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Traditional Chinese Medicine
By Leah Voysey
Qigong literally translated means "energy work" and is
pronounced "Chi Gong".
But this is not the Qigong so often seen in the West which is
learned through set exercise forms common to all students. This
is Shuichuan Zi Ran Qigong, an ancient form not taught by any
other school.
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Zi Ran, or natural Qigong, is very different from the forms
normally taught in the West, as the Zi Ran or
"natural" movements are truly spontaneous. This
spontaneous movement occurs once the new student has received
the "Chu Xing attunement", and is the result of
achieving a state of Wu Wei, or non-attachment. As a result of
this, students receive the forms that they need, firstly for
health and later for inner balance. Each person's movements are
different. Resembling T'ai Ji Chuan, they spontaneously change
in nature as health improves and individual consciousness
expands. |
Zi Ran Qigong is also a healing art used extensively in Chinese
State hospitals for a variety of complaints. With Shuichuan,
students feel a great sense of relief that so easily, without
mantras, mental effort or physical exertion, their bodies truly
relax and become free. Energy moves from deep within to clear
the blockages caused by traumas in life, whether physical or
emotional, and which are the precursors of dysfunction or
disease.
My own first experience of the healing power of Shuichuan was
about three years ago when I saw John Freear for a private
consultation. Prior to this I had practised Shaolin Qigong with
a Chinese teacher and performed the various exercise forms which
are practised by many people in the West.
For many years I had worn orthotics to correct a structural
imbalance and I was astounded by the form the treatment took to
correct the discomfort in my hips and lower back. From a
distance of about two metres Qi was directed simply by John's
voice. He said "walk properly". That was all, and a
split second later my entire skeletal structure received a
beautiful adjustment. My whole body felt a tingling vibration
for perhaps only one minute, with the result that I could
discard the orthotics entirely. I have not worn them since and
have experienced no discomfort whatsoever following that single
treatment.
As a practising acupuncturist I was astounded by the simplicity
and overwhelming force of this treatment.
This type of Qigong is the origin of acupuncture and the ancient
Qigong masters first mapped the body's energy meridians or Jing
Luo, and as healing therapies they are beautifully
complementary. Shuichuan is like an "all-over"
acupuncture treatment without needles, whereas acupuncture
provides the impetus for faster and more specific healing where
deep blockages from old trauma require an established good flow
of energy to move them and create balance. Especially in the
early stages of learning Shuichuan, acupuncture can help with
the movement of energy, and the Qigong will help the acupuncture
in the same way.
Many acupuncturists have found the use of other and varied
aspects of Traditional Chinese Medicine rewarding in their
healing craft, and so in searching for my own style or
expression, I found that employing Shuichuan with acupuncture
added a totally different and wonderful dimension to my work.
The meaning of various philosophies behind the theories and the
many and varied ways of using points became alive and full of
value in the healing context. Clients may not get instant
removal of symptoms, but they too discover "why?" to
many aspects of their lives including, of course, their health
problems.
Acupuncture points are storehouses of information about the
body's correct functioning. This is not just the physical body,
but also the spiritual, emotional and psychological, or mental
aspects. As with Shuichuan, acupuncture is an holistic therapy
and to use it effectively you need to honour one of the Yin/Yang
axioms (or the laws of the natural universe.... how energies
generate, control and interact with each other), that
"nothing in the universe is stable or complete". As we
are all in a state of flux, so are the potential uses of both
acupuncture and Shuichuan. Time-honoured prescriptions have the
possibility and likelihood of changing themselves as well as
creating changes not anticipated. All acupuncturists will tell
you there are often wonderful surprises issuing from treatments
which I like to call the "magic" in acupuncture when
clients ask me "exactly" what is happening. Everyone
is unique and therefore the way treatments work can create
changes unique to that individual in addition to the known
benefits.... and so it is with Shuichuan.
I am always in awe at the way the two work together.... after
the needles are inserted, I do Shuichuan energy work and quite
often find myself using additional points with acupressure, or
brushing meridians either on the body itself or through the
energy field. Because it is the Universal Life Force or Da Qi
which moves me, my awareness of what the client needs and where
deeper problems lie, is greatly increased.
The philosophy of all the Traditional Chinese Medical Arts is
the same and is based on Taoist principles which teach us to
strive for a Wu Wei state in order to live a long and healthy
life, and also to become quiet within so that we can be more
profoundly aware of our intuitive side - a state natural in all
children and often lost through social conditioning and an
emphasis in schools on intellectual progress. Some people call
this "gut feeling". Wu Wei is often quoted as meaning
"doing without doing", but I like to say "doing
only that which does not go against the natural flow", or,
being in harmony with the laws of nature. This is the
"non-attachment" mentioned earlier. Life can be
extraordinarily difficult if you try to do something when the
timing is wrong, or you are trying to achieve or obtain
something that was not meant to be. If you become unattached,
then what is right for you, your life and learning, is able to
manifest. You will be much happier, even if you didn't
"plan" any of it. To feel about things, instead of
think, adds another dimension entirely - when something
unexpected comes along, you can feel if it is right for you at
that time, and this is not necessarily what you want, but
guaranteed to please.
When a practitioner works with Shuichuan, and especially when
the client also does Shuichuan, deep-seated problems can quite
often show immediate improvement. Shuichuan is a lifetime
practice for student and practitioner alike, and evolves with us
as we employ it in everyday life.
Below are some of the ways in which our connectedness to the Da
Qi works in our lives:
* STRESS MANAGEMENT.... because you can simply let stress go
* DECISION MAKING.... because your mind is quiet and your
"heart is in the right place"
* HARMONY OF HEALTH.... your blockages have been removed
* COOKING....Qi-enriched food is a delight to eat
* QUIETNESS OF MIND.... no more endless mental chatter or
psychological warfare on the self and/or others
* HARMONY OF WORKPLACE.... you feel better, you function better
and you've found the right job
* HARMONY OF HOME.... established disruptive emotional patterns
disappear
* LOVING HARMONIOUS RELATIONSHIPS.... care for your fellow man -
you feel better so people respond differently
* SELF DEFENCE.... spontaneous movements coming from within
through the Universe spark effective responses when under
threat.
Leah Voysey DipAppSc (Ac) MNZRA is
a traditional acupuncturist
First Published by Rainbow Network
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Copyright Leah Voysey (c) 1996
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