BODHIDHARMA CENTER
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THE ULTIMATE DYNAMIC QIGONG
Qigong
Bodhidharma
Qigong is an ancient Chinese health system that integrates physical postures, breathing techniques and focused intention.
The word Qigong (Chi Kung) is made up of two Chinese words. Qi (Chi) means the life force or vital-energy that flows through our body. Gong (Kung) means accomplishment, or skill that is cultivated through steady practice. Together, Qigong (Chi Kung) means cultivating energy, it is a system practiced for health maintenance, healing and increasing vitality.
Qigong is certainly a highly effective health care practice. Many health care professionals recommend Qigong as an important form of alternative complementary medicine.
Qigong creates an awareness of and influences dimensions of our being that are not part of traditional exercise programs. Most exercises do not involve the meridian system used in acupuncture nor do they emphasize the importance of adding mind intent and breathing techniques to physical movements. When these dimensions are added, the benefits of exercise increase exponentially.
The flowing rhythmic movements of Qigong reduce stress, build stamina, increase vitality, and enhance the immune system. It has also been found to improve cardiovascular, respiratory, circulatory, lymphatic and digestive functions.
Those who maintain a consistent practice of Qigong find that it helps one regain a youthful vitality, maintain health even into old age and helps speed recovery from illness. Western scientific research confirms that Qigong reduces hypertension and the incidence of falling in the aged population. One of the more important long-term effects is that Qigong reestablishes the body/mind/soul connection.
Qigong (Chi Kung) is a very importat tool to anyone in search for self development; physical, mental and energetic because it will balance the body / mind aspenct leading to a healthy right decision and intention.
Without a balance between body and mind we cannot achieve successfully our porpouse. The body has to be fit, thats why Bodhidharma, an Indian monk who lived during the 5th/6th century gave Qigong (Chi kung) to Chinese monks changing their lazy lifestyle to a point that they created Kung fu. Everything started with simple Qigong methods that Bodhidharma introduced to them.
Qigong draws on many elements. It includes "regulating the body" through posture, "regulating the mind" through quiet, relaxation and concentration of one's mental activity," regulating the breath", self-massage and movement of the limbs. It covers a wide range of exercises and styles.
Qigong stresses meditation and relaxation; "standing stance" qigong, which emphasizes the exercise of the body by relaxed and motionless standing posture; "moving" and dao-yin" qigong, which emphasizes external movement combined with internal quiet and practice in control of the mind; as well as various forms of self-massage.
Baoding Balls
Baoding balls have reportedly been around for over 600 years and date back to the Ming Dynasty. Generally, when something has that kind of longevity it’s worth taking a look at. If you aren’t familiar with Baoding balls or as they are also referred to: meditation balls, Chinese health balls, Chinese meditation balls, Chinese exercise balls and sometimes just healthy balls.
Baoding balls are quite prolific in their benefit. Because of the numerous acupressure points and meridians in the hand that correlate with various organs and organ systems, rotating the balls in hand causes chi to circulate to the corresponding areas of the body. By placing attention and concentration in the palm, Chi directed by the mind travels to the palm. Secondly, the surface of the balls stimulate various points on the hand and the continuous tension and relaxation required to move the balls around actually pumps the Chi that builds up in the hand throughout the various organ systems. Also, it should be noted that secondary benefits of Baoding ball excercise include stress relief, increased hand dexterity and increased touch sensitivity.
The basic exercise consists of rotating a pair of Baoding balls in the palm of the hand, ensuring even and constant contact is made between the balls. Once this has been learned, the rotation speed can be gradually increased until the balls separate in the hand. Eventually one can learn to rotate them completely without the balls making contact with each other. Exercises have been developed involving two, three, four or more balls.
The average person should be able to start with a 45-millimeter (1.8 in) diameter ball, moving up to the 60-millimeter (2.4 in) size as their muscles get accustomed to the exercise. Larger Baoding balls (70–100 millimeters (2.8–3.9 in)) can be used, although eventually it is impossible to rotate them without touching. The area of the hand exercised can be varied at advanced levels of practice, altering the portion of the hand they rotate over, or changing the orbit of the balls in the hand so that more force is exerted on a particular finger or particular finger joints. Well-known strongmen such as John Brookfield use large shot put balls as Baoding balls, rotating them to develop forearm muscles and improve grip.
Chinese practitioners claim that muscles remain nimble, bones are strengthened and the mind kept sober through prolonged usage of the health balls. Other benefits are blood circulates more freely, and different chronic diseases such as hypertension are kept from developing. In time (in terms of many years of practicing Baoding balls use) the brain becomes healthier and you will notice that your intelligence and memory improves. Furthermore, fatigue goes away, your worries disappear, stress is reduced, and in the end your life is extended. Baoding balls are usually used for exercise and meditation, but are also good when employed for medical reasons. To use them for exercise, place two Baoding balls within your palm then rotate them clockwise and counterclockwise. Gravity will help you keep on controlling the balls. There are many exercises possible. One is trying to not to let the balls touch one another during manipulation, as advanced users do. Such users of Baoding balls can frequently use more than two balls at one time. Manipulating the balls in your hand not only exercises hand muscles, but forearm and shoulder muscles as well.
Bodhidharma
Bodhidharma was an Indian prince who lived in the 6th Century AD. After renouncing his royal life, he decided to travel in order to teach Buddhism in China. His long journey eventually brought him to Songshan province.
By the time Bodhidharma arrived in 527 AD, there were already many monks living there.
What Bodhidharma found at the temple was disheartening. The monks were weak and sickly, they were falling asleep during meditation, and they lacked the vitality needed for deep meditation. This was not Bodhidharma’s vision of spiritual cultivation.
Bodhidharma believed that physical, intellectual, and spiritual cultivation were an indivisible whole. If you are sick or in pain, then how can you hope to achieve enlightenment? If you lack mental clarity, how will you endure the intensity of meditation? To work successfully towards enlightenment, one needs to also cultivate health, vitality, and mental clarity. This was Bodhidharma’s philosophy.
