Qigong - The Most Widely Used Form of Preventative Medicine in China
Did you know that we all possess incredible healing powers? The Chinese do - they call it Qigong. Based on the principles of Chinese medicine, Qigong (self healing exercises) teaches us how to harness life energy (Qi or Chi) in order to treat and prevent all sorts of diseases, especially chronic ones. It lets us take control of our own health, thus freeing us from all kind of health practitioners. It safely takes care of the body's organs, systems and functions and is even fun to practice!
Even though Qigong has been practiced for thousands of years, it has only been known of in China because of its remoteness from the rest of the world, the lack of traffic and communication over history as well as political isolation in recent times. However, even in China, many of the best styles of Qigong were kept secret and only known to a few.
Old China
In Old China, practitioners of Chinese medicine were actually paid to prevent illnesses rather than treat them. Once their client became sick, the doctor didn't get paid. That made them search for the best possible preventative methods, including herbs, massage, healthy food, spiritual practices, Feng Shui, Tai Chi and so on. Among them, Qigong would often bring the best results.
New China
After going through several wars and revolutions in the last 200 years, China has fully recovered. Its economy, science, technology and arts are flourishing. Chinese medicine is being recognised as a part of the mainstream equaling western medicine and preferred by the people of China. Qigong has become more established than ever before. The main reason is political stability and improved living standards (the average person is now able to spend more time on their health and wellbeing) and because Qigong saves the Chinese government tens of billions of dollars every year (otherwise spent on hospitalisation, expensive treatments, rehabilitation programs, sick leave and family support).
Modern Research
Amazing healing results achieved by practitioners of Qigong intrigued open minded Chinese scientists to conduct some research. It started soon after WWII, but it has been over the last 20 years that it has been executed on a larger scale involving many respected scientific institutions with teams of experienced researchers, doctors, Qigong masters and millions of patients.
The end result - scientific proof that Qigong is beneficial in the treatment and prevention of hundreds of diseases and even the formation of a completely new science called the "Science of Life" that has reached enormous proportions.
Benefits of Practicing Qigong
The benefits of practicing Qigong are many and varied. Not only can it treat and prevent numerous diseases (including the ones western medicine is still struggling with or can only help reduce the symptoms of) but it's good for reducing stress, combating addictions, improving circulation, sight, digestion, reducing the side effects of drugs to name a few. It is especially recommended to older people.
In science, every experiment covers a specific research target and tends to prove one point at a time. When these points are put together, the picture that is drawn is much clearer. In this case indicating that Qigong is not only beneficial to the individuals who practice it, but to their families and the rest of society too. Let's see how:
A typical study would be to take a group of people of certain age, sex, profession and illness that practice Qigong for certain period of time. They are then compared to another similar group of people who do not practice it. Conclusions are drawn and, as a rule, those who practice Qigong always show better results. For example, their blood pressure, sugar levels, heart rate, liver function, would have readings much closer to normal values than the group who didn't practice it.
Putting it into perspective, for an individual who lives a normal life and practices Qigong every day, it can make a big difference:
It can treat most illnesses they may suffer from. It can save them a fair bit of time and money, otherwise spent on doctors, tests, specialists, drugs, transport, while at the same time not being able to earn money. Not to mention all the frustration, anger, pain, worry, time spent in waiting rooms etc that often go along with all that. It does not even take into account things like being incorrectly diagnosed, being prescribed wrong medications (and damage caused by them), side effects of drugs and operations, which all far too often happen. But one of the biggest advantages of Qigong is that it gives them control over their own health. Enabling one to become actively involved in the process of healing their own illnesses and at the same time fully enjoying the process is invaluable. And last but not least, the fact that Qigong has saved many lives and relieved many people from unbearable suffering is like adding icing on the cake.
Since Qigong can prevent many diseases, it can prevent a lot of the above mentioned from happening altogether. It boosts our energy levels, keeps us regular, improves our sleep and keeps us happy. Those are only some of the benefits experienced by individuals who practice it.
Now, how about their families? It's not hard to see in how many ways they end up benefiting too. How can they not be affected by their father, mother, sister or child's disease? There is no less frustration, anxiety, worry for the loved one(s) on their part too. How often do they have to spend their own time and money, take days off work to say look after their sick child and so on. And it's pretty much the same with the community as the whole. There's a burden on the health care system, on companies paying sick leaves, insurance companies. The benefits of Qigong can be and are much bigger than one may realize at first.