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Chi Kung is a Chinese term applied to the many different forms of exercise that works with the chi (breath). Chi, in addition to an association with respiration, facilitates adaptation to our environment, supplies energy for our ongoing regeneration, and provides resistance to disease.

Kung means discipline, one who spends time practicing. Chi Kung can be interpreted to mean to practice breathing in order to increase chi pressure. With practice, this internal power can be felt flowing through and out of the body. The discipline required to build this internal power also favorably affects the mental abilities of all styles of Chi Kung practitioners.

With any form of Chi Kung, one is able to increase the flow of hormones produced by the endocrine glands. This builds up the immune system and increase available vital force. The organ exercises cause a flushing of toxins, waste materials, and sediment from the organs. They convert the fat stored in the layers or sheaths of connective tissue (fascia) into chi energy. This energy is then stored within the fascia and is available to protect the soft organs and support them in their healthy functioning. Chi Kung works with this same fascia from the inside out, to allow for free-flowing energy in the body.

Chi Kung type exercises provide active motion to enhance and strengthen the body as a whole rather than stressing a congested, weakened out-of-balance body. The meditative aspects of Chi Kung can increase circulation and the production of lymphocytes without affecting blood pressure the way running and aerobic exercise do. Three basic therapeutic principles support the effectiveness of Chi Kung.

• Restoring vitality: The depleted reserve of the body are replenished through the rest of the physical systems. Internal control quiets overexcited and fatigued parts of the brain. The environment within the central nervous system is then conducive to restoring vitality.
• Storing physical energy: Deep relaxation or sleep reduces oxygen consumption by around 305 and decreases the metabolic rate by about 20%. Attaining and retaining this state during a waking period stops energy loss, Facilitates energy storage, and assists in conditions of weakness or debilitation such as chronic fatigue syndrome.
• Massaging the organs in the abdominal cavity: The range os movement in the diaphragm is three to four times greater during abdominal breathing than it is during regular breathing. The abdominal organs are rhythmically massaged, thus stimulating the stomach and intestines, improving digestion and absorption, and reducing blood congestion in the lower abdomen. Improvement in these functions alleviates chronic constipation.

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DISCLAIMER: **This web site's goal is to provide you with information that may be useful in attaining optimal health. Nothing in it is meant as a prescription or as medical advice. You should check with your physician before implementing any changes in your exercise or lifestyle habits, especially if you have physical problems or are taking medications of any kind.