31 Jul Benefits of Qigong
As I practiced the qigong set from the video, I first noticed that a sense of balance and grounding were established right from the beginning with the placing of the foot and the solid stance. There was attention paid to proprioception, where my body was in the space. I felt centered as each movement returned to the mid-line of the body, and as I help space feeling the energy in the dan tien. The breath followed the movements. I felt the calm strength inside my body as part of interoception, and the slowness of the movements allowed my mind to quiet itself. It was relaxing and allowed a simple enjoyment of the sensuous moves of the body. The exercise really embodied Master Gu’s invitation to practice with “no rush.”
Cohen talked about the benefits acquired through perseverance, and that qigong is a systematic training in psychophysiological self-regulation much like biofeedback. Qigong posits two primary components of self-healing: breath and the exercises. I was quite intrigued when the text mentioned that the movements may have originated in ancient ritual dances that were designed to alter consciousness. I felt my consciousness had been altered during the practice to a place of greater calm and equanimity.
Master Mingtong Gu talked about the importance of the body in qigong as it is considered more than just a vehicle for spirituality, but rather a condensed version of the energy of the whole. The body is inseparable from the earth or the universe. Energy has no boundary and is universal. He stated that the joy we are looking for is inside our bodies.
Saso talked about how for the Chinese, religion is a matter of practices rather than beliefs. Although in the readings this week there was still the mindset that the body needs to be perfected rather than being perfect in and of itself, it was a relief to study a body-positive tradition.
© 2024 Catherine Auman
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