aussieCHI: Frequently Asked Questions

What are external qigong exercises?

Focus on limbering the joints; lengthening, stretching, strengthening and relaxing muscles, tendons and ligaments; and strengthening bones.

The focus tends to be on: postures, form and movements (both macro and micro; and fast or slow); muscle expansion and contraction; different types of breathing to support the exercise; and may include massage techniques. In the broadest sense running and sports like football netball or swimming are included in this category.

These practices tend to enhance the strength, flexibility, balance and agility and when integrated with correct internal exercise and mind intent they release tension out of the body.

What are internal qigong exercises?

Focus on breathing and the development of core muscle structures.

In this aspect of training movements of the body are initiated by the breathing, which may be fast or slow, strong or soft or include holding the breath in or out. Using breathing, movement, various massage techniques and mind intent, internal exercise help to nurture and heal the internal organs and other internal structures like nerves and glands.

Various massage techniques are also used to stimulate and nurture the organs. These practices stimulate and nurture the internal organs and strengthen and relax core muscle structures. These practices also balance the bio-electromagnetic energy (qi or chi) within the body as in Chinese medicine.

What are exercises for cultivating the mind?

There are a myriad of exercises to cultivate the mind. We can continue to exercise our external bodies and care for our internal health, but the vastness of the mind requires that we give it our greatest attention in qigong exercise, particularly as our perception advances.

Just as the breathing connects the body to the mind, the mind controls or leads the status of the energies of the body, noting that the energies of our body have a relationship with energies external to our body. The exercises for cultivation of the mind therefore include: building sensitivity to the energies within and around us; moving and projecting the energies; disciplining the mind through meditation and benevolent action; and relaxing the mind to reach deeper states of peace.

Learn the Breathing Approach

Unlike other exercises qigong exercise specialises in breathing techniques. It is this emphasis on breathing that sets qigong apart from other exercise systems. There is a tremendous amount of sense in this, as most of us would only last a few minutes without breathing. Therefore it is reasonable to expect that breathing exercises would yield considerable benefit.

Our qigong system has about 18 breathing approaches with numerous techniques for each approach. At the most basic level qigong breathing techniques are designed to increase blood flow through the internal organs of the abdomen, as a process of nurturing the organs, strengthen the lung, and relaxing the muscles associated with breathing. This process is intimately linked to use of the muscles of the pelvic bowl, the abdominals, diaphragm and the chest.

The most basic approaches to breathing include Yang breathing, Yin breathing and Natural or Yin-Yang breathing. Yang breathing is used to stimulate the body, the mind and the qi / chi (bio-electromagnetic) energy. Yin breathing is used to relax the body and the mind and calm the qi / chi. Natural breathing is used to balance the mind and the qi / chi.

Do you suffer from asthma or other breathing problems?

As a severe asthma sufferer since early childhood I dreamed of beieg able to run around like other kids. I remember getting my first puffer aged 10 when they first came out. It was a miracle and it opened up a new world to me. I was able to swim, run, play baseball and aussie rules (football) as long as I had my Ventolin handy. When I was 24 I heard about the benefits of tai chi and took it up at one of Australia’s prominent schools. At the time after all the physical training I had done, I could still only blow about 350 on the peak flow meter, whereas a healthy person should blow about 600.

I applied myself to my practice and after 10 years I was teaching tai chi fulltime. Still the asthma condition persisted. Why? Because the combined external, internal and mind work associated with tai chi which is rooted in qigong was never explained to me by my teachers.

There tends to be a misconception that a person can be magically transformed through tai chi and qigong. However, the reality is that people can only be transformed through gaining knowledge and understanding about their bodies and minds through correct instruction. This leads to results through practices like tai chi and qigong.

Once I had been taught correct breathing techniques my breathing difficulties decreased within a matter of months. I now keep a puffer around for emergencies but I don’t remember when I last used it.

I had to invest thousands of dollars and years of commitment to find the information that I needed to overcome my asthma condition, including many different exercises and healing and breathing practices.

In the end it was not one specific thing that helped me but an integrated range of techniques designed to strengthen my lung power, expand lung capacity and relax my chest and mind when inhaling and exhaling.

Core Muscle Strength and Internal Exercise Approach

You may not be aware that core muscle strength has been associated with qigong, tai chi and the soft martial arts since antiquity. In fact the first level of internal qigong exercise primarily deals with the development of core muscle strength through numerous techniques, many of which have not yet been introduced into modern exercise theory.

As qigong exercise specialises in breathing techniques it is not surprising that at the most basic level, qigong breathing focuses on the pelvic bowl, correct diaphragmatic breathing and correct movement of the chest. Use of these areas of core musculature through a wide range of breathing and movement techniques, stretches, strengthens, releases tension from, and improves the function of these muscle structures. Thus these breathing practices are then directly linked to the toning of the body’s core musculature, including the muscles that connect to the spine.

The Spinal Strength and Back Care Approach

As qigong, tai chi and the soft martial arts focus on the development of the body from the torso and internal body rather than the arms, legs and muscles (as in hard martial arts), the function of the spine is given significant consideration. In fact external exercise associated with qigong will always have a key focus on the spine, whether it is when limbering, stretching or when relaxing and releasing muscle tension.

Understanding correct and complete movement of the spine in conjunction with a wide range of breathing techniques will improve the strength and suppleness of your spine. This will result in reductions in back, neck and shoulder tension and improve ease of movement in the chest resulting in easier breathing. Without an understanding of at least the correct basic concepts for spinal movement, for stretching and relaxation and specific areas of mental focus for energy regulation, the results will be very limited.

Furthermore, correct movement of the spine should become a reflex movement as you progress into your deeper internal work. This movement of the spine assists movement of spinal fluid / cerebral fluid along the spine and around the brain, which I expect is good for the nerves and brain.

Trevor’s story illustrates the type of results that can be achieved. Trevor (50) is a past trainee who after practicing 18 lohan qigong for several months told me he had been to his GP for a check up and was amazed that he had grown! His adult height had always been 5’11 and increased to 6’1/4”. Trevor then showed me the area in his back that used to be tense where he believed the extra height had come from.

I have often argued that shrinkage in older age is due to lack of understanding of how to care for the spine, and possibly more to do with deterioration resulting from tension of the ligaments and tendons of the spine causing crushing pressures throughout the spine, rather then spinal deterioration from ageing. Just ask my friend John Saw who is taller and healthier at 74 than he was when I met him at 62 through regular qigong practice.

The Muscle Release and Relaxation Approach

Now that studies are confirming the health benefits of qigong and you know that it is more than just a relaxing exercise, you might as well understand some of the basic relaxation techniques so that your training can become more and more relaxed. The more relaxing and effortless your exercise training, the more likely you are to practice.

Relaxation of the body and mind while practicing qigong exercise is associated with:

• The rhythm of the breathing
• The internal sequences of movement of body, which are connected to the breathing
• The rhythm of the external movement of the body, which are connected to the breathing
• The calming of the mind through integration with the rhythm of breathing and motion, the focus of the mind, and the projection of the intent to relax

There are many techniques that you might wish to apply to your practice to assist you in improving your level of relaxation, such as:

• Yin breathing to relax the body and the mind and calm the qi / chi
• Natural breathing to balance the qi / chi and calm the mind
• Specific patterns of internal movement that follow the inhalation and exhalation to assist in releasing muscle tension
• Using mind intent to relax areas of the body (for example the joints) while using specific breathing techniques, internal movements and/or external patterns of movement