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Chapter 1

WHAT IS QIGONG AND WHY SHOULD IT BE USEFUL FOR MS?

What is qigong?

Qigong is a way of being.

Being soft, yet strong.

Qigong is a way of breathing.

Breathing deeply, yet calmly.

Qigong is a way of standing.

Alert, yet relaxed.

Qigong is…

A way of moving

A way of opening

A way of closing

A way of grounding

A way of giving

A way of receiving

A way of awakening

A way of healing.

How is it achieved?

By standing, in a certain way.

By breathing, in a certain way.

By stretching, in a certain way.

By bringing your awareness into your body, in a certain way.

By extending your awareness below your feet.

By learning how to move, in a certain way.

By letting go.

Through cultivating compassion for your body.

Through allowing yourself to be nourished by qi.

What is qi?

Qi is beyond words. The words are, however, attempted throughout the course of this book.

Where does qigong come from?

Qigong was developed as a means of achieving health and longevity in ancient China. Jahnke (2002) describes how qigong is first referred to in an ancient text called ‘The Yellow Emperor’s Classic Book of Medicine’ (Ni 1995). This text was originally published around 300 BCE and contains some practical advice on to how to achieve health and live a long life. The material in this ancient text is presented as a form of dialogue between an apprentice ‘Huang Ti’ and his master ‘Qibo’. Qibo instructs his apprentice as to how people in ‘ancient’ times lived well into their hundreds, without showing the usual signs of ageing. Qibo says that this is because:

They formulated and utilized practices such as Dao Yin (the ancient word for qigong), including gentle body movements, self-applied massage, breath practice to promote qi flow, and meditation to harmonize themselves with nature and the universe. They lived a natural life of balanced diet, sufficient rest, avoidance of the effects of stress on body and mind and careful refraining from over-indulgence. They purposely maintained well-being in harmony with the body, mind, and spirit – it is no surprise that they lived in health over one hundred years. (Jahnke 2002)

The fact that in 300 BCE, the writer was referring to practices that were then considered from ‘ancient times’, indicates that the practice of qigong has been in existence for some considerable time! We can see from this ancient text then that the use of gentle body movements, self-applied massage, breath practice and meditation were, even then, the essential components of qigong. Each of these components will be introduced to some extent in this book.

How is qigong related to tai chi?

Tai chi is a relatively new development of qigong. Tai chi embodies the basic principles of alignment, posture and breathing that have been developed through qigong. However, tai chi takes these basic principles and uses them in the context of more complex patterns of almost dance-like movement. The patterns or ‘forms’ are said to have often been inspired by the study of nature, in particular the movements of animals.

Some of the forms were designed to develop abilities of selfdefence, as used in the martial arts. Other forms were used to facilitate spiritual development:

To lead the player from body to mind to spirit, and eventually back to the great void to merge with the cosmos.

(Clark 2000)

However, the complex pattern of movements, called a ‘form’, that one is expected to learn in tai chi is quite taxing for the most ablebodied of people. It would be unrealistic to expect the average person who suffers from multiple sclerosis (MS) to develop the co-ordination, concentration and spatial awareness to initially learn a complex ‘form’ of tai chi.

Therefore in this book we will be focusing on the fundamental principles that underlie tai chi, referred to as ‘qigong’. These principles include the cultivation of relaxed breathing, correct alignment of posture, slow and graceful movement, and meditation.

If, after following some of the exercises in this book, you are inspired to go and learn the ‘forms’ of tai chi, then you will usually find a tai chi class in a town nearby.

Many people find that the exercises of qigong open up such a world of inner movement and energy awareness, that they feel content to stay with the exercises of qigong and not embark on the more complex movements of a tai chi form. There are therefore an increasing number of classes just for ‘qigong’.

My personal experience is that the more years I practise (currently 18 years) the more I come to realize that ‘less is definitely more’. One of the fascinating aspects of qigong is that you can practise the same basic movement for many years and continue to develop a different awareness of your health and your energy through that same movement.

There is, to my mind, a danger of learning too many different movements and different patterns. There is a danger that you will acquire them like badges, moving from one to the next, without fully experiencing the development of health and energy that can be brought about from a focused practice of just one or two techniques.

This book, therefore, will not bombard you with a multitude of different ‘things to do’, but will instead attempt to transmit some basic, but powerful, principles as to how to help your body’s own natural healing forces come to the fore.

Cultivation of qigong ‘attitude’

If I am on a less than good day, I can draw energy and strength from sitting quietly and evaluating what I require. (Comment from participant in the research study)

The attitude with which you embark on qigong can be vitally important. One of the fundamental principles underlying qigong is that you need to trust that your body knows how to heal itself. In our Western culture we are particularly prone to try and ‘sort things out’. Our minds are very good at creating lists of things to do and making arrangements, not to mention inventing motor cars and spaceships and tumble dryers. However, in the practice of qigong the mind has to take on a different skill, that is the skill of standing aside and allowing healing to occur.

Why should qigong be good for MS?

Qigong presents itself as a potentially very useful self-help approach for MS for the following reasons:

 People with MS often feel that their body is ‘out of control’ and ‘alien’. Qigong cultivates a feeling of compassionate ownership of the body.

 People with MS often lose confidence in their ability to walk or carry out certain movements. Qigong slows down the process of walking and the process of movement so that the mind has sufficient time to enter the body and carry out desired movements in a more unified way.

 People with MS sometimes fear falling over, due to difficulties with balance. Qigong improves balance and reduces the likelihood of falling.

 People with MS often feel stressed and agitated. Qigong teaches a way of reducing nervous excitation and cultivating calm.

 People with MS often feel helpless and feel that there is nothing they can do to help their condition. Qigong encourages a sense of empowerment.

 Qigong helps you to ‘find your feet again’.

Most of the practical aspects of the programme are taught in Chapters 5 and 6. Before launching into the practical aspects of the programme, however, I would like to provide some detail about how this self-help programme came to be independently validated at a UK-based National Health Service facility.