Frequently asked questions
For example, it’s not a good idea to practice when you’re emotionally upset, as it’s difficult to concentrate your mind and relax when you’re agitated.
If you’re exhausted or have a cold, it’s better to rest instead of practicing.
Don’t push yourself to do more than your body allows.
But it’s not always best, so start slowly and build up from there.
Also, you should never practice under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Not using intention when making a movement can result in energy deviation.
For example, waving your arms around, circulating the Qi and dispersing it, instead of directing the movements appropriately with your mind.
If this happens to you, you should inform your teacher.
If you’re doing it on your own, you should rest your legs, stretch your leg muscles and straighten your spine.
This place can be indoors or outdoors.
Ideally, the practice is done close to nature, in a park, by the sea, etc.
If it’s only possible to practice at home, it’s advisable that it’s a well-lit space with natural light, tidy, with space for movement and well ventilated.
Ideally, you can find one or two places that will become your healing spaces.
The number of times isn’t very important, the most important thing is the awareness and intention you put into practice.
9 times is the numerological number that works for the mind, body and spirit 3-3-3.
But you can do less, like just 3 or 5 times.
Qigong doesn’t require you to wear special clothes when practicing.
Clothing should not be so tight that it prevents you from moving freely.
Ideally, you should wear light, loose clothing and flat shoes with good support.
Sneakers, flat shoes and bare feet (weather and location permitting) are all welcome.
Warning: don’t buy those black tai chi sneakers you see in the videos!
They don’t provide support and can even cause foot pain.
Keep in mind that any loose, comfortable clothing is the best “uniform” for qigong, whether it’s a dress or casual clothes, or even pajamas.
If you do too much of anything, you won’t find balance.
Practicing an hour of qigong every day is more than enough.
You can do two twenty-minute sessions, or one longer session, a day.
However, there is no pre-established limit; qigong students and aspiring qigong masters usually train for 3 hours a day.
Qigong is a practice that revitalizes the body and mind.
Students often find that practicing Qigong gives them more energy.
In fact, qigong is very suitable for home study, as much of the practice consists of becoming more aware of your body and doing the movements at a pace that suits your body and mind.
In many ways, it’s easier to do at home than in a class with other people.
Of course, classes, workshops and other personal contact with qigong teachers and other students are also great, but if you don’t have access, this shouldn’t be a barrier to learning qigong.
This will remove several barriers, such as having a fixed time to practice and building a solid and lasting foundation.
In any case, be gentle when you start and make sure you set yourself up for success.
Choose a specific time to practice each day and set aside that time exclusively for qigong practice.
Qigong, on the other hand, works the muscles and nourishes all the organs – but, above all, it doesn’t strain them.
It increases oxygen absorption and circulation, but while the body is relaxed.
This increases the body’s capacity to store and generate energy.
Practicing qigong does not interfere with other forms of exercise, such as working out in the gym, running or doing yoga, pilates or any other form of movement.
Many athletes and martial artists use qigong as a way of improving their athletic performance, endurance, strength and muscle recovery.
Athletes report better focus and greater endurance as a result of practicing qigong before a competition.
Some report tingling, warmth, waves of heat.
Others may feel that there is an invisible force upon them (especially when their palms are facing each other in the shape of an imaginary ball).
However, some people don’t feel anything at all, yet they can still reap the benefits of Qigong.
It’s not uncommon for people who don’t “feel the Qi” to suffer from some real blockages that must be removed through practice or with the help of a master or therapist before they can feel the Qi.
These blockages are usually associated with conditions such as injuries, pain or musculoskeletal misalignments.
Most athletes try to keep moving during the healing process and this is the perfect way to do so.
The physical nature of the practices strengthens the body and speeds up recovery.
Chinese medicine states that every person has or is made up of three treasures.
These are the mind, the body and the spirit.
Some qigong exercises, meditations and visualizations involve connecting with your spirit, or true self, to help speed up the healing process.
Others involve cultivating a sense of inner peace and a deeper connection with your spiritual self.
The practice of qigong can be molded to incorporate a particular spiritual or religious belief, but only if that is what you want.
One of the common feelings that arises is an increase in human warmth.
The mechanism of how this works is still much debated and researched, but the fact that something happens on an energetic level can be perceived by the senses and can be measured scientifically.
Transmitting energy is relatively easy and you can learn some basic techniques in a relatively short period of time.
However, it is not advisable for a qigong beginner to transmit energy, as they may use too much personal energy and feel debilitated, as it can diminish the strength of their immune system.
It is the most cost-effective health method among alternative therapies.
Qigong has a unique value because it allows practitioners to take responsibility for their own health.
Current Qigong studies address some of society’s main concerns, including improvement:
- Health and longevity
- Student performance in schools
- Results in hospital and clinical environments
- Productivity in office environments
- Rehabilitation of prisoners
- Addiction treatment results
- Complementary therapy for cancer treatment without side effects
- Anti-aging (e.g. slowing down cognitive dysfunction)
Tai Chi (also referred to as Taiji, Taijiquan and Tai Chi Chuan) and Kung Fu (also called Gong Fu and WuShu) are forms of martial arts that derive from Qigong.
Tai Chi is a light or internal martial art, while Kung Fu is considered a hard or external martial art form of Qigong.
Qigong provides the basic power, strength, focus, discipline, etc. for all these martial arts practices (regardless of whether they are “hard” or “soft”) through the manipulation and balancing of the body’s energy.
Tai Chi began as a health practice that was so effective in developing internal strength that it was adapted by some into the martial art of Tai Chi Chuan.
Now, Tai Chi and Qigong are once again becoming a way for people to take responsibility for their own health care.
Yes.
There are Qigong forms that particularly capture children’s attention, such as the Five Animals form, which consists of reproducing the movements and qualities of five animals: tiger, deer, bear, monkey and heron.
Yoga philosophy and practice originated in India and is steeped in Indian tradition and culture.
Qigong, on the other hand, is an ancient practice originating in China that retains teachings about life rooted in Taoist, Buddhist and Confucian philosophy.
When comparing the physical practice of Yoga and Qigong, you’ll find that while Yoga and Qigong include breathing and meditation practices, Yoga tends to focus on alignment, muscles and holding the postures, while Qigong concentrates more on the energy and flow of the movements.
There are more than 50,000 references to articles and scientific research on qigong (chi kung) that can be easily found on renowned scientific websites such as: sciencedirect.com Some links to relevant scientific research:
Qigong for the Prevention, Treatment, and Rehabilitation of COVID-19 Infection
Emotional processing changes of qigong on college students
The therapeutic efficacy of Qigong exercise on the main symptoms of fibromyalgia
The effect of Tai Ji and Qigong in patients with chronic obst ructivepulmonary disease
The effects of Qigong exercises on blood lip id
Effectiveness of internal Qigong on quality of life, depressive symptoms and self-efficacy
Effects of cardiac rehabilitation qigong exercise in patients with stable coronary artery disease
Effects of Qigong practice in office workers with chronic non-specific low back pain
Effect of Qigong exercise on cognitive function, blood pressure and cardiorespiratory fitness
Qigong (also spelled chi gung, chi kung or neigong) is a form of gentle exercise practiced to keep people healthy and reduce tension.
Find out more here.
But the best time to practice is when it suits your lifestyle.
You can practice Qigong at any time of the day.
All doctors know that moderate exercise, such as qigong, has a beneficial effect on the heart, blood circulation and joints.
Doctors are becoming more aware of the beneficial effects of deep breathing and meditation on the nervous system, mood, cognitive function and memory.
However, if you have a specific problem that limits your range of movement or strength, or any chronic illness or health problem, you should always check with your doctor before starting any new exercise regime.
With the first breath and movement, the nervous system begins to calm down.
The person becomes more focused and begins to relax.
Over time, the health benefits continue to grow.
The increased flow of qi (energy) improves blood circulation, lubricates the joints, relaxes the nervous system and dissipates stress from the muscles and mind.
The more you practice consistently, the more profound the effects will be.
In the same way, the beneficial, anti-ageing effects of qigong increase and accumulate over the years.
Ideally, you will develop a daily qigong practice, as a few minutes a day is much more beneficial than thirty minutes every four or five days.
Yes, there are many scientific studies on qigong.
These studies have shown that practicing qigong has positive effects on blood viscosity, bone density, the functions of the endocrine glands, asthma, immune function, serum lipid levels (cholesterol), sexual function, the incidence of strokes (reduces the risk), as well as a host of other benefits.