QiGong – Wellness in Movement

Qigong (pronounced Chee-gung) and Tai Chi (pronounced Tie Chee) are very similar disciplines with shared theoretical roots. They have common actions and movements. Both are linked to the wellness and health promoting aspects of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Qigong can be viewed as a systematic movement practice, combining breath work, relaxation and movement all in one. Tai Chi is a style of Qigong. Qigong programs exercise specific systems or parts of the body — nervous system, endocrine system, heart, kidneys. Both Qigong and Tai Chi practice can lead to better health and vitality and a tranquil state of mind. Tai Chi does require a larger time commitment, so I recommend starting with Qigong and then moving to Tai Chi as your schedule allows.

“I don’t have time for this.”

“I’m too busy to take a breath!”

Does this sound like something you would say either out loud or in your head?

What if I told you that if you made some time to move and breathe you’d create more time for everything else in your life? If you need more reasons to start a daily Qigong routine, how about increased lymphatic movement? Our lymphatic system is the unsung hero of our body. This vital regulates your immune system and helps to transport nutrients and eliminate waste products from your cells.

Qigong Wellness – No Gym Membership Needed

I want to encourage and motivate you to carve out 5, 10 or even 20 minutes daily for QiGong exercise each day. You don’t need a gym membership, or drive to anywhere, find a parking place, change clothes. Why not commit to this activity for 10 days? Would you report back to me how this changed you? Did it change your attitude, your work day, family/social life and sleep patterns? Then I can report our results and motivate a whole new group of people.

Additional Resources:

Free 5 Day Mini QiGong Course
As you can see from the video link at the top of this post, one of my favorite online Qigong resources is Lee Holden’s website.

Effect of Qigong exercise on cognitive function, blood pressure and cardio-respiratory fitness in healthy middle-aged subjects

The researchers looked at a 12 week program of Qigong and concluded, “These results suggest that Qigong exercise effectively improved attention, brain processing speed, blood pressure and maximal workload. However, these improvements disappeared 12 weeks after cessation of Qigong. Consequently, performing Qigong regularly is important to maintain related health effects.”