Qigong

The exercises typical of this well known Chinese discipline can reduce stress and anxiety, while improving overall physical fitness, balance, and flexibility. By alleviating tension, they may also combat insomnia and relieve certain types of headache.

In traditional Chinese medicine, however, Qigong (pronounced "chee-gong") is credited with much more. Proponents claim it has cured cancer, heart disease, AIDS, arthritis, and asthma. They also recommend it for migraines, hemorrhoids, constipation, diabetes, high blood pressure, menstrual problems, prostate trouble, impotence, and pain. Some say it even corrects nearsightedness and farsightedness.

Unfortunately, while advocates cite case studies to support these claims, there are no large, scientifically organized clinical trials to back them up. Although Qigong can undoubtedly improve fitness and general well-being, there's currently no reason to believe that it will prevent or cure any serious disease.

Officially, Qigong seeks to stimulate the flow of qi (the elemental life force of Chinese medicine) along the invisible channels, or meridians, that are thought to course throughout the body. This can be achieved through internal Qigong, the do-it-yourself exercises now familiar in the West, or external Qigong, a form a psychic therapy available only from a Qigong master.

External Qigong is almost impossible to find in the U.S. However, the instruction in the internal variety is now widely available. There are at least 3,000 variations, ranging from simple movements that coordinate breathing and calisthenics to complex exercises aimed at altering such vital bodily functions as heart rate and brain wave frequency.

Internal Qigong can be practiced by anyone--healthy or sick, young or old. The exercises, which can be easily adapted to your physical capabilities, can be performed walking, standing, sitting in a wheelchair, or even lying down, if necessary.

You can teach yourself Qigong by following instructions in the many training manuals available in book stores and libraries. Videotapes are also available for those who want to go it alone. However, many experts warn that, even though the exercises seem simple, it's wise to start with professional instruction, either one-on-one, or in a group. Classes are often offered at local YMCA's, community fitness centers, and hospitals.

Wear loose, comfortable clothing and flexible shoes (no sneakers) when you exercise. Do not eat or drink anything, especially alcoholic beverages, within 90 minutes of your Qigong sessions. Some practitioners suggest you avoid sexual intercourse for at least one hour before and after exercising; others don't seem to think this is necessary.

It is important to approach Qigong with an optimistic attitude, proponents say. It's also important to try to do your best, even if it seems difficult. For example, if you are told to hold your breath, hold it as long as possible. If you are supposed to remain in one position, do it as long as you can. If your arm or leg wants to change positions, let it go naturally. If you find you cannot follow all three aspects of an exercise--visualizing, moving, and breathing--at the same time, concentrate first on visualization.

Qigong exercises can be performed in any order. Repeat each one 6 times when you start, and increase the repetitions when you feel you are ready. Do not rush, and do not expect immediate results.

Your teacher will begin with simple movements. To attain the greatest benefit, you must follow his or her instructions exactly. The opening position prepares your mind and body to "enter a Qigong state." The remainder of the exercise (moving and breathing) is supposed to stimulate the flow of qi.

You may be asked to stand with your legs apart and breathe from the diaphragm while you move your arms and legs in a specific way. Or you may have to sit and roll objects between your palms, or simply walk slowly. You may also be taught meditation techniques. Here are a few typical exercises:

Child Worships the Buddha (said to strengthen the legs, "lighten" the body, and relieve stress).

Stand with legs apart. Open your arms and inhale deeply.
Bring your hands together in front of you and raise your left leg.
Rest your left leg on your right knee. Breathe out and, at the same time, gently bend your right leg.
Hold the position, then return to the starting position and repeat.

Directing vital life energy to internal organs.

Rub your hands together.
Place your right hand on the lower right edge of your rib cage (the area of the liver) while you visualize your liver receiving qi.
Place your left hand on the lower left side of your ribs (the area of the spleen and pancreas), while visualizing these organs receiving qi.
Move your hands in a circle, while breathing deeply and relaxing. Try to feel heat passing through the surface of your skin and penetrating these organs, making them work more efficiently.
Hold your hands over the organs and continue feeling the heat.
Exhale while visualizing qi circulating from the center of your body to your arms and hands and then into other organs.
Move your palms to cover your naval and breastbone. As you rub them, visualize the qi pouring into your naval, heart, and thymus, improving their functioning.
Move your palms down to your lower back and rub the area. Visualize your kidneys and adrenals receiving qi and working better, as above.

Breathing to increase energy.

Sit (or stand) with eyes closed or slightly open, shoulders relaxed, head centered above shoulders, and hands palm up with fingertips pointing toward each other approximately two inches below your navel.
As you slowly breathe in, raise your hands to the lower edge of your breastbone. Take three short puffs of breath to fill your lungs, raising your hands with each puff until they reach the level of your armpits. Hold.
Turn your palms face-down. Lower your hands to your navel while exhaling slowly. Exhale three additional puffs to empty your lungs. Hold.
As you inhale, visualize the qi building up inside your pelvic and abdominal cavities. Continue visualizing as you exhale.

Spontaneous movement (said to produce an immediate sensation of qi).

Stand with your feet apart or sit in an armless chair.

Wiggle your fingers, shake and rock your body.

Breathing more deeply, shake your arms, then your head, and finally your shoulders.

Relaxing your jaw, sigh or make another sound as you exhale.

Exaggerate or prolong the movements, shift your weight from foot to foot, make more sounds, make up your own routine.

The external variety of Qigong, as practiced in China, requires none of the foregoing activities. Instead a Qigong "master" endowed with plentiful qi imparts life force to the patient. To transmit the qi, the master may wave his hands above the person's body, touch him, or press down on specific points. The extra qi is said to balance the patient's own life force, thus promoting healing.

In China, such masters have their own medical association, and many hospitals use their services for routine treatment. In the early 1980s, Lu Yan Fang, a Beijing scientist, discovered that the hands of the masters emitted low frequency sound waves that were 100 times more powerful than those of normal people, and 1,000 times stronger than the elderly or ill. She then built a machine (the Infratonic QGM) to replicate this sound and found that it seemed to reduce pain. Today, the Infratonic QGM is used in the Far East, parts of Europe, Mexico, and Argentina. In the U.S., it's available as an FDA-approved "massage device" that's frequently used to treat pain.

Treatment Time: If you are exercising at home between formal classes or private lessons, your sessions should last for approximately 30 minutes. People with certain medical problems may have to exercise for longer periods.

Treatment Frequency: Classes or professional instruction are usually scheduled twice a week. On all other days, exercise both morning and evening on your own.

The practice of Qigong dates back at least two thousand years. Many ancient cultures felt that a supernatural or physical "energy flow" regulated the functioning of their bodies and of the world around them. In China, manipulation of this flow to improve health was gradually formalized in such medical disciplines as acupuncture, acupressure, and Qigong.

The philosophical foundations of Qigong stipulate that the vital energy qi flows along meridians that link the internal organs with the fingers or toes and more than 100 acupuncture points on the head, spine and other parts of the body. It's believed that illness results from an imbalance of qi--when more accumulates in one place than another. The meditation, visualization, breathing, and movement exercises of Qigong seek to restore balance, breaking down blockages in the flow of qi and reestablishing a healthy supply to diseased or distressed parts of the body.

Although qi itself is undetectable, modern proponents of traditional Chinese medicine maintain that manipulating this force with Qigong results in a variety of physical benefits, including reductions in heart rate and blood pressure, dilation of the blood vessels, and enhanced oxygenation of the tissues. The exercises are said to have a beneficial effect on the nerves that regulate the pain response. By increasing the flow of lymphatic fluid, they are thought to improve the efficiency of the immune system. And by improving circulation, they are said to speed elimination of toxic substances from the body, improving general health.

Some adherents claim that Qigong moderates the function of the hypothalamus, pituitary, and pineal glands, as well as the fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord, to decrease pain, increase immunity, and improve mood. Others say that it increases the amount of disease-fighting white blood cells in the blood, promotes the production of enzymes and other substances needed for digestion, and improves the oxygen supply by increasing the lung's capacity to absorb this vital substance.

While such effects could indeed promote better health, critics in the West demand scientific proof that they actually occur. They'd also like to see definitive proof that Qigong has actually cured any illness. Although there are many Chinese studies that seem to prove its powers, it has never been subjected to the kind of rigorous tests that Western therapies routinely undergo. (In such trials, a real treatment must outperform a fake, and neither the patients nor the doctors know who receives which.)

Although the actual extent of its powers remain to be seen, even critics of Qigong admit that it can enhance fitness and promote healthy relaxation. And, though the reasons remain a mystery, many conventional physicians in this country admit that they have treated patients whose health has improved after they've adopted Qigong.

Because Qigong may thin the blood and increase circulation, you should forego it during periods when bleeding could become a problem--for instance after a tooth extraction or injury, or when suffering from internal bleeding. The exercises should also be suspended during pregnancy. And it's best to avoid them completely if you have a tendency to dizziness or are suffering a severe mental or emotional disturbance.

The gentle exercises of Qigong are unlikely to cause any adverse reactions.

You can often find qualified instructors teaching Qigong courses in adult education programs, community centers, YMCA's, and hospitals. A local acupuncturist or practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine may also be able to give you a referral.

If none of these resources are able to help you, the following organizations may know of practitioners and classes in your area.

American Foundation of Traditional Chinese Medicine

Healing Tao Center

Health Action

Used as a health and fitness regimen, regular Qigong exercise can be a lifelong practice.

Because the jury is still out on Qigong's curative powers, you should still check with your doctor whenever you develop serious symptoms of any sort.