Ask the Acupuncturist

By: Tory Wegner LAc

Question: What is qigong?

Answer: That’s a great question and it ties nicely with our other article this month about why proper breathing is so important! Qigong (chee gung), is a healing modality that integrates moving postures, breathing, and focused intention. It has a long history as an integral component of Chinese medicine and is also a form of martial arts. Your practitioner has probably said something about your qi being “stagnant,” which is a common phenomenon as our busy lives keep us tied to desks or sitting in the car instead of walking and moving our bodies throughout the day. Qigong is a way to move and balance the qi in the body. It is very gentle and low impact but it has a profound effect on healing and increasing vitality. Qigong is practiced worldwide and can be done by anyone at any activity level. For more detailed information check out the National Qigong Association.

I thought it would be fun to teach everyone “shaking qigong” because it’s perfect for this stressful time of year. Do it during your lunch break, when you are feeling stressed, or when brain fog has set in! It aims to relax the muscles, warm the body, release tension, and refresh.

All you need to do is stand up with feet shoulder width apart. Take a deep breath and literally just start shaking your body. Start with bouncing lightly on your knees; shake your wrists and then elbows. Add your hips and shoulders and let everything loosen up and just get into it. Imagine all the stagnant energy stored up in your muscles getting released. If there are certain areas of your body that aren’t moving, they are probably the ones that are the most tense, so give them special attention and shake them! Do this for 1-2 minutes and you’ll be surprised at how good you feel afterwards. Try it!