Benefits of Qigong
Gain a better understanding of how it can
Benefits of Qigong
Qigong in its many forms has been a tool forwarding human evolution for Four-thousand years and counting. Now more than ever, it is imperative that Qigong be implemented into our lifestyles. When applied properly, this practice can again propel our development upward as a culture and as a species.
Depending on the issue being addressed, different types of Qigong will be more appropriate than others.
As mentioned earlier, 2008 was my first introduction to Qigong at age 21. This was “Slow-Style” Qigong and the only form I was aware of. The following year I was given the gift of an introduction to World Class Five Elements Medical Qigong. When first learning the advanced forms of Qigong offered here, what stood out was the age difference between myself and the typical student practicing. I was usually the youngest person in the room by 15 years or more. Yet, interest in the practice deepened as change (inner and outer) developed.
Yes, the average Qigong student practicing Qigong will probably be a senior citizen or someone who has been prescribed it for a chronic ailment: arthritis, RA, osteopenia, osteoporosis, Parkinson’s, etc. The studies of Qigong’s benefits for these situations have been proven for over 40 years now. A new set of benefits were personal to me and hard to see at first, but easily felt and impossible to ignore.
A few of the most commonly known benefits include:
Increases in
- circulation
- respiration
- digestion
- elimination
- mobility/range of motion
Regulation of
- blood pressure
- hormone levels
- general organ health
- most autonomic functions
…while decreasing
- inflammation
- chronic pain
- joint stiffness
- muscle atrophy
- rate of degeneration
My experience includes all of these plus more. Having been diagnosed with several of the usual disorders (ADHD, bipolar, OCD, dyslexia, etc.), several benefits were new and unspoken of.
Some of these were
- immediate stress and anxiety reduction
- immediate depression and self pity reduction
- gradual reduction of dislexic tendencies
- increased internal and spacial awareness
- increased sensitivity and proprioception
- increased hand eye coordination and dexterity
- increased hemispherical balance and control over non-dominant side
- increased libido and stamina
- increased explosiveness and power
- increased running speed and body control
- faster mental processing and decision making
- faster reaction time
- faster comprehension and integration
- faster post workout recovery
- faster metabolism
- emotional balance and regulation
- significant scar tissue elimination
- enhanced empathy
- and enhanced verbal articulation, just to name a few…
Aside from these subjective benefits, a food allergy test and a Dexa Body Scan gave more concrete results.
After a childhood of sensitivities to several food sources (strawberries, cashews, avocados, dairy, wheat), the food allergy test results were negative for all foods, pet/animal hair/dander, and environmental sources. Included in the test was an extensive blood analysis displaying optimal results in all categories and outstanding in a few (namely kidney function).
The Dexa Body Scan revealed that my bone density, muscle density, and hemispherical weight distribution are all in the top 1% of the population. This is highly unusual due to my ectomorph (smallest of 3 basic body types) frame and stature. These facts more than prove the preventative qualities of Qigong.
Qigong is extremely versatile in its applications. There are sitting, standing, and moving styles of Qigong; and are taught at beginners, intermediate, and advanced levels of training. It is taught in sections and sets using breath for counting repetitions. Qigong sessions can last from a few minutes to several hours depending on the practitioner and their goals. Pieces are borrowed from the sets to create recipes for individuals when used medicinally. These exercises are gentle enough to perform multiple times daily yet powerful enough to receive desired results momentarily. This makes it more accessible and useful to more of the population than any other exercise genre known to man.
Can you think of anyone who can appreciate some of these benefits? With even more benefits to be experienced, I am now promoting Qigong protocols for all demographics including:
- youths and adults experiencing depression and mood disorders
- youths and adults with special needs
- adults and seniors with chronic and acute ailments
- all hospital patients
- adults with sedentary jobs
- adults with degenerative disorders
And now reaching for new beneficiaries
- Athletes and Lifters, youth to professional levels for
- conditioning/endurance
- injury treatment
- injury prevention
- overall performance and developmental enhancement
- rapid recovery
- peripheral awareness and alertness
- reflexes and coordination
- agility/body control training
- muscle lengthening/flexibility
- joint and tendon strengthening