Sri Lanka Health Qigong Association
Sri Lanka Health Qigong Association (SLHQA) is founded in the year 2009, at the International Chinese Qigong Exchange Program held in Shanghai. SLHQA is the only registered and licensed association with International Health Qigong Federation (IHQF), and it is the 47th Country to be registered in the IHQF. SLHQA holds the membership of Marketing Commission in IHQF and it had contributed to improve and promote Qigong in the world since 2009. SLHQA has internationally trained trainers on Qigong, certified by the Chinese Health Qigong Federation (CHQA) and IHQF
Introduction of Qigong
Qigong (pronounced “chee-goong”) originated in China over 5000 years ago and is a powerful system of healing and energy medicine. It is a series of gentle exercise that was compiled by Taoist sages and healers in ancient times
It involves breathing techniques, gentle movement and meditation, which acts to cleanse, strengthen and circulate the life energy (qi). Qigong also focuses on the meridians (energy channels of the body) to dissolve blockages that may cause mental, emotional and physical problems. It allows the qi (energy) to flow smoothly and unobstructed, while also stimulating and restoring the body.
What is Qigong
What is qigong? This seemingly simple question, when asked today amidst the plethora of self-taught qigong videos and instruction books available on the market, will solicit answers that are more often than not far from being accurate. These responses to ‘What is qigong,’ distorted to a great degree by the amount of mixed media coverage and publicity by self- proclaimed ‘masters of the art of qigong,’ fail to present qigong in its scientific context and instead, if with any accuracy at all, present qigong mainly in its spiritual or religious context. While qigong has its spiritual and religious applications, it is imperative to understand qigong from all points of view. As we define qigong, we will also cover its applications, origins, relationship with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), medical qigong, how qigong works, and finally qigong training techniques and programs.
After understanding what qigong is, it is important to understand what the applications of qigong are? Qigong has spiritual, religious, and health applications. Spiritual and religious applications are found in religious Taoism, Fang Shi, Buddhism, Polytheism, Shamanism (original religion of Manchuria), Bonism (original religion of Tibet), Confucianism, as well as several others. The health applications of qigong are for both mental and physical health maintenance.
Benefits of Qigong
Qigong works by affecting several systems of the body. These systems are the nervous system (including the autonomic nervous system), endocrine system, circulatory system, and immune system. In order to apply qigong to these body systems, numerous training techniques are used, such as meditation, conscious breathing, chanting, visualization, stances, acupoint massage, movements and stretches, and qi allocations and movements. There are various qigong programs, ranging from simple to complex, that are tailored to specific individual needs. Some programs can incorporate techniques such as simple stances, movements, chanting and stretches (calisthenics), while other programs can include a variety of simple and complicated techniques such as qi distribution, acupoint triggering and visualization (self-hypnosis).
Benefits of Qigong
Qigong works by affecting several systems of the body. These systems are the nervous system (including the autonomic nervous system), endocrine system, circulatory system, and immune system. In order to apply qigong to these body systems, numerous training techniques are used, such as meditation, conscious breathing, chanting, visualization, stances, acupoint massage, movements and stretches, and qi allocations and movements. There are various qigong programs, ranging from simple to complex, that are tailored to specific individual needs. Some programs can incorporate techniques such as simple stances, movements, chanting and stretches (calisthenics), while other programs can include a variety of simple and complicated techniques such as qi distribution, acupoint triggering and visualization (self-hypnosis).
International Health Qigong Federation-IHQF
IHQF (International Health Qigong Federation) is a non-profit international organization composed of the national and regional organizations. Its purpose is to “unite and play a member of the association of Health Qigong Association, promote and develop the exchange and cooperation between members of the association to promote and improve the physical and mental health of the people of the world.”
The headquarters of the International Federation of Health Qigong is based in Beijing, china. Its main responsibilities are: to organize international competitions and activities of Health Qigong, to develop the international technical standards of Health Qigong, to formulate the training plan and management of Health Qigong athletes, coaches and referees.