Inner Vitality Qigong^TM

How can we regularly practice Qigong in a modern world? With all the stress and distractions of a modern life, how can we integrate Qigong into our lives? I face the same issues every day. There are always things to do like working, shopping, cleaning, cooking, cell phones calls, emails, social media, spending time with family and friends. Where's the time for Qigong practice? Of course Qigong was created in the ancient times. It was about physical and mental health. There weren't the same distractions. I have heard of stories where the masters would go and meditate in caves for months at a time. We can't just pack up everything and move to the mountains. It's insane. Besides, I really like sleeping on a bed. I like having electricity and refrigeration. That is truly roughing it. So we must be creative about practicing Qigong.

First, we must adjust our minds. We must realize that we should take care of ourselves first. If we let our health go (mentally or physically), then we are no good to others. If we are so busy taking care of others and neglect ourselves, eventually bad things will happen. We may gain weight. We may get stressed out. We may develop diabetes. We may develop high blood pressure. As we are taught in Qigong, we need to balance our lives. This is the principle of Yin and Yang. We must balance the physical and the mental. Not too much activity. Not too much inactivity. We should balance work with play. So if we are out of balance because of too much work or too much mental stress, then we have plenty of opportunities to get into balance with Qigong.

Here's some examples. When you are waiting in line at the grocery store or in the doctor's office, do deep, abdominal breathing. Focus on your breathing. This will relax you and bring much needed oxygen to your body. This will increase your Qi circulation. We can always use more energy. After a hard day at the office, it is important to get some exercise, especially if you have been sitting at your desk most of the day. Qigong exercises are energizing and they are also great for centering your mind. You can just take a minute to center yourself and your energy in your lower dantian when you get in your car, before you drive off. This will help to calm you before getting into rush hour traffic.

I invite you to take a look at your life. What are the imbalances in your life? Apply the principles of Qigong and Yin and Yang. If you are too physical with little to no mental or relaxation time, then you will benefit from Qigong meditations. If you are too inactive, studying or working in an office all day, then you will benefit from Qigong exercises. If your mind is too busy worrying (yang) about your daily activities, then a Qigong meditation will help to calm (yin) your mind. It is better to balance all extreme areas of your life before issues or illnesses develop. Now it's up to you to make a choice for health and integrate Qigong in your modern world.