My reflection on QIGONG - SWEAT IN SLOW MOTION

JOM … I am ready,  QIGONG time!

        Qigong is like watching exercise in slow motion. Sometimes, NO MOTION at all. Are they moving? Are they even breathing? I can’t even see a muscle twitch!! No wonder there’s no action when their eyes are closed all the time. I have watched mainly the “mature generation” practise qigong in the mornings in the parks and badminton courts, and Ewww …this is definitely NOT for Sassy JAM.

6 am, breaking dawn,

       How wrong have I been! I now take back every unkind word said about qigong. When practised diligently, qigong is NOT for the undisciplined. It can build up a sweat equivalent to doing burpees. It can make you feel the burn in your arms and legs. It can increase your heart rate like any aerobic exercises. And ALL this while standing in one position or at the most moving 1 foot in length to the left or right. 

the birds are still asleep,

        WHAT IS QIGONG? Qigong in literal translation from mandarin means energy work. It appears as a graceful exercise with repeated movements and NO jarring moves. BUT, QIGONG IS NOT JUST AN EXERCISE. Followers believe in the concept of qi, an energy force that can be harnessed externally, stored and nurtured in our bodies for good health. 

Sassy JAM is already practising qigong with Typhoon Thory before sunrise. 

This is NOT my qigong uniform, I am still in my pyjamas.

         All qigong methods AIM to increase our biological/body qi to strengthen our minds. As we upgrade ourselves and build good internal references, we directly increase our self-awareness and become more conscious towards becoming a complete person. 

 

My dedicated teachers, The Liews, teaching us qigong via zoom video communication during the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) period. The little blue bird on the right is me, confirming that I am attending class!!

        This is what the qigong “lao shi” (teachers) say. One need not take their words as gospel truth. Practice qigong diligently and experience the benefits yourself. Qigong cannot be forced upon a person, it is not like going to the gym or carrying weights which promises physical results. Do not expect a six-pack with qigong, or bulging biceps to attract the gals. Qigong is NOT A WORKOUT, it is a body-mind practice. It unlocks barriers in our meridians to allow the flow of qi and sets the body into a regeneration mode. For the uninitiated, this is hard to understand and may sound like pure hogwash. Qigong is not for everyone, but  “when the student is ready, the teacher will appear. ” 

       

 "Hey Belle, looks like our Sassy JAM cannot do the moving table top," says Thory

My own experience with qigong has so far been a three-year journey. I was always searching for the elusive “qi.” Some say it is like an electric current flowing from finger tips into their bodies, some feel their hands and finger tips warm and swollen red, while others talk of a “qi ball” rotating and floating between their palms. I am a scientist and having attended many, many boring Physiology lectures during undergraduate studies, I can probably analyse a few of these as being due to increased blood flow. 

    'Jom ... Belle, help me push her up.' Belle says, "sorry I am already tired."

        DO NOT LOOK FOR QI. The continuous search for qi as a physical feeling/force or trying to visualise it as light or colours can suppress other capabilities. This can lead to BIAS thinking as one then envisage qi as an energy that MUST be felt or seen. I did not realise that with qigong practice over the three years, I had already acquired “qi” in the form of enhanced sensitivity and increased perception in my daily life.  

        Just recently, Savvy K exclaimed to me, "Mummy, are you a witch or what? How did you know it would happen?" I feel that with qigong, my mind has become more peaceful (less of a monkey mind). In this improved state of calmness, I have become more receptive to messages and vibrations (insight/sounds?). I have become more discerning. This is my reflection on qigong. My experience can be supported or refuted. I accept both graciously, as the benefits of qigong differ with each individual.

        Our Zhiren Qigong group took the challenge to visit the Top of the World in 2019, shown here at Namtso Lake, Tibet. Also known as Heavenly Lake, it  is the highest salt water lake in the world at 4,718 metres (15,479 feet). Average age of group members on this trip - 60 years; oldest -  a sprightly 80 year-old (3rd from right, back row). 

Family that works out together, stays together. 
I have taught Thory to arch his back yoga-style.

This is one of the exercises from the Five Tibetan Rites, a 2,500 year-old yoga practice to strengthen the body.

QIGONG IS A PERSONAL JOURNEY

EACH WILL AWAKEN AND EXPERIENCE QI IN HIS/HER OWN WAY