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Qigong is Chinese Medical Meditation
Western science leaves off its study of life's energy at the inanimate level of chemicals. But life has another entire level of organization above that of the cells, tissues and organs. What is it that controls cell replacement, tissue regeneration and metabolic energy? The Chinese call it Qi. We can train this vital life force itself to keep regenerating our good health for many, many years (Dong & Esser 1990:18).
Qigong can work to improve the length, well being and quality of your life.
As Qigong diffuses from China to the West, we are witnessing a now familiar turn of events. In the 1970s the Chinese began to 'export' acupuncture to North America in a big way. At first, Western scientists claimed that acupuncture did not work, that stories of people undergoing surgery with only acupuncture anesthesia were impossible and false. Before long they began to admit that acupuncture did work, but they labeled it a 'placebo effect.' Gradually, some came to understand that, instead, acupuncture does have scientifically observable effects. For example, it enhances production of naturally occurring morphine-like substances called endorphins and enkephalins that moderate pain. Now Qigong is invading the West in a big way, and the cycle is repeating itself.
Looked at from a purely Western perspective, Qigong is a form of positive thinking. It combines meditation, breath control and gymnastics (Porkert w/Ullmann 1982: 106). There are breathing exercises, muscular exercises involving both tension and relaxation, and meditation. Qigong induces a whole-body relaxation response (see Benson w/Proctor 1984: 100-01). One clinical research fellow at the Harvard Medical School has written: "A one-hour session of Qigong combines aerobic, isometric, and isotonic exercise with the relaxation response, meditation, guided imagery, and probably several unrecognized behavioral techniques. It evokes simultaneously almost every behavioral intervention known to Western medicine" (Eisenberg w/Wright 1985: 227-8).
The Qigong Tradition
The practice dates back beyond the earliest recorded history. We still have pictorial writing on artifacts referring to Qigong from seven thousand years ago (Wozniak, Wu & Wang 1991: ii). There is archaeological evidence suggesting that Qigong may date back as far as a million years. Qigong predates the martial arts, and all of what we now know as religion as well. The very early Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine (1972) treats it at length. Chinese Taoists were early advocates of Qigong, but Indian Buddhists have influenced its later practice.
Secular Qigong is firmly in the Chinese tradition. Probably all of China's most important ancient scholars, philosophers and religious leaders practiced Qigong, including Confucius, Lao Ze and Mencius (Eisenberg w/Wright 1985: 208-11).
In addition to being a health-promoting practice, Qigong is an ancient philosophical system. According to Dr. Yan, its basic purpose is to promote the harmonious integration of human beings with the universe (Wozniak, Wu & Wang 1991: i).
Qigong helps restore the harmony of ourselves, of our beings, in nature and with nature. This cures an enormous range of the illnesses and diseases that plague our species. One student finds his arthritis suddenly disappear, another notices that her visual acuity has improved, a third finds a chronic pain has vanished. A fourth is surprised to find he is driving more courteously (UAQA). All sense what it means to be happier, more alive, more at home on the planet. We all have latent potential abilities that Qigong can help us realize. Qigong is a consciousness-raising activity par excellence.
How Qigong Works
A basic purpose of Qigong activities is to impose a disciplined and rhythmic pattern on one's body. We impose willed control over breathing, normally an involuntary function of the parasympathetic nervous system. Doing so helps bring the body into phase with the larger rhythms of daily life, the cycles of the days and the seasons. Most diseases are irregularities and dysfunctions. Put the body into phase and flow with the universe, and the Qi will flow more freely. Freely flowing Qi can eliminate irregularities and dysfunctions. Qigong permits a person to gain some control over autonomic functions. The exercises produce 'autonomic learning' that modulates and rectifies the flow of the life force (Porkert w/Ullmann 1982: 106- 7). This form of biofeedback does not require machines.
We have lost the ancient way of living in quiescence and tranquility. Qigong helps to bring this back. Beyond the basic imagination exercises, when we have a fever we think of the sea, bamboo leaves, or the cool forest floor. If we are restless we think of the blue sky, cool and serene moonlight, etc. (Yan 1994b: 6) Being in phase with the cosmic environment greatly strengthens the body, and it strongly helps to produce an optimistic and happy attitude toward life. Central to the philosophy of Qigong is the understanding that we must cultivate moral and physical strength together to prolong life, develop human potential and help others. A cardinal rule of Qigong is to treat others with compassion. When one family member practices Qigong, the others benefit.
The regulation of thoughts, breathing and posture all help to reduce the mind/body's neural activity. Qigong practice strengthens the body's electrical and biochemical signals, and the structure and sensitivity of the receptor cells. This quieting of the body permits physiological and biochemical functions to regain their healthy flows. This cures specific ailments, but it also strengthens one's overall biological field or bioenergy, drastically cuts down the number of free radicals and minimizes their damage at the cellular level. That prolongs life.
Qigong meditation works best by far in the company of a group. While one must regularly practice alone at home, this is not enough. When people come together to practice Qigong, they put their biological fields in proximity. These fields begin to resonate with one another, and so to multiply the benefits of practice for each person. For this to happen requires two things. First, ill people must truly want to get rid of their diseases. Second, they must cultivate the positive, open and optimistic attitude necessary for resonating in harmony with the field.
Skeptical Westerners sometimes mistake this openness to change for a 'placebo effect.' In a placebo-effect situation, the subject is fooled into thinking a therapeutic treatment is happening when it is not. The open optimism necessary for success in Qigong is much different. In the case of the placebo effect, belief produces a consequence, a self-fulfilling prophecy or at least the mistaken perception of improvement. When people doing Qigong agree to resonate in harmony, this is a prerequisite to success. Good, real and lasting effects follow. This necessary precondition for success is called "synchronous resonance" (Wozniak, Wu & Wang 1991: 81).
It does help to play a trick with one's mind when doing Qigong to treat some specific problem. So long as one's mind is focused on a specific problem of ill health it is not possible to enter fully into the deep Qigong state in which lasting healing can occur. One must therefore learn to forget about the problem and look only for general benefits. If the cosmic-quantum forces of the universe are to do their healing task, we must be fully open to receive them.
Advancing More Deeply into the Process
As one advances more deeply into Qigong practice, and into the Qigong state, significant physiological changes occur. Consumption of oxygen decreases. The lung's capacity to absorb oxygen greatly increases. So does the lung tissue's oxygen storage capacity. The white blood cell count goes up dramatically. Doing Qigong also "improves micro-circulation of the cerebrum and this cannot be obtained through any other kind of practice. The brain's deeply layered cerebral cells are enriched with sufficient blood by doing Qigong" (Wozniak, Wu & Wang 1991: 43). This oxygen enrichment of the brain is an important key to many Qigong effects.
As the practice is developed, one will begin to sense the activation of a small Qi channel. This channel runs from the top of the head down the front of one's chest, between the legs, up the spine back to the top of the head. This is another major advance along the Qigong learning curve. With sufficient practice, one may eventually become able to move one's Qi at will anywhere inside the body. A person's own willpower may then effect miraculous cures. Once the flow of Qi can reach the site of disease or illness, the cure can be astonishingly rapid.
Qigong and the Immune System
In the book "A Great Revolution in The Brain World," written by Dr. Haruyama, a medical doctor from Tokyo University, the author describes very carefully how qigong and meditation cause the human brain to release beta-endorphins. According to Dr. Haruyama, beta-endorphin is one kind of peptide hormone that is formed mainly by Tyrosine (one kind of amino acids). The molecular structure is very similar to morphine but with different chemical properties. Many scientists have found that beta-endorphins can activate human NK (Natural Killer) cells and boost the immune system against diseases and cancer cells. That explains why some patients can cure some diseases simply by practicing qigong meditation. For a long time, many scientists believe that human immune system is autonomous and does not have any outside control. However, Dr. Felten discovered that human nerve fibers are in fact physically linked both to the human immune system as well as the nerve system. As a result, more and more scientists start to believe the immune system can be controlled to a certain degree by the human brain.
The idea has led to the development of a new area of medical science: Psycho-neuro-immunology, and has attracted many peoples' attentions. Some scientists believe this is the reason why people who practice mind adjustment in qigong can be more in control of their health.
The Experiments
There are more and more scientific reports today supporting the fact that qigong can effect the immune system and endorphin levels. Dr. Higucchi, in his article "Endocrine and Immune Response During Qigong meditation" (Journal of International Society of Life Information Science Vol.14, No.2, 1996), reported about some tests conducted on two groups of people. All the members in the "Qigong" group have practiced qigong for at least one year while those in the other group (the "Control" group) have not. Everyone in both groups was checked for their endorphin level before, during and after meditation.
After meditating for one hour, most people in the Qigong group showed an increase in endorphin level. By contrast, most people in the Control group showed no significant change while some showed a 35% decrease in endorphin level. Since a higher endorphin level is associated with better empowerment to the immune system, some doctors are starting to believe that qigong can be a effective healing modality for some patients. Actually, beta-endorphins not only strengthen the human immune system but also are very effective for pain control. For a long time, the mechanism of pain control by acupuncture has been a mystery to scientists.
Recent studies show that acupuncture stimulates the hypothalamus within the human brain and induces the release of beta-endorphins that affect the nerve tracts and control the pain. Practicing qigong can achieve the same releasing effect of beta-endorphins, as does acupuncture. This provides a good explanation as to why qigong can be very effective for some patients who suffer from chronic pain.
Qigong and the Human Brain.
Why qigong and meditation can effect the release of beta-endorphins from the human brain? The exact mechanism is not yet clear. However, some scientists believe it may relate to the significant change in the alpha-wave of the EEG (brain wave) patterns. About four years ago, a number of scientists found the alpha-wave of EEG at the frontal lobe of a meditator during qigong state has a much stronger intensity than those taken from a non-qigong meditator. Since the frontal lobe of the human brain has a lot to do with human mind activities as well as a close link with the hypothalamus, a major source for the release of beta-endorphins, many scientists believe the increased intensity of the alpha-wave at the frontal lobe will stimulate the hypothalamus to release more beta-endorphins. That could possibly explain why the mechanism of qigong meditation effects the release of beta-endorphins so as to improve the immune system and the overall health.
Obviously, the release of beta-endorphins can only explain part of the picture about qigong and the mind and body interaction. But this is a good start. With continuous research efforts, I believe we would have a much clearer picture in the next few years. Qigong still cannot be fully interpreted by today's scientific standards.
The Science of Qigong Pain Control
Qigong can exert a tremendous influence over the muscular motion system. Practicing internal qigong is better than practicing martial arts since qigong can produce, in the brain and intestinal walls, large amounts of enkephalin, and excite the bodies morphine receptors to accept the enkephalin easily. Enkephalin is a naturally occurring substance of the endorphin family in the human body. Everyone has this substance, but ordinarily don’t produce large amounts of enkephlin. Its analgesic or pain relieving effect is many times more effective than that of morphine. Furthermore, through qigong, one can produce strong magnetic signals, which have anesthetic and analgesic effects.
Scientific Research & External Chi
The external qi of Qigong has been scientifically detected and the effects on matter and organism rigorously measured.
During the last 15 years, a considerable number of accomplished scientists from leading universities and research institutes in China and the US, such as Tsinghua University, the University of California (UCSD, UCLA) and Harvard University, have applied modern scientific methods and protocols to investigate biological, chemical, and physical effects of (YXQ) Qigong (YXQ) in critical areas of life science, physical sciences and technology.
A large body of scientific data on Qigong phenomena and effects has been scientifically documented. They have been reviewed by Chairman (now honorary Chairman) of Chinese Association of Science and Technology, Dr. Qian Xuesen (Tsien Hsue-Shen), to be "new scientific discoveries and the prelude to scientific revolution" . Prof. Hans-Peter Duerr, colleague and successor of Werner Heisenburg as Director of Institute of Theoretical Physics in Germany proclaimed Qigong research results to be "within my window of acceptance."
These data have established that external qi of Qigong:
• physically exists.
• can interact with and affect matter from molecular to atomic levels.
• can affect the fundamental components of living organisms (water, sugar,
• cell membrane, proteins, DNA and RNA).
• can recognize and optimize genetic properties without adverse effects.
References:
1. Benson, Herbert, w/William Proctor. 1984. Beyond the Relaxation Response. New York: Berkeley.
2. Guo, YuQiu. 1995. "Introduction to Qigong." Tone, vol. 10, no. 11 (July/August): 39-43.
3. Dong, Paul and Aristide H. Esser. 1990. Chi Gong: The Ancient Chinese Way to Health. New York, NY: Paragon House.
4. Eisenberg, David with Thomas Lee Wright. 1985. Encounters with Qi: Exploring Chinese Medicine. New York: Penguin.
5. Leung, Victor. 1995. "Mindfulness and Virtue in Qigong Training." Tone. vol. 11, no. 3 (November): 6-7.
6. Porkert, Manfred with Christian Ullmann. 1982. Chinese Medicine. Mark Howson, trans. New York: Henry Holt.
7. UAQA. 1996. "Thoughts from Daily Life: Driving Courteously." University of Arizona Qigong Association: UAQA Friday Special Issue. (March 22): 6.
8. Wozniak, Jo Ann, Stevenson Wu and Hao Wang. 1991. Yan Xin Qigong and the Contemporary Sciences. Champaign IL: International Yan Xin Qigong Association (Station A, Box 2209, Champaign, Illinois USA 61825).
9. Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine. 1972. 2nd ed. Berkeley: University of California Press.
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