| There are a variety of health benefits that | | | | tradition, there is no such thing as an incurable |
| practitioners of qi gong can enjoy. Proponents of | | | | disease, although a patient may reach a stage in a |
| the exercises, also called "chi kung", believe that | | | | disease where, if they have been untreated, the |
| following a regular exercise routine of qi gong can | | | | damage is too severe to repair. So the key to |
| improve your health in a number of ways. The | | | | using qi gong is to incorporate it as a daily practice |
| practice of qi gong is based on the belief that the | | | | in order to prevent any kind of illness or disease |
| body is innately equipped with the ability to | | | | from reaching this stage. |
| maintain and heal itself, and that all that we have | | | | The belief that no disease is incurable comes from |
| to do is to learn how to assist the body in doing | | | | the idea that man is born in perfect condition, with |
| this. | | | | the ability to remain in perfect operating order. |
| The exercises of qi gong are designed to | | | | However, as our bodies, our vehicles, move us |
| promote and restore the flow of life energy or | | | | through life, they experience certain kinds of |
| vital energy, also called 'chi,' throughout the body. | | | | damage that our lifestyles can generate. Poor diet, |
| If the flow of chi is restored to the optimum | | | | high levels of stress, general loss of awareness of |
| state, then the body can naturally fight and | | | | our bodies and other lifestyle choices result in a |
| eliminate any illnesses or injuries. Qi gong can be | | | | dysfunction in the body's natural ability to heal |
| used not only to cure illness and improve immune | | | | itself. Illness only results when one of our body's |
| system function, but also to improve energy | | | | complex physiological or psychological systems |
| levels and vitality, make the practitioner feel | | | | fails to work properly. These failures occur when |
| younger and live longer, help to reduce stress and | | | | the flow of chi energy is in some way impeded or |
| generate an overall sense of wellbeing. Different | | | | blocked. |
| forms of qi gong are designed to perform | | | | Qi gong exercises work to free up these |
| different functions, so studying with a teacher is | | | | blockages so that the chi can flow naturally and |
| important in order to learn the correct sequences | | | | freely to the needed locations. The energy |
| of exercises to create the optimum effect on | | | | restores and repairs damaged tissues, carries |
| your health. | | | | away toxins that the body's cells and processes |
| To understand the theory behind the beliefs | | | | produce and keep the body generally vital and |
| surrounding qi gong, it is important to first | | | | healthy. The focus of qi gong is on enhancing |
| recognize some of the fundamental differences | | | | health and preventing illness, although many |
| that exist between Western and Eastern | | | | practitioners claim to have cured diseases such as |
| medicines. Western medicine accepts that certain | | | | cancer, asthma or diabetes that were previously |
| illnesses and dysfunctions are incurable. However, | | | | thought to be incurable. |
| Traditional Chinese Medicine disagrees. In this | | | | |