Gentle stretching, relaxation and breathing exercises can be a safe way to prepare your body for the exertion of gardening. According to those who regularly practice such techniques, these exercise regimes can also reduce stress. One form that is gaining in popularity in Australia is Medical Qi Gong (pronounced ‘Chee Goong’).
History
Qi Gong is said to be one of the oldest of all the martial arts. It is claimed to have a variety of healing and health benefits. People who gather in parks and gardens in China and other parts of the world to carry out graceful and rhythmic exercises are performing their daily Qi Gong breathing exercises and movements.
While some Qi Gong masters claim to be able to conduct electricity, split stones with their foreheads and survive being driven over by a truck, most advocates of Qi Gong recommend it as a gentle form of exercise which helps to reduce stress.
Chi
Traditional Chinese medicine holds that ‘chi’ is a vital energy force that circulates in a healthy body, and is altered when a body is under stress. Through techniques such as Qi Gong, acupuncture and acupressure, Chinese medicine attempts to control and direct chi. Qi Gong is a treatment based on meditation, and there are several variations of the exercise. In the relaxed-pose method of Qi Gong, practitioners use their mental concentration to channel chi to specific areas of the body. In the movement form of Qi Gong, practitioners combine slow, flowing movements while meditating on the circulation of chi through their bodies.
Qi Gong and health
Studies in China, Japan and America suggest that the performance of Qi Gong exercises may enhance circulation, increase the effectiveness of some medication and assist patient rehabilitation.
The calming benefits that Qi Gong exercises have been credited with would seem to come from a decrease in the heart rate, a lowering of blood pressure, and a period of controlled breathing. In all, practitioners claim that repeated exercise helps them to control stress.
Further information
Qi Gong Therapists’ Association Australia Inc. Phone: (toll free) 1800 638 188.
Dr Zhang’s Qi Gong Health Centre, Brisbane. Phone: (07) 3344 6788.
‘Burke’s Backyard’ in no way endorses the claims made by medical Qi Gong technique practitioners, beyond the use of such exercises and similar exercises as gentle stretching and relaxation techniques.