QiGong

One of the things I like about Chinese Medicine is that it is non-linear. There is no separation between the mind, the body, and the spirit. Emotions are stored in the organs and with this concept, can be a contributing factor to disease and how a disease is presented. This is so very different from Western medicine. In the West we often look at diseases in silos. “I can only deal with things from the neck up” is what you may hear from your Ear/Nose/Throat (ENT) doctor. “I don’t do anything with women’s organs” is what you may hear from a Family Practitioner. We tend to specialize in organs or specific locations in the body.

In Chinese Medicine, organs are not broken out and silo’d. Each patient is seen as a whole and every symptom, no matter what part of the body, mind, or spirit, is included in the assessment, the diagnosis, and treatment plan.

One of my next classes in Chinese Medicine will be a QiGong class taught by Suzanne Friedman. She is an expert in QiGong. She says that QiGong uses the energy fields of the body to help purge, strengthen, and balance a person. I like that.

The healing objectives of QIGong are:

• To eliminate the pathogenic factors, such as the accumulation of emotions, or factors from the environment, or an invasion of cold, damp, heat, or dryness.
• To increase or decrease a person Qi to counteract the deficient or excess conditions in the body
• To regulate and balance yin and yang energy and bring the body back into internal harmony.

These are the texts we will be using in this class (should you want to follow along).

• "Medical Qigong Exercise Prescriptions: A Self-Healing Guide for Patients & Practitioners" by Suzanne Friedman.
• "The Yijing Medical Qigong System" by Suzanne Friedman
• "Heal Yourself With Qigong: Gentle Practices to Increase Energy, Restore Health, and Relax the Mind" by Suzanne Friedman

QiGong is considered one of the branches of Chinese Medicine. The branches I’m studying so far include acupuncture, food (or diet and nutrition), herbs, and movement (QiGong/Exercise).

Pretty exciting stuff.

QiGong