When April Fool's Day rolled around, one world-famous T'ai Chi teacher had this as his status update: "April 24th is 'World T'ai Chi and Qi Gong Day. (It is, by the way.) Brazil has declared it a national holiday, Utah has recognized it, and [name of giant pharmaceutical company] has filed a preliminary injunction against it."
(Anyone who's ever observed the battle between Western medicine and Complementary and Alternative medicine or "CAM" would get that joke... We've come to expect peace of mind in a pill, not in a lifestyle practice or an exercise that can reduce stress and improve immunity.)
T'ai Chi and Qi Gong are both ancient Chinese practices. T'ai Chi is more correctly a type of martial arts, and Qi Gong is often termed "a moving meditation." "Qi" is the word for what the Chinese see as the "life-force energy." This same Qi (or Chi) is what acupuncture moves along energy meridians. Qi Gong is one of several practices, including T'ai Chi and Yoga, that are effective at relaxing "body, mind and spirit." Unlike the other two, however, Qi Gong is less demanding physically, so can be done by a broader range of people, including seniors and the disabled.
In "The Complete Illustrated Guide to Chinese Medicine," Tom Williams, Ph.D., writes about these arts, "In many ways Qi Gong and T'ai Chi represent the paradox that is central to the whole way of thinking in Chinese medicine. These practices are so gentle and apparently effortless, yet they are in fact inordinately powerful and bring tremendous benefit to anyone who adopts them as part of a regular healthcare strategy."
As the Wall Street Journal reported last year, "Alternative medicine is mainstream. The evidence is mounting that diet and lifestyle (including practices such as Qi Gong, T'ai Chi and Yoga) are the best cures for the worst afflictions."
There's much to be said on behalf of this multi-thousand-year-old practice, which 100 million Chinese who practice it daily in parks, both morning and evening. It's a low-cost "health care system" that's available to all. Unlike the more rigorous T'ai Chi, Qi Gong can be done standing, or even sitting in a chair. It can be learned in a class, or at home with a DVD. There is a selection of DVDs likely to be found at your local library; and online at Amazon.com, at Gaiam.com, and at ExerciseToHeal.com.
Lee Holden, who had a show on PBS about Qi Gong, talks about how Qi Gong leaves you "relaxed, balanced and energized." When I asked Holden which of his dozen or more DVDs he would suggest for people struggling with PTSD, he recommended "Stress Relief Qi Gong," among others. (His DVDs are available on his website, linked here.)
Why would Qi Gong practice be particularly beneficial for veterans with PTSD? Holden clarifies:(Holden is also the author of "Seven Minutes of Magic: Recharge Your Body Each Day with Qi Gong," linked here.)"Qi Gong switches the nervous system from the stress related ‘fight or flight’ mode to the restorative healing mode of the parasympathetic branch. EEG shows that, in people practicing Qi Gong, the cerebral cortex enters a state of calm that few people experience, even in sleep."
Here's a sample from that DVD:
Aspects of Qi Gong, especially its less rigorous nature, combined with its health benefits, including stress reduction, make it a good fit for veterans. Leading a Vietnam combat veteran through some a Qi Gong routine, as we both followed along with a Lee Holden DVD, I asked him how he felt afterwards: "Great!" was his response. He had tried T'ai Chi, but found that he and other vets could not adapt quickly enough to it.
In my own battle with chronic fatigue syndrome years ago, after trying the best of Western and Eastern medicine, I found that it was T'ai Chi and Qi Gong that "built energy" and "moved energy" that allowed me finally to recover.I had the good fortune to take instruction in person from a wonderful instructor who adapted her instruction to even those in chronic pain, and I remember that we could do the Qi Gong exercises sitting down, and yet still experience the benefits. If you're in the Seattle, Wash. area and you can go in person to a class, I recommend Kim Ivy at Embrace the Moon, because I know her work. But if you have to get your instruction from a DVD, Lee Holden and Francisco Garripoli are highly recommended.
For more information about Qi Gong and its health benefits, there's one website in particular that's a treasure trove of information: the Qigong Institute, and it's linked here. I would also suggest reading what Lee Holden has written about it, linked here.
(Note that you may find Qi Gong spelled several different ways, including "Qigong" and "Chi Kung.")
Finally, here are two informational videos that describe a little bit more about what Qi Gong is and what the experience of practicing it is like:
and
