain higher levels of accomplishment
only if he is very virtuous.
Traditional Chinese medicine operates on a simple but effective
premise - that of ‘Chi’. Chi is the energy or life force that
travels through the human body and suffuses all our organs with
health and well being. When this flow is blocked or disturbed,
there is a disturbance within the system that manifests itself
as a disease. According to tradition, all that a doctor has to
do to restore good health is to analyze the reasons for the
block and to take measures to facilitate the free flow of
energy once again.
Qigong teaches an individual to live in such a way that the
free flow of energy happens always, so that he is free from
diseases. As the two words indicate, Qigong deals with the
manipulation of breath to achieve and maintain robust health.
This art has found a strong role in the martial arts of ancient
China where people had to mobilize energy and stamina in
coordination with the physical act of breathing.
This Chinese healing art is an effective form of alternative
medicine that uses a series of gentle focused exercises to
coordinate the mind and the body. It is believed that most
people use only a small portion of the energy within them. Most
people get sick because they do not breathe properly. These two
facts have been juxtaposed in Qigong, where proper breathing
helps bring good health. As such, Qigong is mostly taught for
health maintenance purposes. But rarely the doctor also uses
Qigong for therapeutic purposes.
In the modern world, millions of people all around the world
practice Qigong for maintaining their good health. Qigong and
other related arts are still associated with meditation and
martial arts. But as opposed to the past, these people are no
longer the sole custodians of the intricate techniques involved
in Qigong. These techniques have become so popular now that
medical Qigong has been officially recognized as a medical
technique in China.
The practice of Qigong began nearly 5,000 years ago. Today
there are almost 3,000 forms of Qigong. Tai Chi is just one of
the more popular forms.
Western medicine accepts that Qigong can improve the overall
health and vitality of a person. But the religious connotations
that are lying just below the surface have often proved to be a
matter of controversy. But there are no two opinions regarding
the level of effectiveness of this
practice.
Alternative Holistic Medicine
by Eric Cho - 8/24/08
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Alternative Holistic Medicine
Source: http://www.isnare.com
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