Happy New Year 2018 from MIT Qigong

Another year has come and gone and what a fantastic year 2017 was @ MIT! I'm truly honored to share the art of Qigong to such an enthusiastic group of loyal and inspirational health cultivators. Every week we use stillness and tranquility to return the mind, body & breath to the natural state. Our classes have always focused on core training which is the path towards remarkable results and in 2018, MIT Qigong & Harvard Qigong will continue to be the Boston areas leading Yiquan & Emei clubs. - Jim Roselando

Join the facebook group at: https://www.facebook.com/mitqigong/

Low Post Zhan Zhuang - January 2017


Twisting Dragon Post - May 2017


Emei Qigong - August 2017

Meditation is Part of the Solution

The Benefits of Group Qigong Practice

By Michael Tse (Founder of Qi Magazine)

If you have ever been to my seminars or classes, you would have noticed that we all gather together at the end in a large circle to do meditation together. People will often comment afterwards that the energy was very strong, stronger than when they meditate at home on their own.

Of course, when people gather and work together towards the same goal, there is a sense of harmony that will develop. There will also develop a strong sense of community. This is very important when studying because there are times when you will come to a plateau and it may seem you are not making progress. It is easy at these times to get discouraged and maybe even want to give up. However, if you have made friends with those in your class and also find that others have gone through the same problem, then it is easier to overcome it because of their support.

In relation to meditation, when we are doing together as a group, you have a different mind set. You do not really have the luxury of thinking about stopping your meditation to go do the dishes or call a friend. So your mind is more concentrated. Even if you feel uncomfortable, bored or agitated, you hang in there because to not do so would draw attention to yourself. It is easier just to stay and eventually, you may even find your boredom and agitation just slips away without you noticing. So practising in a group can help you push yourself a little harder and achieve more than you thought you could.

When you practise meditation one on one with someone, it is more personal because you are opening yourself to them both consciously and unconsciously. However, practising alone is good and also necessary. If you always rely on a group for lifting and developing your energy, then your level of development will be limited.

In regard to there being a special Qigong form for practising as a group, itis not necessary. Any form or set ofexercises can be done as group, either with a teacher leading or everyonepractising their own things in the sameroom. The feeling and results will bedifferent in each case, both for the teacherand the student.

Not everyone can be in a situationthat they have a teacher and class topractise. They have the harder roadbecause they arewalking that road alone.If you go to a movie, I think most people would prefer to go with a friend than on their own as it is good to be able to share the experience with someone. That does not mean that if you do go to a movie on your own that you cannot enjoy it. Maybe you will even find it better as you do not have to worry whether or not your friend likes it or what row you should sit in. You can please yourself.

When you practise on your own, you can go to the place you like best and do the forms you want, in the order you want and you can meditate for as long as ou wish. Unlike in a class which is more structured. If you can have both situations, that is good, but it is more structured. It is most important to develop to the best of your ability in whatever field you happened to have been planted.

Yours sincerely,

Michael Tse

The Vancouver Sun: Tapping into self healing with qigong

Tapping into self healing with qigong

 

The ancient art of health qigong combines slow movements with breathing

William Liu’s health was a mess. Arthritis had invaded his joints, he lived with a chronic cough, and the skin on his palms looked diseased. In flu season, he was always the first one infected and he frequently took sick leave from his job as a mechanical engineer in charge of fire sprinklers for Vancouver City Hall.  He saw many doctors and tried everything those doctors recommended: steroid creams for his skin, steroid injections for his joints, church and temples for his attitude, a healthy diet and exercise. He learned from the Arthritis Association how to manage his pain, but nothing he did ever cured him of his problems.  Then in 1996, he decided to try health qigong (pronounced Chi Kung). Within a month and a half, he says, he felt much better. Soon, one after another, his problems disappeared. Within four months, all his arthritis, lung and skin problems were gone, never to return.  His colleagues were so impressed with his recovery that they encouraged him to teach a lunchtime class at city hall, and it has continued for many years. About 40 city workers attend health qigong class every Thursday, even though Liu has since retired.  Health qigong is an important element of traditional Chinese medicine. Loosely translated, qi (or chi) means vital energy, and gong means work plus effort.  It is a form of exercise that involves slow movements, similar to tai chi, combined with breathing. The movement is said to open vital energy meridians to the body’s organs and allow the oxygen in to massage and heal them. It is believed that it works by strengthening the body’s immune system thereby increasing the body’s ability to self heal and recover.  “In traditional Chinese medicine, chi and blood are believed to complement each other,” explains Liu, adding that scientists now believe that chi is bioelectricity circulating inside the human body.  “There are twelve primary chi meridians [invisible energy channels] running inside our body. Each primary meridian is associated with one internal organ and is connected to a toe or a finger.”  Chinese doctors in ancient times learned that specific body movements combined with deep breathing could improve the chi circulation in specific organs. They developed the qigong exercises which could prevent or heal many chronic illnesses and slow the aging process, says Liu.  Ken Low, a Vancouver sifu (martial arts master) says health qigong differs from martial arts in that the poses are not defensive or offensive. It is considered a sport in China.  “The movement is all designed to strengthen the body,” he says. “It has no self-defence purpose. It is all health enhancement.”  Liu says it could be considered the Chinese yoga. Both forms are ancient and both emphasize breathing combined with movement. And, like yoga, health qigong is an omnibus name, given by the Chinese government 100 years ago to encompasses thousands of forms.  The form Liu learned first was wah tor, but he has since learned dozens of others. He practises every morning.  This weekend, the Chinese Health Qigong Association hosts the 4th International Health Qigong Tournament and Exchange, the first time it has been held outside of China. Teams of practitioners from more than 20 countries, including Belgium, Iran, Iraq, Greece, Korea and the United Kingdom are coming to the War Memorial Gym at the University of B.C. to be judged by a panel of masters and exchange culture and friendship.  “They will look at their form and their focus,” said Low who is organizing the tournament and exchange with the Canada International Health Qigong Association.  Low says the tournament is a good opportunity for Vancouverites to be introduced to the sport, or test their skills if they are already practitioners. The weekend tournament is open to the public at no cost.  Then on Monday Sept. 19 and Tuesday Sept. 20 masters from China will teach two forms of health qigong at the Richmond Sheraton Airport Hotel. Monday’s lesson will teach Yi Jin Jing (transforming tendon exercise), which strengthens the muscles and tendons, and Tuesday’s seminar will teach Mawangdui Daoyin Shu (based on the Daoyin Tu chart, unearthed from a Han Dynasty tomb), which provides guidance along meridian channels and synchronicity of mind and body. Each seminar costs $100.  On Wednesday, Sept. 21, competitors who wish to have their form graded can be examined by the masters.  Kathy Bengston, who works in the city clerk’s office at City Hall, and who learned several forms of health qigong from William Liu, says she will be part of a team entering the tournament.  While she has no chronic health problems, she says the practice relaxes her and she hopes is preventing health problems.  

kgram@vancouversun.com

At a glance  

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Qigong as a Treatment for Neck Pain

http://www.doctorslounge.com/index.php/news/pb/18785

Qigong Comparable to Exercise for Treating Neck Pain Similar effect regarding neck pain, disability, and quality of life; superior to no treatment In patients with chronic neck pain, Qigong is comparable to exercise therapy and superior to no treatment, according to a study published in the March 15 issue of Spine. WEDNESDAY, March 23 (HealthDay News) -- In patients with chronic neck pain, Qigong is comparable to exercise therapy and superior to no treatment, according to a study published in the March 15 issue of Spine. Daniel Rendant, M.D., from the Charité University Medical Center in Berlin, and colleagues compared Qigong to exercise therapy and no treatment in 123 patients, aged 20 to 60 years, with chronic neck pain. Participants with a visual analog scale (VAS) greater than or equal to 40 mm, who had neck pain for an average of 3.2 years, were randomized to three groups: Qigong, 18 sessions of exercise therapy over six months, or waiting list (no treatment). The participants completed standardized questionnaires assessing their quality of life, neck pain (VAS), and disability at baseline, and after three and six months. The investigators found a statistically significant difference between the Qigong and waiting list groups after six months (VAS mean difference, −14 mm). The mean improvement of patients in the exercise group and in the Qigong group was comparable (difference between groups, −0.7 mm) and there was no statistically significant difference between the two. Qigong was found to be superior to no treatment and comparable to exercise therapy in respect to neck pain, disability, and quality of life. "In this study, Qigong was more effective than no treatment in adults between 20 and 60 years of age with chronic neck pain," the authors write.