PROMOTING QIGONG AND ENERGY MEDICINE THROUGH RESEARCH & EDUCATION

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The Qigong Institute - Qigong Research and Education since 1988

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"The founding of the Qigong Institute was a natural outgrowth of my interest in Qigong. The goal of the Qigong Institute is to promote the scientific understanding of the basis of Qigong" Dr. Ken Sancier (1920 - 2013).

The Qigong and Energy Medicine Database™

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The database originated in the1990's as a means to catalog the vast amount of information Qigong Institute Founder Dr. Kenneth Sancier obtained mainly from international conferences. In 2023, the Database contained over 18400 abstracts (accessed Feb 12, 2024). Search the Database.

Qigong combines exercise with the proven benefits of meditation and should be promoted to the public as an essential life skill.

What is Qigong?


Qigong is a "mind-body" biopsychosocial wellness practice in a new category of exercise called Meditative Movement which integrates exercise, movement, posture, breathing, and awareness.

Introduction to Qigong.

An Introduction to the Practice of Qigong

 

Qigong and Tai Chi Teacher Henderson Smith

introduction to qigong health care cover

 

Qigong Health Care can be a powerful component of Western models of healthcare systems which prioritize biopsychosocial whole person health and where prevention and wellness are primary aspects of care. The practice of Qigong combines physical exercise with the proven benefits of meditation and can be promoted to the public as an essential life skill. This publication describes the scientific research progress, issues, and challenges of integrating Qigong Health Care into Western medicine and healthcare.

Every Donation of $25 or more receives this new eBook (PDF format) from the Qigong Institute as our THANK YOU gift: DONATE

“Since its founding under the leadership of the late Ken Sancier, The Qigong Institute has served as an objective organization for gathering and disseminating scientific evidence supporting the health benefits of Qigong and related practices.  The Institute’s latest report, An Introduction to Qigong Health Care: Meditative Movement Exercise for Whole Person Health––authored by Tom Rogers––is a comprehensive and very accessible resource for all interested in Qigong for health, including practitioners, teachers, scientists and policy makers.“  

Peter Wayne, PhD
Associate Professor of Medicine. Director, Osher Center for Integrative Medicine.
Harvard Medical School
Author, Harvard Medical School Guide to Tai Chi

eBook PDF. 56 Pages.

READ AN EXCERPT

Qigong Science, Research and Education, News, and Library

 

Respected Medical Organizations Endorse Qigong (.PDF)

What's New: Qigong and Tai Chi Research

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Library: Qigong, Tai Chi, Integrative Health, Mind-Body, and Energy Medicine Research

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PODCASTS:

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Exercise is Medicine In a 2016 cover story, TIME Magazine declared that if exercise were a drug, “it would likely be the most valuable pharmaceutical ever developed.” Harvard Medical School recommends exercise programs that include aerobic activity, strength training, flexibility training, and balance exercises —which are included in the movement and exercise component of Qigong. Harvard Medical School researchers say exercise can do more for your health than medications. The physiological and psychological effects of exercise are similar to pharmacological effects of drug therapies. If exercise were a drug, the FDA would approve it for a large number of conditions. Although exercise was found to be so effective that it was featured in Time Magazine, it is not a standard part of medical school curriculums.

An Introduction to Qigong Health Care

an introduction to qigong health care book cover

Read Chapter 1

Mindfulness with paced breathing and lowering blood pressure 

Mindfulness with paced breathing is fundamental to Qigong. Paced breathing stimulates the vagus nerve and parasympathetic nervous system, which reduce stress chemicals in the brain and increase vascular relaxation that lead to lowering of blood pressure and stress. Qigong Institute founder Dr. Ken Sancier reported on Qigong's beneficial effects for blood pressure in his landmark paper Anti Aging Benefits of Qigong in 1996. Papers published since then have confirmed Qigong's use in lowering hypertension and stress. [Read Article].

 

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Qigong has the potential to play a role in the prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation of respiratory infections, such as COVID-19

Qigong for the Prevention, Treatment, and Rehabilitation of COVID-19 Infection in Older Adults. Potential mechanisms of action include stress reduction, emotion regulation, strengthening of respiratory muscles, reduction of inflammation, and enhanced immune function [PMCID: PMC7227578].

10-week Tai Chi intervention improves psychoemotional state, cognition, and motor learning in older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. [PMID: 33887380]

Harvard Medical School Endorses Qigong and Tai Chi

harvard medical school
Tai chi is often described as 'meditation in motion,' but it might well be called 'medication in motion.' MORE.

American College of Sports Medicine Endorses Qigong and Tai Chi

Quantity and Quality of Exercise for Developing and Maintaining Cardiorespiratory, Musculoskeletal, and Neuromotor Fitness in Apparently Healthy Adults Guidance for Prescribing Exercise

american college of sports medicineMultifaceted physical activities such as tai ji (tai chi), qigong, and yoga involve varying combinations of neuromotor exercise, resistance exercise, and flexibility exercise. Neuromotor exercise training is beneficial as part of a comprehensive exercise program for older persons, especially to improve balance, agility, muscle strength, and reduce the risk of falls.  MORE.

Also see: Clinical Evidence of Tai Chi Exercise Prescriptions: A Systematic Review

Qigong for Cubicles and Corporations

cubiclesStress in the workplace is is the second-most disabling illness for workers, with an annual price tag of more than $300 billion in lost work time, health care costs, and stress reduction. MORE.

Do Qigong NOW

Dr. Roger Jahnke
Sitting Qigong


"Thank you for this website!   It’s a wonderful resource!"
M.T. North Carolina

Thank you for the wonderful offerings of the Qigong Institute

E.P. Massachusetts

I believe that the Qigong Institute is providing a valuable and necessary service.

M.G. Canada

Qigong Mind-Body Exercise as a Biopsychosocial Therapy for Persistent Post-Surgical Pain in Breast Cancer: A Pilot Study

QMBE is a safe and gentle multimodal intervention that shows promise in conferring a broad range of psychosocial and physical benefits [PMCID: PMC7050958].

Qigong practice includes biomedical, social, and psychological aspects of health that are described by institutions such as the U.S. Veteran’s Administration as “whole person health,” and are delivered by a biopsychosocial model of medicine. Biopsychosocial medical practices and therapies integrate physiological, cognitive, emotional, and social input with neurophysiological mechanisms.

Which Comes First: Bioenergy or Biochemistry?

chicken and egg

See Bioenergetics

The fundamental principle of Western medical science has been that the basis of life is biological. However, each cell in the body can generate and receive different forms of energy -- heat, light, sound, vibration, magnetism, and electricity. Historically, these different types of bioenergy phenomena have been treated as byproducts of normal cellular function instead of being recognized as intrinsic to the function.

The Meaning and Origins of Tai Chi

 

 

Dr. Roger Jahnke, OMD and Founder of The Institute of Integral Qigong & Tai Chi explains the meaning and origins of Tai Chi, Qigong, and Kung Fu.

The Top 7 Benefits of  Qigong

The History of Qigong

qi journal


Although the practices that are today called 'Qigong' are millennia old, the term 'Qigong' was coined in the mid-20th Century.

Qi Journal. Autumn 2013.

More information on the history of Qigong (also called "Dao Yin") can be found in Dao Yin (a.k.a. Qigong): Origin, Development, Potential Mechanisms, and Clinical Applications [PMCID: PMC6854271] and Chinese Medical Qigong.

Neuroscience Reveals the Secrets of Meditation’s Benefits

Meditation is one of the four fundamental components of Qigong along with movement/postureself-massage, and breathing. Qigong (and it's most popular moving form, Tai Chi) is an ancient practice which belongs to new category of exercise called "meditative movement". Meditation in combination with breathing and slow, gentle movements (although there are many forms of Qigong that do not involve movement) affects humans physically and psychologically through relaxation techniques which reduce stress through modulation of the autonomic nervous systemMORE.

Fundamentals of Qigong Practice

 

Qigong combines exercise with focused movement, breathing, and meditation. Doing repetitions is not the focus - it is conscious application of the three intentful corrections - lengthen the spine,deepen the breath, clear the mind or visualize healing. MORE.

Governmental and Non-Governmental Regulation and Standardization of Qigong and Tai Chi

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Read the article.

More on Government and Qigong

Profiles in Qigong

Francesco Garripoli
Dreaming Awake

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A collection of Qigong guided meditations and concepts.

Brian Trzaskos
Institute for Rehabilitative Qigong and Tai Chi

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Reconnecting the healing arts with physical rehabilitation.

Roger Jahnke
Institute of Integral Qigong and Tai Chi

institute of integral qigong and tai chi

Become a certified Qigong and Tai Chi Teacher.

Shifu Michael Rinaldini
Dragon Gate Daoist Qigong

qigong and daoist training center

Qigong in Daoist philosophical and and religious practice.

Henderson Smith
Living Well Therapies

Living Well Therapies

Worksite, community, and individual wellness.

Simon Blow
Simon Blow Qigong

simon blow qigong

SImon Blow Qigong, Wild Goose Qigong.

Francesco Garripoli
Qigong Wellness and Healing Study Trips

Qigong Trips to deepen your practice at power spots in Asia, Africa, and more.

Jessica Kolbe
Community Television Qigong

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Qigong with Jessica Kolbe is now airing on TVSB.

Qigong: Ancient Chinese Healing for the 21st Century

This is a short clip from Qigong: Ancient Chinese Healing for the 21st Century, created by Qigong Institute Chairman of the Board Francesco Garripoli. It was the first Qigong documentary to be shown on PBS, starting in 1999.

man doing qigong