Stress and Qi Gong
As modern society evolves, so do its customs. Before asking ourselves whether some revolutionary new change will be positive for people, we set it in motion and only then begin to wonder about the consequences. First mobile phones are put on the market. Then in Australia we find that their antennas must be placed at least 400 metres away from people's homes. We want more in less time, the only limit being â?¦ the human race!
Such an approach purports to serve people, but in fact overlooks the very nature of our being. Fast information, fast travel, fast food, the rush of traffic, deadlines, economic success, status climbing and ambition, are all stress factors. As such, they directly affect the human organism, altering and chipping away at our nervous, endocrine, locomotor, reproductive, digestive, respiratory, circulatory and immune systems. When someone is subjected to stress, the response is seen in: increased electrical activity in the brain, increased heart rate, a rise in blood pressure, accelerated respiratory rate, increased electric conductivity in the skin, increased secretion of ACTH, vasopressin, adrenaline, glucocorticoids, etc., and alterations of the digestive process.
On the other hand, when someone practices Qi Gong or Tai Chi Chuan, the response is: a lowering of the respiratory rate, lower oxygen consumption, lower or reduced blood pressure, stability in hormone secretion, the production of “reparative” neural transmitters, changes in cerebral electrical activity (brain waves), activation of the primary respiratory mechanism (CSF), etc.
The beneficial effects of Qi Gong are long-lasting. If we examine a stressed individual's condition during and after Qi Gong sessions, we see how useful this technique is for restoring, little by little, lost physical and psychological equilibrium.
Strange as it may seem, however, stressed individuals are often prescribed activities that are even more stressful and which eventually result in further physiological deterioration. We burn out the motor in order to stop it, forgetting, once again, that we are human beings.
Today we are seeing an increasing number of autoimmune disorders (multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgias, etc.) whose etiology is still largely unknown but whose characteristic patient profiles include high stress, productivity, ambition, etc. We know that the body is exposed to germs and microbes, and that the immune system is responsible for defending us against such pathogens. When stress appears, the immune system slows down and the suprarenal cortex is activated, with atrophy of the thymus gland and other lymphatic structures. Practicing Qi Gong corrects thymus disorders, increases the number of T lymphocytes, immunoglobins and macrophages, all of which are related to the immune system or “Wei energy”, as defined in Traditional Chinese Medicine.
The immune system of our society has been weakened. Training in Qi Gong can help us to restore our equilibrium and enhance our quality of life.
Document d'archive écrit en ??
par Kenji Tokitsu - publié dans ??