Qigong Standing Meditation

By [http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Elizabeth_Reninger/24043] Elizabeth Reninger

Here's a wonderful ~ simple & powerful ~ Taoist meditation practice, which can be done either outside (in a beautiful natural setting is best!), or indoors. It's similar in many ways to Buddhist Shamata sitting meditation practice, but ~ and hence the name! ~ you're standing. (So, for one, it's less likely that you'll fall asleep ... J)

Begin by standing with your feet parallel and about shoulder-width apart. Take a couple of deep long breaths, saying "aaah" (either out loud or to yourself) with the exhales. Let go of any tension you find in your shoulders, neck or face ~ simply let it "melt" away, with the exhale ... as though that tension were a frozen river, being touched now by a warm sun, and flowing downward, like the gentle cascade of a waterfall, forming pools at your feet. Feel your energy, your awareness, settling into your feet & legs & hips & belly, connecting you strongly to the earth. Bend your knees just slightly ~ just enough to feel a softness at the backs of your knees.

Trinity - The Three Levels of a Yoga or Qigong Practice

By [http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Elizabeth_Reninger/24043] Elizabeth Reninger

Yoga and Qigong practice is traditionally spoken of as occurring on three levels: the outer, the inner & the secret. These three levels of practice have similarities to what in Taoist practice are known as the Three Treasures (Jing, Qi & Shen); and also to what in Buddhist practice are known as the Three Bodies (Tri-Kaya) of the Buddha/Awakened Mind (Nirmanakaya, Sambhogokaya & Dharmakaya). [They also have a less precise but still resonant relationship to the Hindu yogic system of the "five sheathes."]

The outer level of practice is the most superficial (or densely vibrating) level. In qigong, it is called the level of the "tendons" and is associated ~ in terms of the Three Treasures ~ with Jing/essence (which, among its physical substances, includes cerebral-spinal fluid, marrow & sexual fluids). In terms of an asana practice, this is the level at which one focuses on physical alignment: on creating a structure (of bones, muscles, organs, tendons) conducive to entrance into the deeper levels of the practice. This is the level at which one learns a "form" which (like a mandala, a yantra, or good feng shui) can then serve as a portal through which the energies/insights of the inner levels of the practice can more easily flow. So as practitioners, this means learning the particular form(s) associated with our chosen tradition.

Qigong Benefits - Health Benefits of Qigong

By [http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Limin_Song/158273]Limin Song

Experiences from Qigong practitioners have shown that Qigong healing positively affects a wide range of health problems from pains, ulcers, infections and allergies to cancer, diabetes and heart disease. These stunning healing results are dramatic, especially for people who were informed by their doctors that there is no hope of curing their health condition. Of course, serious healing takes serious effort. For general health purposes, a short daily practice of 15 minutes will help you feel good by bringing you relaxation, better energy, a calmer mind and a happier state of being. The greater the Qi blockage, however, the more time and dedicated effort are required for meaningful healing results.

Learning Qigong will lead you through a gradual cleaning process. If you walked into a house with three feet of dirt on the floor, you would not start sweeping it up into big piles. You could not breathe! You would need to begin cleaning the house in small steps. The same is true of the health benefits of Qigong: they come in small steps.

Qigong and Hypertension

By [http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Yu_Nancy/246844]Yu Nancy

Qigong, the ancient Chinese practice of harnessing Qi (vital energy), is receiving a lot of attention as a major part of traditional Chinese medicine. Medical Qigong has been practiced for centuries to promote health, healing, self-defense, longevity, and spiritual development. One of the goals of practitioners is to master tension and relaxation. Chinese doctors prescribe certain forms of Qigong to patients, depending on their diagnosis. According to them, many illnesses are cause by a disrupted flow of energy through the meridians. Meridians are channels that allow energy to flow through the body. The Qigong techniques provide a balance of energy in the patients' body in an effort to return them to good health. Chinese medicine attributes great importance to the homeostasis of energy in the body.