Health-Essentials.info > Science > Health Issues > Qi Gong
Posted February 3, 2009
Qi Gong: Deliberate Breathing for Overall Health and Longevity
Reduce stress, gain flexibility, increase lung capacity, ward off heart disease
Adapted from Dr Al Sears, M.D.
Doctor's House Call Newsletter.
Used by permission.
The way you're sitting right now could be having a real impact on your health. I often get a look of surprise when I tell this to my patients, but you can increase flexibility in your muscles and joints, lower your heart rate and blood pressure, even boost mood and energy levels … all through simple changes in the way you sit, stand … and breathe.
The secret lies in an ancient Eastern practice called Qi Gong [alternately, chi kung or xigong; pronounced chee-GUNG].
What is Qi Gong?
The Qi Gong/Yoga connection:
Although Qi Gong can easily be practiced as a kind of yoga, it's more of a non-empty meditation. Some forms, such as the example given here, deal simply with your breath and grounding energy. Other forms can be very dark, spiritually, and spookie. I would advise against them.
That said, I've been doing Qi Gong for several years, and feel that it's definitely been of significant benefit to me. One thing that Al Sears did not mention here is that Qi Gong can boost your immunity and resistance to disease. And, if you catch a cold or the flu, some forms of Qi Gong can significantly reduce your symptoms.
Where to learn Qi Gong:
You can learn Qi Gong quite easily from different videos that are out. Two forms that I've done (and really like) can be found at the Center for Holistic Arts. They're listed on the website as Chi Kung and Crane Style Chi Kung. Another form that I've just seen is Lower Body Chi for Beginners by David Dorian Ross.
Of course, you could also get many of the same benefits (and maybe others) from doing tai chi. The instructional videos that I've found most helpful are from Center for Holistic Arts.
Think of Qi Gong as Chinese yoga. It isn't well known in this country, but millions of people in Asia have been doing it daily for centuries. It's a simple, time-tested method for achieving physical and mental balance, at any age.
Qi Gong is based on the simple insight that all of our power for healthy living starts with how we breathe. Think about it: Our lives begin and end with a single breath. But, most of the time, we inhale and exhale subconsciously.
The problem is that, as you age, your lungpower gradually decreases. If you don't do anything about it, you'll lose 45% of lung capacity by age 75.1
This has serious implications for your overall health. Less oxygen makes its way to all your vital organs, your muscles and, over time, this can lead to potentially deadly health problems.
A study published in the European Society of Cardiology reported that even a moderate decline of lung volume increases your risk of heart disease by 200%.2 This is true, even for those who have no family history of heart disease.
Qi Gong: a simple solution to restore lost vital energies
Qi Gong is an easy solution. It restores lost vital energy in a surprisingly simple way. You gently move through a series of precise, relaxed positions that subtly alter your posture and deepen your breathing. By bringing awareness to your breath and allowing yourself to enter a state of relaxed calm, your lung volume increases, your heart rate and blood pressure come down and your mind becomes calm and still.
A simple Qi Gong exercise
Here's a Qi Gong exercise that you can try right now, indoors or out, in just a few minutes (I usually do this exercise in the morning, before I head to the Wellness Center):
- Take off your shoes, or if it's too cold, put on some flat footwear.
- Stand with your feet apart, in line with your shoulders, and keep your knees slightly bent.
- Lower your sight line a little bit — say, parallel to the angle of your nose and down to the floor (or ground) in front of you.
- Let your arms rest at your side, with your hands relaxed and fingers slightly open.
- Bring your attention to your breath, perhaps repeating quietly to yourself "inhaling" and "exhaling".
- Gently direct your awareness to the sensation of your feet on the floor (or the ground, if you're outside). Now, quietly feel your joints opening up and relaxing.
- Now let your awareness move gradually upward to your feet, then your ankles, knees and hips.
- Rotate your hips forward slightly, keeping your ears centered over your shoulders and your hands gently at your side.
- Straighten your posture. One way to achieve the right position is to imagine that your head is being drawn up toward the ceiling, almost as if there were an invisible string running from the ceiling and down through the center of your head and spine. This will create space between your vertebrae and permit your lungs to draw deeper breaths.
Start out each day this way, but slowly — 5 to 10 minutes, at most. You can eventually devote longer stretches of time to it, if you like. Either way, you'll start to notice a gradual change, over time, in your general sense of well being — reduced stress, a greater sense of calm and wellness, easier breathing and less tension in your back, neck and shoulders.
Meet my teacher:
I first learned this technique a few years ago from a Qi Gong teacher here in Florida, that a friend of mine recommended. His name is Cameron Bishop. Turns out he's quite knowledgeable, when it comes to safe, natural ways to improve your health through simple methods like Qi Gong, meditation and acupuncture.
Just as important, this exercise will help preserve and restore lung volume. This lowers your risk of heart attack and can actually keep you looking younger.
To Your Good Health,
Al Sears, MD
[Editor's Note: Cameron Bishop is a licensed acupuncturist in the State of Florida. He studied in Japan, and has an accredited Master's degree in Acupuncture from the Northwest Institute of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NAIOM). Mr. Bishop practices in Lake Worth, FL. For more information, visit his Web site: www.AskWithin.com.]
1. Dr Dean Ward, "Biological Aging Measurement." 1988.
2. European Society of Cardiology, 1998.
