Costiga is one of a growing number of Westerners who have discovered the physical and spiritual benefits of this 3,000-year-old tradition. Qigong groups and resources are sprouting across the country, particularly on the West Coast and on the Internet, and more than half a dozen books on the practice will be published this year alone. Even Regis Philbin, of all people, sings its praises (while mispronouncing its name) on his daily TV talk show. Accomplished athletes find it relaxing, uplifting and invigorating. And because it’s less strenuous and methodical than yoga or Qigong’s martial-arts cousin, tai chi, it’s more accessible to the sick and the elderly. While improving posture and circulation, Qigong can also lower blood pressure and tone the immune system by countering the effects of stress. ““It’s perfect therapy for the diseases of modern civilization,’’ says Kenneth Cohen, author of ““The Way of Qigong’’ (432 pages. Ballantine. $27.50).
There are thousands of styles of Qigong, and innumerable variations. But all are based on the ancient Chinese notion that the body has channels called meridians, which can be used to gong (cultivate) the body’s qi (vital energy). Many devotees believe that powerful Qigong masters can project their qi outward to cure other people’s ills; Dr. Yan Xin, a Chinese Qigong specialist now traveling in North America, claims he can shower a whole lecture hall with invigorating energy particles. But you don’t have to buy the mysticism to benefit from Qigong. The exercises can improve your health even if your idea of a meridian is the space between freeway lanes.
Each exercise involves several postures that, according to tradition, focus qi on a particular organ or region of the body. The downward push that Costiga and her classmates practiced is intended specifically to brace the heart for the strain of summer heat. In another routine, known as the Bear, students plant their feet at shoulder width, bend their arms upward at 90 degrees and place their palms skyward at the ears. By holding that posture and turning gently back and forth at the waist, they stimulate the lower back and the kidneys.
Western medicine has little use for a concept like qi, yet Western scientists have begun to document Qigong’s benefits in hard, quantitative terms. In one recent study, Paul Zucker of Columbia University’s Program in Physical Therapy had 15 hypertensive adults perform a series of Qigong exercises twice a week for eight weeks. Their average blood pressure dropped 10 percent. In another study, Dr. Wenhsien Wu of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey found that Qigong could benefit patients with Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy, a debilitating deterioration of the nervous system. In a series of seven training sessions, 20 sufferers learned Qigong movements, visualized their recoveries and relaxed to music. The regimen didn’t affect the progress of their disease, but it did alleviate their pain.
That, as many devotees will tell you, is no small feat. Bruce Bassoff, an English professor at the University of Colorado, has suffered from chronic fatigue syndrome for 16 years. He doesn’t shy away from conventional treatments for the migraine headaches, muscle pain and insomnia that his condition entails. But for the past five years he has spent 30 minutes each morning doing Qigong exercises, and he says nothing brings him more relief. ““It makes me feel human,’’ he says. Qigong isn’t just for the infirm. Kurt Keutzer, a 41-year-old Silicon Valley exec and avid basketball player, practices in his office to prepare for his next meeting. He relaxes his shoulders, concentrates on his breath and senses the energy pouring through his body.
Placebo effect? So how does Qigong work? Western doctors credit the physiological effects of deep breathing and relaxation - what Dr. Herbert Benson of Harvard has dubbed the ““Relaxation Response.’’ By repeating a particular movement while disconnecting from everyday worries, the body slows down. Oxygen consumption, heart rate and muscle tension decrease, while blood vessels dilate, allowing blood to circulate more freely. And as Benson posits in his 1996 book ““Timeless Healing,’’ faith may amplify these effects. In short, believing in qi may be good for you.
Devotees reject the notion that a placebo effect may be at work. They believe that qi consists of real-life neurochemicals or electrical impulses, which can be directed to the body’s problem areas by the technique. But no matter how you account for the effects, there is no question that Qigong motivates people to relax and take control of their own health, something Western medicine has noticeably failed to do. To find a class in your area, check the phone listings or contact the Qigong Association of America at 888-218-7788. Whether you’re trapped in Manhattan or Dallas, you can always close your eyes, cultivate your qi and feel the breeze.
