Qi Gong - What ?
Qi Gong - A beautiful way of obtaining a better physical and mental health
Qi Gong - Chinese origins
Qi Gong could be described as chinese energetic yoga. During a Qi Gong practice we make slow but precise circular movements with out body, mainly out of a standing position.
QI = ‘Life Energy’
GONG = ‘To work with’
Thus Qi Gong is working with our life energy, our “QI”. By doing these exercises, we make our energy flow through our meridians (these are the energy canals in our body). The easier this energy can circulate through our body, the better our health and the longer our healthy life. With the Qi Gong exercises we taken away any potential of existing blockages that would prevent a fluent streaming of this energy.
Qi Gong is part of the Traditional Chinese Medecin and ages over 3000 years. Qi Gong is a Taoist practice, founded bij the big Taoist master Lao Zi (°600 AC )
Qi Gong connects our movements to our inner organs, to the 5 element and to the different seasons, in order to obtain a balanced life at any time of year.
A good balance = a beautiful life
Qi Gong : guided by the 3 “Masters” :
The Emperor : Consciousness. Execution of the Qi Gong movements must be done in complete consciousness. This means full concentration and full attention. During early practice, this concentration often is present, because of the precision we want to apply to the movements. But even when we start to embody the movements, it remains equally important to keep this mental focus on the movements and the inner self. A movement executed without attention and focus has only 40% of the value of a movement executed with full consciousness.
The Minister : Breathing. We breath in synchronicity with our movements. Breathing brings in the Yin Energy in the body, and leads this energy, through the meridians to the organ(s) we want to stimulate or ease. In a sense the exhalation is even more important tha, the inhalation, as the exhalation is a mirror of our capacity to let go, to surrender. In our exhalation lies our self worthiness, our faith, faith in eternity, our sense for expansion, rest and internal peace. It is not necessary to take, in order to be able to give.
The worker : Movement, meaning the work the muscles exercise to allow the body to take on certain positions. Althought expectations are to execute the well thought through movements as accurately as possible, it is highly important to do this work within the limits of the capabilities of your own body, with full respect for your physical condition and vertebral mobility. This way, it is perfectly possible to practice Qi Gong at all ages and any counterindications are extremely rare or not existing. However, regularity is key to obtain good benefits.
Qi Gong enhances the control and flexibility in our body, and thus in our lives.
Qi Gong = Tai Chi?
Though both are cousins, they are not identical. Tai Chi is a branch of Qi Gong, invented to calm and ground the chinese fighters at the return of their battles. Tai Chi is an autodefensive martial art, while Qi Gong is purely pacifistic and a preventive part of Chinese Medecin. Tai Chi was installed about 800 years ago, Qi Gong more than 3000, according to some more than 5000 years ago.
Qi Gong movements are more calm and more static than these of Tai Chi. Some practitioners of both arts indicate that Tai Chi exercises are often composed of a chain of different movements, which could be more challenging for our memory.
Nevertheless, both practices, Qi Gong and Tai Chi, aim for the same : to be able to control and better connect with our inner forces and strenght.
Qi Gong is enjoyable, beneficial and accessible to all ages