An Introduction to Qi Gong Version 1.1 2nd December 1993 Qi Gong is a Chinese discipline for the cultivation of the body's internal energy, known as 'qi' or 'chi' (pronounced 'chee'), through regular practice of gentle exercises, including standing in particular positions. It is used for general revitalisation and as part of traditional Chinese medicine, and has had very good results for some people suffering from diseases such as emphysema, arthritis, M.E. (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) and RSI (Repetitive Strain Injury). It is generally applicable to many health problems, and also seems to help in reducing fatigue, strengthening the immune system and improving blood circulation. It is practiced by about 75 million people in China, where there are also specialist Qi Gong hospitals. Qi Gong is also known as Chi Kung (an alternative romanisation of the same Chinese word) - in either case, it is pronounced 'chee goong'. The former spelling is used in this document. I have been learning it under the tuition of Master Lam Kam Chuen, who teaches the Zhan Zhuang (pron. 'jan jong') variant. The literal translation of this is 'standing like a tree', which is pretty accurate! After some warm-up exercises, you make some slow, smooth hand movements, visualising contact with a balloon throughout, then you start standing in a fixed but relaxed position, switching to a new position every 10 minutes or so. The basic positions involve bending the knees, imagining you are sitting on a balloon, and either dropping the arms down in front of your body, or holding them up roughly on a level with your chest, forming a circle with your fingers about a foot apart in front of you. The immediate effects are remarkable - most obviously, some people find their knees and arms shaking, which is a sign of energy release and a good thing, though not shaking is also fine. Everyone reacts differently, but it seems that feelings of warmth and energy are common, especially in the hands. Most strange of all during my first session, when I had a significant degree of RSI, was the fact that my arms and shoulders did not hurt at all despite holding them in a fixed position for a long time - whereas carrying shopping for the same time would have brought on some aches and pains. In fact, my arms/shoulders felt better than they had done before the session. I have now been doing Qi Gong for about six months, almost every day for 10 minutes to half an hour, though it is fine to do several sessions of 10 minutes rather than a longer session. It is good as immediate pain relief if I have been overdoing keyboarding or writing, and particularly good if you feel tired or achey in the morning. Other disciplines such as yoga, meditation and Tai Chi probably have some similarities in their effect, but this has a very powerful effect compared to meditation, at least for me, and is much easier to do. You can even do Qi Gong while watching TV - in fact, this is recommended when beginning since it distracts you from your body, but I find that watching TV is not at all relaxing and tends to distract me from Qi Gong. You can also do it in the toilets/rest rooms at work, in a cubicle, so you can get pain relief without having to explain it to, and listen to the comments of, colleagues who are not used to such things. This may seem weird, but it is a lot better than remaining in pain. I find that Qi gong is a good way of immediately relieving pain due to RSI, and I am convinced that it has contributed greatly to my near-recovery from RSI. My only caveat is that it does put quite a strain on your legs, especially in people with RSI - use trigger points or some other massage technique to thoroughly remove any muscle spasm (which can manifest itself as aching or pain) from your legs before you start a Qi Gong session. Also, build up slowly to half an hour or longer sessions, and take plenty of breaks during the sessions if necessary. As you get more practice, the effect becomes stronger after a shorter time, and changes, possibly including strong shaking, a feeling of fullness, and other sensations. These are all signs that your body is healing and strengthening itself. With RSI, you may find that you get some pain: this can be due to the position itself, in which case you should rest, stretch and de-trigger point the muscles involved; or it can be due to returning blood circulation in the hand or arm. In the latter case, stop if it is too painful, but in general any pain is quite mild and seems to be a sign that the hand is healing itself, perhaps releasing toxins. Ba Duan Jin is a related discipline which derives from exercises that are over 4000 years old, and was used by a General Yeuh Fei to train his army, which perhaps coincidentally was never defeated. This consists of eight exercises that take 15 to 20 minutes to do, and involve very little effort or muscle use, rather like Tai Chi except that the feet do not need to move and they are much easier to remember. These are very good before or after Qi Gong and are covered in the Way of Energy book (see below). People in my Qi Gong class have found that it has a huge effect on many conditions, not just RSI: one person with emphysema now no longer needs to take drugs for it, another person with severe arthritis can stand up for an hour where five minutes were painful previously. Another person believes that it was a big factor in his recovering from M.E. (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in US terminology). Qi Gong is not a complete cure for RSI. As with most complex disorders, there are no simple cures. However, it is a useful complement to trigger point therapy, Alexander technique, and diet, and a significant aid to recovery and pain relief. Qi Gong and Tai Chi Chuan ------------------------- Qi Gong is related to the other internal martial arts, such as Tai Chi Chuan - these promote internal energy in a similar way. Master Lam, who teaches both, believes that Qi Gong is more powerful than Tai Chi. Personally, I find Qi Gong more practical than Tai Chi, in that it does not require a large space and can be practiced for a few minutes while sitting or standing - however, I have not tried Tai Chi. Classes ------- For London, UK, residents: the Lam clinic is in central London (70 Shaftesbury Avenue), phone 0831 802 598 or 081 992 7149 (answer phone) - Qi Gong sessions are on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, and on Saturday and Sunday mornings. It costs 15 pounds for each of the first five classes and 10 pounds for each class after that. They should be able to put you in contact with practitioners outside London. Elsewhere, you may find Tai Chi centres also teach Qi Gong, since the two have some similarities. You really do need to attend at least a few classes to ensure you are getting the positions right - you can probably get away with just using a book but you may not get such good results. Books ----- The Way of Energy by Master Lam Kam Chuen Publisher: Gaia ISBN 1-85675-020-5 This book covers the school of Qi Gong that I practice, and is written for a Western audience; mainland Chinese publishers also produce a number of books on Qi Gong, but those I have seen are not so easy to follow. It covers Zhan Zhuang and Ba Duan Jin. Still as a Mountain, Powerful as Thunder by Y. P. Dong Publisher: Shambhala Publications, Inc. (Boston and London) P.O. Box 308, Boston, MA 02117 ISBN 0-87773-688-X This book covers I Chuan, which is closely related to Qi Gong and Zhan Zhuang Contacting the author --------------------- Please let me know of any comments on or updates to this document. Internet mail: richardd@cix.compulink.co.uk Compuserve: 100272,1772 Richard Donkin