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What is Qigong?
Qigong is a practice that aims to improve physical, emotional
and spiritual health through mental concentration, breath,
movement, body position, relaxation, stretching, philosophy, and
perception. Qigong integrates principles from martial arts,
Chinese medicine, Taoism, Buddhism and performing arts.
Qigong originated in
China,
leading one to believe that it is a centuries-old practice. Its
roots may be ancient, but Qigong in fact developed as recently
as the 1950s. Fernie explains that “Qigong” is a term applied to
a variety of systems developed in China in the mid-20th century,
in which many teachers took long-respected healing methods from
Chinese medicine, as well as ancient practices from Buddhism and
Taoism, to create their own healing modalities which addressed
the whole person -- physically, spiritually, emotionally and
mentally. |
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What type of
Qigong is practiced at the IIT?
The core teaching at the Institute for Internal Transformation (IIT) is Taijiwuxigong, a specific
medical system of Qigong developed by Dr Shen Hongxun.
This method employs spontaneous movement, formal exercise and
meditation practice. Chris has taken Taijiwuxigong, a highly
effective Qigong system voted as the most effective system of
Qigong at the 1989 World Congress on Medical Qigong, and augmented it with teachings from
around the world, to bring you the maximum benefit in the
minimum time.
Chris Fernie, the founder of
the IIT, has developed a unique and profound practice that fuses
numerous Qigong styles with modern somatic practices such as the
Feldenkrais Method. The practice is further informed by
Fernie's lifelong study of Qigong healing, health, martial arts,
yoga, Buddhism, and Chinese medicine. The result is a
system of energy cultivation that is easily understood by the
Western mind without losing the mystery and magic of the Eastern
way. The depth, precision, and clarity of this unique
practice brings about rapid and profound results that will
revolutionize your concepts of health and self-healing.
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What are the
Benefits of Practice?
• Increased physical health and vitality
• Removal of tensions and toxins leading to pain reduction or
elimination
• Improved mental clarity and emotional well-being
• Heightened body awareness, improved posture and movement
• Enhanced understanding of life purpose and direction
• Spiritual connection
What will I experience as a student?
Through either individual or group classes and workshops, you
will be guided through a combination of standing postures,
spontaneous movement, formal exercises and meditation. These exercises
create harmonizing forces that balance and enhance systems of
the body, thereby improving health and emotional well-being. The
result is a feeling of lightness and increased energy that can
lead to greater freedom and choice throughout one’s life. With
practice, you will learn to recognize the way that different
factors such as mind, breath, gravity, posture, emotions, forces
of nature and Qi effect mental, physical, and emotional health.
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How does it
work?
Forces from the ground, breath and mind are harnessed to awaken
the lower dantien (pump of the meridian system). Once active the
Binqi
(pathogenic factors) is pushed out of the body freeing the main
five channels of the meridian system. When all the channels are
open higher functions can be developed.
There are three general
aspects of the practice:
Mechanical: Deepening
awareness of how to move with ease, balance and minimum muscular
effort.
Energetic: Opening the
subtle pathways of the body and clearing obstructions to develop
greater physical health and emotional stability.
Spiritual: Seeing the
self and the world without preconceptions.
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How can I
participate?
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The practice is taught in both workshops
and classes as well as in private sessions. In addition, Chris Fernie offers individual
treatment sessions to help with specific health concerns.
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