Qigong (pronounced "chee-gung") is a mindful movement practice that Chinese (Taoist) medicine has been utilizing for thousands of years to improve health, and vitality, as well as increase energy (qi), balance, and overall well-being. It is a slow-flowing movement meditation used as part of health maintenance and healing for many challenging health issues, offering gentle rhythms to energize, calm, uplift, and balance. Qigong (and its related practice of tai chi.) weaves gentle movements and breathwork together with an open and curious mindset.(1)
In addition to the subjective benefits experienced by many people who practice qigong, a growing body of scientific evidence supports its health benefits. Several systematic reviews and meta-analyses have found qigong effective for people struggling with:
Traumatic brain injuries (TBI), for example, often have persistent symptoms like fatigue, decreased concentration, anxiety and depression, headache, dizziness, vertigo, and loss of balance. Typical treatments for TBI have focused on cognitive processes, but more recently, rehabilitation recommendations include movement therapies.
These movement therapies are intended to be gradual and begin at a level far below a person's pre-injury baseline. Gradual, incremental increases over time help people avoid setbacks from pushing themselves too quickly to get back to their previous level of functioning. It is also important, and may come as no surprise, that qigong is more effective for these conditions when provided earlier than later in the healing process.
The term embodiment suggests a sense of alignment between thinking and feeling. An example of the opposite, disembodiment, might be saying one thing and feeling another, such as saying yes when we meant no or ignoring the pit in our stomach. Another example of disembodiment might be saying, "I am not angry," through clenched teeth and a racing heart.
Embodiment is being present with the reality of our internal sense of things, and our mind-body experience supports authentic expression in real-time and a deeper level of emotional and physical self-care. Embodiment practices help us integrate formal practices, like qigong, into daily life and apply their principles at any moment. It may also increase our attunement more subtly since our bodies constantly sense what is going on internally and externally.
Embodiment can be practiced with the many movement therapies popular in qigong and yoga, dance, breathwork, drumming, or any other rhythmic and dynamic activity. It can also be experienced at this moment by checking in with yourself:
Qigong and other mindful notices may also be useful to embody when we feel joy. When we have a thought or experience we would like to remember, such as, "I am enough," or "All is well," ask: How do I physically experience this joy?
This way, embodiment practices can help us remember when and what we want to feel more often. They help us get out of our way and allow healing to occur.
References
1. Del Pozo, J. “Wisdom of the BodySoul” (Course Presentation, February, 2024), Lemke Health Partners.
2. Abbott, R., & Lavretsky, H. (2013). Tai Chi and Qigong for the treatment and prevention of mental disorders. The Psychiatric clinics of North America, 36(1), 109–119.
3. Zhang, S., Zou, L., Chen, L. Z., Yao, Y., Loprinzi, P. D., Siu, P. M., et al. (2019). The effect of tai chi Chuan on negative emotions in non-clinical populations: a meta-analysis and systematic review. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 16:17.
4. Xiang, Y., Lu, L., Chen, X., and Wen, Z. (2017). Does tai chi relieve fatigue? A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. PLoS One 12:e0174872.
5. Lin, R., Cui, S., Yang, J., Yang, H., Feng, Z., Wahner-Roedler, D. L., et al. (2021). Effects of tai chi on patients with mild cognitive impairment: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Biomed. Res. Int. 2021:5530149.
6. Huang, Z. G., Feng, Y. H., Li, Y. H., and Lv, C. S. (2017). Systematic review and meta-analysis: tai chi for preventing falls in older adults. BMJ Open 7:e013661.
7. Wang, Y., Zhang, Q., Li, F., Li, Q., and Jin, Y. (2022a). Effects of tai chi and qigong on cognition in neurological disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Geriatr. Nurs. 46, 166–177.
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