People trying to lose weight spend hours on end going to the gym, lifting weights, running on treadmills and counting every calorie on a daily basis. These are all effective ways to lose weight, but the one thing that is often overlooked is the connection between the mind and body. Qigong is a gentle form of exercise that can bridge this gap.
Function
Life has a tendency to become hectic at times and cause stress, anxiety and mood swings. This can be the result of situations that occur at work or at home. Qigong is a meditative practice that is used to help relieve stress, avoid illness and help you cope with tense situations better.
Features
Qigong is not intended to make you sweat, and there is no heavy lifting, grunting or groaning involved. It is based off of three intentful corrections that include good posture, proper breathing and your mental frame of mind. If you have bad posture, the flow of energy in your body can become blocked. Breathing is done deeply into the stomach as opposed to the chest.
Mental Strength
The mind is a big part of qigong. During the course of the day, thousands of thoughts and ideas go through the mind that can cause endless thinking and confusion. During qigong, you are to block out every thought and emotion, and focus strictly on the present moment. This can elevate you to a state of pure consciousness.
Deep Breathing
Deep breathing with qigong helps the heart not have to work so hard, because blood vessels get dilated. Breaths are long and slow, which can also help stimulate the lungs and lymph system.
Types
The movements involved with qigong are slow and steady. They are mostly performed from a standing position, but they can be modified to do from a chair or even lying down. An example of a simple exercise is a "flowing motion." To do this, stand with your feet about shoulder width apart. With your hands by your sides and palms facing backward, slowly lift your arms in front of you while coming up on your toes. Slowly lower your arms and body back down and repeat. Every time you go up, take a big, deep breath into your abdomen, and exhale when you come down (see Resources for qigong exercises).
Benefits
Tai-chi is a form of qigong that can bring multiple benefits to the body other than stress relief, including better flexibility, increased energy and stamina, better balance, chronic pain relief, lower blood pressure and better quality of sleep. These are all benefits cited by the Mayo Clinic.
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