Chi Gung
Chi Gung is an ancient Chinese system of cultivating the optimal levels of physical, energetic, mental, emotional, and spiritual health. In this practice, we take responsibility for protecting our health, promoting vitality, and prolonging life through mindfulness, rather than by outsourcing our well being to others.
The Chi Gung practitioner harnesses the fundamental forces of heaven, balanced with the elemental energies of earth and harmonizes them with the essence, energy, and spirit (the 3 treasures) of human life. Heaven, Earth, and Human Life are known as the 3 Powers and when they are in balance, we can enjoy health, vitality, insight, and longevity.
“Chi” means breath, or energy. “Gung” means work. Chi manifests in three main ways:
1) The energy that makes up all matter and animates all living things; that drives all activities and transformations in nature, from galactic to microscopic, including birth, growth, death, decay, and rebirth.
2) The basic life force of body, mind, and spirit: from the functions of the body, such as digestion, circulation, and respiration, to the feelings, thoughts, and perceptions of the mind, all the way to the subtle currents and mystical experiences of the spirit.
3) The dynamic polar field that all energy moves within and which all power springs from. In order to access this field, the Chi Gung practitioner purifies their own personal field to resonate in harmony with the purest and most powerful forces in the universe. This experience is like stepping into a waterfall and aligning your body’s vibrational flow with the continuous vibrational water flow of the universe.
Chi Gung involves gentle movement, rhythmic, regulated breath, and a calm, clearly focused mind.
In the gentle movements of the body, we practice stretches that minimize tension and promote relaxation, circulate blood and oxygen, and soften tight muscles.
To balance the breath, we create a slow, rhythmic inhalation and exhalation, easily filling and emptying the lungs, deeply reaching down to the diaphragm. The breath is a reflection of the energy flow and when it is smooth and calm, we can synchronize our individual energy field with the electromagnetic fields of our earth, the planets, and stars.
To focus the mind, we practice clearing it of distracting thoughts and shifting our attention from the external world and the perceptions of the senses, to the space of the inner world, where we connect to the three treasures of our essence, energy, and spirit.
Some extra benefits of a Chi Gung practice include enhancing immunity by creating a positive biofeedback loop between the nervous system and endocrine system, which stimulates the production of the neurotransmitters and hormones required for healing from disease. In addition, intentional movement drives energy to every tissue and cell, ensuring the circulation of blood and oxygen to sustain good health and balance blood pressure. Deep diaphragmatic breathing improves respiratory function and protects lungs from the damage of airborne pollutants, while massaging the digestive organs, regulating their functions, and balancing their secretions.
