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Qi
Gong; An Introduction
By Christine Gervais and Master Philip Lai
© 2005 LAMAS Qi Gong Association of Canada
Qi Gong is a powerful energy
healing system that connects the body, mind and spirit. Some believe
it originated in China
over 5000 years ago and is the foundation of traditional Chinese medicine
(TCM). It was developed within the vast realm of TCM and is responsible
for a multitude of health benefits. The word literally means “energy
work” but the actual practice is far deeper than its description.
Qi Gong is the art and science of cultivating and manipulating one’s
inner vital life force with the intentions of healing. 
Practitioners
can gain control of and direct the healthy flow of their Qi, or life
force, for self-healing. There are thousands of Qi Gong systems now in
existence and it is practiced worldwide.
Today, Qi Gong is most often referred to as any set of breathing and Qi circulation techniques that are capable of improving health, preventing illness, and strengthening the body. Generally speaking, Qi is a Chinese term used to refer to all types of energy. It is the intrinsic substance or the vital life energy that animates everything in the universe. It is the medium between and within all material substances. The term Gong refers to the power to produce an effect, cultivation, an attainment of, or an accomplishment that is achieved with steady practice. Loosely, Qi Gong can be translated as the cultivation, manipulation and attainment of Qi.
The practice of Qi Gong
aims at balancing and strengthening Qi in the human body. Qi Gong promotes
the free flow of energy throughout
the body, breaking down energy 
blockages within the meridians, the invisible
pathways through which Qi flows. Under normal conditions, the energy
in the human body is a balanced state that is capable of maintaining
the physiological functions and can adjust to changes in the environment.
All the body’s connections are based on Qi. Its myriad structures,
from organs to neurons, rely on continual communications delivered by
Qi. This force travels with its inseparable companion, blood, to every
area of the body. If Qi in the human body is strong, then it will be
difficult for the pathogenic influences to adversely affect it. Even
if the pathogenic influences do attack the body, the abundance of Qi
increases the immunity of the body and prevents disease from occurring.
© Copyright
2004–2010 LAMAS Qi Gong Association of Canada. All rights reserved. |
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