BAC and QiGong

 The Martial Art of Wellness

Volume 17 – December 2018

(Archive of Previous BioNews)

DEAR FRIENDS

QUOTE OF THE MONTH

“ You are a dynamic being of Light that at each moment informs the energy that flows through you. You do this with each thought, with each intention. “

– Gary Zukav, Thoughts from the Seat of the Soul

THIS ISSUE’S TESTIMONIAL: ( No shoulder replacement for Patti )

THE MARTIAL ART OF WELLNESS (BAC and QiGong)

Wellness is a gift; most of us are born with it. While some people may keep their wellness throughout their life; the reality is that 90% of people by mid life are in some early or advanced stages of degenerative diseases. Sadly, one in two will develop a cancer, one in three will have a heart attack, two in three are overweight, one in four is pre-diabetic or diabetic. That is why I am passionate to share with you wellness strategies to prevent diseases, and to rapidly regain and maintain your wellness.

You may have noticed that I use the war like analogy “Martial Art of Wellness” as part of the title of my articles.  I do that to point out that the state of wellness can be lost to disease, just like peace can be lost to war.  Similarly, if a martial art Ninja can wisely avoid a street fight, then a wellness Ninja can wisely avoid causes of disease.

Martial: soldierly: (of persons) befitting a warrior; “a military bearing”
Art: skill that is attained by study, practice, or observation
Wellness: generally used to mean a healthy balance of the mind, body and spirit that results in an overall feeling of well-being

I use this martial art analogy because it is a matter of fact that we are poisoned daily by depleted, polluted and transformed foods, by pharmaceutical drugs, by hundreds of new chemical pollutants in our atmosphere, homes, furniture, cars, clothing, in our food chain, water and air and from so many other sources. We are bombarded by television ads and propaganda from various associations and marketers. We are exposed to constant violence with war, murders, disasters; we are stressed from driving, flying, unrealistic work schedules, and from much emotional negativity from television and social media. Stressors – emotional, mental and/or physical – are a main cause of more than 50% of our intoxication and leads to imbalances, diseases and even cancer.  I use this martial art analogy because we must develop  a warrior like strategy of defending ourselves against these many causes of diseases.

We are born as vessels of brilliant pure energy, light and information, and perfectly able to reflect back this energy / light / information to others. We must strive to maintain or regain this pure body and mind. When we are well we are clear, we can envision our mission, we can achieve our purpose. That my friend is The Martial Art of Wellness.

It is with this peaceful warrior spirit that I invite you to explore and apply these skills:

• Relearning Wellness and its principles
• Avoiding improper foods, substances, energies, etc.
• Consume the right high energy foods, water, etc.
• Practice the correct movements; exercise, yoga, QiGong, walking, running, etc.
• Practice good mind/body disciplines
• Introduce smart fasting in the fabric of your life
• Renew or reinforce the practice of LOVE, and much more
• And much more

Today I want to share about one of those skills, QiGong, a wellness tool that I incorporated in my own pursuit of wellness starting in January of 2007. Back then, as a 58 year-old marathon runner I used to frequently need an adjustment or a massage for inflammation related injuries that often occur in long-distance runners.   To my great surprise and relief, these injuries diminished nearly totally after I started practicing QiGong.  I love QiGong because it is 100% safe and effective in self-adjusting and maintaining a healthy spine, significantly reducing the need for a professional. I have since witnessed thousands of people that benefit from the practice of QiGong in so many ways.

What is QiGong?

Qigong is the meditative movement and therapeutic exercise of Eastern medicine. A growing body of evidence is validating its health benefits leading to mechanistic questions of how it works. The purpose of this article is to explore mechanisms of action related to Qigong, with the intent of unifying Eastern and Western exercise theory and to present a model for Qigong exercise analysis. Three exercises from a standardized Qigong form: “Plucking the Stars”, “Lotus Leaves Rustle in the Wind”, and “Pacing Forwards and Backwards” were selected for meditative, energetic, and physical analyses. Meditative aspects include relaxation response, interoception and exteroception. Energetic aspects include stimulation of meridians through mental intent, acupressure, and self-massage. Physical aspects include flexibility, strength, articular stimulation, neuro-integration, respiratory effect, fascial stretch, visceral massage, balance challenge Craniosacral pump, lymphatic and venous return and glandular stimulation, and physiologic response to relaxation. Knowledge of mechanisms of action for specific Qigong exercises can guide the operational definition of Qigong and selection of outcomes assessment in future research, as well as inform prescriptive practice addressing clinical health issues, and advance adoption of Qigong practice within integrative health care. The model of analysis demonstrated in this discussion may assist in these endeavors.

Listen next to a conversation with my QiGong instructor Sifu George Picard.

Heal Yourself with QiGong

In my opinion, my instructor Sifu George Picard has published the best contemporary book about QiGong.  Sifu Picard has students throughout North America who are also teaching this ancient wellness modality called QiGong. Many of these students, including Medical Doctors and other health care professionals, have experienced firsthand the healing power of “QiGong” as taught by Sifu Picard. His new book “Heal Yourself with QiGong” simplify Chinese Medicine concepts for anyone to understand why QiGong is so effective in prevention of illnesses.

This book is inspiring and greatly demystify QiGong.  It is a must read for anyone looking for better health!

For five thousand years people have benefited from the practice of QiGong in maintaining health and preventing diseases. In traditional Chinese medicine, good health is a result of a free-flowing, well-balanced energy system. The regular practice of QiGong helps to cleanse the body of toxins, restore energy, reduce stress and anxiety, while also helping individuals to maintain a healthy and active lifestyle.

For more information on Heal Yourself with QiGong visit www.georgepicard.com.