The Role Of Qigong Function In The Body

Although qigong has a long history in China, throughout Chinese history, it was kept secret in a small group of people. Today, it is practiced by millions for health and to cure disease. Although there have been many proposed theories on how qigong improves the body condition, however, since there is no conclusive scientific data, its function remains mystery.

The information revealed from human anatomy that the body has eight major systems. They are respiratory, circulatory, digestive, muscle, skeleton, nervous, reproduction and endocrine. One can observe their structure from autopsy. However, there is one system that exist only appear to a live body. People in China today called it the communication or information system. It is a network of acupuncture meridians for qi circulation. Qi is a particle that motion by wave. It circulates among meridians inside the body or outside the body to carryout nutrient to the organs. Therefore, some people called qi as a type of energy to support the physiologic organic functions.

There are many types of qi in traditional Chinese medicine. The qi in qigong is referring to the original qi. It is the basic substance to support life. It is also the difference between a corpse and a live body is the present of qi according to the traditional Chinese medicine. Although it is different from the air one breathes, however, the function is similar to support and maintain life's normal function.

Traditional Chinese Medicine believes that the seven emotions such as happy, sad, sorrow, worry, fear, terror and anger has directly affected physiologic functions and activities. Although they do not cause someone to get sick immediately, if a person has a stressful life style or fallen into an extreme situation, above and beyond the body's normal capacity, the seven emotions will affect the body's Yin/Yang balance, blood and qi circulations and the body will get sick. The information from physiological and psychological demonstrated that the emotional responds have direct input on the nervous and endocrine systems' function. When one has a positive emotion, one is energetic and full with energy. One is happy and healthy. However, when one has negative emotion, one is easily angered, sad, painful and confused, the body is fatigue, the heart is beating fast and irregular. The relaxation and tranquility required in qigong practices properly work on the nervous system to neutralize any negative emotion. e.g. When the muscle system relaxes, this improves the central nervous and circulatory systems. When one is in a tranquil condition, the brain is in a restoration mechanism. When one is emphasized on deep breathing, the movement of the diaphragm massages the internal organs, improving the blood circulation and digestive system. In qigong practices, the emphasis on concentration lead the brain to desensitize some of the stimulate so the negative emotion will not affect the body. The emphasis on control breathing to restore energy, power and supply nutrient to physiologic organs. The emphasis on relaxing the muscle and correct posture lead to proper exercise the skeleton system to build up structure and strength. Therefore, practicing qigong can cure disease and strengthen the body as the same time.

Over 2000 years ago, ancient Chinese already recognized there is a direct connection between good health and mental condition. In the Yellow Emperor's Internal Classic, which written "Anger hurts the liver. Sorrow hurts the heart. Worry hurts the pancreas. Sad hurts the lung. Fear hurts the kidney." In a later chapters of the same book, it said "All diseases caused by qi. When one is anger, the qi rises. When one is happy, the qi calm. When one is sad, the qi depletes. When one has hear, the qi goes down. When one is cold, the qi closes. When one is afraid, the qi imbalances. When one is overworked, the qi cannot last. When one is worry, the qi stagnates." These explanations demonstrated that one's mental condition has a close relationship to qi. The seven emotions have the most impact in one's health. In qigong training, it trains the practitioner to better control the emotion and the body's internal environment.

There are four major schools of qigong and thousands of techniques available today. Generally, they are divided into static and dynamic. They are inter-relative and complementary to work on the body, mind and qi. When come to the objective of curing disease, practicing qigong can strengthen the body's condition by improving the immunity so the immune system is stronger and the body is healthier.

Internal practice is an important aspect of qigong training. It is referring to when the practitioner is working on the intent's creativity to yield a positive result. It is also known as a method of improving the physiological activity result from psychological activity. Intent is a psychological activity and it is a function of the nervous system. Tranquility is a condition result from intent's creativity. It is an important conscious behavior in qigong training. This situation does not require the whole nervous system but a specific area of the brain's function. This action differentiates the brain cells' function. This type of mechanism is a very special kind of function. When one is tranquil, some sensory functions reduced. This will make a significant change in the peripheral nervous system function. During the tranquil condition, the physiological activities do not completely stop or reduced, they changed. The activities are changed to recovering or restoration. Therefore, when one is in tranquil condition, the energy in the body is from a consumption mode changed into a restoration mode. The body's energy lasts longer and one feel refreshing after qigong practices.

Does not matter which kind of qigong technique one is practicing, the objective is the same to relax the body so the qi works on three areas of the body: breathing, mental and physical. This relaxation is not happened immediately. The physiological changed in the body often associated with the changed in sensory nervous system such as respiration, blood pressure, heartbeat and breathing with rhythm.

The activity in life is but many levels of generating cycles. To maintain their functions, this requires nutrients and energy. Qi is a type of energy inside the body to keep the physiologic organs functions. In qigong training, one is mobilizing the qi to better circulate throughout the body to carry nutrients and energy to the physiologic organs so the body is in a perfect condition.

Article By Vincent Chu
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