Qigong – is it Yoga?
One of the aspects of both yoga and qigong is to enhance your potential. If we always move in ways in which we are ‘comfortable’, certain parts of us remain static whilst other parts of us elasticate and ‘grow’, or at least remain more fluid. Perhaps that’s a bit like only oiling the engine on the car but not bothering to grease the bearings? If the engine works too well, it might be at the expense of the bearings which can’t take the strain. Enhancing your potential applies to both qigong and yoga.
Qigong falls into a couple of categories: Static & Mobile.
‘Educated tension’.
Is this a form of almost-relaxation or of almost-tension? It’s usually referred to as ‘educated force’, although I think that ‘educated relaxation’, or even ‘educated tension’ as above, would serve just as well. This isn’t something that you will come across in yoga.
‘Increasing your levels of Qi’. Factor 1
Factor 2
The Kidneys & ‘ancestral’ qi. One other point worth mentioning is Chinese medicine’s view of the functioning of the Kidneys. Apart from their standard physiological functioning, Chinese medicine see the kidneys as housing what they call your ‘Yuan qi’ (or ‘source qi’), which can be defined as the qi that you get from your ancestors. This is what a westerner would describe as your ‘constitutional strength’, i.e. your ability to fight illness, as well as your susceptibilities to illnesses passed down through the family line. Qigong aims to increase and repair your Yuan Qi, although it is openly admitted that to do this is very difficult, and is only possible in a limited way.
Does yoga aim to increase levels of Qi? In my limited experience – yoga does not aim to increase levels of qi, but 1978 is quite a long way away, and I was quite young at the time. The only other yoga classes I’ve attended since those days haven’t altered my opinion of this either, the classes often being filled by those with an unusually hyper-extensive ability (perhaps I chose the wrong class). The hyper-extensive practitioner is most definitely not aiming for qi-expansion! ________________________________________________________________________________________________ James Drewe teaches Taijiquan and qigong in both London and in Kent. Details of weekly classes can be found on the website, and there are classes for 2-person Taijiquan on one Saturday a month.
CONTACTS: http://www.taiji.co.uk http://www.qigonghealth.co.uk Email: taijiandqigong@gmail.com Phone: 07836-710281 or 020-8883 3308 _______________________________________________________________________________________________
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