'Qi' means energy; 'Gong' practice. Qigong is simply the practical art of how to concentrate and strengthen the individual's life energy in order to eliminate disease and prolong life. Qigong is the Chinese work for the traditional exercises used to develop one's qi, or energy potential, by creating harmony with nature. The oriental philosophy of bringing the mind and body into harmony - into oneness with nature - affirms that the release of blocked meridians will enable the body to heal and strengthen itself. this philosophy is one of the important features of Chinese culture and is a legacy in the treasure house of Chinese medicine.
Qigong has a longer history than 3000 years. Today qigong is widely used as a practice for the prevention of illness, to treat many kinds of undiagnosed illnesses. In Chinese hospitals, and to speed the recovery of convalescent patients. Most importantly, qigong can cure a wide range of specific diseases for which western medicine does not have very effective treatments, for example, rheumatism, hypertension, heart disease, migraine, impotence, obesity, cancer and many others. Qigong can help explore the potential abilities of the human brain as well.
Qi is always associate with some kind of invisible, 'colorful' air. It is the energy of life, or bioenergy. Every person, animal, plant - anything that has life - has qi, but for most people it is invisible. In my qigong training class in Champaign, Illinois, during the period of practice several trainees see the qi, the bioenergy, around my hands and head. Some even can use their mind's eye to see inside themselves. Qi has been measured in various ways and has been shown to contain infrared radiation static electricity, micro particle streams, magnetic fields, and so on. Qi can be sent, almost like a radio message, between people and things. It is a very complicated concept and cannot be explained very clearly by modern science. Researchers have come to acknowledge the reality of qi, but more research work needs to be done. The qigong philosophy is to absorb energy from our natural world, supplying the essential inner energy to the body and letting the body deal with its health challenges, rather than choosing to take some medication to cure an illness or disease. The qigong principle emphasizes the powerful function of the stream of initiative consciousness to develop one's inner energy, releasing the blocked meridians which allow the qi to flow in harmony with life. Qigong simply helps you to absorb the energy and make the movement of qi inside your body smoother and more regular. This strong energy can protect you from invasive illness.
Scientists point out that there are 14 to 15 billion cells within the gray matter of the human brain, but only about 10% of these are used in a person's entire life. 90% of the brain remains unused until death. This seems a tragedy. Though qigong training, many people not only gain good health but also explore their potential ability, for example: some trainees stop eating for several hundred days, some appear to gain additional ability such as penetrating ability like an x-ray. Qigong believes that this kind of special ability, and that of eye light penetration, like the x-ray. But these must be explored further.
Qigong training usually combines with both motion form and stationary form. I will show you a set of qigong moments, a very famous Taoist qigong called 'Fairy Bird Gong.' It consists of 128 different styles of motion, imitating a bird. these movements associated special individual initiative consciousness teach you how to absorb energy from nature; how to guide your meridian system active; how to release the bas energy from your body and strengthen yourself. Please pay attention and try to see the qi surrounding my body, especially above my head and between my hands.
