Global Therapeutic Recreation II
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Section 22 of 23
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CHINESE QIGONG AS A THERAPEUTIC MODALITY
Annette Logan, Ed.D., CTRS, CLP
Coordinator of Recreation and Leisure Administration
York College
York, Pennsylvania
This paper is meant only as a preliminary exploration of the possibilities of using the
Chinese arts of Qigong and Taiji-chuan in therapeutic recreation. It is hoped that further
exploration might be done into its use and efficacy for therapeutic recreation.
Exploration and experiments are being done into its use as a healing technique, both
in China and the United States. China as referred to in this paper is the People's Republic of
China, formerly referred to in the United States as mainland China.
Qigong is an ancient martial art as well as an ancient healing technique. The work 'qi'
has several meanings which revolve around air, the atmosphere, fresh air, deep breath, or
energy. Its healing uses give it the definition of the breath of life and vital energy. The word
Gong means meritorious deeds, achievement, or merit. It also means the type of skill as
exhibited by dancers or gymnasts (Oxford Concise English-Chinese Dictionary, 1980).
David Eisenberg, M.D., an internist and clinical research fellow at Harvard Medical
School, has studied Qigong in China. He writes that: "Qigong techniques epitomize the
Chinese claim that the human psyche can influence susceptibility to disease and the natural
course of illness. In the West we are beginning to investigate the relation between life stress
and immunology, ...Western medicine has begun to ask whether and how meditation,
biofeed-back, the relaxation response, and faith alter human physiology" (1984, pp. 234-5).
Richard Kraus states that "...in ancient China varied forms of medical gymnastics and
massage were used as far back as 3000 B.C. These included free exercises that were
combined with breathing, sitting, kneeling, lying and standing positions. They were based on
the view that bodily inactivity led to disease and were intended to prolong human life" (1978,
p. 16).
Elliott Avedon also inadvertently referred to Qigong. "Another famous method of Hua
T'o (ca. 190 A.D.) [a great surgeon] was...'The Sport of Five Animals,': The human body
needs work, but it must not work to its utmost capacity. When it is in motion, the food is
digested, and the blood circulates through the arteries in all directions, so that no disease
can appear. Hence, it is that the immortals of ancient days, while performing the inhalation
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process, and passing their time as dormant bears, looking around about like owls, twitched
and stretched their loins and limbs, and moved their navel gates and their joints in order to
hinder the advance of age. I have an art called the sport of five animals, namely, the tiger,
the stag, the bear, the monkey, and the bird, by which illness can be cured, and which is
good for the movements of the feet, when they accompany the process of inhalation. Whenever you feel unwell, stand up and imitate the movements of one of these animals..." (1974,
pp. 7-8) (Hume, pp. 171-72).
As a martial art, it is the forerunner of karate, kung fu and tae kwan do. These are all
spinoffs of Qigong. Qigong masters seem to be able to direct their internal energy to the
outside and can bend iron bars, chop wood with their hands, and drill through stones with
their fingers. In one demonstration a young man is seen to set up a tall, narrow stick and
break it with the side of his hand in a way that is similar to karate. Another uses his finger to
drill through a four inch block of stone. He works away at it until the hole goes all the way
through. There are some other demonstrations which also exemplify the passing of qi from
one person to another or to a solid object. The author has seen Qigong masters bend iron
spears by placing the pointed end on their throat and pushing on the bar until it bends.
A popular Chinese movie of a heroic and violent mien shows another Qigong
technique called Zhuang. The word means "wooden post." The technique, called making
zhuang, means to stabilize one's legs-like posts and become unmovable. The Qigong
masters in the movie, which features them against an evil emperor who uses a Japanese
martial arts master as his weapon, make Zhuang and become unmovable. The term also
refers to the fights on top of a field of 10' high wooden posts. Missing one's footing causes a
nasty fall on to upturned swords placed in the ground.
Qigong is achieved by focusing one's energies (air) through one's body and concentrating the energy to achieve feats of skill. It is a concentration from the head down,
through the entire system, and out the fingers and/or toes, or from around the navel. This is,
of course, the same premise as is used for relaxation techniques, self-hypnosis, and
visualization techniques. These are all closely related and it would be quite difficult to sort out
which is which and how they differ. This paper will not attempt to do that. However, since
Qigong is much older than these, it might be sage to hypothesize that these are offshoots.
Qigong is part of traditional Chinese medicine which also includes acupuncture, herbal
treatments, and healing rituals. As a healing technique, Qigong causes a great deal of
controversy. Whether it actually works or not is open to debate. There is a considerable
amount of research being conducted in China to see whether it does work and can stand up
under modern Western scientific experiments. Hospitals, schools and universities are
researching Qigong. There are any number of experiments reported in the literature.
Eisenberg reports on several experiments that he witnessed. One experiment which has
been done is to put cancer cells in a petri dish, then have a Qigong master give off qi energy
to kill cells. The cells that are exposed to qi do indeed die. Leukemia cells in mice have also
been killed with qi.
There is, of course, the possibility that it merely has a placebo effect, even though
cancer cells would hardly be affected by this. There is ample evidence in the literature that
belief in a system or a medication, or treatment will actually make it work better. This could
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be the case with Qigong. However, it must be kept in mind that a placebo that cures is every
bit as effective as any other technique and should not be ignored.
Chinese medicine relies on keeping one's life and one's qi in balance. The qi needs to
be kept flowing. Illness is caused by becoming unbalanced, by blockages in the flow of qi.
There is no separation between people and the environment or between mind and body.
Balance and harmony are the goals.
There are five schools of Qigong: Taoist, Buddhist, Confucian, Medical and Boxing.
The Taoists give equal importance to Qigong and contemplating nature; Buddhists
'tempering the mind', with no thoughtto the body. Confucianists cultivate the mind and aim for
a state of rest and quiet. The Medical school emphasizes prevention and treatment of
diseases and the Boxing school uses it for protection and self defense. There are three basic
methods: dynamic, quiescent, and a combination of the two. The emphasis is on training the
mind, the body, and respiration (Zhuang, 1988, p. 6,7).
Traditional Chinese healing techniques such as herbal medicines and acupuncture,
are efforts to restore the distribution of qi. Acupuncture relies on meridians which connect
parts of the body to each other. In order to practice Meridian Qigong, a person must learn the
routes of the various meridians and then learn the exercises to move the qi along these
routes.
There is, of course, a considerable amount of anecdotal evidence and tradition going
back thousands of years behind Chinese medicine. Western medicine is paying more
attention to Chinese techniques and both eastern and western scientists are trying to
replicate experiments by scientific methods.
It is also claimed that qi can cause biological reactions to promote healing of strained
muscles, broken bones, and illnesses.
Eisenberg also states that "There are phenomena in every culture that suggests there
may be the ability of humans to sense and/or manipulate their own biological fields..." (1984,
p. 211). There is evidence that phenomena such as radar, infrared, magnetism, and
subsonic sound waves have an effect on people as well as animals.
Beijing College of Traditional Medicine, Qigong Institute: Qigong masters can project
their qi like a beam of light to manipulate matter and cure illness as the natural luminescence
of masters is higher than other peoples. Qi healing techniques include sending qi from one
person to another (hard or external qi) and using one's own qi (soft or internal).
The mental exercises consist of concentrating on one object to achieve a relaxed
state. The respiration exercises consist of inhaling, exhaling, and holding the breath, and the
body exercises relate to various body positions, sitting, walking, standing, etc.
According to the theories the energy is moved through the body channels (jing) and
collaterals (luo). These are not blood vessels or nerves but rather routes for the energy to
traverse. They connect the various parts of the body and the inner organs to the limbs. Yin
channels connect some parts and yand channels connect others. Qi flows through the body
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in invisible channels, like veins. Illness is a result of blockages in its flow, and, therefore, the
movement of qi is for the purpose of cleaning out these blockages.
The various channels and their routes through the body also provide the basis of
acupuncture treatments. Since the theory of Qigong is that blockage of any of these channels
causes illness. The exercises provide the qi (energy) to unblock the passages and to keep
them open. This certainly is not too different from the theory that we subscribe to of
preventing arterial blockage by exercise.
One of the differences is that the Western theories of preventing arterial blockage by
exercise relies on very vigorous physical exercising to raise one's pulse rate. The exercises
are also usually done to music, TV, or a Walkman. Qigong exercises rely on slow, purposeful
movement with a great deal of mental involvement. One should concentrate on single
thoughts of pushing air and energy through one's body. The exercises should be done in a
purposeful manner but should not be fatiguing. There should be no self-consciousness or
other consciousness. They require no equipment but do need a commitment. To achieve
results it will probably take 20 to 30 minutes a day for three to six months.
Another part of Qigong is Taijiquan (or tai chi). These exercises are extremely popular
in China and it has been estimated that 50 million people do these exercises every morning.
Ideally they should be done outside in a grove of trees. Early in the morning or late in the
afternoon are better times because it is quieter and one is able to concentrate more.
Taijichaun exercises will be emphasized in this paper because they are the ones
which are primarily used in China to prevent and treat illness. They are easier to understand
and to do.
To really become involved with taijiquan or Qigong, one should line the body up in the
proper compass direction to achieve the desired results. The usual direction is to face north
or south, but this is not a maxim.
Some exercises use the movements of animals, "whenever you feel unwell, imitate
the movements of one of these animals..." One of the secrets of doing many of the exercises
is to realize that a major movement is the 'hold ball' position, that is, to pretend that one has
a large playground ball that is being moved around, slowly, gracefully, and with concentration
on the movement.
Some proposed exercises are taken from China Sports Editorial Board, Simplified
"Taijiquan". There are a few things to keep in mind. "One is that the body is naturally
extended and relaxed ...lissomeness. ...keep trunks straight, move them with ease and
lightness, and hold them steady throughout. ...stride...as quietly as a cat walks, ...the exertion
is so mild that it looks like reeling off raw silk from a cocoon...like clouds floating in the sky,
..spry and light, but well balanced and steady...even and fluid, the muscles neither stiff nor
rigid. Breathing should be deep and even, and well coordinated with...movements [not] loose
and lifeless ...it is vital to combine vigor and gentleness..
"The mind is tranquil but alert... movements be guided by consciousness... stillness in
movement...unity...combination of training one's physique, one's will, and one's breathing.
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"The hands, eyes, body and limbs perform as a whole, with the legs as a base and the
waist as the axis. ..movements are gentle and slow, each part...is in constant motion.
Performers should never act like a puppet; they must never focus their attention only on [one
part while neglecting another]. The chief characteristic feature...is that movement is initiated
from a half squatting position throughout the exercise" (1988, pp. 4,5).
To start the exercises one should use the Commencing/Quiescent Form. The body
should be adjusted as follows, in this order:
feet flat, knees slightly bent, pelvic area relaxed, stomach gently pulled in, waist relaxed,
chest tucked in, back stretched, shoulders relaxed, elbows dropped, wrists relaxed, head
held up as though suspended from above, eyes and mouth closed, and tongue touching the
roof of the mouth (Zhang, 1988, p 33).
None of these positions should be forced. They should result in a comfortable, semi
crouching position. There are many exercises given with names such as Parting Wild Horse's
Mane on Both Sides or Needle at Sea Bottom. However, exercises can be invented, keeping
the above principles in mind, by moving the imagined playground ball around, from side to
side, and high to low. Another typical exercise would be to imagine oneself in a beautiful
garden (or, better, be in one for the exercises), walking slowly through the garden, turning
one's head from side to side, smelling the flowers, and smiling from enjoyment.
Exercises should be closed by returning to the opening position and moving one's
hands from a chest high position, sweeping them across the abdomen with palms outward, to
one's side. Then turning the palms inward and bringing them together in front of the
abdomen. This should be repeated three times. One should inhale as the hands come
together and exhale as they go apart.
One of the dangers to be aware of is that some people get carried away with the
exercises and cannot control themselves. They do what is called "he xiang" which means fly
like a crane. That is, they flap their arms and make flying movements. However, it would
seem that a gradual introduction of some of the less complicated exercises should be safe
enough. Westerners doing these exercises on westerners would not have the same cultural
impact because they would not be as familiar with the concept.
It should also be noted that the principle of the exercises can be applied to almost
anyone. People who have disabilities which prevent them from standing or even getting out
of bed can do them where they are. Because of the gentleness of the exercises, they do not
require a great deal of physical vigor. At their most effective they can provide prevention or
therapy for illness and disability, at their lowest level of effectiveness, they can be soothing
and relaxing, eliminating stress and tension.
This paper is meant only as a preliminary look at Qigong as a therapeutic recreation
activity. A recreation therapist who wishes to use this theory and these exercises should
consult the literature for more information. The author has attempted a basic explanation but
it is considerably more complicated and should not be attempted without further information.
For a more detailed explanation, the following references are recommended. Encounters with
Appropriate Use of Documents: Documents may be downloaded or printed (single copy only). You are free to edit
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providing credit to the originator of the document. You must not sell the document or make a profit from
reproducing it. You must not copy, extract, summarize or distribute downloaded documents outside of your own
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Qi. is easily available or can be ordered by any bookstore; the others may require a trip to
Chinatown or contact with the author of this paper.
References
Avedon, E. (1974). Therapeutic recreation service, an applied behavioral science approach.
Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall. From "Biography of Hua T'o",
in History of the later ban, cited by Hume, E.H. (1940). The Chinese wav in medicine.
Baltimore, Johns Hopkins Press.
China Sports Editorial Board. (1988) Simplified tiajichuan. Beijing, China.
Eisenberg, D. (1984). Encounters with qi. New York: Penguin.
Kraus, R. (1978). Therapeutic recreation service: Principles and practices. Philadelphia: W.B.
Saunders.
Oxford Concise English-Chinese dictionary. (1980). Oxford University Press.
Zhang Mingwu, et. al. (1988). Chinese gigong therapy. Jinan, China, Shandong Science and
Technology Press, Yu Han Lu, Jinan, China.
Suggested Reading List
Deng Shulin. (1990). Qigong--Acupoint method of treatment disease. China Today. XXXIX.
pp. 5759.
Eisenberg, D. (1990). Energy medicine in China: Defining a research strategy which
embraces the criticism of skeptical colleagues, Noetic Sciences Review. Spring 1990, pp.
4-11.
Ho'o, M. (1986). Taichichuan. Burbank, CA: Ohara Publications.
Li Ding. (1988). Meridian gigong. Beijing, China: Foreign Languages Press.
Global Therapeutic Recreation II
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