Qigong for body, mind and spirit

Qigong

Qigong has been practiced in China for over five thousand years and has proved to be effective in the prevention and cure of many diseases. Today, millions of people in China practice Qigong because of its great power of healing body and mind, and many people in the west have found relief from ill-health through the practice of Qigong. Qi (or Chi) means air, breath, vital energy, or universal force. Gong means work, or self discipline.

Qigong combines mental concentration, breathing technique and body posture and movements to activate and cultivate the flow of vital energy through energy channels in the body. This results in improved health and well-being, increased energy levels, mental calm and relaxation, clarity of thought, and a sense of 'being part of the universe'.

There are hundreds of different styles and forms of Qigong which have been developed by different, mainly Chinese teachers, ancient and modern.

Universal Energy

The concept of universal energy underpins Qigong practice. Universal energy is the unseen vital force which permeates, gives substance to, and connects everything in existence. This universal energy could also be described as God or Love. Qigong is a systematic process of opening to, connecting with, and allowing the movement of Qi, or universal energy within the body, and also between the body and the universe. This leads to a sense of harmony one-ness, within the body and with the universe, which is experienced as a feeling of peace and well-being. Opening to universal energy leads naturally into healing, and connecting, or re-connecting with our true nature, and to re-finding our place ‘in the scheme of things’.

Sickness and Healing

Sickness can be viewed as a surplus or deficiency of energy in the body, or as a blockage in the flow of energy in the body. We can heal ourselves by releasing energy blockages and by receiving healing energy from the universe, and returning any extra energy back to the universe, thereby creating a state of balance. When I say inwardly: “I am in the universe, the universe is in my body, the universe and I are one,” I am inviting in the universal energy to balance the energy in my body. Once you open yourself up to the universe, the universal energy will support you. The universal energy will give you whatever kind of energy your body needs; whatever your body doesn’t need will go back to the universe. Thus healing happens on its own when allowed and invited by the mind to do so.

Master Chunyi Lin

Spring Forest Qigong was developed by Chunyi Lin in 1994, after many years study of different Qigong styles with Qigong masters throughout China. His background in communist China and years of studying Qigong are recounted in his bestselling book Born A Healer (available on www.amazon.com).

Master Lin travelled from China to the United States in 1995, and since then has taught Spring Forest Qigong in various universities, colleges, and health centres in Minnesota. He has been teaching Qigong and been instrumental in the healing of many people in China and the USA for more than twenty-five years. Master Lin teaches four levels of Spring Forest Qigong and has created a series of home learning materials for students, including videos, guided audio meditations and reference manuals - see www.springforestqigong.com for full details.

Learning Qigong

A first step in learning Spring Forest Qigong would be to obtain the SFQ Fundamentals learning pack from the SFQ website above. This comprises a DVD, CD, and manual. A second step would be to join up with some others for group practice and to share ideas and experiences. Regular practice is encouraged, ideally daily, but at least several times a week to get real benefit from Qigong.

A SFG group currently meets most Friday mornings in Bristol from 11-12am to practice together. This is held in a local park during summer months. There is no SFQ group currently meeting in Newport, though I would be happy to support and participate in such a group at the Newport Clinic as a venue.

Contact me on gordonadam@blueyonder.co.uk or telephone 0117 9080494 for further information on groups or any other aspects of SFQ practice.

Personal Experience

My personal experience of regular Qigong practice (most days) is that it leads to connection: it has helped me connect with my body, my energy, my heart, my emotions, with other people, with nature, and with ‘the universe’.

I feel more calm, energised, clear, and able to adapt to and cope with life’s events as they arise without getting stressed. I have also experienced an increased sense of acceptance and gratitude for ‘how things are’. I feel more at home in myself, in my body, and in my life.

I enjoy practicing Qigong outdoors, and find group practice to be particularly powerful and beneficial.