Qigong and Tai Ji Chuan

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Standing Qigong

Standing Qigong

I (Tom) was drawn to the internal arts when I was a teenager. And when I was 20, I tried out a yoga class in the basement of a local health food store, in the outpost of Queens, New York. That class made me feel so good, and because of it, I started eating better, breathing correctly, and meditating.

Along my journey at about the age of 24, I discovered qigong and tai ji chuan, two ancient Chinese practices. It was a brief encounter but it resonated with me and I knew I would come back to it.

It wasn’t until my mid-30s that I was re-introduced to qigong, and soon after, tai ji chuan. Tai ji chuan is a form of qigong, but it’s a martial arts fighting form. I started an intense practice that included getting up hours before work to do seated meditation, moving and standing qigong, tai ji chuan and yoga.

I found that I was physically stronger and mentally more relaxed. Old injuries that I thought were gone started to re-appear, but with persistent practice, they started to truly heal.

What is Qigong?

Qigong is a Chinese medical practice that is thousands of years old. It is the cultivation and movement of qi through regular practice. The word qi, pronounced “chee”, has no English translation, but some translate it as breathe and some as energy. In Chinese medicine, it is understood as having five functions: it moves, transforms, warms, protects, and contains. The word gong, pronounced “kung” or “gung,” translates into training.

Qigong Has Been Used for Various Purposes:

  • to maintain health
  • healing
  • fighting
  • spiritual development

How Does Qigong Maintain Health?

The regular practice of qigong breathing and exercise promotes the flow of qi and blood throughout the body, which is vital for the health and well-being of the body. Qigong done on a regular basis keeps the joint pliable and strong, and reduces the chances of arthritis. Qigong gives a deep massage to all the organs, keeping them bathed in nutrient-rich blood. Doing this kind of exercises, the body relies on the proper alignment of the skeletal system, which reduces unnecessary stress on the muscles, and promotes bone strength, reducing the chances of osteoporosis. Qigong promotes balance and coordination, and lessens the potential injuries from falling.

How Does Qigong Promote Healing?

Qigong exercise is one of the modalities used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). The TCM practitioner will assess the patient and can prescribe a series of qigong exercises to increase the effects of healing injury or disease. Medical qigong is mild and safe for all kinds of patients.

How is Qigong Used for Fighting?

Qigong by itself is not used for fighting, but is used as a warm-up for martial art forms. Regular practice cultivates qi and the skilled of the martial artist can martial this qi if in combat.

How is Qigong Used for Spiritual Development?

Qigong training brings your focus inward and quiets the mind to promote inner stillness. It is considered meditation in motion or standing meditation. Qigong was used by Taoist and Buddhist monks to attain enlightenment.

Are There Different Kinds of Qigong?

Yes, there is moving qigong, which has many forms, and can be done slowly or fast. It can be performed sitting or lying down. Another kind of qigong is Zhan Zhuang, pronounced “jan jong”, which means “standing like a tree”. During this type of qigong, one stands still in one position for an extended period of time. There are various posses from easy to more difficult. When you align your body correctly and you allow your muscles to relax and use a minimal amount of energy to maintain the position, your nervous system relaxes and works more efficiently. The nervous system regulates all the systems in the body, and when it functions correctly, the body can deal with internal and external stresses more easily.

My qigong teacher says, when you practice qigong, the qi circulates throughout the body. This ignites the fire within the dan tian (located in the lower abdomen). The source of your qi, this fire purifies by melting the gunk that clogs up the steady flow of qi.

Research studies have shown that qigong exercises and tai ji chuan have a positive effect on muscle strength, flexibility, and balance. Studies have also shown improvement in medical conditions such as: heart disease, hypertension, osteopenia, osteoporosis, arthritis, Parkinson’s disease, stroke, asthma, and insomnia. It also shows an improvement in the quality of life in some cancer patients.

http://mountaintopacupuncture.com/qigong-and-tai-ji-chuan

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At Mountaintop Acupuncture, we have a combined 34 years of experience. To read more, please click here.

If you have questions and concerns about acupuncture treatment, we offer a free 20-minute phone session: click here for contact information to call or e-mail us. We practice at The Highlands Ranch Medical Pavilion in Littleton, Colorado.

Insurance is welcome and accepted.

Filed Under: All Things Exercise, Integrative Medicine, Research Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Cut That Wouldn’t Stop Bleeding

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Last month, prepping dinner, I (Carol) inadvertently sliced off a finger sliver, a minor cut we’ve all experienced at some time. This time, it wouldn’t stop bleeding. Intent upon finishing my task, I put a band-aid on it, tightly, and continued chopping. That didn’t work, so I added some gauze under the band-aid. That didn’t work, so I stopped chopping, redressed the wound, and applied pressure. It STILL wouldn’t stop, evoking images in a horror movie (it really was only a little cut!).

Tom again (see “Cat-Scratch Inflammation”) came to my aid, reminding me of Yunnan Paiyao. He opened a capsule, poured it on the cut, bandaged it with gauze, and the bleeding stopped immediately — AND the gauze did not get caught in the coagulating blood because the powdered herb layer captured the fibers instead.

yunnan_baiyao

Yunnan Paiyao came to recognition during the war in Vietnam. Legend has it that the tiny red pill stops gunshot wounds, yet no chemist has been able to isolate and identify what’s in it. The rest of the formula consists of herbs that simultaneously stop bleeding and heal wounds without stopping healthy blood flow: an interesting combination of properties, when you think about it. It is often recommended for use internally when undergoing surgery because of its multifaceted capability with blood.

http://mountaintopacupuncture.com/the-cut-that-wouldn%E2%80%99t-stop-bleeding

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At Mountaintop Acupuncture, we have a combined 34 years of experience. To read more, please click here.

If you have questions and concerns about acupuncture treatment, we offer a free 20-minute phone session: click here for contact information to call or e-mail us. We practice at The Highlands Ranch Medical Pavilion in Littleton, Colorado.

Insurance is welcome and accepted.

Filed Under: Herbs and Acupuncture Tagged With: , , ,

Si Wu Tang

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dangguifour
Si Wu Tang is the representative formula in the Nourishing Blood category of our formula “bible.” Si Wu Tang has been in use over one thousand years, dating back to 990 A.D., and consists of only four herbs that work synergistically to improve blood quality, on a broad spectrum of conditions.

Some of these are: anemia, hives, menstrual irregularities, muscle and tendon issues, dizziness, headaches, vision, and pregnancy-related (miscarriage, lactation, postpartum).

For example, I (Carol) experienced headaches since childhood, and I credit a modified formula of Si Wu Tang for altering that trajectory. Simply put, the frequency and intensity of headaches were markedly reduced within three months, and have never returned.

Herbs possess nutrient compounds, which our body readily recognizes and absorbs. Two of the herbs in Si Wu Tang contain amino acids, protein’s building blocks, which are vital for the development of blood components such as hemoglobin.

Ingredients:
Shi di huang (Rehmanniae Radix preparata) nourishes the blood
Bai shao (Paeoniae Radix alba) nourishes the blood and preserves body fluids
Dang gui (Angelicai Sinensis Radix) nourishes the blood, helps its circulation, and regulates menstruation
Chuan xiong (Rhizoma Chuanxiong) improves blood and qi circulation

We prescribe Si Wu Tang in tablet, granule, or raw form, and may modify the formula depending upon your needs.

http://mountaintopacupuncture.com/?s=si+wu+tang
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At Mountaintop Acupuncture, we have a combined 34 years of experience. To read more, please click here.

If you have questions and concerns about acupuncture treatment, we offer a free 20-minute phone session: click here for contact information to call or e-mail us. We practice at The Highlands Ranch Medical Pavilion in Littleton, Colorado.

Insurance is welcome and accepted.

Filed Under: Herbs and Acupuncture Tagged With: , , , ,

Beets Recipe

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Beets are known as a blood-building food in Chinese dietetics. I (Carol) make a batch almost weekly, adding them to other dishes at the end, salads, and as its own salad. They’re sweet when cooked, and the dressing improves their digestibility.

vegetablesbeets

Ingredients
1 bunch of beets – should have about 3 medium-to-large or 5-6 if they’re smaller (smaller will cook faster); trim them so all you have left is the stump and the tail
1 can of chick peas or any beans you like, rinsed
1 cup frozen or fresh string beans, depends on the time of year
salt – pinch
culinary herbs – 1 tsp
balsamic vinegar
extra virgin olive oil

beet_salad_prep

Rinse and boil the beets in water to cover. When you can stick a fork in them, they’re done, but set a timer so you don’t let them cook too long.

In the meantime, rinse the chickpeas, and steam the string beans.

When the beets are done, let them cool in a bowl for 10-15 minutes, or until they’re not too hot to handle. Cut off the stump and tail, then score the skin on one side with knife, to literally squeeze the skin off; cut into ¼-inch x 1″ slices.

beet_salad1

Toss together in a dish and add the vinegar, olive oil, herbs, and salt over the warm vegetables and beans, add salt, all to taste, then let marinade, tossing again from time to time. Store in the refrigerator.

http://mountaintopacupuncture.com/beets-recipe

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At Mountaintop Acupuncture, we have a combined 34 years of experience. To read more, please click here.

If you have questions and concerns about acupuncture treatment, we offer a free 20-minute phone session: click here for contact information to call or e-mail us. We practice at The Highlands Ranch Medical Pavilion in Littleton, Colorado.

Insurance is welcome and accepted.

 

Filed Under: Recipes Tagged With: , ,

Yin and Yang Theory in a Nutshell

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photo courtesy of taoism.about.com

photo courtesy of taoism.about.com

The Yin and Yang Theory is the foundation of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). It is a simple concept of opposites, but can be somewhat complex in its application in understanding the human body in Chinese Medicine.

In the macrocosm of the universe, Yin is the physical manifestation of all things and Yang is the potentiality of all things. In the microcosm, all physical forms are Yin, but all forms have the potential for change, which is Yang.

Sometimes the best way to explain Yin and Yang is with an analogy, and we will bring these to you as they arise. Here’s the first one we came up with:

A car engine is a static thing. The fuel that runs it is Yin, and the spark that ignites the fuel is Yang, transforming the fuel into energy to make the car run. Likewise, in the human body, the food we eat is Yin and the process of digestion is Yang; without the transformation of digestion, the food is useless.

http://mountaintopacupuncture.com/yin-and-yang-theory-in-a-nutshell

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At Mountaintop Acupuncture, we have over 30 years experience. To read more, please click here.

If you have questions and concerns about acupuncture treatment, we offer a free 20-minute phone session: click here for contact information to call or e-mail us. We practice at The Highlands Ranch Medical Pavilion in Littleton, Colorado.

Insurance is welcome and accepted.

 

Filed Under: Theory Tagged With: , , ,
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