As the director of the Wellness instructor team here at Find It Health, I’m going to explore the benefits of Qigong.

Our wellness instructor team here at Find It Health works extra hard to get and give accurate, up-to-date, and factual information on any query that you may have concerning your health.

In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the health benefits that Qigong offers and how to enjoy all these benefits.

Benefits Of Qigong

Qigong, pronounced as “chi-gong,” refers to a form of mind-body exercise that uses breathing, meditation, and movement. The Qidong workout and healing techniques were developed in ancient Tibet and China. It is practiced for several reasons and offers health-related benefits.

Below are the health-related benefits that Qigong has to offer.

1. Reducing Stress, depression, and anxiety

Qigong workout is a practice that helps exercise the body and the mind. This is achieved by combining deep breathing and slow motions. Therefore, this workout helps you relax physically and mentally. As a result, your stress levels reduce, helping you attain a state of peace and calmness.

2. Emotional balance

Qigong helps improve your attention and concentration skills which are very important when managing emotions and having a peaceful and clear mindset.

When your emotions are all over the place, consider reaching out to a Qidong expert. 

3. Lowers Blood Pressure

Qigong not only concentrates on physical movements but also on regulated breathing. These two help in shutting down the sympathetic nervous system. At the same time, Qigong engages the parasympathetic nervous system, therefore decreasing blood pressure.

As a result, you may enjoy improved blood circulation and reduced blood pressure.

4. Promotes Quality Sleep

Most people experience a connection between stress and sleep. Since Qigong helps in stress reduction and blood pressure, this improves your sleep quality. For people who experience sleep problems because of anxiety or stress, Qigong is your best natural solution to having a healthier sleeping pattern. In addition, Qigong also assists in healing physical injuries, which are also known as major causes of poor quality sleep.

5. Releases Chronic Pain

When in continuous pain, we instinctively tighten up and restrain our movements as a protective mechanism against discomfort. When this happens, blood circulation to the injured area is reduced, making it heal slowly and hurt longer.

Qigong’s low-impact body posture can offer gentle movement to achy, tight joints and muscles.

This movement increases blood circulation, facilitating faster healing.

6. Elevates Mood

Qigong exercise is about connecting with our present. This helps us have a more joyful and optimistic attitude towards life. By letting go of stress, you create spaciousness in your mind and body for a new state of being. Thus you cultivate your inner being, improve your emotions, and have a more positive approach to life.

7. Improves fitness and vital energy levels

The gentle and slow movements of the Qigong open up your body’s energy channels. And, this soft and low-impact activity, together with aerobic exercises, is a beneficial workout for most people, especially those with limited movement (ill, elderly, Physically Handicapped, etc.).

8. Promotes digestion

Qigong helps the gastrointestinal system operate better. It helps strengthen and regulate the contractions in the intestines, eliminates gasses, and speeds up the process. In addition, Qigong also helps in toning your pancreas and liver.

9. Prevents Physical Injuries

Improved blood circulation to the joints and muscle areas helps increase an injury’s healing process. Certainly, more flexibility, healthier joints, and stronger muscles prevent injuries. Qigong helps in preventing injuries by allowing the whole body to relax.

How To Get The Maximum Qigong Benefits

When carrying out your daily Qigong, some things will help you attain the maximum health benefits you need to achieve.

These include.

1. Relaxing

After your warm-up, before starting the Qigong workout, you must relax your mind and body for a minute or two. Relax the areas which may be holding any tension progressively. Start with the scalp and neck, then let your shoulders drop and relax.

2. Concentration

This is about where you’ll place your attention. Concentrating on your body means you will note the sensations you’ll feel on the interior. Your focus needs to be consistent and relaxed.

3. Intention/Mindset

You need to set an intention for your steady practice as it will set your brain for what you’ll do. The intention needs to be meaningful to you. Moreover, your mindset needs to be calm, focused, and present.

4. Breathing

When doing Qigong, your breathing must be deep abdominal and shouldn’t be forced. You can practice relaxed deep abdominal breathing for 5 to 8 minutes while standing or seated. When carrying out your Qigong, the main goal is to have a deep abdominal breath that should be relaxed.

5. Alignment

The main goal of Qigong is to promote the smooth and even flow of the Qi in the body. This is achieved by maintaining good alignment or posture when practicing. Correct alignment helps the body to feel more relaxed and decreases unnecessary tension.

Does Qigong Work?

Yes, when you practice Qigong continuously, it will help in improving your fitness, reducing depression and anxiety levels, chronic illness pain reduction, lowering blood pressure, strengthening the respiratory and immune response systems, and improving your general well-being.

FindItHealth.com – Frequently Asked Questions

Can Qigong be a Gentle calisthenic?

No. Qigong is a healing practice that involves controlled breathing, meditation, and some gentle movement, while calisthenic exercises involve a variety of movements, among them including pushing, running, grasping, standing, etc. Calisthenics intends to improve your body’s strength, flexibility, and cardiovascular fitness. Qigong is intended to improve general well-being, inner peace, and mental health.

Is qigong Conditioning appropriate for all fitness levels?

Yes. Almost everyone can practice Qigong since it’s a low-impact form of exercise. In addition, it’s more beneficial to people recovering from an illness or injury or those with limited mobility. Like another kind of workout, Qigong is also in different class types. Classic qigong classes contains everything, including meditation, breath work, and gentle movement, while energetic practices concentrate more on power and balance.

Qigong can be adjusted to meet the requirements of different people depending on their fitness level. Moreover, this workout can be done while standing or seated.

What are the five benefits of Qigong?

Qigong meditation is a Chinese healing practice that involves meditation, gentle movement, and controlled breathing. Among the major health benefits you get a practicing Qigong for a while include:

• Relieve chronic fatigue syndrome
• Improve fitness
• Promotes mental clarity
• Strengthen the respiratory and immune systems
• Depression and anxiety reduction

How long does it take for Qigong to work?

The time it takes for the effects of Qigong to be seen depends on various factors. Among them includes physical health status, general lifestyle habits, and the duration and frequency of the practice. Some people will feel the benefits of Qigong after attending a few sessions. Others will require several weeks or even months to feel the positive effects.

Practicing Qigong consistently over time is advisable since it’s not a one-time or quick-fix solution. Regular meditative practice will improve your connection to your body, spirit, and mind, which leads to long-lasting benefits.

How many times a week should one do Qigong?

The number of times you need to practice Qigong depends on your goals and needs. Moreover, most of the Qigong practitioners recommend working out at least four times a week to get the benefits of the Qigong. With medical Qigong, consistency is the key.

When starting Qigong, it’s advised that you opt for shorter sessions regularly than practicing for longer Qigong sessions sporadically. In addition, also pay attention to your body and change your regular holistic practice as required. For newcomers and those recovering from an illness or injury, it’s recommended that you start with shorter and more regular sessions and then gradually shift to longer practices.

What are the five types of Qigong?

Different kinds of Qigong help people attain different goals. However, the underlying concept remains the same, but each has a specific focus and purpose. The five types of Qigong include

1. Medical Qigong

It’s practiced as traditional Chinese medicine and involves soft movements, visualization, and breathing exercises techniques that promote natural healing

2. Sport, Martial, or Hard Qigong

This form of Qigong is mainly used in martial arts training and helps improve one’s strength, coordination, and agility.

3. Daoist Qigong

This kind of Qigong aims to cultivate mental clarity, inner peace, and spiritual and tranquility development.

4. Buddhist Qigong

Buddhist Qigong works on Buddhist principles and concentrates on mindfulness, spiritual, and compassion development

5. Confucian Qigong

This form of Qigong involves meditation and slow simple movements. It works on Confucian principles, which help develop morality, social harmony, and ethics.

Conclusion

Qigong refers to a meditation practice that is one of the traditional Chinese practices. It offers several benefits to health. The benefits include lowering anxiety and stress, improving sleep quality, improving focus, lowering blood pressure, promoting flexibility and balance, etc. The types of Qigong available include Medical or Health, Martial, Daoist, Buddhist, and Confucian. Try one of them out today.