Quotes about Qigong from “Alternative Therapies”:

“In external qigong, a qigong master or qigong doctor projects or emits ……qi to ….heal another. When patients are severely ill, and their own level of qi is very low or stagnant, receiving qi form a qigong master can prove to be a powerful stimulant towards healing...
“Recent medical studies in both China and the United States show that qigong can reduce stress, increase circulation, and provide resistance to disease. Today, most hospitals in China include qigng as part of their health care programs, with certain hospitals devoted solely to its study and practice. Thousands of qigong institutes also provide qigong instruction, while major centers in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzho train qigong teachers and carry out government-supported research.
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Traditional Chinese Medicine holds that qigong stimulates and nourishes the body’s internal organs by circulating qi. Qigong can break down
energy blocks and facilitate the free flow of energy throughout the body, promoting blood and lymph flow and the even flow of nerve impulses necessary for proper health maintenance. ‘ The overall benefit of qigong is to mobilize and harmonize the body’s naturally occurring healing resource (known as qi in China),’ according to Roger Jahnke, O.M.D., of Santa Barbara, California.
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According to Dr. Jahnke, qigong stimulates human bioelectrical conductibility. Dr. Jannke explains, ‘The human body has the ability to conduct an electrical charge.’ This affects the entire body, and it is responsible for maintaining the function of the organs and tissues. ….(Qigong works) by improving circulation of the cardiovascular and lymphatic systems, as well as modulating brain chemistry.
In the United States, qigong is now being taught by qualified instructors at innovative hospital programs, at adult education centers, and for people in any state of health, qigong is unique among fitness programs as it can be performed
standing, walking, sitting, or lying down. Qigong exercises can even be performed by those confined to bed or a wheelchair.
In a comprehensive overview of applied physiology and qigong research, Dr. Jahnke cites a number of current studies in which the following physiological mechanisms are enhanced by regular qigong practice:

•Initiates the ‘relaxation response’ which decreases the sympathetic function of the autonomic nervous system ….This decreases heart rate and blood pressure, dilates the blood capillaries, and optimizes the delivery of oxygen to the tissues.
•Alters the neurochemistry profile (neurotransmitters, also called information molecules, bond with receptor sites on tissue, enzyme, immune, and other cells to excite or inhibit their function) moderating pain, depression, and addictive cravings, as well as optimizing immune capability.
•Enhances the efficiency of the immune system through increased rate and flow of the lymphatic fluid.
Improves resistance to disease and infection by accelerating the elimination of
metabolites (metabolic by-products) from the interstitial spaces in the tissues organs, and glands through the lymphatic system.Increases the efficiency of cell metabolism and tissue regeneration through increased circulation of oxygen and nutrient rich blood to the brain, organs, and tissues.
•Coordinates right/left brain hemisphere dominance promoting deepe sleep, reduced anxiety, and mental clarity.
•Induces alpha and, in some cases, theta brain waves which reduce heart rate and blood pressure, facilitating relaxation, mental focus, and even paranormal skills; this optimizes the body’s self-regulative mechanisms by decreasing the activity of the sympathetic nervous system.
•Moderates the function of the hypothalamus, pituitary, and pineal glands, as well as the cerebrospinal fluid system of the brain and spinal cord, which mediates pain and mood and potentiates immune function.Conditions Benefited from Qigong

Qigong has been shown to be effective in helping resolve digestive problems, asthma, arthritis, insomnia, pain, depression, and anxiety, as well as helping cancer, coronary heart disease, and cases of HIV/AIDS. According to Wong Chongxing, M.D., Director of Research a the Rel Jin Hospital in Shanghai, China, several thousand hypertensive patients experienced dramatic improvement after they had been instructed in basic qigong exercises. His studies suggest that daily qigong practice lowers blood pressure, pulse rates, metabolic rates, and oxygen demand. David Eisenberg, M.D., a clinical research fellow at Harvard Medical School, says these studies also indicate that qigong triggers the body’s relaxation response by reducing the level of dopamine, an enzyme that controls neurological activity.
Stephen Chang, M.D., a doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine, cites numerous scientific studies documenting the effects of qigong. In one study, 2, 873 terminal cancer patients practiced qigong for six months: 12 percent of the patients were
cured, while 47% showed significant improvement. In another study, qigong eye exercises significantly reduced farsightedness and nearsightedness in a group of Chinese school children. Sinus allergies, hemorrhoids, and prostrate problems have also been effectively treated.

Today in China, many hospital practitioners combine qigong with conventional medicine in order to treat cancer, bone marrow disease, and diseases of old age. At the Kuangan Men’s Hospital in Beijing, China, ninety-three cases of advanced malignant cancer were t4eated with a combination of drugs and qigong exercises, while a control group of thirty patients were treated by drugs alone. Eighty-one percent of the qigong group gained strength, 63 percent improved appetite, and 33 percent were free from diarrhea, compared to control group improvements of 10 percent, 10 percent, and 6 percent, respectively.

Qigong is often found to be more effective than chemotherapy, surgery, and even acupuncture for the prevention and treatment of disease. According to Liu Guo Long, M.D., Ph.D., of the Beijing College of Traditional Medicine, qi energy directed to the site of an injury ‘facilitates’ the signals to the brain stem.’ As a result of increased blood and lymph flow, and a greater supply of nutrients regenerating the cells, the area of injury can heal more effectively.

As Director of the Health action Clinic and Chairperson of the Qigong Department of the Santa Barbara College of Oriental Medicine, Dr. Jahnke draws from a broad experience with qigong. ‘In regular classes at Health Action, and at a regional hospital, we have seen constant testimonials of the health benefits of qigong. After only two weeks of practice, six people out of a group of thirty had specific improvement – (three cases experienced increased breath volume and relief of constricted breathing, one person found relief from constipation, one person improved sleep, and one had a lessening of headaches). Twenty-five of the thirty participants reported a heightened sense of well-being in this very brief period of practice. One of our patients had set an appointment for glaucoma surgery before joining the weekly qigong class. After six weeks in the class she went to the laboratory for preoperative testing. The results of the tests showed that the glaucoma problem had resolved itself and surgery was no longer necessary.’