A Regular Organ Detox with Medical Qigong for a Better Life
The foundation of medical Qigong is collected in the following sentence, coming from a book dedicated to the Traditional Chinese Medicine: “When there is no free flow, there is pain, and when there is free flow, there is no pain.” In other words, stagnation is the foundation of all pathology and you shouldn’t allow blockages in the spirit and in the body to persist. As one of the pillars of Traditional Chinese Medicine, medical Qigong wrings out the toxins of the organs through dedicated moves, supplies them with fresh blood and thus improves the organs’ functional activity.
According to the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), there are 3 major causes of illness:
Environmental factors as pollution, food toxins and heavy metals;
Excessive emotional build-up – excess desire, excess anger, excess worry, excess fear and excess grief;
Bad habits: incorrect diet, not enough sleep, going too late to bed, lack of movement, excess work.
In TCM each of the above-mentioned emotions correspond to one Yin organ which is connected to one Yang organ. By compressing and extending these organs through medical Qigong, you would improve the function of the organ but also contribute to your overall emotional balance.
All essential yin and yang organs and the corresponding emotions are mentioned in the chart below.
Yin organs (zang)
Yin organs store only pure, refined, vital substances – qi, blood, essence, body fluids that they receive from yang organs after transformation of food and air.
Yang organs (fu)
Yang organs do not store but empty and refill – they receive, move, digest and excrete.
White Tiger Qigong
The Qigong school I belong to is called White Tiger Qigong and teaches a Taoist Medical Qigong, based on ancient practice and explained through modern health concepts as kinetic chains and fascia.
In TCM meridians are channels that form a network in the body through which flows the QI (the vital energy). Qi blockages cause pain or disease. The circulation of Qi is restored through massages, acupuncture or medical Qigong activating specific points along the meridians.
In Western sport science we talk about myofascial lines or myofascial meridians which are connections through the fascial fabric of your body. Kinetic chains are ways to connect movement with fascia. Fascia can generate electrical charges (Qi) and transmits energy. The kinetic chains create a pathway and direction for electrical charges to flow.
We, at White Tiger Qigong aim at creating what we call the “Bamboo Body” – strong, yet flexible, supple and elastic. As the bamboo tree, which moves with the wind, yet stays rooted and firm.
Her Excellency The Liver
The liver filters and detoxifies the blood, produces hundreds of enzymes and hormones, and regulates the volume of circulating blood. Due to poor diet, stress and irritability the liver becomes clogged and sluggish. In order to work properly, it must become decongested and supple. There are ancient Taoist forms of Qigong that have been used for over 2000 years to squeeze out emotions and toxins out of the organs and body to achieve a peaceful state of mind and body.
In TCM liver is associated with the element of wood and the emotion of anger, irritability and frustration. Excess stress and anger can damage the liver which is vital for the smooth flow of Qi and blood in your body. If you are easily irritable, have trouble unwinding from the day’s activities without alcohol, have trouble going with the flow or letting things go, you could have a liver function problem.
Wood Element Imbalances
If liver Qi (function) is congested, a person will anger easily, feeling blocked which would cause mental discomfort and irritation in one’s inability to achieve. Women will have irregular periods. If liver Yang (force) is rising upward, one will have headache and dizziness. If more severe, the eyes will ache and get red. Liver function is reflected externally in the condition of finger- and toenails which are dry, soft and brittle in case of liver imbalances.
Sour foods communicate with the Wood element (lemons, green apples, gooseberries, vinegar, fermented foods like sauerkraut). Either balancing and helping to move liver qi, or will cause more imbalance depending on the quantity consumed.
Healthy Liver Depends on Healthy Gallbladder
The gallbladder is the counterpart organ of the liver in TCM. It stores and excretes bile, which is an expression of the liver’s role in ensuring the smooth flow of Qi. The gallbladder is associates with decisiveness and the capacity to make decision. Courage, initiative and success come from a healthy gallbladder as well.
If the gallbladder is out of balance, the following imbalances can manifest:
Physical imbalances: insomnia – waking up suddenly very early in the morning and not being able to fall asleep again, brittle nails, eye diseases, stiff neck, ringing in the ears, dizziness.
Emotional imbalances: timidity, indecision, being easily discourages, resentment
How to Activate the Liver and Gallbladder Meridians on a Daily Basis?
“The Leopard” is one of the medical Qigong forms from the White Tiger Qigong 5 Elements sequence. This form targets the liver, squeezing the organs as we push the sides of the body together and twist.
By bending deep to the right, you compress the liver. By extending your arm, you will get an even deeper compression. With an added slight twist in your spine, your right shoulder comes forward so you will get an even deeper twist and compression of the liver, thus squeezing it out deeply.
By opening the groin, legs and feet outwards, we activate the liver and gallbladder meridians.
Only 20 minutes Qigong a day can drastically improve your health and wellbeing.
Would You like to Try Organ Detox Through Medical Qigong?
The objective of Shen Medical Qigong is to provide physical relief and emotional balance. The classes are held in small groups to individualize the approach and identify personal progress. I am exclusively working with women and teaching them how to improve their daily wellbeing is my primary objective.