There is stress in the world all around us – financial worries over the economy, fears over global political instability, as well as concerns about the environment and the safety of our food and water. Even if they are not directly focused on these stressors, many people are impacted by the negative energies that come from other people’s worries and concerns.
Stress is the result of how the body interprets messages. For many, these disruptive energetic vibrations related to stress are very erratic, and cause some degree of disorientation and uncertainty. People under stress may feel lost, not certain where they are in their lives, or where they should be headed. Unresolved feelings like these can cause emotional and physical health problems. In fact, studies have shown that various types of chronic stress are linked to a greater risk of heart disease and heart attacks.
Chronic stress can cause problems by elevating levels of adrenalin and adrenal steroid hormones. One homeopathic paper compared adrenalin arousal to “leaving a car engine idling at high speed.”
Even a simple argument can cause our hearts to beat faster, and our blood pressure to rise. Stress can also lead to depression and disturbed sleep, which can create other health issues. Stress is also not just a personal matter. It can have a negative effect on friends and family; anyone in communication with the stressed individual can be adversely affected.
We can’t control the stock market or what other people say, feel or do, but what we can we do to help ourselves deal with the multiple stresses we face every day. One very safe and extremely effective method of calming these disruptive energetic vibrations coming from stress is the practice of Qi Gong. To practise Qi Gong is to let our energy flow freely, allowing us to feel more balanced – physically and emotionally.
Qi Gong is an ancient Chinese energy practice which involves breathing, visualization, and simple movements to perform an internal exercise to balance one’s energy, or Qi. For thousands of years, the Chinese have used Qi Gong to help calm the body, mind and spirit.
Qi is your vital energy – the energy of life itself. It is the energy of creation. Qi is in all living organisms, plants and animals. Universal Qi is the original energy. All human beings are born with blood and Qi. The word Gong means to work or practise. Therefore, to practise Qi Gong is to work with life energy.
PUTTING QI GONG INTO PRACTICE
At Wu & Yeung™ Qi Gong Wellness Institute, we start the class in a sitting position to relax each part of the body. With closed eyes, we practise inhaling and exhaling through the nose. We include a variety of simple, gentle flowing movements, using the hands, arms and legs.
When students follow my verbal directions, they will begin to float in the Qi. I also channel and project the universal Qi to my students, so that they may quickly find their own Qi. Students may first feel this in their hands, and then gradually through the rest of the body. They may also feel a warm, tingling sensation, and a surge of energy flowing in their bodies. At the end of a session, many will notice that they no longer hold their muscles tight. They no longer feel stiff. They are more flexible, as the energy flows through them. Students may also become more sensitive to their own body. Their minds become clearer as they begin to have a sense of the greater energy of the world around them.
If you ask students how they feel after a Qi Gong practice, they will often say that they feel very relaxed and peaceful. They feel fulfilled, as if they have had a nice meal or just returned from a vacation. When an individual is filled with Qi energy, there is a sense of calmness as well as accomplishment. Qi Gong empowers the individual to take charge of their well-being on all levels. They are experiencing that one powerful energy – Qi, which is what we all are.
BENEFITS OF QI GONG
When you practise Qi Gong, you are consciously focusing upon collecting and holding that Qi energy within the body to increase and maintain vitality. You do not have time to think of the stress around you. During this time you let yourself be free from thoughts and worries as you focus on working and moving the Qi. On numerous occasions, I have heard participants comment that while practising Qi Gong they not only forgot about their problems, but their aches and pains seemed to disappear as well.
The stress will naturally begin to evaporate in the body when one practises Qi Gong. Qi balances the body and strengthens the immune system. It enables the emotional body to become more stable and secure. It elevates energy levels, helping people to feel more connected and content. Practising Qi Gong everyday will improve your overall health, keeping you looking and feeling youthful and strong.
Even though Qi Gong may look simple, one should learn from a qualified instructor with good Qi energy, and practise at least five to 20 minutes a day. While there are thousands of forms of Qi Gong involving regular practice, discipline, and in most cases gentle physical movement, Qi Gong is not a sport, nor is it about competition. Rather, it is about supporting our health through focused relaxation, controlled breathing, and meditation. Ultimately, Qi Gong is for all those who wish to take charge of, and to participate in their own well-being. And because practising Qi Gong makes you feel good, you will actually look forward to your practice.
