GT
- Published: Sunday, 18 July 2004
Below follows a translation of a swedish article from the swedish newspaper GT. The original swedish article can be downloaded at the bottom of the page.
Qigong - precision all the way to your finger tips. In the article there is also an intervju with Su Dongyue, Qigong Master and leader of European Zhineng Qigong Center.
Publishing allowed by GT and the author of the article Camilla Henschel. Below follows an English translation of the original article that is written in Swedish and can be downloaded below.
There is a steady increase in interest in the Chinese training method
Gothenburg. Qigong makes people calm, harmonious and healthy. There is a steady increase in interest in this ancient Chinese training method in Sweden. GT attended the event when Dong-Yue Su from China´s greatest Qigong centre held a Weekend Course in Gothenburg.All is calm and quiet in the great training hall at the Hvitfeldtska Gymnasium in Gothenburg. About 100 people are standing in rows, one after another and moving in harmony with slow, harmonious movements. A peaceful tingling from Oriental music is heard in the background while the Qigong master Dong-Yue Su gives instructions. It is like moving through water and after a while I can feel my muscles relaxing, one by one. My thoughts stop wandering, and there is calm.
Relaxed In a Comfortable Way
After an hour you are relaxed in a comfortable way. Qigong is about cutting down on your pace, reducing your thinking, and through simple movements your mind becomes calmer and your body stronger. Many people who are chronically ill, such as rheumatics, those with whiplash injuries, asthmatics and people who suffer from migraine have found that Zhineng Qigong gives them relief. Qigong is a five-thousand year old Chinese training art which trains the human being as a whole.(Photo): For all ages. Everybody moves in unison with slow, harmonious movements. Qigong is for all ages, young and old alike. Those who do not have the strength to stand up may sit down and do the movements. The muscles relax, the mind stops wandering and there is calm… Photo by LENNART REHMAN
AN EXPLOSIVE DEVELOPMENT
A recent study done by The Health and Safety at Work Authorities indicates that there is an explosive development of stress-related illness, by 50 percent among men and 70 percent among women in just one year. Since 1997 there has been a dramatic increase in sick leave due to the burn-out syndrome and the number is now the highest in the last 25 years.Two opinions
"I have practised Zhineng Qigong since 1996 and I started with it because I had seen pictures from China of people practising. It looked so peaceful. Since I was in my thirties I have had severe problems with varicose veins and I have gone through surgery several times. I am sorry to say that it has always quickly become worse. But with the Qigong training I soon found that my blood circulation got started and nowadays I have improved to the point that I have thrown away the surgical stockings. My posture is also improved and my injured shoulder is less painful. Since I do a lot of standing in my work I used to have frequent pain in my back muscles but that has disappeared completely. In addition I am much calmer and I sleep better at night. Nowadays I never catch colds and I am much stronger mentally. I find that I can withstand more pressure." Gittan Eriksson, age 56, massage therapist, Kungälv"I started to practise in 1995 because I longed for a training method that would give me more energy and make my back and shoulders less stiff. I had previously tried Yoga and Tai Chi but I thought it was too complicated. Zhineng Qigong, on the other hand, was easy to learn. Now in retrospect I can see how tired I was in the beginning. I was not able to practise for any longer periods of time but I wanted to sit down as soon as possible or lay down to rest. Nowadays I feel much better. The greatest result of the training is that my zest for life is much stronger and it is much easier for me to get along with people. In addition my thinking is more positive. I find that my body and mind get stronger step by step." P-O Svensson, age 38, studying to become a cabinet-maker, Dals Långed.
Master: When Your Mind Is in Balance, Your Quality of Life Is Increased
Dong-Yue Su is a Qigong master from China and a teacher of Zhineng Qigong.Question: How can you tell when you have chosen a good Qigong method?
Answer: A good method should be able to stand up to any scientific test whatsoever. You should check up on the background of the specific Qigong school and the teacher. Are there any tests and reports done? A good method should also give fast results.
Question: What tests there been done on Zhineng Qigong?
Answer: A number of reports from basic medical research which have also attracted international attention, such as an experiment which I have carried out together with a professor at a large Chinese medical institute (CAMS). The tests show that Qigong has an inhibiting effect on inflammation equal to cortisone. We have also conducted the same kind of experiment on pain.
Tested By the Karolinska Hospital
Question: Have there been any tests done in Sweden?Answer: In 1997 the Karolinska hospital and the Asthma and Allergy Association in Stockholm carried out tests on a group of patients. After practising Qigong for three months 72 percent of them had reduced or taken away their pain completely, 66 percent felt less stressful and 50 percent had found relief for their depression. More than half of the patients ended or cut down on their drug treatment. Objective tests afterward showed that the lung function of the tested participants had been significantly increased.
Both Body and Mind
Question: What is the difference between ordinary exercise and Qigong?Answer: Other training may be good for your health but Qigong is specifically designed to keep both the body and the mind in good shape. It is a kind of practise that also trains Qi and regulates the meridians of the body. Unlike gymnastics, Qigong does not wear on the body.
Question: Does Qigong Training Build Muscles?
Answer: It depends on what you mean… When you practise Qigong you do not get tired as quickly so you are able to manage more, both physically and mentally. But of course, if you want to get very strong there is special, hard Qigong training. We do not practise that way.
IT IS ABOUT PRECISION
(Photo) Zhineng Qigong is about precision, to do the movements accurately down to the last fingertip, as much as possible. And everybody is doing their best. – You get better step by step, says Dong-Yue Su.Everything In Balance
Question: How do you get mental training?Answer: The mind is often out of balance with a lot of thoughts which have no relation with our existence. When you do the movements your mind gets peace and your mind also regulates your body. As a result everything comes into balance.
Question: What diseases can be improved through Qigong?
Answer: Generally speaking we do not talk about curing disease. When everything is in balance your quality of life is increased. When you mind is in balance your body will also come into balance and that means that the illnesses should disappear or at least be under control. In Western medicine you look at every state of the body more as a separate phenomenon, while we consider a human being as a whole.