it’s been six years since I joined local Shaolin temple training group. We were practicing a lot of kung Fu and qi gong. Kung Fu is really hard work exercising of body. In one or one and half hour you have no rests and all you do is learning new forms or punching and kicking like mad. Kung Fu fills you with energy and stamina but it also damages your body so you need to balance your workout with qigong.
Here is short description of what qigong is:
Qigong, qi gong, chi kung, or chi gung (simplified Chinese: 气功; traditional Chinese: 氣功; pinyin: qìgōng; Wade–Giles: chi gong; literally: "Life Energy Cultivation") is a holistic system of coordinated body posture and movement, breathing, and meditation used in belief it promotes health, spirituality, and martial arts training.[1] With roots in Chinese medicine, philosophy, and martial arts, qigong is traditionally viewed as a practice to cultivate and balance qi (chi), translated as "life energy".[2]
According to Taoist, Buddhist, and Confucian philosophy, qigong allows access to higher realms of awareness, awakens one's "true nature", and helps develop human potential. [3]
Qigong practice typically involves moving meditation, coordinating slow flowing movement, deep rhythmic breathing, and calm meditative state of mind. Qigong is now practiced throughout China and worldwide for recreation, exercise and relaxation, preventive medicine and self-healing, alternative medicine, meditation and self-cultivation, and training for martial arts.
(from wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qigong)
MY EXPERIENCE
I’m very curious person so I tried training kung Fu without qigong. My mind become very unease i had difficulties sleeping and was exhausted in every way possible. I also had one injury (not related to kung fu) and I left my trainings aside for good half year. In this half year I put on another 10kg of unhealthy weight. I was used to eat a lot when I was doing a lot of hard exercise, but when I stopped with exercising may eating habit stayed the same.
My plan was to slowly start with qigong to get stronger and feel better overall. As I now see my plan was right. I started to go to Shaolin temple again but my demanding job is quite unpredictable in terms of working hours so i didnt end working on time and miss a lot of Qigong classes. Than I thought i could try to excercise at home when i can. I tried this in the past but results were not good (im lazy :) ) so i tried to workout in different way. I bought video with Shifu yan lei leading you thru the practice of Qigong.
You have many workouts for download for 12 €. Qigong workout is simple but very effective. If you have time to do only 30 minutes it is ok. If you have time to do all the workout it is even better. You don’t need some fancy equipment just massage brush.
Every time I do this exercise i get such a calm feeling and good body high. Muscles feel so relaxed and you get energy of a child. If you have some sort of injury, it will heal faster. Qigong also helps a lot with autoimmune diseases. I had really strong allergy on 10 different allergens and now it is almost gone without taking medications. It is hard to see people suffering different pains, sickness and mental issues that all can be cured or eased with qigong practice, but people generally don't believe that it really helps.. they see this like some shaman crazy stuff that you must believe in in order to help you.
I’m now almost 33 years old and my body feels really good in flexible and losing weight that I put up thru winter. I’m not healthy form my youth. I was quite sick person. I had severe asthma, skin disease, allergy’s and unsettled mind. I got my health thru different workouts, qigong and switching to whole food.
You are responsible for your health; nobody can help you except you. Doctor is good if you broke your hand but in field let’s say allergy or other autoimmune diseases they don't know nothing.
So help yourself and universe will help you :)
