An introduction to the ancient system of improving your life through practice and perseverance

As a lifelong student of both Eastern philosophy as well as martial arts, I’ve been curious for some time about the ancient Chinese healing practice of qigong.

When I began this study, I expected much less than what I got.

You see, qigong is far more than just exercise. Although that is its primary medium, qigong is rife with some of the best and most well-supported health methods I already promote.

For example, qigong places a special emphasis on sunlight exposure and practicing barefoot on the naked earth.

These are both well-researched tactics in the health and longevity space. Light is hugely influential on biology. I’ve written a whole article on the subject on Better Humans:

Earthing, on the flip side, is the practice of walking barefoot on the earth so you are electrically connected to the earth. This has positive effects on heart function and inflammation that are well-backed by research.

There are many cases like these where qigong guidelines correspond to research-backed modern health practices.

Qigong is itself a well-researched practice as a single entity. China includes it in their medicine system alongside more modern approaches.

In keeping with this, my aim here is not to dissect qigong into the parts that I already know to have benefit. Instead, it is to describe qigong as a whole and how I practice it as such.

My reason is this: Qigong was around for hundreds of years before science proved the benefits of sunlight, breathing, meditation, or mobility. I believe there may be parts of this practice that are good for us, even if not yet directly backed by science.

As far as my personal experience goes, in the short time I’ve been practicing, I’ve become calmer but more energetic, and my resting heart rate has dropped below 75 consistently for the first time since I developed adrenal problems in 2017.

Now, it would be crazy to say that this article will teach you how to do qigong. This would be akin to writing an article to teach you kung fu. Qigong is a practice, with attenuate levels of skill and mastery.

What I can teach you is how to start, while also providing you an image of just what qigong is and how it can benefit you over the course of a lifetime.

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Original Article Source Credits: Betterhumans , https://betterhumans.pub 

Article Written By: Keenan Eriksson

Original Article Posted on: March 24, 2020

Link to Original Article: https://betterhumans.pub/qigong-101-how-to-get-started-2118c3f4d38d