Health Benefits of Qi Gong/Tai Chi

Qi Gong, pronounced chi kung, uses gentle flowing movements combined with breathing patterns to reduce the stress of today's busy lifestyles and improve health.

Qi Gong is sometimes described as "meditation in motion" because it promotes serenity through gentle movements — connecting the mind and body. Originally developed in ancient China, Qi Gong evolved into a graceful form of exercise that's now used for stress reduction and to help with a variety of other health conditions. 　

Understanding Qi Gong

Qi Gong is the ancient healing form of tai chi. It is a noncompetitive, self-paced system of gentle physical exercise and stretching, combined with breathing patterns. To do Qi Gong you perform a series of postures or movements in a slow, graceful manner. Each posture flows into the next without pause, ensuring that your body is in constant motion.

There are more than 100 possible movements and positions within the Qi Gong practice, many of which are named for animals or nature. Most Qi Gong masters create a "form," or series of movements, using around 20 selected movements from the wide library of possible movements.

Regardless of the variation, all Qi Gong movements include rhythmic patterns of movement that are coordinated with breathing to help you achieve a sense of inner calm. The concentration required forces you to live in the present moment, putting aside distressing thoughts. There will also usually be some movements common to all forms.

Qi Gong offers Benefits for everyone

The intensity of Qi Gong varies depending on the form practiced. Most forms are gentle and suitable for everyone, so anyone can practice Qi Gong regardless of your age or physical ability — Qi Gong emphasizes technique over strength. In fact, because Qi Gong is such low impact, it is especially suitable if you have a disability or are an older adult who otherwise might not exercise.
Qi Gong is also appealing because it's inexpensive, requires no special equipment and can be done indoors or out, seated or standing, and either alone or in a group.

Why not give Qi Gong a try?

Like other complementary and alternative practices that bring mind and body together, Qi Gong can help reduce stress. While doing Qi Gong you focus on movement and breathing. This combination creates a state of relaxation and calm. Stress, anxiety and tension should melt away as you focus on the movement and breathing, and the effects may last well after you complete your Qi Gong session. Although not a substitute for traditional medical care, Qi Gong can also help promote overall health.

Despite its long history, Qi Gong has been studied scientifically only in recent years. And although more research is needed, preliminary evidence suggests that Qi Gong may offer numerous benefits beyond stress reduction. Although a complete list of benefits would go on and on, one should include:

• Improved immune response
• Improving the quality of sleep
• Lowering blood pressure
• Reducing anxiety and depression
• Improving balance, flexibility and muscle strength
• Reducing falls in older adults
• Improving cardiovascular fitness in older adult
• Relieving chronic pain
• Increasing energy, endurance and agility
• Improving overall feelings of well-being

How do I get started?

Checking out a DVD from your local library is a good way to evaluate them. You may also find Qi Gong classes in many communities today. To find a class near you, you may contact your local Senior or Community Center.

Maintaining the benefits of Qi Gong

To reap the greatest stress reduction and other health benefits from Qi Gong, consider practicing it regularly. While you may get some benefit from a class of a few weeks, you will enjoy longer and more far reaching benefits if you continue practicing Qi Gong for the long term and become more skilled.

I find it helpful to practice Qi Gong in the same place and at the same time every day. That way I have developed a routine. I found that an erratic schedule, whenever I could squeeze it into my busy schedule, just didn't work for me. In time you will learn to draw on the soothing mind-body concepts of Qi Gong without performing the actual movements if you get stuck in a stressful situation, like in a traffic jam or an unpleasant work environment, etc.

Why practice Qi Gong?

In summary, Qi Gong is easy, anyone can do it, and it is a wonderful self-healing tool. The longer you practice Qi Gong, the more benefits you will reap.

Why not get started today?

Aerobics

What is the meaning of the word "aerobic?"

More importantly what does it not mean? It does not mean jumping about or running, even walking. The origin of the word is the same as aerate, which Webster says means "to supply (the blood) with oxygen by respiration."

In our society today we have been duped into believing that doing "aerobics" is about strenuous exercise to keep our heart rate high. While there are many benefits to strenuous exercise, that is not the only approach to aerobic activity.

Respiration means breathing, and increasing our breathing rate can be done by anyone anytime, at almost any stage of life. Breathing exercises are simple and easy.

Please review my blog post of June 8 called "THE POWER OF OUR BREATH." It is an excellent overview of the power of simple breathing exercises. There is no more powerful as well as natural healing tool. In that post I promised more breathing tips.

In my September 19 blog post called "HAPPILY WE EXERCISE" I related a simple five minute aerobic exercise that I do most mornings. Please also review that post.

This morning as I completed my own practice of that very simple and easy aerobic exercise (Oh yes, I practice what I preach!), it occurred to me that I should share with you how doing that simple five-minute routine makes me feel, as it jump starts my day.

It makes my body feel totally awake and alive.
It gives me more energy for my day.
It wakes up every cell, and increases the efficiency of all body processes.

Remember that the breath is our life force, called chi in ancient Chinese medicine and exercises like Qi Gong, the healing form of Tai Chi. In the Yoga tradition it is called Prana. Whatever we call it, that force is what keeps us alive and healthy.

Many Qi Gong breathing techniques accompanied by simple movements may be done either standing, seated, or lying down. It is very easy to modify them for whatever level of physical activity is appropriate. Here is one of my favorite Qi Gong breathing exercises, which is very quieting and a great easy-to-use aid to sleeping.

Simply inhale to the bottom half of the lungs (imagine a balloon in your abdomen), hesitate briefly, then complete your inhale to fill the top half of the lungs, then exhale very slowly. To aid in falling asleep, inhale through the nose, and exhale with the mouth open. For the maximum relaxation and/or aid in falling asleep, say "AHH" as you exhale. This simple breathing technique is the most powerful sleep aid I have ever found.

I truly believe our body is designed to be self healing. By learning and daily practice of very simple Qi Gong breathing techniques you can not only aid in returning your body to health, but maintaining a healthy body. And there are absolutely no negative "side effects."

I can't imagine my life today without the daily practice of Qi Gong. Try it - you'll be so glad you did!

Get With It!

BELIEF:

None of the natural healing tools I keep writing about mean anything if you do not believe they can work for you . . . at least believe enough to give them a serious try.

I have had the website http://www.BettysHouseLifeAfterMS.com/ and accompanying Journey to Wellness newsletter for over 13 years now, and I frequently hear from people from every part of the globe who say they believe or at least want to believe, but they never quite get their act together. They live their lives on the fringes of a healthy lifestyle.

COMMITMENT:

They purchase exercise programs, try them a few times, but soon they are gathering dust on the shelf. They "try" to clean up their diet for a few days or weeks, but that doesn't last long either. They say that they "really want to," but their actions speak louder than their words.

GET OUT YOUR DUST-COVERED QI GONG AND/OR
YOGA DVDS AND GET MOVING!

TOSS THE PROCESSED SUGAR AND WHITE FLOUR,
AND ANYTHING MADE WITH THEM. MAKE JUST THOSE
TWO DIET REVISIONS AND I PROMISE YOU'LL FEEL
SO MUCH BETTER THAT YOU'LL BE AMAZED.

WE ALL CREATE OUR WORLD:

Don't be a victim . . . you can be a victor, but the decision is totally up to you. I love Dr.Wayne Dyer's book, Excuses Be Gone. It is so much easier to blame something or somebody ther than ourselves for all the challenges in our life. But the truly healthy person accepts responsibility. Once you have accepted that you have created whatever is going on in your life, then it is an easy next step to say to yourself, "if I have created whatever is going on in my life that I say I don't want, then it should be an easy decision to create what I truly do want!"

I may not have consciously created an illness or disability, but I certainly do get to choose how I process it. I like to think of every day as a new opportunity to choose. Just because I did not make the best choice yesterday doesn't mean that I can't make a better choice today.

A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE IS JUST A DECISION AWAY:

COME ON - GET WITH IT!

BELIEVE THAT YOU CAN, MAKE A FIRM COMMITMENT,
AND A HEALTHY SELF-HEALING LIFESTYLE WILL BE YOURS.

YOU CAN DO IT!!

I Know You Can!

Reality vs. Denial

I have been thinking a lot recently about why we human beings - myself included - either put off doing what we know we should do, or just ignore altogether those things we know, really know, that we need to either do or change.

Inasmuch as whatever is happening today is reality, then what is the opposite? It is over simplistic to just call the opposite of reality "unreality." It is deeper than that. I have come to believe that buried in our psyche is a trait called denial. Since it is so entrenched in all of us, perhaps it is a product of our evolution.

Sometimes denial can be positive, for instance a protection mechanism, as in facing a serious physical challenge, or in the inevitable death of a loved one, or perhaps even our own demise.

But the flip side of that coin is that denial is at the heart of sabotaging a healthy lifestyle. I call this negative denial. We humans are very adept at putting off until "tomorrow," which interestingly never appears on anyone's calendar, in a seemingly never-ending cycle. We are going to improve our diet tomorrow, or we are going to get serious about physical exercise tomorrow, or perhaps we are putting off learning the art of meditation, or even getting our financial house in order. All these things fall into the classic negative denial category and can sabotage our lives.

Being a "put-er offer" is simply living in denial. And sometimes the greatest denial is simply ignoring that we are in denial!

How do we get off this denial treadmill? I suggest taking one item and concentrating on moving ahead instead of putting it off, like getting started with a Qi Gong program.


Try it. It can change your life! It has certainly changed mine.

Communicating with Our Body

I believe that I not only can communicate with my body, but that communication is a necessary part of natural health. I believe my body is designed to be self-healing. But in order to put that belief into practice we need to learn to communicate effectively with our body.

I can just hear many saying, "Yah right Betty!" How does my body communicate with me? Actually your body is talking to you all the time - it is just that normally we do not listen unless we are beaten over the head with a really bad headache, or perhaps with a tooth ache, or an upset tummy, or painful feet or back, etc. What is your body telling you when you experience simple discomfort, or perhaps acute pain? First and foremost it is saying, "I'm not happy down here; help me!" That is how our body talks to us. We'll come back to the how and why of our body communicating with us.

I absolutely do believe that you can heal your body. I am walking proof of that fact. Fifteen years ago, after three years of illusive neurological symptoms, I was diangosed with Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis and was told to prepare my life for a wheelchair. You may read my story at www.BettysHouseLifeAfterMS.com.

I think of my "self" as two separate but combined entities. There is my physical body, that which I see when I look in a mirror, and then there is my "energy" body, that some call the soul, higher self, or life force. Ancient Chinese medicine believed that energy, which today can be measured scientifically as well as visually, flows constantly throughout and around our body. They called that energy "chi," which in Chinese means simply energy. The Chinese also believed that blockages or interruptions in that flow of energy created dis-ease in our body.

That is the theory behind not only accupuncture but the healing form of Tai Chi called Qi Gong, which loosely translates to energy work. Accupuncture is a powerful tool for pain relief, and Qi Gong is a very effective natural healing tool. When practiced consistently it historically is another powerful healing tool, as well as a method for communicating with our life force energy. I feel certain that Qi Gong is responsible for the fact that I walk and live a normal life today. Qi Gong is a powerful way to communicate with our life force.

You may be thinking, "OK Betty; I'll grant you that my body communicates with me, but tell me more about how I may communicate with my body?" Really that is very easy. One way is to talk to it. Standing in front of a mirror and looking directly into you eyes, repeat aloud a message to yourself. Tell yourself whatever you wish to be, do or have. Repeat it as many times as necessary until you truly believe it. Remember that you are talking to the non-physical part of you.

Good examples are:

"I am happy, healthy and at peace within"
"I have a perfect healthy body"
"My life is joyful and abundant"

Always remember that you create your life out of your feelings - not your beliefs. Affirmations like these are perfect examples to correct and/or change your attitude, which translates into a change or uplifting of your feelings.


Affrirmations, daily practice of Qi Gong and some forms of Yoga, regular meditation, as well as a very healthy diet - all are tools for communicating with our body. It is my hope that all of you will try these techniques.

Happily We Exercise

Remember the little kindergarten "ditty" most of us learned, "Happily We Exercise"? I know ditty is a dated word for an old-fashioned song, but it works and this little song is still taught to most children today. We warmed up our bodies and minds with simple exercises as we sang along.

The reasoning for beginning our day with exercise is simply that it "wakes up" our body. And of course exercise is a major natural healing tool. Incidentally, I know that we can wake up our bodies with caffeine in the morning, but it is so much better to wake up with a simple exercise routine.

I am a tremendous fan of both Yoga and Qi Gong. Both are many hundreds of years old; Yoga in many different forms comes to us from India, and Qi Gong (chee gung) is the ancient healing form of Tai Chi from China. Yoga teaches breath control coordinated with gentle movement, and Qi Gong teaches that through the breath and simple stretching and movement we can control the flow through our body of our chi, our life force energy, and that blockages in that flow are responsible for dis-ease in our body.

When I was younger I was devoted to Hatha Yoga, but as I have gotten older I find that my body likes and responds better to Qi Gong. There are many Yoga and Qi Gong DVD routines, many modified for various times in our lives. Check them out. They are excellent healing tools. If you have any physical limitations I recommend the routines designed for seniors.

Here's a warmer-upper little exercise to do first thing after you put your feet on the floor in the morning.

1] Repeat this affirmation several times:

"This is a divine, blessed, and infinitely abundant day.
Good things are coming my way,"

with a few deep breaths between repetitions of the affirmation.

2] With arms dangling freely at your sides, walk in place while breathing deeply into the diaphram for about 2-3 minutes. Just imagine that you are inflating a balloon in your lower abdomen as you enhale, then exhale all the air as you "suck" your tummy in.

3] Extend your arms vigorously out to the side, then in front, then high above the head, affirming "I am positive," "I am energetic," and I am "enthusiastic," as follows:

• Begin with your hands at your chest, flinging your arms out to the side while saying "I am positive."
  
• Bring your hands back to your chest, then extend your arms vigorously in front of you while saying, "I am energetic."
  
• Bring your hands back to the chest, then fling them high above your head while affirming, "I am enthusiastic!"
  
• Finally, relax your arms at your sides and take several deep breaths, inhaling and exhaling slowly. Repeat this exercise and affirmation several times as you like.

This is a great way to jumpstart your day and set yourself on a path to a healthy, self-healing day.

Important Weight Loss Tip

After many years of various kinds of weight control programs, I finally learned that none of them work unless we solve the problem of how we got to be overweight to begin with. I have finally found that a major part of the answer for me is in portion control. Here are my suggestions:

Portion Control Guidelines

Grains:

Cooked pasta or oatmeal - 1/2 cup
100% whole grain bread - 1 slice
whole grain crackers - 6

Fruit:

Peach, apple, pear or banana - 1 small
Melon or berries - 1/2 cup
Fruit juice - 1/2 cup (no sugar added)

Veggies:

Raw leafy veggies - 2 cups
Raw veggies chopped - 1 cup
Chopped cooked or canned veggies - 1/2 cup

Dairy:

Low fat milk or yogurt - 1 cup
Part skim mozarella - 1-1/2 oz.

(about 1/3 cup shredded)
Low fat cheeses - 1-1/2 oz.

Meat, legumes and eggs:

Cooked skinless poultry or fish - 3 oz.

(should fit nicely in the palm or our hand)
Cooked lean meat - 1-1/2 oz.
Cooked legumes - 1/2 cup

(about the size of an ice cream scoop)
Egg - 1 medium to large

I hope my suggestions are helpful to you. Please share your suggestions.

STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESSFUL SELF-HEALING

Taking Personal Responsibility for Your Own Health

The truth is there is no shortage of information on how to create a healthy lifestyle . . . only a reluctance to diligently apply this information.

Begin with what you know about how we evolved on this planet, about how our bodies are intended to move, and what nature intended for us to eat as fuel to power our body. I can assure you that our body was not intended to sit at a desk all day, nor was it intended that we fuel our body with much of what I call "non-foods" to be found in our modern day supermarkets.

Most obstacles to a healthy lifestyle are internal, that is, limiting beliefs and false perceptions, and no one but YOU can change your self-defeating behaviors. It is often said that if you believe you can, then you can. But if you believe you can't, then you can't! Do not sabotage your success by hanging onto self-limiting beliefs.

I counsel people to not try to change their entire world immediately. Instead take one area - I suggest you choose either exercise or nutrition - and concentrate on only that one area.

If you choose exercise, I strongly recommend either Qi Gong (chee kung), the healing form of Tai Chi, or a simple beginner level yoga program. If you will concentrate on one of these for a month, at least five or six days a week, at the end of one month you will feel so much better that you'll be convinced to make it a part of your continuing healthy lifestyle program.

If you choose nutrition, then begin by eliminating all forms of processed sugar and all white flour, including anything made with them. Fortunately they frequently go together. And avoid all processed foods . . . I call them non-foods. You will be amazed at how much better you will feel just by "cleaning up" your diet.

Then of course put the two together and you'll be well on your way to a healthy lifestyle. Then set some clear goals for yourself and recognize that your future is in your hands. It's all up to you!

Weight Loss Tips That Work!

I have fought a life-long battle with weight control. After having it under control and staying at a normal weight for quite a few years, as I approached my senior years I lost my 42-year-old son to lung cancer. The grief was all encompassing, and it almost seemed that I "woke up" about a year later about 15 pounds heavier. I was appalled at my weight gain, and so began several efforts to lose that hated extra weight.

At the same time I had reached my senior years, and I discovered that my metabolism had slowed down. My family doctor told me that it was normal for my age, but I still hated those extra pounds. She gave me some tips to help me lose them, but repeated attempts only met with failure. Most things that had worked for me when I was younger, I was no longer successful with.

I have finally found some answers for myself that perhaps may be new to you too, and I want to share them. First of all I have learned that weight control is much more about the psychology of our relationship with food than it is about the food itself. I have also learned to place all foods into two very simple categories - yes foods and no foods.

First the psychology factor. I have learned that we human beings are terrible decision makers. That is why just learning to follow a prescribed eating plan doesn't work for long. With those programs we must constantly make choices. That is the basis for "falling off the wagon," and why diets absolutely do not work. I discovered that I had to get rid of having to make decisions several times every day about what foods I would eat. So I settled on a few foods that I would eat which still provided sufficient variety and healthy nutrition, but which helped me to not have to make food choices all the time.

I am not a psychologist, but I discovered the psychology-based technique about eliminating having to make choices while studying the psychology of overcoming addictions on the Internet. It seems that the human psyche is such that given two choices, one "should I" and one "shouldn't I not," too often we will choose the negative. The old enemy of every person dealing with addiction, "tomorrow," plagues every dieter.

That is why I came up with very short lists of both yes foods and no foods. First I made a decision to eat the same menu for breakfast, every day. . . no exceptions. So I didn't have to make a decision about what to eat for breakfast. For me it is about 3/4 cup of low-fat cottage cheese, accompanied by low-sugar fruit in season, with about six walnut halves chopped and sprinkled on top. If I don't have fresh or frozen fruit that is appropriate, then I will take canned fruit, wash off all the syrup, and chop tit before mixing with the cottage cheese. (You may on occasion use plain yogurt instead of the cottage cheese. Be sure it is PLAIN so that it contains no sugar or fructose. I find the European or greek styles are worth the little extra they cost.)

Why cottage cheese? I had great luck using cottage cheese as a cornerstone of successful weight loss programs when I was a young woman. Humm! Don't know why I had forgotten that for years.

I eat the same thing for lunch as breakfast. See how I'm avoiding decision making? I avoid boredom by varying the fruit. Blueberries, fresh or frozen, strawberries in season, peaches, chopped apple or cantelope, etc. I avoid high sugar fruits like bananas.

For these two meals - breakfast and lunch - I am getting good, high-quality protein in the cottage cheese, and good low sugar carbohydrates in the fruit, and the few chopped walnuts I sprinkle on top provide some good fat. This menu provides a very well-balanced, healthy meal for breakfast and lunch. These are all YES FOODS.

Now comes dinner where my short yes and no foods list becomes important. Here's my list, without a lot of rules:

YES FOODS

Lean meat or skinless poultry
Eggs
Seafood or shellfish:
Hi in Omega 3 fats are best, like salmon or tuna
Plain Yogurt (be sure to add your own fruit)
Walnuts and almonds
All vegetables - except those high in starch
Olive oil and lemon or lime juice for salad dressings

NO FOODS

Bread of any kind (including pizza, bagels, etc.)
Pasta of any kind

Processed sugar of any kind (or anything containing processed sugar or fructose)
High starch vegetables

In my case I always have a big salad at dinner, and I have a protein serving (meat, shellfish or seafood) either on the side or on the salad.

If I find myself with a luncheon away from home, I follow the dinner plan above, and then have fruit and cottage cheese for dinner at home. This is a very easy plan to stick with when eating at a restaurant. TIP: Don't look at the menu. Just tell the waitress/waiter what you would like. Example: A broiled chicken breast, and a salad with dressing on the side.

Notice the lack of decisions you must make. About once a week for dinner I make an omelet - remember that eggs are one of my protein "yes" foods, with steamed veggies on the side, or stirred into the omelet.

If I want a snack, I have either a piece of fruit, or a few almonds. Using the yes and no foods, as you settle into your weight loss program and when the weight begins to consistently come off, you may play around a little just using the yes and no foods. They work like magic. Why do they work? I think it is the balance of protein and carbohydrates that keeps your insulin production level. Once you add more sugar or starch, you boost the insulin level, which biochemists tell us is the "fat storage" harmone.

I have found I can stick to this program without any difficulty, and I believe I can actually live with it indefinitely. It will probably be the way I eat for the rest of my life.

The Healer Within

One of the most important healing discoveries I have made, about 12 years ago, was a then newly-published book, THE HEALER WITHIN, by a Chinese Medical Doctor, Roger Jahnke. It has become my "bible" for self healing.

The following is a quote from Dr. Jahnke:

"Awaken the medicine within, and restore the natural self-healing capacity of body, mind, and spirit."

The Chinese are far and away ahead of most of the rest of the world in recognizing our body's ability to heal itself. That ability is the origin of our immune response, the body's first line of defense against any invader. The Chinese believe our body develops dis-ease when the natural flow of our Chi (or life force) is blocked. Restoring this healthy flow of Chi is the purpose of accupuncture, and well as Qi Gong.

Dr. Jahnke provides very effective yet simple ways to activate this energy flow through the regular practice of four essential self-care methods:

* Gentle movement of the body
* Self-applied massage
* Breath practice
* Deep relaxation or meditation

These techniques are the cornerstone of Qi Gong. They are easy to learn and easy to apply, require no special knowledge or training, and can be practiced daily by all people (sick or well).

They can all be done either standing, seated or lying down. I hope you will all explore your body's own self-healing system.

The Healing Power of Sleep

THE HEALING POWER OF SLEEP

We oft times overlook the incredible healing and restorative power of sleep. Why do we sleep? Sleep is rejuvenating. It is the state in which our body “repairs” itself.

Some of the ways sleep influences our bodies include:

* A healthy immune response
* Heart health
* Lessens risk of obesity and the ensuing challenges obesity creates
* Increases mental awareness
* Decreases the onset of age-related physical challenges

What’s not to like!! But what can we do if we experience chronic insomnia? The easiest thing we can all do is daily exercise, even if it is just walking. Start with a short walk, and gradually build up your endurance. A walk after dinner in the evening is a great way to “wind down” your day.

Another very easy way to induce healthy sleep is through manipulation of our breath. Habitually practicing deep, slow breathing, after lying in bed and preparing for sleep, is something anyone can do. Just take slow, deep breaths, then exhaling as slowly as possible. Place your hands on your lower belly and imagine you are inflating, and then deflating a balloon below your hands. Just continue that breathing pattern until you drift off to sleep.

Qi Gong teaches a breathing pattern that is also excellent for inducing sleep. As you inhale through the nose, inflate the lower half of the lungs, hesitate a couple of seconds, then inflate the upper half of the lungs, then exhale very slowly through the mouth and as you exhale quietly say “ah.”

Insomnia seems to be a challenge for many – if not most – seniors. I live in an age 55 plus community, and I have taught many of my neighbors this pattern. It works for just about everyone.

The Power of Our Breath

Our breath is probably the most powerful natural healing tool we have. It is the outward expression of our Internal life force. Many years ago when I first heard someone talk about the power of our breath, I remember thinking, "We all breathe automatically. It is a function of what we know as the autonomic nervous system." But I have come to know that "just breathing" is not enough for health.

The breath, left to its autonomic function, merely acts as a mirror of what is going on in our body. When we are stressed, our breathing pattern is quick, short and shallow breaths, and we experience the fight or flight syndrome. Our busy lives today tend to unnaturally create this "alert" state, and appears to be responsible for many physical problems we experience. Fortunately we have the ability to consciously use our breathe to reverse this pattern.

Most if not all natural healing disciplines teach learning to control our breath in order to create and maintain health. Good examples are Yoga and Qi Gong. Yoga teaches that prana (our life force) enters the body through the breath, and Qi Gong teaches that we manipulate the Qi (life force) in our body to maintain a healthy relaxed state, and to release blockages in the flow of our Qi to maintain health.

Begin a practice of conscious breathing merely by taking "breathing breaks" for about two minutes several times during your day. Place your hands, one on top of the other, on your lower abdomen, and breathe deeply into the abdomen. Just imagine a balloon in your lower belly, and that as you breath it expands, and as you exhale bring your abdomen as close to the spine as possible.

Make your inhale through the nose, long, slow and deep, and then exhale very slowly, also through the nose. This is the basic relaxing breath. For a cleansing, detoxifying breath, inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth, being careful to exhale all breath from the lungs.

More breathing tips soon.

QI GONG - One of the most important natural healing tools I have found is Qi Gong (pronounced chee kung). Qi Gong is deceptively simple and easy to master, but its effectiveness is awesome.

In Chinese Qi is energy, and Gong is work. So Qi Gong translates in English to “Energy Work”

Our body’s Qi is our life force. It becomes independent of our mother with the first breath when we are born, and ceases with our last breath when we pass on to our next experience. The “tools” Qi Gong utilizes include breathing patterns coordinated with specific slow movements and self-massage.

Qi Gong originated in the oriental martial arts discipline. Ancient Chinese medical men developed the Qi Gong self-healing form of Tai Chi. It has been practiced for thousands of years, by millions of people.

The theory upon which Qi Gong is based includes:

* The human body is designed to be self-healing
* There are a series of energy (electrical) meridians running through our body
* These energy pathways are the foundation for acupuncture and acupressure
* Dis-ease in the body is created by blockages in the flow of that energy
* We can learn to manipulate that flow of energy
* Our body draws energy from the earth primarily through our extremities

Qi Gong is a system of simple, easy to learn movements correlated with the breath to promote healthy movement of our body’s energy. Its simplicity makes it perfect for people of all ages and fitness levels, including seniors. Many Qi Gong routines may be done entirely seated, and all are simple and easy to learn.

Qi Gong’s gentle, rhythmic exercises mirror many movements found in nature, especially the fluidity of water. When combined with simple breathing techniques, health-promoting Qi Gong boosts and normalizes our immune system, relieves stress, promotes healthy digestion and sleep, helps promote longevity, etc., by supporting our body’s own innate healing ability.

Qi Gong not only is designed to remove blockages in the flow of our body’s energy, but also to promote health maintenance by sustaining the smooth flow of that energy.

In many parts of the world, millions of people practice Qi Gong and Tai Chi every day. In the orient it is most often done in the outdoors, where thousands gather in public parks to begin their day with this form of exercise.

There are reportedly about 250-300 different movements credited to Qi Gong, but most Masters build their routine(s) around 15-20 specific movements. These routines are commonly called a “form.”

I have been practicing Qi Gong daily for about 12-13 years. Over the years I have learned to experience Qi Gong as a moving meditation.

In future posts I’ll analyze some of the popular DVD Qi Gong programs.

Hello from Davis, California

This is my very first blog posting. Although I have had an Internet website for about 13 years, this is my first foray into blogging.

My primary website is www.BettysHouseLifeAfterMS.com. While learning to halt my own multiple sclerosis over a period of a lot of years, I have learned a lot about natural health and healing. Things that we all can do do to live long, healthy lives - naturally!

As I learn how to effectively use this blog I'll be adding lots of information to help you maintain your health naturally.

Meanwhile, please visit my main website, www.BettysHouseLifeAfterMS.com, as well as www.FourStepstoOvercomingMS.com.