Qi gong Expained. What is and How to

With over 200 million practitioners all around the world, Qi Gong has become more than just a form of exercise or a way for these millions of people to warm up and prepare themselves for the day, Qigong has turned into a social phenomenon, a way for people to socialize, chat and meet new friends once the routine is complete. Besides it social aspects, Qi gong offers a healthy form of exercise, regulate breathing and its slow, graceful mannerisms and movements help to instill a sense of peace and relaxation in practitioners and in turn combat the daily stresses that life brings.

In the 1990s, thousands gathered en masse regularly sometimes daily to perform Qigong routines everywhere in the world, sparking off a Qi gong craze. During that period, Qigong practitioners and followers believed that Qigong could cure diseases like Parkinson’s and through the exercise, practitioners could develop supernatural abilities like levitation, telekinesis and other types of perceptive responses through the development of the “Qi”, the air in the body. Scientific experiments, however, showed no such development of abilities and Qigong was merely labeled as a form of physical therapy.

Qigong had its fair share of controversial moments during its heyday. In China, Qigong masters used to gather thousands of people together and since Qigong is relatively easy to pick up and does not work up much of a sweat, it appealed to all demographics. The young, old, rich and poor were into the art of Qigong and massive gatherings were held, much to the dismay and obsession of the Communist government who disliked any form of massive gatherings. The Communist Government in China has also dispelled any medical aspects of Qigong and even issued legislation where it is mentioned that Qigong practitioners practice the art as a form of physical exercise instead of it having any supernatural-like values since the government does not want Qigong to be part of a religious activity. Since then, the Communist government has kept tabs on different organizations of Qigong and monitoring the activities.

Elsewhere, around the world, unguided practitioners studied Qigong through books and videotapes and through instructors or Qigong masters who were not thoroughly trained in the art. This led to many injuries as these practitioners did not practice the correct methods of breathing and movement, some who had chronic medical diseases, only aggravated their diseases further, prompting a slight decline in Qigong in the late 1990s. While there are many videos, DVDs and books teaching the proper way of practicing Qigong currently, there are debates regarding this issue.

So how does an individual practice Qigong the right way? There are several ways to go about doing it.

1. Look up videos on the internet. Ensure that the videos are accredited by a reliable source and read the reviews available for the videos before actually practicing them. The videos should emphasize on the importance of proper breathing since that is the core essential of Qigong.

2. Purchase DVDs and books on Qigong. Websites like Amazon.com sells DVDs and books on Qigong. These websites have detailed description and provide a rating system on the products available for sale with reviews written by those who have purchased the product.
It is usually a safe bet to purchase a DVD or a book with a high star rating, very detailed description and favorable reviews.

3. Go to your nearest fitness center and ask if they have Qigong classes. Qigong is still very popular worldwide and the form of exercise is a popular choice among all demographics. Ensure the instructor is qualified and ask questions whenever in doubt.

While it has had its fair share of controversies, Qigong is no doubt an effective way to exercise, regulate your breathing and with huge benefits like it being a stress reliever and as a form of social interaction, you will most definitely be rewarded as a Qigong practitioner. So, if you are interested, what are you waiting for, time to get into your Qigong stance, and get to learning!