Qigong meditation originated in China as a means of self-healing. A practice that joins movement and meditation, qigong uses visualizations to cultivate well being. Qi, pronounced "chee," is believed to be the foundational energy within the body. Qigong is used to balance, sustain and harmonize this energy. Qigong mediation exercises use breathing to enhance relaxation and guided imagery to help detoxify the body and remove illness. Dr. Kevin Chen of the University of Maryland says that the rainbow and small universe meditations are used for serious illnesses such as AIDS and cancer.
Progressive relaxation
Qigong meditations aim to integrate the body, mind and spirit. To begin each meditation, a period of integration occurs first. This is also the progressive relaxation technique. Three adjustments are made when sitting for the meditation. First, adjust your body by sitting straight, then adjust your breath by taking slow, deep, even abdominal breaths, and finally, adjust your mental state by clearing your mind of thoughts and letting your awareness rest in the lower abdominal area. Sit for a few minutes in this relaxed and peaceful state. This progressive relaxation focuses primarily on resting your attention on the breathing in the lower abdominal area referred to as lower Dantien.
Rainbow Meditation
The rainbow meditation uses the healing power of color to cleanse a body. Once you have progressively relaxed with a breathing meditation, you can imagine the sight of a distant rainbow. Once you spend a moment gazing at the rainbow, you imagine that it turns toward you. It comes closer to you until it rests above your head. The energy and colors of the rainbow begin to enter your body. The colors and energy progress down through your body to the earth and travel up again to your crown. You feel the light and healing of the rainbow and let it slowly fill your body. You can meditate on this as long as you like.
Small Universe Meditation
While completely relaxed, visualize energy travelling upward from your feet to legs, hips and progressively higher in your body. Imagine and sense that energy is recharging your body and filling every organ and cell. You can even name the parts of the body being filled by this energy. When this energy reaches the top of your head, imagine that it actually spills out of the crown of your head like a waterfall and then re-enters through the crown of your head. This is to be repeated by imagining heaven entering through the crown of your head and progressing downward. Eventually, you picture both heaven and earth, yin and yang energies traveling through you at the same time. You can spend up to 15 minutes allowing this visualization to occur.
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