Qigong is a 5000 year old “energy strengthening art” that combines powerful breath techniques and slow body movement. Oprah Winfrey’s Dr. Oz recently praised Qigong in 2007 when he said, “If you want to live to be 100, do Qigong!” It was also rated as one of the top natural healing exercises for reversing cancer. There are literally thousands of forms of Qigong, and well-known practices like Tai Chi, Acupuncture and Feng Shui were born from Qigong’s concepts. Qi (or Chi) means “energy” or “life force”, and Gong means “skill”, making Qigong the practice of working with one’s life force.

Qigong is practiced with increasing popularity, with an estimated 200 million practitioners worldwide, and its health benefits have been studied for many years. Among its powerful health-promoting effects are: improved blood circulation and microcirculation in the forehead, stimulated appetite, sexual function and digestion, accelerated metabolism, increased mental acuity and focus, and increased energy. Many published studies are reporting the healing power of Qigong in diseases like arthritis, cancer, diabetes and heart disease, to name a few.

What is behind the healing power of Qigong, and what sets it apart from other exercises?

A person can circulate as much blood as jogging for 2 miles while standing perfectly still in Qigong. Ordinary exercises, like jogging, cause the release of Cortisol (also known as the “stress hormone”), which contracts blood vessels. In Qigong the body is totally relaxed, yet the blood is mobilized to flow powerfully. People feel increased pulsation of blood in their hands while making the slow movements. Because there is no stress response, the blood can enter areas that may have been blocked off for years. This is why Qigong is so good at reducing body pain. Microcirculation to the forehead is increased and digestion is greatly improved. No other exercise offers this level of circulation to organs and glands.

Breath is also a vital aspect of Qigong and of our health. The best Qigong forms utilize the breath, specifically timing it with the movements. The deep, abdominal breath of Qigong absorbs more oxygen while relaxing the mind and lowering Cortisol levels. Advanced breathing exercises, such as the 9-Breath Method, which employs techniques from Tibet, increase oxygenation of the blood, and are scientifically proven to improve blood quality as shown by live blood cell analysis under a microscope. Most say it feels like a full-body vibration or a soft humming inside the abdomen. Many counselors and psychologist have had success helping drug addicted patients replace their addiction with the “natural high” that comes from such breathing techniques.

In addition to breath and movement, true Qigong as a holistic practice also includes intelligent use of food and herbs. This is especially relevant in modern times.

Using specific foods to reverse specific diseases is a time-tested practice. For example, foods like kiwi can often help people to reverse asthma. Something about the phytochemicals in kiwi dramatically improve breathing as shown by hundreds of people reversing their asthma with it. This is a huge part of Qigong. Not only breathing and moving exercises but also what you put in your mouth to eat.

Today’s environment is more toxic than ever before. Astounding levels of heavy metals and other toxins are dumped into the atmosphere, ultimately tainting our air, water and soil, and alarming amounts are found in our very day household products and even our food. Diseases like Attention Deficit Disorder, Autism, Cancer and Alzheimer’s are increasing at an alarming rate.

Fruits, vegetables, tonic herbs and medicinal mushrooms contain phytochemicals that unlock our body’s endocrine system and act as sparkplugs to the immune system. Unfortunately, many people do not get enough of them. Phytochemicals are most concentrated in the parts of the food that we often throw away; the seeds, stems, skins and rinds of the fruits and vegetables we eat. Many eat the right foods, but throw away the parts with all the “medicine.” For instance, we blend the avocado “with the big seed” in a high-powered blender along with other good tasting fruits and veggies. The avocado seed is tasteless, has the life force potential to create a huge tree and more soluble fiber than any food for scrubbing plaque out of the arteries.

In order to access the phytochemicals, they must be broken out of the cellulose fibers of the fruits and vegetables, hence “juicing” veggies is not nearly effective as blending the whole food. This is why smoothies from a high-powered blender have been so successful in increasing overall health and helping many people reverse diseases such as cancer.

Having shared this information with thousands of people, I can personally testify that most diseases are reversible with food. However, just eating healthy is not enough. In fact, it is the knowledge of using “specific foods for specific diseases” that most people are missing. For example, vegetables like the bitter melon contain a phytochemical structurally similar to insulin and can help in reversing Diabetes by helping the body naturally balance its blood sugar. Of course, the protocols are more involved, but the idea is that we are not using all the medicine that our creator has given us. The grapefruit is excellent to help reverse the cancer, but it’s the white pith that has the abundance of D-Glucarate, not the juice and not eating it like most people do. It is using the right parts of the food that brings out the real medicinal value. Believe it or not, this wisdom is also Qigong.

By building a healthy body, we increase our Qi while creating a stronger vessel in which to house it. A true holistic approach to healing will balance the body, the mind, and the spirit. The ancient healing technique of Qigong achieves all three through expanding our vibrational energy and empowering us to take charge of our health.