A growing number of doctors and clinics in the West are recommending the Chinese body art of qigong as an effective way of harmonizing body and spirit.
"Qigong is increasingly becoming part of therapy concepts in clinics," says Gisela Hildenbrand of the Medical Association for qigong in Bonn, Germany.
PHOTO: DPA
Qi, pronounced as tshi, can be translated as "life force energy." Gong means "steady practice."
The more than 2,000 exercises deal mainly with conscious body posture, gentle movements and breathing while standing, sitting or lying.
The movements bring the qi back into flow, harmonizing body and spirit. Qigong teacher Detlef Klossow in Dusseldorf describes the movements as "moving meditation." They have poetic names like "small temple in the morning" or "swimming dragon."
The person bends the body sideways, lifts the arms and sinks them back toward the ground. "The routine movements let the energy flow especially in the spine and the joints," Klossow says. Often specific breathing techniques lend emphasis to the movements.
"The practitioner is very gentle with himself as if observing from the outside to the inside," says Klossow. The power comes from this ritual, but he notes that many people can't stand the silence. "It makes them mad that everything is done very quietly."
Teachers recommend that the exercises be done daily -- even if only for a few minutes. "But many people don't even take this time for themselves because they regard their day as being packed full,"Klossow says.
But especially in situations of great stress these movements can be especially helpful to get a distance from daily routine. "Qigong is a good alternative to taking another cup of coffee and a cigarette," the teacher says.
The exercises appear simple but their effectiveness should not be underestimated. Several studies have been conducted on their effectiveness for asthma and migraine patients.
"The results confirmed our experience. The patients had less of the attacks and needed less medication," Hildenbrand says.
Klossow warns that qigong can't be learned from books and is best practised with an experienced instructor. It is however easier to learn than tai chi which is also know in the West as shadow boxing. Qigong is a good way of starting to learn the Chinese body arts but qualified instructors or trainers should be chosen, the experts recommend.
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