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Qigong for Inner Calm Start
your day with Qigong exercises for inner calm and peace, When the pressures of life has taken its toll on you, and your body and mind aren't functioning the way they are supposed to, and you've tried everything that you think should work for you but didn't, what will be your next course of action? Shall we suggest you take up the ancient art of Qigong? But before going further, let us explain the difference between physical tiredness and mental tiredness. Imagine how exhausted you feel after studying for hours or working on a difficult project at work, or even emotionally drained when you're angry, sad or depressed. It takes days to recover the energy spent on these mental endeavors. But compare these with physical activities like jogging, walking or even gardening. We may feel tired initially after the event, perhaps suffer a sore muscle or two, but our energy levels are usually well replaced the following day. Why is this? This is because our brain, which only takes up about 3% of the overall body mass, consumes almost 36% of our oxygen intake. Hence, the brain utilizes more energy than the body. That's not all. Great sages have told us time and again that the mind is more difficult to train than the body. All forms of meditation and mental exercises, including Qigong have been designed to help us calm the mind, enabling us to feel peaceful and relaxed. A relaxed and calm person is more likely to deal with life's everyday situations more effectively than a person who is not in control of his/her emotions. Hence, in order to enjoy good health, and to deal with life more positively, it is vital for us to learn to calm the mind. And Qigong is an excellent exercise in this respect. New Qigong students will find an immediate change in the mental and physical make-up once they start the Qigong practice. Occasionally, some students may even feel dizzy or nauseous. This may indicate that one's qi (chi) or vital body energy is too low or high, due to mental and physical tension. This causes the muscles and internal organs to become tight, which in turn restricts the circulation of qi and blood. Once they learn to relax, in due time, they will find the circulation of their qi returning to normal. Some students may find the exercises challenging due to their restless mind. In fact, the challenge may be felt by the mind and not by the body, which does not present much resistance. Once we learn to accept the flow of qi in a relaxed manner, resistance will become less. A
restless mind has been a perennial problem, even for sages.
A number of different methods of training the mind have evolved.
Visualization, counting, focusing on the body, or observing
the breath are some of them. In Qigong, we practice focusing
on one part of the body to stop the mind from 'jumping' around.
By doing this, awareness is brought to one point to 'stop' the
mind from thinking on many things. This gradually helps the
mind to become less busy and more relaxed. In time, this
practice will help the mind to go deeper and deeper into a state
of peace and tranquility, which will positively affect us,
both mentally and physically, which we in turn affect the world. Article contributed by Thiaga, a devoted Qigong practitioner.
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