Author: Gao Q
Affiliation: Kansas College of Chinese Medicine, Wichita, Kansas, USA
Conference/Journal: 2nd World Congress Qigong
Date published: 1998
Other:
Pages: 39 , Word Count: 344
Bigu translates literally as 'avoid (bi) the grain (gu)'. In practice it reflects the ability to live solely on qi without food or water. Some qigong practitioners can live on the qi without food for a long period of time and often times achieve and sustain a much higher. energy level through the physical and mental discipline of the bigu exercise.
As a qigong practitioner, I have personally experienced bigu twice. From July 20, 1993 until August 3, 1993, my daily diet consisted of cup of juice or an orange. The first three days were the most difficult as I continued to feel hungry. After the three day adjustment period I was able to control my appetite and hunger with the qigong exercise and gradually increased my energy level as well.
During the two-week period I continued my normal work routine and required less sleep, than normal; physically and mentally I felt very comfortable and relaxed. I lost a total often pounds in two weeks and have never gained the weight back I repeated the same process for a two week period in 1996 with similar results.
In June of 1996 conducted a two-week weight loss experiment with twelve subjects most of whom had no previous qigong experience. During the two-week period, the average weight loss was twelve pounds; the results were presented at the Third World Conference on Medical Qigong.
Bigu is a period during which the qigong practitioner's vital energy transitions from the air one breaths and the essence of food and water to drawing one's sustenance strictly from the qi in the air. For the experienced qigong practitioner, this is a natural process that occurs when the accumulation of qi reaches a certain level. The ability to sustain normal body functions from qi only is possible with no change in one's daily routine and has no side effects.
Bigu qigong is a safe and effective method for weight loss; however, for the lay qigong practitioner it is necessary to have an experienced teacher to guide them. Bigu is a viable protocol for long-term, sustained weight loss.