Chi Gung

People practice Chi Gung (also spelled qigong) for many different reasons, including for exercise and recreation, prevention of illness and self-healing, meditation and self-cultivation. As a form of gentle exercise, qigong is composed of movements that are typically repeated, strengthening and stretching the body, increasing fluid movement (blood, synovial and lymph), enhancing balance and awareness of one's own body, and building consciousness of how the body moves. As a healing art, qigong practitioners focus on prevention and self-healing, traditionally viewed as balancing the body's energy meridians and enhancing the intrinsic capacity of the body to heal.

Chi Gung, which literally means "energy work" in Chinese, is the practice of learning to control the movement of the life energy internally, using only the mind to direct energy in the body. Physical movement may be used, but is not required. According to Eastern thinking, vital energy called "Chi" (also spelled ki or qi), flows continuously throughout the human body. The existence of this flow is the fundamental basis of Eastern medicine, martial arts and meditation. Through this paradigm, the cause of poor health and disease can be seen as a blocked, irregular or discontinuous flow, described in Eastern medicine as an imbalance in the system. This imbalance has two origins: physical injury or degradation, or mental tension, which often leads to poor life habits and subsequent destruction of the body.

Chi Gung can be learned and practiced by anybody with any level of physical health. Chi Gung is a fascinating and powerful tool, which can bring remarkable improvements to your life. It is also liberating and enjoyable; there is no end to it, so it always has new things in store for us.