Qigong is a form of exercise that's extremely popular in China. According to the Chinese philosophy of health, one's energy system is even more important to a good life than are the tissues of the body. The vital energy associated with living beings is called qi (pronounced chee), and gong is their word for work, skill or the results that come from hard work. Qigong, therefore is the work you do on your energy, the skill you develop in working with energy, and the vitality that results from working with your energy.
Qigong is so old, its origins can only be speculated at. It is generally understood to have been developed by monks who had to sit for long ours in meditation, and needed to get the blood flowing again. However, Chinese health principles have never included the assumption that cardio workouts were specifically called for. Qigong is very low impact, and can be practiced even from a hospital bed, while infirm. When learning it, however, it’s best to be as active as you can be, harmonizing your body's alignments, movements and breath with focused intent. Alignment, in particular, is hard to learn on your own, and many students who study alone run into misalignment-based problems, similar to what we all suffer with repetitive stress injuries. It may not matter if you do it once, but over time, the problem can mount and become an injury.
Personal Qigong training is one-on-one time with a certified instructor to help you attain those alignments, master the movements, free the breath, and better understand how to focus the intent, and on what to focus. In addition to learning a particular Qigong style fully, you learn to target a movement or form to certain problems or issues you find that you have, to help alleviate the resulting discomfort, or intercede before it gets worse.
If you live in the Los Angeles area, Urban Shaman Lihai Sherman can show at your location, provide a location near him, or communicate with you via Web conference to provide this instruction on a regular basis.
Everything you do matters. You're an infinite spiritual being. Help will always be available to you when you ask. Well-being is your birthright, and is always pouring into you. You only have to let it in. We look forward to communicating with you.
