Chi Training and Cultivation Benefits

In the early 90s, few people outside of China knew about chi (also spelled ‘qi’). These days, more people know about this concept, with some actively learning about it in some way. Whether through a kung fu or tai chi class, getting acupuncture, or practising Zen meditation, learning about and cultivating chi, not to mention how it can help the body is more widespread than it used to be.

There are several reasons why more people are interested in this concept, including certain benefits.

Qigong, the Art of Cultivating Qi

Teachers of qigong teach students that there are twelve different ways of cultivating ch, also known as the 12 Dimensions. All of these are universal, so no matter what school of qigong you’re in, these dimensions will apply. Cultivating chi starts with discovery, then moves to circulating, gathering, aligning, protecting, purifying, mobilising, directing, consolidating, transforming, unifying, and finally to transmitting.

In other words, you can’t learn how to cultivate chi without first discovering the chi that already exists in (and even around) your body. In other words, that crucial first step comes down to a heightened sense of awareness, both internal and external. Once you achieve that, you can become more sensitive to how chi travels throughout your body, and eventually direct its flow to wherever it’s needed most.

The Benefits

As mentioned earlier, there are many benefits attributed to chi and its cultivation. The first significant benefit is a reduction in pain. This could be because of the deep breathing needed for meditation during qigong practice, or it could be because circulating chi brought warming and healing energy to the area of the body where the practitioner felt pain.

The second significant benefit is improved flexibility and fitness. A particular type of qigong practice focuses on body postures and movement to cultivate chi. Given enough time, this type of qigong helped practitioners improve their torso flexibility, balance, handgrip strength, as well as decrease their resting heart rate and blood pressure.

In relation to that, a third benefit is the improvement of respiratory health. Since deep breathing exercises are necessary for any qigong practice, students can eventually strengthen their lungs and respiratory muscles, which can eventually help reduce inflammation in that area of the body.

Finally, cultivating chi can help reduce stress. Since meditation is one of the best ways to cultivate chi, you become more relaxed whenever you practice it. Even at the end of a session, the problems causing your stress may still be present, but you are calmer and therefore more aware of the different options you have to deal with those problems.

The good news is, you don’t have to be a certain age to start learning how to cultivate chi and experience these benefits. The most important thing is to be open to the concept and therefore have a willingness to be taught. For more information on cultivating chi, visit this page.