Tag Archives: Chi Gong

Success Story: Healing Asthma

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Coping with a chronic condition like asthma can really dampen your spirit.

You might feel stuck or think it’s impossible to get better.  So you might not even try.

While, some conditions may be irreversible, many conditions can be improved through self-healing solutions.  Oftentimes, people are not even aware of all the resources available to help them get better.

We can inspire, educate, and motivate ourselves by reading and sharing success stories.

Healing Asthma

Here is a success story from Suzanne B. Friedman, a licensed acupuncturist and author of the book Heal Yourself with Qigong, Gentle Exercises to Increase Energy, Restore Health, and Relax the Mind.

“I used to suffer from severe allergies and exercise-induced asthma and chronic respiratory infections, so I know what it’s like to be unable to take a good breath.  It took me years of effort, but I no longer suffer from asthma, and I am rarely sick.  How did I do it?  I switched to a healthier diet, began exercising moderately, and practiced Qigong exercises like this one, which helps strengthen the lungs and the immune system.  I’m speaking from experience when I say that this exercise is exceptionally beneficial.”  Heal Yourself with Qigong, p. 92

Qigong is a gentle movement exercise commonly practiced in China that also employs simple meditation, visualization, and breathing techniques.  The exercise that Suzanne refers to is called Lung Qi Massage and its purpose is to improve your respiration and immunity.  It’s extraordinary easy to do and enjoyable too.

Suzanne’s book contains more than 60 simple exercises to boost your energy, restore physical vitality, balance your emotions, and calm your spirit.  There are specific exercises for a wide range of problems from improving digestive woes to strengthening heart function.

Prior to becoming a licenses acupuncturist and doctor of medical Qigong therapy, Suzanne was a harried attorney, skeptical of all things “woo-woo.”   Despite her initial resistance, the universe conspired to introduce her to acupuncture and then Qigong, which transformed her life and her health.

As she says, healing her asthma wasn’t a piece of cake.  It took several years of dedicated effort, but good health was her reward.  With asthma and allergies and delayed sensitivities on the rise in children and adults, maybe it’s time to explore an alternative approach.

Have you had success with self help approaches for better health?

My friend Tess at The Bold Life has an article on 10 Miraculous Phrases for Joyful Communication that I think you might also like.

If you liked this article, please share the link with others.  Thanks so much!  Sandra

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Heal yourself with Qigong

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If you are healthy, you can maintain your health with Qigong (also known as Chi Gong).  If you have a health challenge, Qigong can help to restore your wellbeing.  Qigong is a gentle form of healing exercise that also involves simple visualization and breathing techniques.

Suzanne B. Friedman was a frenetic, multitasking attorney completely skeptical of anything as woo-woo as subtle energy.  Indeed, she was an avid nonbeliever!  The mischievous universe conspired to move her in a different direction.  She found herself accidentally encountering acupuncture and then Qigong.  Now a licensed acupuncturist and teacher of medical Qigong, who no longer suffers from severe asthma, she’s written a highly accessible guide to revitalize the body and heal the spirit:  Heal Yourself with Qigong, Gentle Practices to Increase Energy, Restore Health, and Relax the Mind.

The beauty of this book is its simplicity.  No complex routines to learn.  It’s a series of 100 easy exercises each targeted for a particular health or emotional issue like headaches, muscle tension, high blood pressure, digestive distress, anxiety, anger, stress, and many more.  Once you learn a few very easy basics, you can select the exercises aimed for your particular health concern or need.  The exercises are divided into four sections with these headings:

  • Instant energy boosters
  • Restoring physical vitality
  • Balancing your emotions
  • Calming your spirit

As you can see, the book contains routines for balancing all three aspects of your being:  body, mind, and spirit.  Each routine begins with a brief explanation followed by a numbered sequence of instructions that guide you through the exercise, visualization, or breathing technique.  Line drawings demonstrate the postures and movements.  The type size is generous.

According to Friedman, scientific studies have show Qigong to have a positive effects on:

“…blood viscosity, bone density, endocrine gland function, asthma, immune function, serum lipid levels (cholesterol), sexual function, the incidence of strokes (it reduces the risk), as well as other benefits.”

You can begin to see effects with just five to ten minutes of practice per day.  Friedman encourages you to try just 10 minutes a day and then gradually expand to a fuller practice.  She points out that once you feel the benefits of Qigong, you will naturally wish to do a little bit more.  I’ve found this to be true myself.  As someone who is adverse to physical exercise in most forms, I can assure you this is the easy path to greater fitness. Qigong is a highly enjoyable and revitalizing part of my day and an essential part of my wellness program.

Remember, it’s always important to consult your healthcare practitioner before starting any exercise program.

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The significance of my blog title

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burningwell.orgThe name of this blog—Always Well Within—was inspired by the Sanskrit word “Samantabhadra,” which means ‘always good’, ‘always well’ or ‘unchanging goodness.’  This signifies that unchanging goodness or fundamental goodness is our ultimate nature.  This is the name given to the Primordial Buddha in the Dzogchen tradition of Tibetan Buddhism.

This name relates to some of my core believes about health and healing, which I am always trying to strengthen more and more:

Each of us is responsible for our own health.  We are not victims.  Everything comes about for a reason.  There’s no one to blame.

We can use whatever occurs in our life, any type of suffering and happiness as well, on our path of personal evolution.

I believe in the healing power of mind.  In Buddhism, mind is said to be the universal ordering principle.  Speech and body follow the direction of mind.

A famous saying in Chi Gong says, “Where the mind goes, the qi follows.”  Susanne B. Friedman, L.Ac. tells us, “If you focus your attention and intention during an exercise, your body’s energy will respond accordingly.”

It may not always be possible to heal at the physical level, but healing is always possible at the level of emotion, mind, and spirit.  In our modern world, these realms are often sorely in need of attention.

May we all unveil the fundamental goodness living within each and every one of us!

Photo credit: www.burningwell.org