Qi Moves Through Many Forms

Young Shaolin Monks Practice Strength and with Balance

Last Saturday I had the pleasure of presenting a workshop on strength-building exercise to a group of psychiatrists. There was quite a range of fitness in the group, from self-described couch potato to those who work out every day. I taught from a Qigong perspective: find your gravitational center, your central axis, breathe, notice what you’re feeling as you move, appreciate how the joints respond to spiraling movement, etc.  After a lifetime of experience, I am sure these principles are golden. They apply across the board, from the gentlest of exercises to the most vigorous.

Qigong does build strength, aerobic capacity and flexibility, but it’s much more than that. We work with energy in all its manifestations. Take the imagination: “The mind leads the qi” as the Taoist masters teach us. In western terms, science shows that the body responds in a measurable way to visualization. For instance, studies have verified that purely imagined movement can build muscular strength. Not as much as actually lifting a barbell, but still! That’s amazing, isn’t it? Take note, Carole and Lynn, and those others of you who are recovering from injury or illness: simply imagining a movement will help build strength.

Personally, I apply Qigong principles to all of my fitness challenges, whether I’m focusing on maintaining core strength or learning Bollywood dance from You Tube videos. This eclectic approach is super liberating. It allows you to find your own, unique path to moving and feeling better. It works more comprehensively (and often more safely) than doggedly sticking to a single style or technique without incorporating the energy cultivating Qigong principles of balance and integration.  I plan to teach more workshops in the new year combining eastern and western principles. You never know… I may even throw in a few Bollywood moves.