Is Health Your Priority? |
|||
| China has a history of over 2,000 years of various forms of martial arts and what today would be called "wellness" exercises. We have had requests from people that wanted to explore general health exercises within these disciplines. They were interested in understanding the benefits from such exercises versus the time commitment required to become proficient in the study of taijiquan or other systems that we offer. The titles indicated at the bottom of this page fall into disciplines that yield rapid health benefits. There have been many studies done in China proving the health benefits of these systems. In the West, we are just beginning to address the study of Martial Arts as a method for health and longevity. One study, using the Western Scientific Method with appropriate controls, determined that the practice of taijiquan by a control group of senior citizens increased balance, and stability, while lowering blood pressure when practiced within a daily regime. A residual effect was to reduce the propensity of injuries occurring from falls, a concern that was one of the focuses of the study. Qi is the essential concept in all these systems. In the PBS series "Healing and the Mind", Bill Moyers explores the concept of using Qi (Chi) to affect wellbeing. One of the five segments in the series entitled "The Mystery of Qi" explores traditional Chinese medicine from the Western perspective, and is a valuable resource for further information. In English we do not have a word that corresponds to the concept of Qi. It can be thought of as vital energy. Something that has life has Qi; something that is dead does not. Other cultures do have words for this concept; however, in Japanese it is called Ki, in Hindu Prana, in Greek Pnuema, for example. Taijiquan (Tai Chi Chuan) is the most familiar system to Westerners, but Qigong (Chi Kung) is growing in exposure Taijiquan's root is as a martial art self-defense system with basics, solo forms, two person exercises, and weapons forms. It also can be used as a health wellness exercise depending on how it is taught. The basic underlying principle of qigong practice comes from traditional Chinese medicine. It is believed that energy flows through the body through meridians or circuits. (These do not correspond to any Western medical diagrams of the body.) Disease is believed to be caused by an obstruction of this flow of energy. Qigong practice promotes the unobstructed flow of this energy and clears or reduces blockages that will lead to illness manifesting. Westerners have become more familiar with this idea of a meridian system through the introduction of acupuncture as an accepted alternative medical health procedure. Qigong is divided into two broad categories of external and internal. External qigong is used in self-defense and internal is usually used for maintenance of good health. Within internal qigong there are two sub-divisions of static (holding positions: standing, sitting, or lying down) and dynamic (movements with synchronized breathing). Within these sub-divisions there are also general health routines and medical qigong, which is used for treatment of specific aliments. The qigong titles indicated below would fall into the internal, dynamic, general health category, and are drawn from traditional systems developed in China over hundreds of years. Many of these were practiced secretly in closed circles over the years, but since the 1949 revolution they have begun to be disseminated to the general public. They incorporate breathing, stances and synchronization of torso and arm movements directed toward prevention, relaxation, stress reduction and the maintenance of good health. Ideally they should be practiced on a daily basis. These exercises are non-aerobic, non-cardiovascular, and accessible to all ages. General Health Volume 15 - Chan Ssu Chin - " Silk Reeling Cocoon Exercises"
Volume 26 - Dragon Gate Chi Kung |
|||