GenInv – Health and Wellness

Many of the health problems that we face in the west may be attributed to lifestyle choices. We are far too often filling our days with work and leave little time for reflection, meditation, or generally slowing down. Many eastern philosophies have long valued the art of slowing down. Americans would be wise to take note of the health benefits both physical and mental that come from this art.

There are many different ways that one can effectively slow down in Eastern philosophy. Tai Chi is very

well known as a practice that emphasizes slow movements with the body as well as a meditative element. Slightly less known, but still very popular is the Chinese meditative practice called Qigong. This is an internal discipline that uses slow graceful movements (and sometimes breathing techniques) to promote the circulation of “qi” or “life force” in the human body. It is thought to enhance the practitioner’s overall health. Although it is often confused with Tai Chi or martial arts,

it is actually very popular. There are 200 million people that practice Qigong and it has over 10,000 different styles.

The art of Qigong offers many different benefits. The most popular reasons that practitioners begin practicing are to gain strength or improve health, to gain skill working with qi to become a healer, and to become more connected with “Tao” or God for a more meaningful connection with nature and the universe.

The root word “Qi” in Qigong means “air” in Chinese.