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We are born in a state of balance arising from the Yuan Qi, or
Original Energy. With time the body becomes out of balance. This
is often due to the way we live our lives - family pressures,
relationships and the demands of society. This imbalance, if not
corrected, will cause stress or a breakdown in health.
This disharmony gives rise to two basic forms of disruptive Qi
energy - cold (Liang) and hot (Ru). Ru Qi, caused for example by
anger, may go to the liver where it could eventually cause cancer.
Alternatively it could move along the liver meridian to cause
cancer in other areas connected to this meridian, for example the
brain. The liver meridian traverses the length of the human body.
Liang Qi can be caused by the same source but more likely sadness,
but whether the imbalanced Qi is cold (Liang) or hot (Ru), depends
on the personality.
Traditional Chinese medicine (used in state hospitals) addresses
these problems with herbs, acupuncture and two forms of Qigong
massage (An Mo and Wai Qi), which are preferred to western
medicine to treat a variety of conditions.
Stress and psychologically based disorders are treated generally
by allowing the patient to enter the Qigong state themselves. In
addition to receiving regular treatments from a practitioner to
restore balance, the patient learns to balance their own energy by
regularly practicing the Qigong movement meditation (Zi Fa Gong)
and thus accelerating the healing process. This kind of treatment
is also useful in physical disorders and in most cases a good Zi
Ran Qigong practitioner will open the patient (Chu Xing), unless
there is a good reason to avoid this.
The exercise which makes one hand grow slightly longer than the
other illustrates the power of Shuichuan to transform. Each time
you practice Zi Fa Gong this occurs and your body is returned to a
more balanced state. Much of this has now been researched by the
Zhong Hua Qigong Research Association in China where scientists
have proven that Qigong improves various functions, such as the
nervous and endocrine systems and the body’s immune system.
Other functions improve, though science in China still remains
rather baffled by the Qigong process. Psychological problems, also
regarded as physical imbalances by Chinese medicine, gradually
improve as the exercise progresses. Those with emotional
disturbances e.g. deep sadness, are able to release this energy (Liang
Qi). Often it is expelled by simply falling to the floor, where
the energy becomes earthed.
Zi Ran or natural Qigong is a very easy process to learn. After a
simple attunement, you will be able to do it.
John Freear
An Mo/Wai Qi Treatment
Chinese research indicates, that during Qigong therapy, a
qualified practitioner can direct external Qi (Wai Qi), to various
parts of the patient’s body without the use of apparatus. This
is useful in the treatment of various disorders where acupuncture
is unable to help, particularly in assisting with psychologically
based problems - especially stress. Within this natural field,
patients can have the following positive reactions: warmth,
relaxation of the mind and body, regulation of heartbeat, a
deepening of breathing, and lowering of blood pressure. The
patient experiences a change in energy and emotions. Life takes on
a new perspective.
This type of treatment involves the client being opened (Chu Xing)
first, and their active participation helps to clear the
dysfunctional Liang or Ru Qi which, if not dealt with, will cause
disease at some later time.
As an example of this ancient Chinese medical principle we first
need to look at the Western term ‘dis-ease’. If you are not at
ease psychologically, then something physical will eventually fall
out of balance. Often this is to do with the liver meridian. If
you look at the Jing Luo (the map of the body's acupuncture
meridians), it shows this important energy channel running the
entire length of the body.
Dysfunctional energy causes an initial sense of dis-ease within
the body's structure itself - your posture could be affected, or
perhaps certain muscle groups could be in spasm, or tightly held.
This could be due to stress, and this ‘tightness’, can express
itself later as a true disease (i.e. cancer), which will affect an
organ - the liver, bowels or brain, etc. In Chinese state
hospitals this is often addressed with An Mo/Wai Qi therapy
(massage) to free this stuck energy. In today's China this kind of
therapy is useful in treating complaints for which Western
medicine has no cure available. Included are M.E., chronic fatigue
syndrome, cystic fibrosis, and many other complaints. This is
illustrated in the Bill Moyers film on China called ‘Healing and
the Mind’.
Each client's personal psychology is obviously different so the
form of treatment tends to vary. If the client is aware of the
purpose of the treatment, and able to actively participate
themselves by entering the Qigong state themselves, then the
treatment will be much more successful. Furthermore the clients
are empowered if they are aware of the way their own body and
psychological make-up causes a particular form of imbalance. Once
the problem is resolved, and through an in-depth understanding of
its cause, clients are able to look after their own health more
actively, and on a regular basis.
Elisabeth Rusch
Medical Qigong - Cancer Therapy
Chinese medicine has no equivalent theory which can be compared to
Western medical science, for the Chinese have had no interest in
the past in statistical methods of research using control groups -
it has worked for the Chinese for thousands of years. The entire
empirical system (acupuncture, herbs, massage and qigong) is based
on the flow of Qi. Western medicine has just only recently
acknowledged the existence of Qi. The Chinese system has used it
for over 4,000 years and it is still used today within the state
medical system. It works for the Chinese and therefore it can also
work for us.
In the Chinese system - the state of mind and the way we live our
lives causes the disease. A disruptive state of mind results in
disruptive Qi. If you can correct this you have moved to correct
the direct cause. With Western medicine the affected organ and the
physical symptoms of the disease are addressed. This is the
difference.
There is an ancient Chinese saying - ‘If you are ill first find
your centre, then you will be healed’. This centre can be
translated, to us in the West, as the Soul so it repeats the
teachings of Socrates who told his fellow Greek - ‘You cannot
heal the body without the help of the Soul.’ The practice of
Shuichuan activates the very centre which is the origin of Qi and
this centre is called the Yuan Qi, or Original Energy. Shuichuan
will not prevent disruptive Qi (i.e. anger or sadness) but will
balance the energy that these phenomena cause.
According to acupuncturist Jenny Alison the natures of Chinese
people and Western people have a difference in basic personality.
This difference is reflected in how we live our lives. She
believes that Chinese are outwardly Yin and carry Yang deep
within. Western people are much more confrontational, and this is
a good example of Jenny’s proposition that Western people are
Yang on the outside and carry Yin, as a suppressed energy within
themselves. As a result, health problems which are often the
result of personality, need a different approach.
In my own view I believe that it is possible that cancer is caused
by an excess of disruptive (Liang or Ru) Qi which has reached an
excess. The liver, which deals with Qi of this type cannot cope
when the amount of this Qi reaches a certain (variable) level and
therefore Liang or Ru Qi travels up, or down, the liver meridian
until it reaches a vulnerable organ. At this point it causes a
disruption within that organ which causes cancerous cells to
develop.
Western Medicine treats only the organ - for example the breast -
often suggesting its’ removal. In many cases removal doesn’t
work as the cause is not addressed. The result is that in time the
cancer will develop elsewhere. Adrenaline is somewhat similar.
With extreme stress which does not lead to physical action (i.e.
running or fighting), an excess of adrenaline may cause your hands
to shake. This excess of adrenaline is absorbed naturally by the
body as is unused disruptive Qi.
If the cause of this disruptive Qi is indeed stress then the
amount of stress in our daily lives can cause an excess which the
liver simply cannot cope with. As a result we need to find some
way to balance ourselves and avoid this cumulative effect. A more
holistic approach is needed. If we accept the Chinese theory that
our state of mind, and the way we live our lives influences our
health and life expectation then many of us need to change
something within ourselves. This change can be accomplished with
Shuichuan Qigong.
With cancer patients the release of Liang or Ru Qi can be felt
through the acupuncture meridians when the patient enters the
Qigong state. Therefore, it is useful for practitioners to work
with an acupuncturist who is familiar with Qigong. The patient
receives a second opinion which reinforces their belief in the
treatment.
I was treating a woman from Darwin who had breast cancer. After
only six treatments I felt she was on the mend but I advised her
that a biopsy conducted by the hospital would not show a positive
result for perhaps six months as although the energy changes
immediately the body takes some time to change. Within three
months the biopsy results showed the cancer had disappeared as a
result of Qigong practice. It did not re-occur basically because
this patient continues to balance her energy. This continuation is
important.
Shuichuan Qigong is not a panacea and it’s effect largely
depends on the patients belief, sincerity, and ability to practice
the exercise regularly. The involvement of the patients partner or
care-giver is a good help with this. The success of the treatment
also depends on how advanced the condition is and here it is
important to work with the treatment suggested by the patients own
medical doctor.
Qigong can work with chemotherapy in western medicine rather than
against it. Chemotherapy is an outer treatment for the condition
and symptoms of a particular disease or organ whereas Qigong is an
inner treatment which affects the patients energy and mind. There
is no reason why the two should not work together.
John Freear
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