Why Qigong Is the New Yoga

Qigong is the new yoga no matter your age, fitness level, or spiritual worldview. Blending traditional Chinese medicine with movement, breath, and visualization, qigong is an ancient self-healing system that doesn't require drugs, surgery, or even a yoga mat. For people wanting to reclaim their health without going broke or getting spiritual, qigong offers gentle, at-home, do-it-yourself tools. Through gentle movements that align breath, posture, and mind, qigong works with the body's energy systems to boost vitality and well-being. Both Western and Eastern medicine agree that negative emotions shorten our capacity for joy and our ability to live long, healthy lives. It's not that negative emotions are inherently bad. We all experience common day-to-day feelings like disappointment, sorrow, envy, anger, and rage. But when strong emotions are suppressed and repressed, physical symptoms like inflammation and illness are the result. The worst types of diseases I see in my clinical practice—disorders and diseases that wreak havoc on people's overall well-being and quality of life—are rooted in unexpressed feelings of anger, fear, worry, anxiety, sadness, and/or loss. Over the past 20 years I've noticed a common thread with common autoimmune diseases likes lupus, fibromyalgia, and rheumatoid arthritis. Emotionally we're taught never to "blow up" and lose our temper so our bodies "blow up" instead. We feel and look swollen, sore, raw, and inflamed. When we ignore anger or any emotion we deem shameful or "bad," it's like putting our finger over the steam of a boiling teakettle. Your finger will burn, blister, and bleed. (And your finger gets your undivided attention, doesn't it?) The clients who heal are the people who have the courage and compassion to look at their past, present, and future. (Put another way, they look inside their teakettle!) Unlike traditional talk therapy, where you can spend years and tens of thousands of dollars reliving your childhood and rehashing old hurts, energetic medicine works instantaneously. With qigong, you don't need to "eat it again"—you avoid having to talk about or overanalyze what has gone wrong and why. Instead, you're guided to acknowledge, feel, and release the negative emotions without saying a word. You just breathe, move, and visualize. Qigong has been practiced for thousands of years and is still considered one of China's most powerful medicinal practices. The proven benefits of practicing qigong for just 20 minutes a day include:

• strengthened immunity and vitality
• relief from pain and common complaints such as poor digestion, headaches, and arthritis
• relief from depression and anxiety
• looking younger and stronger
• sharpened mind and memory
• accessing more joy, peace, and belonging.

Although I work with thousands of clients one-on-one, there are plenty of qigong practices you can do at home that promise less stress, better health, and more energy. If you'd like to learn more about qigong and try it out on your own, feel free to view my 30-day qigong challenge, Qigong to Better Health. These daily 20-minute videos are based on qigong classes and private sessions held at our Morning Crane Healing Arts Center in San Jose, California. You can watch these videos in the morning, afternoon, or just before bed. If you need to get energized, the movements will pump you up. Need to fall asleep? Get ready for some serious zzzzzz. Your body wants to be in perfect well-being. Qigong is often described as ancient medicine meets modern miracle. When you honor the intention to heal, change, and move forward, qigong invites your body to speak, heal, and dream…without saying a word. Chris Shelton, a certified qigong practitioner and teacher, is also an author, professional speaker, workshop leader, and an award-winning martial artist. Chris first experienced the powerful effects of qigong while recovering from a devastating back injury as a teenager. In 1988, after studying with some of the most revered Chinese medicine masters, he started his own medical qigong practice. He now teaches self-healing techniques to a range of ages, skill levels, and abilities‰—from youth to Special Olympic athletes to professional fighters. He was the 2010 Tiger Claw Grand Champion in tai chi and has been featured in Kung Fu Magazine. He is the author of Qigong for Self-Refinement: Total Health with the 5 Elements, and works alongside his wife, Parisa Shelton, to promote the beneficial effects of qigong.