Spotlight on Chow Medical Qigong (Chee – Gong)
by Sheila Leonard, PBVM, Level One Certification
“Giving individuals the power to determine and manage
their own health and destinies is the secret of true healing.”
– Effie Poy Yew Chow, PH.D., R.N., C.A (originator of Chow Qigong)
There are 1000s of styles of Qigong practised in China alone. Chow Qigong is one of them. Fitness and promoting health are its primary focus. In this integrated approach, body mind and spirit are one.
Chow Qigong is a powerful system that combines western health practices and ancient Traditional Chinese Medicine. Qigong is based in the theory that a forceful energy system exists in the body. That energy is called qi, which means breath or vital life force, and gong is a cultivating of this qi. If qi patterns are disrupted by emotional stress or by environmental conditions or stress, a person becomes susceptible to disease. When this disruption of energy is rebalanced, health is restored. Thus we can play an integral role in our own health and healing as we learn to sense and build our internal qi.
The following are the Ten Important Basics of the Chow Integrated Healing System:
| 1. Get at least eight hugs a day, and be “in touch”. | 6. Good nutrition, supplements and perhaps herbs. |
| 2. Get at least three Belly-Aching-Laughs -A-Day | 7. Practice the right exercises – Qigong exercises. |
| 3. Maintain a positive mental attitude (PMA) | 8. Be at peace with yourself and others. |
| 4. Use proper posture, breathe with diaphragm. | 9. Live the Qi energy concept. |
| 5. Meditate daily | 10. Give and receive lots of love. |
We are all affected by the energy around us, including each other’s energy. Chow Qigong uses energy testing to graphically show how the nature of energy manifested in our choice of language and in our thinking, affects our strength and therefore our health.
In addition, Chow Qigong includes a series of Qi Pressure points, as well as a variety of massages and other techniques, all of which one can do for oneself or with a partner.
Many people of all ages and abilities practice Chow Qigong simply because it makes them feel good. One Chinese proverb says, “You cannot appease the appetite by reading the menu.” As many have reported, and as research shows, the more faithful the practice, the deeper the benefits:
| It helps them perform better. | It increases strength, flexibility, balance. |
| It helps them experience higher energy and stamina. | It boosts the immune system. |
| It helps them reach their optimal level of health. | It improves respiratory function. |
| It relieves anxiety, depression, chronic pain conditions | It provides cardiovascular benefit. |
| It improves other existing health conditions. | It provides powerful stress management |
| It slows aspects of the aging process. | It burns calories. |
Like T’ai Chi Chih, which works with the same energy, Chow Qigong is a way to help yourself feel better, body, mind and spirit, using your own natural inner resources. I invite you to “Come, taste, and see!” (New classes at The Lantern, 35 Barnes Road, St. John’s are currently on hold.)