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Qigong

Associated Therapists:
Nigel Mills

 

What is Qigong?

Qigong is a way of being.

Being soft, yet strong.

Qigong is a way of breathing.

Breathing deeply, yet calmly.

Qigong is a way of standing.

Alert, yet relaxed.

Qigong is:

A way of moving.

A way of opening.

A way of closing.

A way of grounding.

A way of giving.

A way of receiving.

A way of awakening.

A way of healing.

How is it achieved?

By standing, in a certain way.

By breathing, in a certain way.

By stretching, in a certain way.

By bringing your awareness into your body, in a certain way.

By extending your awareness below your feet.

By learning how to move, in a certain way.

By letting go. Through cultivating compassion for your body.

Through allowing yourself to be nourished by Qi.

Qi Gong is the art of accessing and circulating natural healing resources. In the traditional writings of Qi Gong these natural healing resources are described as coming from the earth, the ground beneath our feet, and from 'heaven', the universe above and around us.

QiGong provides us with ways of connecting with these sources of nourishment or 'energy' and bringing them into the body.

Most of us block our natural flow of chi; through holding our body in a particular way or through allowing our mind to become rigid; through fear and contraction. In the class the first step, therefore, is to learn how to tune into the body and notice which areas feel 'held', and to experiment with softening, and with opening.

Softening and opening allows blocked areas to be released. The process of release is sometimes accompanied by a change in breathing; a letting go of muscular tension; a shift to a healthier alignment of the spine; a sense of more space in the joints; more space for the digestive organs; and a letting go of emotional holding.

Qi Gong is taught in many different ways. Some schools emphasise the precise learning of a specific sequence of moves, similar to Tai Chi. Other schools emphasise the forcing of energy through the body by using the breath in a particular way.

In the Cardiff class we do neither of those things. My approach to Qigong focuses on finding ways to allow 'chi' or energy, to flow more freely, to nurture the body and to promote self-healing.

How is Qigong related to Tai Chi?

Tai Chi is a relatively new development of Qigong. Tai Chi embodies the basic principles of alignment, posture and breathing that have been developed through Qigong. However, Tai Chi takes these basic principles and uses them in the context of more complex patterns of almost dance-like movement. The patterns or 'forms' are said to have often been inspired by the study of nature. In particular the movements of animals.

Many people find that the exercises of Qigong open up such a world of inner movement and energy awareness, that they feel content to stay with the exercises of Qigong and not embark on the more complex movements of a Tai Chi form. There are therefore an increasing number of classes just for 'Qigong'.

My personal experience is that the more years I practice (currently 18 years of practice) the more I come to realise that "less is definitely more". One of the fascinating aspects of Qigong is that you can practice the same basic movement for many years and continue to develop a different awareness of your health and your energy through that same movement.

There is, to my mind, a danger of learning too many different movements and different patterns. A danger that you will acquire them like badges, moving from one to the next, without fully experiencing the development of health and energy that can be brought about from a focussed practice of just one or two techniques.

In my classes I do not bombard you with a multitude of different "things to do", but instead attempt to transmit some basic, but powerful, principles as to how to help your body's own natural healing forces come to the fore.

Cultivation of Qigong 'Attitude'

The attitude with which you embark on Qigong can be vitally important. One of the fundamental principles underlying Qigong is that you need to trust that your body knows how to heal itself. In our Western culture we are particularly prone to try and "sort things out". Our minds are very good at creating lists of things to do and making arrangements, not to mention inventing motor cars and spaceships and tumble dryers. However, in the practice of Qigong the mind has to take on a different skill that is the skill of standing aside and allowing a spacious compassionate, inner environment in which healing can occur.

The principles of Qigong can be applied as an individual therapy.

Written by Nigel Mills