Qigong sensory training is a type of Chinese massage that is said to not only improve your health and make you feel better, but also to treat illness. It is also promoted as a treatment for children suffering from autism. Based on Chinese medicine, Qigong works to free a person's blocked energies from 12 areas, or meridians, in a person's body.
History
The practice of qigong --- which, according to the Qigong Research and Practice Center, is pronounced "chee gung" --- is said to go back more than 2,000 years in China. It is a health practice employing breathing control, meditation and a gentle, hands-on method of massage similar to patting that promotes the health of a person's life energy, or qi.
Applications
Since it promotes calm and increases strength and energy, qigong has literally thousands of applications and methods of practice. However, there are only four primary areas of practice. Medical qigong is for treatment and prevention of sickness and diseases. External qigong is a method of treating a person in which the therapist does not touch the person but instead allows energy to flow through them to the person. Sports qigong improves athletic performance, and spiritual qigong helps a person become better connected to nature and their innate spirituality.
Practice
There is no official or state licensing of qigong therapists. Eligibility requirements to be trained vary between training institutes. For example, the Qigong Sensory Training Institute, which trains people to treat children with autism, require a minimum of two years working with children with autism, being in good health and having a "strong desire to commit time and energy to learning this intervention." The Qigong Research and Practice Center, meanwhile, has no specific requirements and anyone who wishes to can enroll in their certification program.
Training
The requirements of training programs vary widely. To complete the program at the Qigong Sensory Training Institute, students must attend a 38 hour course and complete written and practical exams. The Qigong Research and Practice Institute is more stringent. Students must complete 750 hours of training, read 30 books, take college anatomy and physiology classes and more. Check with individual training institutes to learn the specific requirements of their programs.
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