This article by Randa Sultan was originally published in Golden This Week in May 2016.
What if I told you that you could learn a simple, yet powerful, practice of gentle moving meditation that you could do to heal yourself of any ailment? Well, its true. It takes some time and dedication, but the practice of Qigong is one of the most powerful self-healing practices ever developed.
What is Qigong?
First of all, let’s break down the Chinese word itself. “Qigong” (pronounced “chee gung”) is made up of two words “Qi” and “gong”. Qi means vitality or life force energy. Gong means accomplishment or skill cultivated through practice. So when you put the two together, Qigong means ‘cultivating energy’. It is the practice of moving energy through the body to promote health, healing and increase vitality.
Qigong was initially developed over 5,000 years ago in China, and is the origin of Tai Chi. The practice of Tai Chi is based more on martial arts, whereas Qigong is based on healing. There are thousands of different styles of Qigong and millions of people all over the world practice Qigong daily. They practice it for these simple reasons: they want to feel good and live a balanced and healthy life.
Qigong is a highly effective health care practice, and is becoming more widely known in the western world as an important form of alternative complementary medicine.
Qigong is one of the cornerstones of traditional Chinese medicine. It is based on the same principals of acupuncture, but you can do it yourself! The idea behind it is to balance the energy in the body. When energy in the body is out of balance, that is when we get ill.
Qigong involves breathing techniques, visualization, gentle body movements and sound.
In essence, it is a moving meditation practice, focused on moving and balancing the Qi in the body. The movements are gentle, and the wonderful thing about it is that they can be easily adapted to anyone, no matter physical ability or age. While some Qigong styles and movements can be complex and difficult to learn, I have found the style of Spring Forest Qigong to be very simple to learn and yet very powerful.
Spring Forest Qigong is a powerful and easy to learn practice that works on healing the whole body.
A friend of mine introduced me to Spring Forest Qigong two years ago in Calgary after I had suffered a severe concussion. I was, at that time, spending my time in dark and quiet rooms, and unable to leave the house without severe symptoms. I tried all sorts of medical intervention to try to heal, but progress was excruciatingly slow. Through the practice of Qigong and meditation, I saw significant accelerated recovery from the brain injury. Amazing! Even the medical specialists and practitioners who were skeptical of me practicing Qigong have come back to report that they are amazed with the success I have had in healing myself, when their methodologies were not working.
I have continued my practice and training with Spring Forest Qigong, because it works! It works to heal and prevent health issues from developing in the first place: anxiety, pain, digestive issues, depression, reproductive issues, sleep, chronic conditions, illness, disease… you name it. I have also been trained to use Qigong methods to target specific health issues in treating others and have seen incredible results.
So, how does one get started?
You may choose any type of practice that works for you. There are self study books and videos available, or you may join a class to learn. In Golden, I lead Qigong classes every Monday from 6-7pm, based on the Spring Forest Qigong style (at Golden Lotus Yoga Studio, 802 Park Drive, 2 nd floor above Element Therapeutics). I also provide one-on- one sessions to teach you the basics, get a more in-depth practice, or develop an at-home practice that works for you.
Medical Qigong Treatments
In addition to the Qigong practice, trained Qigong practitioners and healers can help to balance energy in others and guide them along their healing path. This form of medical Qigong can be very powerful in removing the underlying causes of the health issues and promote healing. Contact me for a Qigong assessment and treatment session to get you started on your healing path!
For the month of May, come to a Qigong class and receive a $10 discount on any one-on-one qigong or energy healing service booked with Randa - OR with any one-one-one service booked with Randa, receive a coupon for a free Qigong class. Book through www.nourishclinic.ca or contact Randa through www.sacredprana.com.