WHAT
IS QIGONG?
By Kenneth S. Cohen
We live in a field of qi, "vital breath" or "life
energy." Yet, like a fish in water or a bird in flight,
we are unaware of the medium that supports us. Qigong means
"working with the qi." It is the ancient Chinese
art and science of becoming aware of this life energy and
learning how to control its flow through a precise choreography
of posture, movement, respiratory technique, and meditation.
Like biofeedback, qigong teaches psychophysiological self-regulation;
the student becomes aware of bodily functions conventionally
considered involuntary-- blood pressure, respiratory rate,
even the flow of blood and nutrients to internal organs--
and learns to restore a healthier balance. However, unlike
biofeedback, no technical devices are needed. Qigong is one
of the most cost-effective self-healing methods in the world.
The only investment needed is time, a half-hour to an hour
each day; the dividends of better health, increased vitality,
and peaceful alertness accrue daily and are cumulative.
Qigong is like a great river fed by four major tributaries:
shamanism, spirituality, medicine, and martial arts:
1. Shamanism:
An ancient text, The Spring and Autumn Annals, states that
in mythic times a great flood covered much of China. Stagnant
waters produced widespread disease. The legendary shaman-emperor
Yu cleared the land and diverted the waters into rivers by
dancing a bear dance and invoking the mystical power of the
Big Dipper Constellation. As the waters subsided, people
reasoned that movement and exercise can similarly cause the
internal rivers to flow more smoothly, clearing the meridians
of obstructions to health. Qigong-like exercises are found
on ancient rock art panels throughout China. Chinese shamans
used these exercises and meditations to commune with nature
and natural forces and to increase their powers of healing
and divination.
2. Spirituality (Taoism and Buddhism):
A. Taoism. Qigong philosophy and techniques are mentioned
in the classic of Taoist philosophy, the Dao De Jing, written
in the fourth century B.C. "By concentrating the qi
and making your body supple, can you become like a child?"
Qigong was the ideal way for Taoists to realize their goal
of wuji, an empty, alert, boundless state of consciousness,
and xing ming shuang xiu, "spirit and body cultivated
in balance." Taoists and qigong practitioners were both
looking for a harmony of yin and yang: inside and outside,
earthly and spiritual, stillness and activity. The majority
of works on qigong are still found among the approximately
1,100 texts in the Taoist Canon.
B. Buddhism. The Buddhist emphasis on tranquillity, awareness,
and diligent practice are part of qigong. Several styles
of qigong were developed by Buddhists who needed an exercise
and healing system to complement their lengthy seated meditations.
3. Medicine:
Chinese medicine includes acupuncture, herbalism, massage,
diet, and qigong. Qigong is the preventive and self-healing
aspect of Chinese medicine and was used in the past, as today,
to teach patients how to improve their own health. The major
early text on qigong is the Dao-yin Tu "Dao-yin Illustrations"
(168 B.C.). Dao-yin is an ancient word for qigong. This work
contains illustrations of forty-four qigong postures prescribed
by ancient Chinese doctors to cure specific ailments. The
patriarch of Chinese medicine, Hua Tuo (second century A.D.)
was one of the great early qigong masters. His "Five
Animal Frolics" imitate the movements of the Crane,
Bear, Monkey, Deer, and Tiger and are still practiced today.
Hua Tuo said that just as a door hinge will not rust if it
is used, so the body will attain health by gently moving
and exercising all of the limbs.
4. Martial Arts:
Qigong practice can improve performance in the martial arts
or any other sport. Chinese martial artists designed or helped
to improve many qigong techniques as they looked for ways
to increase speed, stamina, and power, improve balance, flexibility,
and coordination, and condition the body against injury.
Qigong was a major influence on the development of western
gymnastics, thanks to Jesuit P. M. Cibot's 1779 illustrated
French translation of Taoist qigong texts: Notice du Cong-fou
[Kung-fu] des Bonzes Tao-see [Taoist priests]. Cibot's descriptions
inspired Per Henrik Ling (1776-1839) to create the first
school of modern gymnastics in Sweden.
You can see why it is hard to find a simple definition for
such a comprehensive system of mental and physical development.
Qigong is a spiritual practice with roots in shamanism and
Taoism. It is a powerful method of self-healing and a warm-up
for any sport. It includes both exercise and meditation.
Qigong is practiced by more than 80 million Chinese people
and probably by tens of thousands in the United States and
Europe. Qigong has been rigorously tested in controlled scientific
experiments and clinical trials and is often used as an adjunct
to conventional allopathic medical treatment. Hypertensive
patients who take medication and practice qigong fare better
than controls who only take the medication. Similarly, there
is solid evidence that qigong can improve immune function
and mental health, and prevent disabilities that come with
age. Qigong acts like Vitamin C, increasing the activity
of an enzyme that helps to deactivate free radicals, highly
reactive chemicals that promote tissue degeneration and loss
of memory. In 1995 the Journal of the American Medical Association
published evidence that Taiji Quan, a form of qigong, is
effective at preventing loss of balance and falling injuries
among the elderly. Researchers at Johns Hopkins School of
Medicine confirm that Taiji Quan works like aerobics at reducing
high blood pressure.
There are thousands of styles of qigong. Some are designed
for general health and well-being and may be practiced every
day for a lifetime. Others are therapeutic and targeted to
cure specific problems. Qigong techniques are suitable for
men and women, young and old, athletes and sedentary, and
for the disabled. All styles are based on similar principles:
relaxed, rooted posture; straight, supple spine; diaphragmatic
respiration-- the abdomen expanding on inhalation, retracting
on exhalation; fluid movements without excess effort; and
tranquil awareness.
Quality is more important than quantity. Students are advised
to learn one or two qigong styles that are enjoyable and
effective. Finding a qigong lao-shi, qigong teacher, is not
an easy task. Although qigong is popular, the training is
not standardized-- I do not believe that it can or should
be-- and both quality and qualifications can vary immensely
from teacher to teacher. There are unfortunately too many
con-artists, charlatans, and magicians among our ranks, trying
to impress the public with stunts of allegedly supernatural
qi-power such as pushing objects without touching them. Students
should apply the same standards of professional excellence
to qigong teachers that they would apply to teachers of any
other subject. A qigong lao-shi should be humble and compassionate
and open to questioning and dialogue. He or she has not arrived
at a final goal, but is rather on a never-ending quest for
expanded potential and deeper understanding.
|
|
