08.09.08
Posted in Qigong at 1:11 pm by Dr. Pharm Tao
Qigong is actually a mind-body medicine. The effects of qigong on health promotion and disease healing have been proven by millions of people in thousands of years. Recent scientific studies have also demonstrated that qigong can benefit different organs in the human body.
For example, voluntary abdominal breathing (VAB) is an important part of Qigong practice. Studies have found that those who practiced VAB had a feeling of increased energy with reduced anxiety during and after the training. Qigong is beneficial for the health of nervous system. It can help one keep energetic with a more stable emotion. The electroencephalograph (EEG) studies have indicated that when qigong practice reaches a certain state, theta rhythm is shown. This feature is one of the normal EEG patterns during mental concentration.
In addition, the fluctuation of the peak amplitude in EEG is reduced during qigong practice. It has also been found that the EEG stability is enhanced and the ordering degree is improved. In the mean time, the rhythm of the frontal region of the brain is strengthened. Furthermore, responses to sensational stimulation are reduced during qigong practice.
In the process of qigong practice, the skin electrical potential of some acupuncture points is reduced. At the same time, the temperature rises at “Dantian (Elixir Field)” and some other regions of the body surface. When the tranquilization state is reached, the heart rate slows down. However, the volume of the ear lobe blood vessels increases. There is a negative correlation between the heart rate and the volume of the ear lobe blood vessels. In addition, the relaxation degree of the skeletal muscle is increased.
Qigong practice can increase the peristaltic frequency of the stomach and intestines. It can strengthen the contraction of these organs, and increase the secretion of gastric juice. During qigong training, the deep abdominal breathing can increase the diaphragmatic movement by three to four times.
Qigong can lower the blood pressure in hypertension patients. On the other hand, qigong practice can help raise the blood pressure in hypotension patients. For hypertension patients, qigong can reduce the peripheral resistance, and reduce the heart rate and blood pressure. It has opposite effects on hypotension patients. During qigong practice, the metabolic rate is lower than basal metabolic rate.
Qigong can help regulate the mind and body through benefiting internal organs, removing toxins, and enhancing the immune function. Recent studies have demonstrated that qigong can relieve chronic pain, reduce stress, enhance cardiopulmonary function, improve eyesight, and influence the index of blood biochemistry.
Resource:
How to Practice Qigong: The Basics and Principles
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Posted in Qigong at 1:07 pm by Dr. Pharm Tao
Qigong is different from other exercises. To get good effects from practicing qigong, the training should be done constantly and step-by-step. Here are some guidelines to be followed before, during, and after practicing qigong to accomplish good results.
Before practicing qigong, you should choose a quiet and peaceful place with proper light and fresh air. Avoid windy places. Do not practice at where there is thunder, storm, rain, or hail. Choose the right time for the practice, usually in the morning or at night.
For some types of qigong, appropriate facilities should be prepared, such as the bed, chair, or cushion with appropriate height and hardness. If necessary, go to the restroom before start practicing. The practitioner should wear loose-fitting and comfortable clothes, and flat-heel shoes.
If you feel tired or uncomfortable before the practice, you can do some self-massage on certain acupuncture points, or on local areas that feel uncomfortable. To get ready, stabilize your emotion, clear all chaotic thoughts, concentrate the mind, and be pleasant.
When start practicing, take a few deep breaths and relax. Breathe naturally, slowly, deeply, and smoothly. During the practice, if you have strange sensations of your body, do not get nervous, do not be frightened, and do not panic. Many of the sensations, such as feeling cold, warm, hot, or itching around certain areas, are normal responses of the body from qigong practice. Some of the sensations show that the practice has taken certain effects. However, do not seek such sensations either. No matter what your body feels, just stay calm. As you continue practicing, these sensations will disappear themselves automatically.
You can adjust your posture when necessary, or if the posture makes you feel uncomfortable. If the body feels tired when you practice dynamic or active qigong, you can breathe naturally and relax, or concentrate your mind on the Dantian (Elixir Field) area.
In case any accidents occur during your practice, do not get panic. You can regulate the breath and use the mind to guide qi back to the Dantian (Elixir Field) area. After inspecting the situation, you can decide to stop the training, or continue with the training if there is no danger to the body.
After qigong practice, you should use you mind to guide qi back to the Dantian (Elixir Field) area. Open your eyes slowly. If you were sitting down, you can now standup slowly and stretch the body. After finishing practicing static or tranquil qigong, you can do some self-massage on the body, or stretch your limbs. When one training session is finished, you should keep quiet for a moment before doing other things.
Resource:
How to Practice Qigong: The Basics and Principles
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Posted in Qigong at 1:01 pm by Dr. Pharm Tao
As an important method for health promotion and disease prevention, qigong practice is an integrative healing process for the mind and body. It is more than just a simple exercise and is quite different from other exercises such as aerobics or jogging. For achieving the harmony between yin and yang, and between the human body and nature, when to practice qigong is important. Practicing qigong at the right time can help improve the training quality.
For beginners, the time of qigong practice may be not as important as for those who have already reached certain levels. A practitioner can choose when to practice qigong according to living habits and during convenient time, such as in the morning after getting up, and at night before going to bed. Qigong training before sleep is especially helpful for reducing stress and improving sleep quality. However, do not practice qigong with an empty stomach or right after a full meal, otherwise the circulation of qi may be disturbed.
For those who have reached certain levels of practice, such as those who already have smooth circulation of qi, and those who are sensitive to qigong, choosing the right time is important for preventing the disturbance of qi. Time is also important to keep the balance between yin and yang, and to make advancement when qigong practice is in slow progress.
Some people can practice qigong during “six-yang-times.” During the six two-hour periods in a day from 11 P.M. to 11 A.M., yang increases and yang-qi rises in the body, while yin decreases. Practicing qigong during this time is helpful for improving yang-qi. For those suffering from the deficiency of yang, this time is appropriate to practice qigong.
Some people can practice qigong during “six-yin-times.” During the six two-hour periods in a day from 11 A.M. to 11 P.M., yin increases and yin-qi is getting rich in the body, while yang decreases. Training during this period is helpful for improving yin-qi. For those suffering from the deficiency of yin, this time is appropriate to practice qigong.
The time periods of sunrise and sunset during a day, i.e., the hours between 5 and 7 A.M. in the morning and between 5 and 7 P.M. in the evening, are also good for qigong practice. During these two periods of time, nature has great influence on the human body. Practicing qigong during these periods can help keep the balance between yin and yang.
However, when the weather is really bad, it is not appropriate to practice qigong. Here inappropriate weather includes storm or hail, thunderstorms, great heat, and solar and lunar eclipses.
Resource:
How to Practice Qigong: The Basics and Principles
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Posted in Qigong at 12:51 pm by Dr. Pharm Tao
Qigong practice can help one improve health and prevent diseases. To practice qigong well, appropriate training duration and degrees are important. According to some qigong classics, qigong training is somewhat similar to the forming of fire. Scattered and evaporated “fire” can become air. The accumulation of air or qi can turn into “fire.” Therefore a good practice of qigong is to “concentrate and accumulate the single qi to prevent the loss of the genuine and primary energy.”
When practicing qigong, every step has its own duration and can be changed according to the training condition. Moderate duration and degrees should be taken during different levels, stages, and turning points of practice.
To practice qigong well, the mind should be in a natural state without any forceful control. That is, do not try to remember anything or forget anything, and do not try to think of anything or not think of anything. The breath should be natural, slow, steady, slender, peaceful, and deep, allowing qi to be formed in a natural state without any forceful activities.
In addition, the posture should be natural and relaxed, gentle and soft, comfortable and appropriate. While practicing qigong, do not overdo, strain, or try too hard. These principles are important for making progress in qigong training.
To practice qigong well, it is also important to combine training and cultivation. Here “training” means using the mind to guide qi. “Cultivation” means the nourishment of the vigor and energy during and after the training. When practicing qigong, different kinds of mind-guiding methods can be used to achieve certain goals. This is what the qigong classics called “using vigorous breathing for training, using gentle breathing for cultivating and nourishing.”
For example, when one feels tired during active or dynamic qigong training, one can stop the movement and concentrate on the Dantian (Elixir Field) area instead. At the same time, one can adjust breathing to enrich qi quietly. Such alteration of training and cultivation, dynamically and statically, can improve the training quality.
To practice qigong well, the training should be done step-by-step with persistence. Qigong practitioners should follow the instructions carefully without any eagerness. Eagerness will make one impossible to relax or to enter the tranquilization state. Qigong is a process of self-inspection and self-perception. In qigong practice, it is impossible for one to reach a very high level in one night. High levels of qigong practice can be achieved only through following the instructions and the principles, and through consistent practice.
Resource:
How to Practice Qigong: The Basics and Principles
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