Today qigong is popular worldwide. It is being used as part of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), which involves treating the whole patient with acupuncture, herbs, and qigong medicine. It is being used in business circles to enhance sales, keep sick days to a minimum, and reduce stress in the workplace. Some also use it to increase their spiritual connections to each other and the universe. Some use it to protect their bodies and give them more power in martial arts.

There are many different styles of qigong. Some involve movement, some are static. Some focus on strengthening specific organs or systems in the body. All utilize breath work and imagery to bring about states of balance and calm. This is how qigong may help you.

If you are someone who is bothered by a crazy dancer, qigong can help you maintain inner calm so that the actions of others can exist without disturbing your inner peace. If you are someone who seems to always be in the middle of drama, qigong can help give you more time to think before reacting to situations and can make it easier for things to just slide off your back. If you are a teacher, using qigong as part of your warm ups can help warm up the body as well as the mind and promote a sense of peacefulness that keeps any bad juju from entering the classroom.

Interested in trying it? When you are taking on any new form of training, it’s always best to start with a live teacher, but if you are in the curiosity stage or just want to learn enough to get quick benefits, here are some video resources to get you started. Qigong Flow for Beginners, Qigong the Flow Continues, and/or Seven Minutes of Magic. They are all feature Lee Holden and cost $20 each. They are all available at http://www.exercisestoheal.com. They are all good entry level DVDs that people with no experience can easily do. They move constantly from start to finish without any detailed breakdown or starts and stops. They don’t get into any heavy history or philosophy. They are qigong lite- perfect for the beginner or casual observer.

If you want to know more about qigong, I’d still recommend starting with a live teacher or the above videos, but supplement that with these books:

Opening the Energy Gates of Your Body by Bruce Frantzis. Published by Energy Arts, Inc. ISBN 1-58394-146-0

The Way of Qigong by Ken Cohen. Published by Ballentine Books. ISBN 0-345-42109-4

The Healing Promise of Qi by Roger Jahnke. Published by McGraw Hill ISBN0-8092-9528-8.

A lot of what is written about qigong requires cross training in Tao theory or a background in TCM to understand. These books are written for the common man with no previous exposure to qigong. They are easy to read and understand and give plenty of explanations on how qigong can help with the crazy making of belly dance or anything else in your life that may be driving you batty.

I stumbled upon qigong about 2 years ago and have been doing it ever since. I have incorporated it into my belly dance class warm ups and cool downs. I also introduce it to my open minded mental health clients. Personally it has given me a higher threshold for stress tolerance. Professionally it has helped a lot of my clients let go of personal baggage without picking up anything new.

We often look for ways to enhance our dance through cross training methods. Qigong helps keep the body fit on the outside and working well on the inside. It helps your mind to feel focused and stable. It can even help you to feel more in tune with yourself and the world. So why not give it a try?