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April 29 2017: World Tai Chi and Qigong Day

June 23-30 2017: Eastover Symposium of Medical Qigong Taichi and Eastern Medicine

July 21-23 2017: National Qigong Association Conference

 

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    • MEDITATION KEEPS EMOTIONAL BRAIN IN CHECK. “Our findings not only demonstrate that meditation improves emotional health, but that people can acquire these benefits regardless of their ‘natural’ ability to be mindful,” said Yanli Lin, an MSU graduate student and lead investigator of the study. “It just takes some practice.”
    • Systems Biology Research Study Reveals Benefits of Vacation and Meditation. "It's intuitive that taking a vacation reduces biological processes related to stress, but it was still impressive to see the large changes in gene expression from being away from the busy pace of life, in a relaxing environment, in such a short period of time...Based on our results, the benefit we experience from meditation isn't strictly psychological; there is a clear and quantifiable change in how our bodies function," said Rudolph Tanzi, PhD, the Joseph P. and Rose F. Kennedy Professor of Neurology at Harvard University, and Director of the Genetics and Aging Research Unit at Massachusetts General Hospital. "Meditation is one of the ways to engage in restorative activities that may provide relief for our immune systems, easing the day-to-day stress of a body constantly trying to protect itself. The prediction is that this would then lead to healthier aging."
    • Qi Talks. Bernard Shannon. Topic: Teaching through Direct Experience: Making the Intangible Tangible. Thursday, October 13, 2016 8:30pm Eastern. Bernard Shannon is an internationally recognized teacher of Medical Qigong therapy, Daoist cultivation, alchemical and mystical practices, and martial concepts. Executive Director of the International College of Medical Qigong and Abbot of the Temple of Peace and Virtue, he served for seven years, as the Executive Director of the International Institute of Medical Qigong, as master instructor and curriculum developer. He is also licensed as a Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine as well as of Medical Qigong through the People's Republic of China. He is the Vice Chairman and Executive Director of the World Academic Society of Medical Qigong (China) and served as Chairman of the Board with the National Qigong Association (USA).
    • Don’t Take Osteoarthritis Lying Down. We have posted several recent research results on the benefits of Tai Chi for osteoarthritis. This article explains why exercise (and specifically Tai Chi) helps with osteoarthritis. This article also advocates the daily practice of Tai Chi: "Daily practice of tai chi has a dual benefit of improving balance and relieving arthritic pain and stiffness in the knees and hips."
    • Where have the organizers gone? - The growth control system as a foundation of physiology. Changes in bioelectric fields precede the morphological and anatomical changes in morphogenesis and pathogenesis. There is increasing evidence that acupuncture points are likely to have originated from organizers in embryogenesis. Organizers are the macroscopic singular points of the morphogen gradient and bioelectric fields. Many corollaries and predictions of the growth control model have been independently confirmed. The growth control system is embedded in various physiological systems and is part of the foundation of physiology and pathophysiology. This research confirms eight meridian (or eight extraordinary vessel) theory which is based on the notion of a body energy template. For more information, see Emerging Science of Bioelectromagnetic Medicine. 
    • NQA Qi Talks - How Taoist Meditation Develops Qi. Ken Cohen - Thursday, September 8, 2016 8:30pm Eastern. Ken Cohen is a Qigong master who has been practicing since 1968. He was the first qigong teacher to lecture in U.S. medical schools and helped establish qigong programs at various hospitals. Ken is the author of The Way of Qigong (Random House) and more than 250 articles, including various works in the Chinese language. In 2004, he won the International Lifetime Achievement Award in Energy Medicine. Qigong is often practiced as part of Taoist meditation, as it was used in the Taoist search for longevity and tranquility. Cohen will discuss various types of Taoist/Qigong meditation, including embryonic breathing, balancing the Five Elements, and absorbing qi from nature, along with their various effects on health. He will also examine how these ancient practices are understood by modern medical science.
    • The Tao of Tai Chi. World Tai Chi and Qigong Day founder Bill Douglas has just released a new book called "The Tao of Tai Chi: The Making of a New Science," about how our Tai Chi and Qigong practice can be tools for following Taoist tenets, that can not only change our lives, but the course of humanity. Weaving Internal Arts, Physics, Chaos Mathematics, and Consciousness Science via the the amazing 55 year, sometimes other-worldly, journey leading to the formation of World Tai Chi & Qigong Day's founding, this book offers universal implications for all practitioners. This will be presented at the coming 17th World Congress on Qigong in San Francisco, as a vision of our future.
    • Meditation or Medication? Mindfulness training versus medication in the treatment of childhood ADHD: a randomized controlled trial. The background information in this clinical trial description includes the following on mindfulness: Mindfulness training is an intervention based on Eastern meditation techniques, that aims to increase awareness by paying attention on purpose in the present moment, enhance non-judgmental observation, and reduce automatic responding [44]. Individuals are encouraged to direct their attention towards internal experiences such as bodily sensations, emotions, thoughts, and action tendencies, as well as to environmental stimuli such as smells and sounds in their surroundings [45]. The ability to focus and sustain attention in the present moment and to bring back the attention to the present moment whenever it wandered off, which is trained during a mindfulness course, may be especially beneficial for children diagnosed with ADHD, as 1 of the core symptoms of ADHD is inattention. Practicing mindfulness may give children more control over their attention, which may, in turn, be beneficial for other psychological symptoms as well [46, 47, 48]. Furthermore, the ongoing streams of internal and external stimuli that enter 1’s awareness are to be observed without evaluating or judging them [45]. By doing so, 1 learns -by first person experience- to be accepting of whatever is present, independent from the valence of the stimulus. Patterns of thoughts, emotions, and reactions will be recognized, and hence, by consciously bringing attention to them, these automatic patterns can be interrupted. Individuals learn to respond rather than to react to stimuli. This ability also may be especially beneficial for children diagnosed with ADHD, as the other core symptom is hyperactive and impulsive behavior. By noticing which impulses are arising or the tendency to react hyperactive, 1 creates the possibility to choose how to respond, rather than to react on automatic pilot.
    • Training Tips: Training Topic: Tai Chi for Sports Rehabilitation & Athletic Performance. Qigong and Tai Chi offer benefits for all ages and walks of life. With so much research focus placed on falls prevention in older adults we may forget that Tai Chi is also a martial art and benefits young, active athletes, especially in the domain of sports rehabilitation and performance. Collegiate level sports teams at the University of Virginia and Cal Poly have integrated Qigong and Tai Chi into their regular conditioning programs. Studies in Europe are investigating Qigong for active recovery following soccer matches. This week’s IRQTC training tips newsletter will review three Tai Chi techniques to enhance physical power and resiliency for both athletic and life performance. To immediately implement Rehabilitative Tai Chi for maximum resiliency and power.
    • Americans Spent $30.2 Billion Out-Of-Pocket On Complementary Health Approaches. Americans spent $30.2 billion–$28.3 billion for adults and $1.9 billion for children—out-of-pocket on complementary health approaches, according to a nationwide survey. These approaches include a group of diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products such as herbal supplements, meditation, chiropractic, and yoga. This amount represents 9.2 percent of all out-of-pocket spending by Americans on health care and 1.1 percent of total health care spending. These findings come from an analysis by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, based on data from a special supplement—on use of complementary health approaches—to the 2012 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). The NHIS is a large survey conducted annually by CDC's National Center for Health Statistics. NCCIH is part of the National Institutes of Health.
    • How to teach seniors Tai Chi? Due to its tremendous health benefits, Tai Chi (Taiji) is being recommended by doctors more frequently than ever to seniors. SilverSneakers, a national preventive health program for 12 million seniors on Medicare in 13,000 locations, offers free Tai Chi classes to its members. Faced with increasing demand, Tai Chi instructors have to be mindful and keen to their students’ physical conditions and modify their teaching method accordingly.
    • The importance of physical activity in osteoporosis. From the molecular pathways to the clinical evidence. Exercise acts on molecular pathways of bone remodeling involving all cellular types of bone tissue. In relation to clinical trials adopted in patients with osteoporosis, it is evident that a multi-component training, including aerobic activity and other types of training (resistance and/or strength exercises), is the best kind of exercise in improving bone mass and bone metabolism in older adults and especially osteopoenic and osteoporotic women. The authors also conclude that whole-body-vibration trainingis a valid alternative to current methods due to its greater adaptability to patients. Moving forms of Qigong are exercise, and spontaneous Qigong is anywhere from a mild to vigorous form of whole-body vibration.
    • Zen at Work. Investment in wellness at the workplace, now a $40 billion global industry, will explode in the next five to 10 years, according to the Global Wellness Institute. Google offers such classes as Meditation 101, Search Inside Yourself, and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction. In addition to daily, in-person meditation sessions in more than 35 offices, Google offers employees daylong meditation retreats in five locations. Meditation is a foundation of Qigong practice. There has not been a better time to bring Qigong into the workplace to improve employee health and positively affect the bottom line.
    • NCCIH has released its official 2016 Strategic Plan - Exploring the Science of Complementary and Integrative Health. Included is a section on Use of Complementary and Integrative Health (CIH) Approaches in the United States, 2012. The Plan includes a summary of the most recent set of official U.S. Government statistics on complementary and integrative health (aka alternative and complementary medicine). Qigong, Tai Chi, and Yoga were used by 10.1% of adults. But Deep Breathing (10.9%), Meditation (8.0%) Progressive Relaxation 2.1%, and Guided Imagery 1.7% can also be considered Qigong practices as can reiki and therapeutic touch, so upwards of 20% can be considered Qigong. One of the plan's main objectives is to carry out clinical research on the biological effects and mechanisms of action by which mind-body approaches impact physiology. A Top Scientific Priority is to "Investigate top-down neural pathways underlying the effects of meditation, expectancy, placebo effects, and other mindfulness interventions (i.e., meditative yoga, tai chi, qi gong, hypnosis, and guided imagery), ranging from high-order brain functional regions to the peripheral tissues and organs such as immune cells, gut, muscles, bone, heart, and microbiome."

    • THE IMPACT OF SELF-PRACTICE QIGONG ON STRENGTH GAINS AND WELL-BEING DURING OFF-SEASON TRAINING FOR FALL SPORT ATHLETES. A Thesis presented to the Faculty of California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Kinesiology in the College of Science and Mathematics by Christopher Shawn White June 2015.

      The use of mind-body therapies, such as Tai Chi, yoga, Qigong, and meditation are frequently reported as a means of coping with anxiety and depression. Despite these findings, there is little knowledge of Qigong exercise being able to impact elite athlete’s physical and mental states during off-season training. Purpose: Determine the efficacy of Qigong to facilitate strength gains and well-being in collegiate anaerobically trained athletes. Methods: Seventy-three athletes (47 M, 26 F, 18-22 years) volunteered to participate in a Qigong exercise group or standard care group. Strength gains were measured through a vertical jump test and a 3 RM front squat, bench press, and deadlift before and after a prescribed 8 week, 4 day per week weight training program. Well-being was measured through the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being questionnaire which was administered before, weekly, and after the weight training program. Both groups performed the training program and received the well-being questionnaire. In addition to the training program and questionnaire, the Qigong group performed Qigong exercises five days a week for fifteen minutes each day. Results: The Qigong groups average strength values were higher versus the control for bench press (+ 52%; P= 0.00), deadlift (+15%; P= 0.09), front squat (+28%; P= 0.004), and vertical jump (+52%, P= 0.223). Qigong groups had a higher average overall well-being score (+6%; P= 0.00). Conclusion: These data suggest that 8 weeks of Qigong exercises for 15 minutes a day, 5 days per week demonstrates an improvement in exercise performance as well as an enhancement in self-reported feelings of well-being. Further studies examining long-term benefits of Qigong, the collection of inflammatory biomarkers, and any potential association between improvement in well-being and reduction in injury rates may provide additional information that may assist coaches and athletic trainers in providing optimal comprehensive care.

    • The mental-attention Tai Chi effect with older adults. Tai Chi can improve mental-attentional vigilance and executive control, when practitioners are sufficiently motivated to pursue this practice, and apply themselves (as our Chinese participants seem to have done). We found that Tai Chi enhanced mental attentional executives in the Chinese sample. The largely negative results with Non-Chinese participants might be explained by less strong motivation and by the relatively short Tai Chi practice period, which contrasts with the prior familiarity with Tai Chi of the Chinese participants.
    • Qi Talks - Lee Holden - Five Paths to Inner Power. Thursday, June 9, 2016 at 8:30 PM Eastern. Based on the Five Elements, the Five Paths to Inner Power give us tools and resources to connect to our inner potential. Each path unlocks an energy, an intrinsic part of ourselves. Water is the power of Flow, Wood the power of Creativity, Fire the power of Bliss, Earth the power of Presence, and Metal the power of Energy. The Five Paths to Inner Power help us explore the journey of life with more freedom, relaxation, inner peace, and strength. Lee's popular library of QiGong DVDs have made him a regular fixture on American Public Television and over 105 PBS stations throughout the U.S. and Canada. His unique QiGong programs have been seen in over 50 million households.
    • Neural Mechanisms Underlying Movement-Based Embodied Contemplative Practices, including Tai Chi. The report concludes that the positive effects of tai chi training observed under cognitively challenging conditions support the value of neurophysiological research evaluating how mind-body practices like tai chi impact cognitive-motor interactions; Tai Chi is a potential non-pharmacological intervention for ADHD; and that the amount of cumulative practice in Tai Chi practitioners is related to some aspects of their response to the rubber hand illusion (RHI), an experimental paradigm examining facets of body ownership and agency. Taken together, these studies provide an interesting platform for further investigations of how body-focused contemplative practices impact objective measures of sensorimotor processing and subjective experiences of embodiment.
    • Barry Strugatz on The Professor: Tai Chi’s Journey West. The Professor Tai Chi's Journey West is a feature documentary about Tai Chi (or Taiji) Chuan and one of its greatest masters, Grandmaster Cheng Man-Ching (or Cheng Man-Ch’ing) (1901-1975), who brought Tai Chi and Chinese culture to the West during the swinging, turbulent 60s.
    • Acupuncture (PDQ®): Health Professional Version. This PDQ cancer information summary for health professionals provides comprehensive, peer-reviewed, evidence-based information about the use of acupuncture in the treatment of people with cancer. It is intended as a resource to inform and assist clinicians who care for cancer patients. It does not provide formal guidelines or recommendations for making health care decisions. This summary is reviewed regularly and updated as necessary by the PDQ Integrative, Alternative, and Complementary Therapies Editorial Board, which is editorially independent of the National Cancer Institute (NCI). The summary reflects an independent review of the literature and does not represent a policy statement of NCI or the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
    • Sham Acupressure Controls Used in Randomized Controlled Trials: A Systematic Review and Critique. A great diversity of sham acupressure controls have been used in clinical practice and research. A solid conclusion whether different sham alternatives are related to different treatment outcomes cannot be derived because of significant clinical heterogeneity among the analyzed trials. Non-acupoints are generally recommended but the definite locations should be identified with caution. For studies using single sham acupoints on hands or legs, it is suggested to apply identical acupressure devices on the same acupoint as in the active intervention without any stimulation. While for studies on pain, the authors conclude that stimulation of sham acupoints should be avoided.
    • Qigong and Equine-imity. Practicing Qigong with the presence of a horse can feel surreal and it can be dreamlike if you are actually practicing Qigong on a horse. Thanks to a special health improvement program at Stanford University, you can now have this experience.
    • NQA Qi Talks Thursday April 14 8:30 Eastern - Benefits of Medical Qigong with Psychological Insight. Dr. Harlene Goldschmidt. Medical Qigong therapists are taught methods and acupoints to help people regulate emotions including anger, worry, fear, stress, and sadness. The effectiveness of Qigong methods increases when a therapist does a full assessment of the person’s energy flow. Having additional therapeutic skills as a psychotherapist, complementary information may be gathered about how emotions keep people stuck in self-defeating patterns. In these ways, specific “heart/mind” Qigong self-care practices are created between therapist and patient/client. The personalized Qigong approach helps insure daily practice. In this way, people have more opportunity to continue developing greater self awareness, improved ability to regulate disruptive emotions, and connect more to spiritual energy. Dr. Goldschmidt's lifelong passion for dance and mind/body health flows into her work as a Qigong healer, medical Qigong instructor, psychologist, psychotherapist, relational psychoanalyst, dance psychologist, and devotee of tai chi. She enhances her 35+ years of providing psychotherapy with Medical Qigong, and has helped many people with a variety of emotional difficulties and psychosomatic problems. She has written on enhancing psychotherapy with qigong for the National Register for Mental Health Professionals. In addition to her clinical practice, Harlene supervises and trains healthcare professionals in Medical Qigong (MedicalQigongAssociates.com).
    • Ninth World Medical Qigong Conference. Held June 26-28 in Beijing. Sponsored by the World Academic Society of Medical Qigong. Download information: .pdf.
    • Development of Wii-based Tai Chi for Urban-dwelling Older Adults With Functional Limitations.  Falls at home are common and potentially fatal for disabled older adults. To address this problem, an academic-community partnership was created involving disabled, urban-dwelling older adults and their families, the housing authority, a Tai Chi master, and a university. This pilot showed promising results for improving strength and balance in the home setting, and yielded valuable lessons about health technology development with community partners.
    • Singing Dragon Virtual Qigong Festival 2016. Singing Dragon will be holding a virtual Qigong Festival on 21st-22nd April 2016. During the festival, they will be showcasing their books, along with demonstrations, discounts, FREE extracts, competitions and much more. Singing Dragon is the number one publisher of Qigong books.
    • International Congress on Integrative Medicine and Health. May 17-20, 2016, Las Vegas. This conference is a gathering of investigators, researchers, practitioners and educators with an interest in showcasing and sharing perspectives on the highest quality science in complementary, integrative and preventive medicine and health.
    • Functional application of wuwei: saving your precious energy. Dr. Yang Yang: "wuwei does not mean “no effort”—making a conscious decision to not waste your energy requires awareness, effort, and practice. And to truly keep your emotional center, it is essential to understand and be aware of reality and how to deal with reality in a healthy way—which my students will recognize as the foundation of my meditation instruction. To be sure, there are plenty of times when I have wasted my energy in response to minor life occurrences. It is only through long practice that I have learned to nurture my energy and come to an understanding of the functional wisdom of wuwei."
    • Assessment of Cardiovascular Parameters during Qigong in Varsity Swimmers. Athletes who develop an immunosuppressed state because of intensive training get upper respiratory infections (URIs) and may respond to meditation. Reflective exercise (RE), a westernized form of Qigong, combines meditation, breathing, and targeted mental attention to an internal pulsatile sensation, previously shown to protect varsity swimmers from URIs during the height of training. This research evaluates cardiovascular parameters measured during meditation combined with targeted imagery (interoception) in a cohort of varsity swimmers taught RE.
    • Tai Chi is an effective nonpharmacologic therapy for low back pain. This review examines the evidence on the comparative benefits and harms of noninvasive treatments for low back pain as opposed to pharmacological therapies. This is an AHRQ Comparative Effectiveness Review funded by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. Comparative effectiveness research is designed to inform health-care decisions by providing evidence on the effectiveness, benefits, and harms of different treatment options. The evidence is generated from research studies that compare drugs, medical devices, tests, surgeries, or ways to deliver health care. The Effective Health Care Program funds individual researchers, research centers, and academic organizations to work together with the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) to produce effectiveness and comparative effectiveness research for clinicians, consumers, and policymakers. Comparative effectiveness reviews draw on completed scientific studies to make head-to-head comparisons of different health care interventions. They outline the effectiveness — or benefits and harms — of treatment options.
    • Nutrients, foods, dietary patterns and telomere length: Update of epidemiological studies and randomized trials. Telomere length is a reliable hallmark of biological aging and the risk of developing age-related chronic diseases through common oxidation and inflammation mechanisms. Variability in telomere shortening that is independent of chronological age suggests that it is a modifiable factor, which may be explained in part by lifestyle variables such as smoking, adiposity, physical exercise, and diet. This research summarizes data from published studies focused on nutrition (nutrients, foods, and dietary patterns) and telomere length.
    • Everyday Mindfulness Linked to Healthy Glucose Levels.  Dispositional, or "everyday" mindfulness (e.g. the everyday practice of Qigong) is the inherent trait of being aware of one's present thoughts and feelings. In a new study of 399 people that measured health indicators including dispositional mindfulness and blood glucose, researchers found that those with higher scores for mindfulness were significantly more likely than people with low scores to have healthy glucose levels. The results show an association and do not prove a cause, but they are part of a program led by Brown University where researchers are studying whether interventions that increase mindfulness can improve cardiovascular health. Their overarching hypotheses are that people practicing higher degrees of mindfulness may be better able to motivate themselves to exercise, to resist cravings for high-fat, high-sugar treats, and to stick with diet and exercise regimens recommended by their doctors.
    • Qi Talks - Eric Imbody - Honoring the Elders - Offering Seniors Qigong. Thursday, March 10, 2016. Qi Talks airs the second Thursday of the month from 8:30-9:30 PM Eastern. It's FREE and open to anyone and everyone interested in learning more about Qigong and the Energetic Arts. Many seniors need realistic movement options for wellness. Numerous benefits of Qigong are tailor-made for some of the most important health needs of older people, such as improved flexibility, better balance, increased pain and strength management, and improved lung function. Qigong practice is also a method of finding a greater sense of physical and emotional grace, self-nurturing, and self-acceptance. Eric would like to share some thoughts and insights about his Qigong work with seniors. Specifically he will discuss suggestions for developing and improving class instruction. He has taught Qigong with elder adults for over 18 years. His students include healthy active seniors and those with impairments, such as stroke disabilities, poor balance, joint dysfunctions, chronic pain, COPD, Parkinson’s Disease, and cognitive decline. Listeners may request a free copy of his Elements of Effective Seniors Qigong handout.
    • Chinese researchers measure electromagnetic fields and microdischarges from the human body. This is a new way to measure "external qi". To date, main stream medical science researchers have not claimed to be able to measure qi, let alone external qi. What has been measured is bioenergy. See Bioenergetic Effects of Qigong and Bioenergetics.  One of the authors has the following to say about the research. It's a little odd that they are quoting prices for measurement devices, but they are quite open about wanting other researchers to reproduce their results. "For thousands years, people don’t know what the External Qi (EQ) is. Now it is known preliminaryly by some measurements for tens years. The article “Preliminary Measurement of Electromagnetic Fields and Microdischarges from the Human Body,” published in Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine 2016 No. 1, PP. 32-43 gave an answer. It introduces the methods of measurements and the results which show that EQ is the electromagnetic fields or the positive discharged electromagnetic fields. These positive pulses are not the pulses in a general way, they are pulses of dielectric barrier discharges(DBD) for which the human skin acts as a barrier layer. In history these discharges also call silence discharges as they could not be heard and seen. According to the electromagnetic theory they should be generated by some positive moving charges in body. When the electromagnetic fields generated by the moving charges are very strong, the positive pulses can be emitted through the skin, they belong to the DBD, and according to DBD theory, there are many characteristics and functions for the discharges, so they can be used to cure some diseases. (For the electrical method, the fee of devices in China is about $2000-3000 ; for photo negative the fee is less, but it requires higher level for qigong master.)"
    • NCCIH recommends mind and body approaches for stress. Note that Qigong is a relaxation technique and includes meditation and mindfulness practice. NCCIH's endorsement of mind-body practices is luke-warm in spite of some overwhelming research evidence, including genetics research. You'd think NCCIH could do better than this after spending over $1B since its inception in 1992. For more information on how mind-body practices really work, see Epigenetics and Psychoneuroimmunology or Meditation. 
    • The NCCIH has released a Clinical Digest on 'Mind and Body Approaches for Stress: What the Science Says". Included are clinical guidelines, scientific literature, and information for patients. Mind-body approches for stress include Relaxaton Techniques, Qigong, Tai Chi, Yoga, Meditation and MBSR. Note that relaxation techniques and meditation are intrinsic to Qigong.
    • Zhan Zhuang - The Hidden Essential of Tai Chi Training. The Art and practice of Tai Chi is built upon fundamenal principles of Qigong that can be learned through the practice of standing meditation, also referred to as Zhan Zhuan (“jan jong”), Wuji Qigong, or (sometimes) Primordial Qigong. There are thousands of different types of Qigong. Arguably the most popular type of Qigong for martial arts is Zhan Zhuang. This is also known as “stake standing”. The practitioner stands motionless in a particular posture to develop internal strength. Zhan Zhuang is very easy to practice yet is said to be difficult to master. Standing Qigong practice develops integrated body/mind awareness and focus, called “sung” in Chinese. Some masters train only using this form of Qigong. As Author Mark Cohen explains"Whether we practice Tai Chi for health or martial arts, the inclusion of Zhan Zhuang (Standing Meditation) at the beginning of our daily training session becomes essential if we are to gain many of the greatest benefits spoken of in the Tai Chi Classics and historical anecdotes. For health, Zhan Zhuang training initiates the body’s internal healing, strengthening, unification and enhanced Qi flow which is then amplified by proper Tai Chi practice. In this case Zhan Zhuang becomes the Yin to Tai Chi’s Yang. While Tai Chi is often thought of in terms of ‘stillness within movement,’ Zhan Zhuang may be considered as ‘movement within stillness.’ Simply put, they are a perfect compliment to one another." MORE: Mark Cohen's Inside Zhan Zhuang through the Qigong Institute Store.
    • A Placebo Treatment for Pain. The article says "neuroscientists are discovering that in some conditions, including pain, placebos create biological effects similar to those caused by drugs." Placebo is intrinsic to the moving meditation, mind-body practice of Qigong which enhances the "healer within", the body's inate healing capability. Emotions, thoughts, and health are related. The placebo effect is real. Placebo is the mind's ability to help us heal. "Science has recognized that at least one-third of all healings including drugs, and surgery, and other allopathic interventions, one third of all healings has nothing to do with the process but has to do with the Placebo Effect." Dr. Bruce Lipton. See Epigenetics, Psychoneuroimmunology, and Qigong.
    • Qigong is key to healthy aging. This UK study concludes that promoting and maintaining physical activity among older people may require more attention to activeness as an attitude and way of life as well as to its social context, and initiatives encouraging broader activity habits rather than discrete activities. Physical qigong practice sessions are discrete activities. But the true power of Qigong comes from the combination of practicing Qigong and embracing it as a habit and a way of life. This is the notion of Qigong as an Art. See: Kung Fu, Tai Chi, and Spirituality in the Art and Practice of Qigong.
    • Whole body vibration improves body composition, skeletal muscle strength, and cardiovascular health. Shaking and dancing has been prescribed by Chinese Buddhist medical practitioners for centuries to treat a number of physical and emotional disorders. It is a highly effective method for removing energy stagnation and breaking down hardened thinking patterns. Shaking the wrists alone is considered an effective way to treat depression. Chinese Buddhist Qigong masters consider the shaking as preparation for meditation whereas the dance is the meditation. More on SpontaneousQigong.

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