Qigong,
also written as Qi Gong, Chi Kung
or Chee Kung and is also widely known
as Nei Gong, Nei means internal in
the Chinese language. Qigong, Qi means
life energy from the universe and
Gong means effort or work, thus Qi
Gong or Qigong, can be referred as
“working with the life energy
from the universe”.
Qigong
is an ancient Chinese art and science
of tapping life energy from the universe
and to draw this source of energy,
qi, flowing into our body by mastering
a set of techniques through a precise
choreography of movement, posture,
breathing exercises and meditation.
The drawing of qi into the body helps
to clear the twelve meridians
Qi
gong has been in practice for more
than 4,000 years and studies have
concluded that performing Qigong regularly,
benefits our overall health, physically
and most importantly, internally stimulating
our internal organs, keeping them
in the best of health.
Also
the regular absorption and exchange
of qi from the universe, can help
to balance our body’s life energy
of yin and yang, which in the western
concept, refers to as acidic and alkaline
balance in our body’s pH. For
more about our body’s pH, read
the excellent book by Theodore A.
Baroody, Alkalize or Die.
Qi
Gong is frequently practiced with
Tai Ji, also called Taichi or Taichiquan,
which literally means the Grand Ultimate
Kungfu, is an ancient Chinese martial
art.
Taichi
is now widely practiced by people
in the senior age group of the Chinese
community as an exercise to keep fit
and stay healthy. One of the main
reasons why Tai ji is a preferred
exercise among the senior citizen,
is probably due to its slow and smooth
body movement which is gentle to the
knee caps and body joints. In addition,
the practice of Taiji requires lot
of patience and the capability to
memorize a long series of movement.
In fact, the regular practice of Tai
Chi can help prevent dementia as it
keeps our brain and body active.
But
most importantly, unknown to many,
taichi when practiced with qigong
in the correct form, it provides tremendous
health benefits, helps in the anti
aging process that promotes longevity
and not just a morning exercise.
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