Michele Collins, RH (AHG), MPH and Andres Vergara, L.Ac., M.Ac.
To understand Medical Qi Gong you first need to understand Qi Gong. Qi Gong in Chinese literally translates as skill with qi. It is a 5000 year old health practice originally from China used to both preserve health when well and to heal illness when sick. It consists of movement, sound, breathing techniques, creative visualization, meditation and intention to move qi in the body and thus attain good health.
The concepts of qi gong grew organically out of the contemplation of nature and is rooted in the idea that everything has the same core energy. Essentially that we are all part of a larger wholeness or the Tao. When you practice qi gong, you are literally learning to speak the language of nature. Qi gong practice helps you develop your conscious awareness on the flow of qi and energy both within you and the world around you.
Qi gong is a spiritual science. And science is till trying to explain what the ancient Taoists masters of China naturally understood by observing nature and relating it to their internal infrastructure. Scientists, notably Albert Einstein recognized these same concepts of qi gong and sought to explain them more fully. Einstein’s unified field theory, the concept he attempted to refine in the last two decades of his life, is a reflection of this (click here for a great article about his quest to refine this theory and how it fits into recent scientific inquires). Perhaps Einstein should have practiced qi gong :).
Medical Qi Gong is similar to Qi Gong, as it abides by the same principles. It works through the use of movement, intention and meditative states to heal. The main difference is that the medical qi gong practicioner uses these states to accomplish particular health goals for the client. By using the roadmap and diagnostic principles of Chinese medicine as well energetic healing states, the qi gong practitioner can make significant changes on the energetic substructure of the client in order to improve their health and well being. This is a highly effective healing modality.
Chinese medicine posits that we humans are the children of heaven and earth, that we are part spirit and part matter. The matter part of ourselves is easy to understand. And in fact, because of the density of matter, we can often easily ignore are spiritual nature because it can become obscured by the sheer physicality of what we can observe with our five senses, with what we can taste, see, hear, feel, and smell. Western medicine can exhibit this shortsidedness. It tends to focus on the physical body alone, ignoring our spiritual sides. More and more you see practitioners trying to bridge this gap and find ways to connect to the spirit.
That is what is beautiful, elegant, and utterly amazing about Chinese medicine. It is a wholistic healing systems that takes these levels into account. Herbs, acupuncture, nutrition are very important and work on the physical or post natal side. We like to think of these things as the solid foundation for health, which why we use these modalities in our clinical practices (click those links above for a more detailed description of what these modalities entail).
But for anyone who has focused on the physical and ignored their spirit knows that the our formless or energetic side is equally important. Chinese medicine has a roadmap and picture of how our energetic bodies are structured and how they mirror our physical bodies. Medical qi gong allows us, as practitioners to work with the energy body or formless efficiently and effectively. Qi gong exercises allow us to observe and work with that subtle breath energy or qi. Science is catching up – this picture below shows a picture of an acupuncture meridian. And they are even able to see acupuncture points – you can click here for an interesting story and picture.
Medical Qi Gong can be used effectively with other healing modalities such as herbs, nutrition, and acupuncture. In our practices we usually combine Medical Qi Gong with other familiar modalities common to Chinese medicine. That is why Medical Qi Gong can greatly increases the efficacy of alternative treatments and why it combines well with herbs and/or acupuncture shortens the amount of time necessary to heal any given ailment. It is also why distance medical qi gong treatments are just as effective as in person treatments.
The wonders of distance medical qi gong is what has allowed us to treat friends, clients, and pets all over the country from our home in NC. We can provide skype or phone consults to any distance clients and also mail herbs if necessary. Medical qi gong has revolutionized our practice and we invite you to benefit from our improved knowledge. For more information about how to schedule wither an in person or a phone appointment with either Michele or Andres, click here.
