Qigong is a Chinese practice of the mind-body-spirit, which has its roots in Taoism. It combines meditative and physically active elements by integrating posture, movement, breathing technique, self-massage, sound, and focused intent. It is a form of delicate exercise made up of repeated movements that stretches the body and increases fluid movement. Sounds quite like Yin & Yang? It is! Qigong exercises have Yin and Yang aspects: Yin is “being it”, Yang is “doing it”. The key to Qigong lies in its slow, relaxed yet focused movements.
Qigong has been China’s art of self-healing for the last 3000 years and has proved itself effective with its beneficial impact on the health of the people.
Qigong is known to help relieve tension, stress and anxiety. It can also maintain health, manage illness and extend longevity.
Stress Relief
In qigong, there is a combination of gentle movement, deep focused breathing and mindful focus. Through these practices, the mind and body can begin to relax, and this calmness helps to relieve stress.
Prevention and Healing
Practicing qigong improves balance, which makes the joints and muscles more fluid. This allows the entire body to relax and releases tension in spots where there could be injury. It also helps the muscles and joints become stronger.
As movements of qigong are slow and subtle, it allows for a gradual increase of movement in the injured part of the body. This aids in the healing process as waste is slowly cleared from the injured area.
Improve Vascular Function
Qigong improves blood circulation by increasing the elasticity of blood vessels through the dynamic movements. This helps with the flow of blood in the body and is thus also an exercise for patients with high and low blood pressure.
Improve Sleep
People with insomnia, you shall be cured! With a body clear of physical and mental stress, a good night’s sleep should follow.
Not yet convinced? Here’s more.
Where can you practice QiGong?
Of course, reading up and learning from videos online can be a great place to start. But the practice of QiGong is not easy. It’s not about knowing more moves or techniques, but the right posture, motion and breathing. There’s no better way than to get someone qualified to check on you.
Introducing…
What could be better than spending a nice breezy morning in the lush grass practising self-healing in Singapore’s UNESCO World Heritage Site: The Botanic Gardens! Learn from 混元功 [hùn yuán gōng] practitioner, Mr Joseph Pau, on the fundamentals of Qi Gong: (how to) gather qi, transform qi, circulate qi, and store qi. The best thing about Qi Gong is that it can be practised by anyone (seriously), young or old! So nobody can have any excuse not to give this a shot. For a price of $25/pax, I would say that it is definitely a steal! Classes start really early in the morning, so be prepared! What more are you waiting for? Get in touch with your inner self, calm your soul and feel the tranquillity flowing through your blood. Sign up here.
Not an early riser?
Zhineng Qigong Society is a non-profit organization that aims to promote good health among its member. They have night classes every week from 8pm to 10pm (depending on which training module you sign up for). The basic Qigong training module that teaches the basic Qi exchange costs $100/pax for 8 weeks worth of lessons. This is a perfect way for the working population to calm their souls after a long day at work. Other than classes, they also have Qi Gong camps held annually as well for their members.
Contact them here to sign up!
Address: 397 Upper Paya Lebar Road (Lam Soon Tang Chong Huay), Singapore 534985
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