Qigong for Digestive Problems

Qi Magazine - Issue 85 (December 2007)

Today, many people have digestion problems because they do not get enough exercise, eat improperly or have too much stress. Some have all of these factors and so it is understandable that they will have illness.

Our bodies are meant to be maintained and looked after but often we neglect to do so until we have an illness which tells us something is starting to go wrong. We know we need to service our cars regularly, changing the oil and topping up brake fluid and water or coolant. Every so often we need to have something more serious done like replacing old brake pads or a worn tire as we know that otherwise it could be very dangerous and cause us to have a serious accident. Most of us though, do not give the same regard to our health until it is too late. When the big problem comes, the time for worry is already gone. We can only try to limit the effects of the problem and start to build up our Qi and immune system through Qigong exercise and meditation.

The first thing we should work for is the bones and so doing some standing meditations like Zhan Zhuang or Horse Stance is ideal. In the beginning you may only be able to stand a minute but can slowly build up to 5, 10 and 15 minutes or longer. You should feel good when you are standing although at first you may find the mind wandering and that you are impatient to be still for so long. If you can conquer this impatience, then you can start to develop yourself. The longer you stand (within reason), the more Qi you will gather which will "wash" the internal organs and make you stronger.

Sometimes it is the most simple exercises, like Wuji stance, that will give us the most benefit. However, in the end, it is all up to us as we are the ones who have to work for our own Qi and healing.

With kind regards,

Michael Tse