Chinese medicine and physical exercise
Lately, I’ve been considering any holes I can find in my Classical Chinese Medicine education here at NCNM. Amazingly, there aren’t many. It’s hard to put together a top notch program in any topic, much less one as complicated as Chinese medicine. One place I have found myself without much to go on is in understanding the role of physical exercise in health according to this medicine. I’ve learned things here and there, both in class and in my own study, but the information is confusing and definitely conflicts with my own experience in places. In this article, I’d like to briefly discuss what I feel I have learned and the problems I’ve found therein. I hope that you will add your input in the comments. Some of what I write below will be in explicit TCM terms, as most of the docs I’ve talked to about this subject know that system best.
What I’ve learned about physical exercise since starting school in Chinese Medicine:
- In general, vigorous exercise is not recommended. This is particularly the case when the exercise is productive of lots of sweat. The thought is that the discharge of so much sweat inevitably damages Heart Yang, given that Heart Yang is used to expel sweat from the pores. Instead, gentler forms such as Qigong, Taiji and sometimes Yoga are recommended. These are said to build the body from the inside in a way that does not damage any vital substance of the body.
- Many of our doctors mention of how overwork can be very bad for the muscles and tendons and deplete both the Blood and the Qi. This is often mentioned mostly with relation to labor, but also non-working exercise. We are frequently asked to consider the lot of laboring people worldwide. They are often physically strong, but become ill easily and have shortened life.
- Much of the negative information we get about exercise concerns specific habits. For instance, showering or soaking in water directly after being very sweaty (with open pores). It is said that this (common) practice pulls dampness into the body and creates conditions of damp and hot damp in the middle jiao. Lifting very heavy weights over long periods of time are widely regarded (by most medicine) to be difficult for the joints, tendons and even bones. Another commonly mentioned problem is the tendency for many weight lifters to be building a sort of “muscle shell” that only conceals a hollow interior. Their muscles are very strong, very impressive, but the person is ultimately weak on a number of levels.
- There are often discussions about the importance of protecting the Heart. We often hear worry about making the Heart work so hard and wasting its precious Qi and Yang. Sometimes we will discuss various spiritual theories about the length of a person’s life being determined by a pre-determined number of heartbeats or breaths. I don’t think this information is regarded very seriously, we simply discuss it as something intriguing to consider.
I can understand much of this. For instance, it is certainly important that we don’t overwork ourselves. I see many people exercising in the name of health who seem to be making gains (losing weight, gaining muscle) but possibly at the expense of their longevity because of heavy wear on the joints and Heart. Further, the practice of being hot and sweaty and immediately going into the sauna or hot shower has always made me cringe a little.
On the other hand, we need to be mindful of the current state of most Americans. Another thing that we hear railed about at school is the danger of being overweight - leading a sedentary lifestyle. So, while exercising too much is certainly a bad thing and we can advise our patients to avoid it, we do need to help our overweight and out of shape patients! It seems that most Chinese medicine doctors would have us just eat a moderate diet, sleep well and do gentle movement in order to stay healthy. This sounds fantastic, but it doesn’t seem to work for everyone. It also makes one wonder what to do with a person who comes in already suffering from an overweight condition. Often overweight conditions are helped with dampness draining formulas and SP rectification, but again, this doesn’t seem to work for everyone. Some of the work seems to need to come from the person themselves.
Anciently, of course, most people were doing hard labor. In many of the Qigong forms we use, we visualize doing various kinds of labor (grinding the millstone, for instance). So, there is obviously some kind of recognition of the physical benefit of hard work. But, again, as explained above - it’s clear to anyone that too much hard physical labor is not great for a person.
I’m interested in this topic for two reasons. First, I expect to have plenty of fitness-challenged patients walking through my door in just over a year’s time. I want to know how to talk to them in a way that makes sense, will help them understand a course of action and yet also be rooted in Classical Chinese Medical principles. Second, as part of my revised Year of Sagely Living goal, I plan to engage in a program of focused physical exercise to help achieve a more optimal physique. Why do this? Well, by anyone’s measure I do need it and also I find that the process (exercise, focusing on what’s going on with my body) is very pleasurable and gives me lots of energy in a way that doesn’t feel at all jittery or strange.
I’m interested to hear others’ thoughts and experiences with this topic. What have you learned? What have you rejected? Please comment!
Note: For the record, my current plan is to balance my physical cultivation through a combination of walking/bike-riding, weight lifting, gardening, Qigong and yoga. I am also doing some work with diet, but mostly just watching portion sizes and eating until I am about 3/4 full. This seems to work the best for me. I’ll probably track my progress on the YSL page, if you’re interested. I will be watching, particularly, my experience of some of this information listed above and monitoring my energy levels very carefully.
Eric
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Tags: exercise, human physiology, Year of Sagely LivingRelated posts
8 Reasons you should do Qigong even if you don’t want to
I just got back from a QiGong retreat this weekend. As part of our program at NCNM, we learn Qigong within a specific lineage that we are privileged to access via one of our program founders, Heiner Fruehauf. It’s an amazing addition to our education. We take a practicum each term where once a week we learn from a teacher and are encouraged to have our own practice outside of class. We learn many forms as well as therapeutic applications of various movements that we can teach our patients. But the crown jewel of the Qigong portion of our education is the Qigong retreats. Once a term (so about every 3.5 months) we go to a beautiful natural area for three days with our teacher and our classmates and do Qigong for many hours a day. I’ll go into the retreats in another entry, but this time I’d like to talk about something else. Before you read, you might want to check out my recent entry discussing the nature and practice of Qigong.
The prevailing problem that I have, and I’m sure I’m not alone, is maintaining a regular practice outside of class and retreats. Our program is a challenging one and I have a lot of extra-curricular activity that, along with my family and personal commitments, pushes me to the limits of tolerance. So sometimes doing Qigong can seem like an impossible “extra” that is simply unnecessary. After all, noone is grading me on whether I do Qigong every day! So I thought I would offer my list of reasons why it is important to maintain a rock solid Qigong practice even in the face of intolerable schedule chaos. Many of these reasons will pertain to people who do some other practice, or people who aren’t in the field of Chinese medicine.
1. Personal cultivation is the foundation of authentic Chinese medicine practice.
In numerous Classical sources, personal cultivation is seen as the ground from which great practitioners are grown. We have been told by many professors how important it is to cultivate our own energy to a high level in service of increasing our sensitivity and proclivity as acupuncturists. Even in herbalism, a calm and refined mind will serve us well. Of course, Qigong isn’t the only practice that can help us in this regard - but given that it has both moving and still forms, uses visualization and internal silence for meditation and keeps the channels open and flowing it seems a particularly ideal practice.
2. Qigong helps keep your body healthy.
The forms that I learn combine stretching, isometric work, deep breathing, core strengthening and some cardiovascular elements. All of these elements are balanced quite well and while some forms may leave you quite breathless, you never feel pummeled or exhausted like you might with some more popular forms of exercise. Combine this with the fact that most forms focus on the opening of channels and removal of stagnation from problem areas and you have a program for total physical wellness. Definitely a good thing for Chinese medicine students that are forced to be sedentary much of the time.
3. You can use some forms of Qigong to study, if necessary.
Again for Chinese medicine students, and perhaps for other students, you can use Qigong as an addition to your study techniques. I have already discussed how you can use Qigong to help you study acupuncture points and channels. However, you can use Qigong - especially any repetitive portions of a form - as a way to more deeply integrate knowledge about the human body. If you are studying muscles, for instance, you can focus on each muscle you are using in a particular form as you are using them and try to remember the origin, insertion and action. If you can think of any novel uses of Qigong in studying, please do let us know in the comments.
4. Qigong is an effective stress reducer.
Perhaps a bit redundant, but it’s important to note that I have found Qigong to be a very effective reducer of overwhelming stress. When my practice is regular and fully engaged, I don’t notice little things and I certainly don’t worry about them. I don’t get headaches, I don’t crave so much sugar and caffeine and I think my academic performance improves. You may not notice ALL of these benefits, but I would be surprised if you didn’t experience some of them. This effect may come from the opening and coursing of the channels, it may come from the spiritual benefits of diving deep inside or it may simply be a by-product of taking some time for myself.
5. The more you repeat a form the better able you will be to teach others that form.
One of the goals in learning Qigong in our program is gaining the ability to teach forms and parts of forms to others. Why would we do this? Well, as practitioners we might teach the forms to our patients or to a class in order to help them gain all the benefits I am discussing. We might also teach specific techniques to patients experiencing particular symptoms - such as high blood pressure or headaches. I have heard students discuss offering free Qigong classes in the morning at their clinic as a way to extend or intensify acupuncture and herbal treatment. Many people find that when they practice Qigong in addition to getting regular treatment from a practitioner, they get better faster and the effects are longer lasting. Practicing the forms often will help you to give these benefits to your patients in the future.
6. It’s a great way to wake your body up and ready yourself for the day.
I like to do simple forms in the morning as an alternative to coffee. Some of you coffee-heads are laughing right now, I know, because I used to be one! You may think you can’t live without your coffee, but I bet you can. Just for one week, try doing a 30 minute Qigong session BEFORE your coffee and instead of going directly to brew up a pot just go inside and see if you really need it. I bet 9 times out of 10 you will find that you can forgo the cup of joe. While I don’t demonize coffee consumption like some people do, I think it’s a mistake to allow your body to become dependent on too many substances. We’re already dependent on carbohydrates, protein, minerals, vitamins, water and oxygen - why add yet ANOTHER thing you can’t live without?
7. Failing that, it’s an excellent way to let go of the day and ready yourself for sleep.
Sometimes I don’t manage to get up early enough to do a morning form. Sometimes I can’t find time for it through the day. If this happens, I always always find time to do a simple and non-energizing form in the evening. For my friends on the Qigong retreat this weekend - I think you know what form I’m talking about. *wink wink* Seriously, though, doing one of the sitting forms or simply standing in Universe stance after some brief movement can really help me settle down from the day. If I’m feeling particularly energized, sometimes I do a walking form around the yard and imagine all my cares and thoughts going out of my feet and into the ground. Nearly always this helps me go to sleep and stay asleep.
8. It’s a multi-purpose way to attend to your spiritual health.
Although I try not to find my spirituality in my medicine, Qigong is a great bridge between the two. It can be part of the medical system, is based on the same principles and definitely helps you cultivate your inner awareness of spiritual dimensions of reality. As I’ve said before, it can be a method of meditation and also can be seen as a form of prayer. Sometimes I will do a physically intense form and follow that with a deep meditation session. Because my channels are open and my energy harmonious, I can sit for longer periods and find myself to be much less distracted.
Do you do Qigong? Do you have a regular practice? Tell us how you manage to keep to it in the comments.
Eric
Tags: Acupuncture, Classical Texts (general), classical-chinese-medicine, deep-breathing, education, habits, Learning, meditation, Personal Development, QiGong, spiritualityRelated posts
What is Qigong?
It occurred to me today that although I have made frequent mention of Qigong in articles, I’ve never really discussed the nature of this important pillar of Chinese medicine practice. I guess it’s one of those situations where you don’t know what others don’t know and so fail to explain things! Qigong has become such a normal part of my life that I forget that many people don’t know about it!
I am in no position to provide an even incomplete history of Qigong, nor am I knowledgeable enough to provide a complete description! The best I can do is offer a brief explanation and my observations - I hope it is useful. I’d be happy to hear about your experiences with Qigong in the comments.
Basic Explanation through Chinese character etymology
Many people start their explanations of Qigong with a comparison to Taiji (also known as Tai Chi). While this comparison is certainly useful, I’d rather start with a little etymology. Qi Gong : 氣功 is made up of two important characters. The first, Qi 氣 is ubiquitous in Chinese medicine texts, but has a wide variety of interpretations that have sometimes been the subject of controversy. Most dictionaries list Qi as having the following set of meanings: air, vapor, energy, vital energy and spirit. The character is composed of two portions, the uppermost 气 a picture of steam rising or simply air moving. The bottom portion of the character, 米 is a picture of rice. So many interpretations suggest that the first understanding of Qi developed from this idea of vapor rising from something cooking. What does this mean? For me it evokes the multiple meanings of Qi. Qi is nourishment, but it also has ethereal qualities - it is vaporous, but not simply air, but air with something IN IT. Palpable air. It is moving and warm. It is in an “in between” state between fully material and fully etheric.
Gong, the other half of the term Qi Gong, is a very simple character but is likewise full of meaning. It is composed of two portions, the leftmost being 工 which is often simply translated as work or labor. Some sources suggest that it is a picture of a tool used to flatten earth. The right portion of the character 力 is usually translated as strength and is a picture of an arm doing something that uses muscle. So Gong as a total character refers to work that involves strength, or work that creates strength. Put together, Qi Gong simply means work using and/or creating strength that involves the Qi. You could think of this as work with Qi, so to manipulate and strengthen the Qi but there are certainly other interpretations possible.
How Qigong is practiced
Just as with other martial arts, Qigong has many many schools. I don’t know the exact number, but one of our professors suggested that there are many thousands of schools of Qigong in China. Some of these may be practiced only by one family, passed along from generation to generation. Others are published in books and DVDs! Originally, as with most martial arts, Qigong knowledge was passed from Master to Student and often involved an element of secrecy. Qigong has been and can be used for a variety of purposes from increasing longevity to dispelling particular elements of disease to simply exercising the body for general health purposes. As with many martial arts, the packaging and distribution for mass consumption almost always removes many elements that make it most effective.
For this reason, if you are interested in Qigong, I suggest you search carefully and find a Master who you can study with in person. Find out from the teacher or other students the nature of the Master’s background and their connection to the lineage they are teaching. Qigong practitioners can vary widely in personality and temperament, but you should feel comfortable with the instructor and the form they are teaching.
There are forms of Qigong that are quite strongly moving and will give you a workout. On the other hand, there are sitting forms of Qigong that focus on internal movement and meditation. The lineage that I am privileged to learn has the full range of sitting, standing and moving forms. Qigong seems to almost always involve the intentional opening and moving of Qi in the acupuncture channels. This may involve stretching, striking of the channels with the hand, shaking or even simply internal focus on the movement of energy through the channels. Qigong is also often a very balanced activity. If you do quite strong motions they will often be followed by something quieter. If you do a lot of activity with the upper body it will often be followed by a lower body focus. You get the idea…
My experience with Qigong has been wonderful. I have done quite a bit of Yoga and Taiji in my life, but didn’t do Qigong until I came to NCNM. While I still enjoy both Yoga and Taiji, nothing has been as wholly positive as Qigong. I find it really helps to keep my energy flowing, boosts my productivity and serves as a convenient vehicle for me to do my daily meditation. I am quite fortunate to have access to the very special form I have access to - but I know that others have had great success with other more widely available forms. I hope this brief introduction will encourage you to seek out a Qigong practitioner in your area. If you have any questions, suggestions or personal stories please do contribute to the conversation in the comments - no registration is necessary.
Edit: If you cannot find a Qigong class near you that you are interested in - you can consider learning from DVD. It’s not ideal, clearly, but I do know of one great product: Master Wu’s 5 Elements Qigong DVD. This incredible man is a true master and used to teach at NCNM. Check it out.
Eric
Tags: Acupuncture, Character, chinese-medicine, classical-chinese-medicine, deep-breathing, erics-habits, etymology, Personal Development, QiGong, stress, studentsRelated posts
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