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Qigong for Addiction: Revitalizing Recovery

man practicing qigong for addiction recovery

Qigong for addiction is a growing area of interest in the field of addiction recovery. As more attention is paid to the mind-body connection in clinical settings, Qigong/chi kung 氣功 is emerging as a promising tool for individuals seeking to overcome addiction. This gentle practice can help individuals improve their physical and energetic health while promoting cognitive thinking and impulse control, making it an effective supplement to traditional addiction treatment methods.

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing my friend Greg about his experience with addiction and recovery and the role that Qigong has played in his journey.

man practicing qigong for addiction recovery

Introduction to Qigong

Qigong is a powerful mind-body method that involves coordinated movement, breathing, and visualization, rooted deeply in Chinese medicine, philosophy, and martial arts. With its name derived from qi/chi 氣, meaning “life energy,” Qigong is focused on supporting balance and vitality. This holistic practice has been handed down from the Old Masters, who discovered that the breath was the secret to power and longevity millennia ago.


As a gentle yet potent exercise system, Qigong has become increasingly popular worldwide, drawing comparisons to yoga due to its ability to help practitioners relax and find calm amidst the stresses of modern life. In addition, the practice is now recognized as a potential tool in addiction recovery, offering a holistic approach to treatment that incorporates the physical, energetic, and spiritual aspects of healing.


Through the coordinated movements, deep breathing, and visualization techniques used in Qigong, individuals can cultivate a sense of balance and inner stillness that can be invaluable in recovery. In addition, by focusing on the cultivation and circulation of qi, Qigong can promote antioxidant activity and improve the function of organs and systems in the body.[1] Qigong has been known to help individuals manage withdrawal symptoms and reduce cravings during addiction recovery. With its many health benefits, Qigong is now recognized as a potential tool in addiction recovery, offering a holistic approach to treatment.

Greg’s Experience With Addiction & Recovery

Before entering recovery, Greg’s life was consumed by addiction. He would use substances to change how he felt, including alcohol and other drugs. However, the addiction lifestyle was dangerous and violent, which led to Greg feeling vulnerable and alone. At the time, Greg’s daughter was very young, and she played a major role in his initial drive to get clean and sober.

After entering recovery, Greg began exploring martial arts as part of his search for a new way of life. He settled on Tai Chi but struggled with coordination and had no natural ability. Finally, however, he committed to the process of learning and refining his movements. “That commitment to a process started to feel good, which helped my self-esteem, you know, and being patient with slow progress,” Greg shared.

photo of qigong for addiction author and instructor Greg Pergament
Author of Chi Kung In Recovery, Greg Pergament

Martial arts played an important role in helping Greg become calmer and even-tempered, giving him confidence in his abilities to defend himself. “I became calmer, less prone to emotional outbursts. It seemed I became more even-tempered,” he observed. The practice also instilled perseverance and discipline in him, which helped him treat his addiction. “The martial arts played a big part in instilling that [perseverance]. “My wife tells me I have a lot of discipline, and that wasn’t the case before recovery,'” Greg reflected. “It was all about immediate gratification and impatience before I got clean.”

The Role of Martial Arts in Addiction Recovery

During the interview, Greg shared how he got into practicing Qigong and Tai Chi. He started investigating and collecting magazines about these practices about six years after getting clean and started with Tai Chi at the end of 1994 or the beginning of 1995. He eventually became a senior associate instructor, teaching beginners Qigong and Tai Chi. “That became my expertise,” he said.

Discovering Qigong: Greg’s Expertise and Teaching Experience

During the interview, Greg shared that he wrote a book titled “Chi Kung in Recovery: Finding Your Way to a Balanced and Centered Recovery.” The book was published in 2013 and is still in print, offering a unique perspective on the role of Qigong in addiction recovery.

Greg’s book focuses on how Qigong can help people in treatment, as addiction can do significant harm to the body. “It’s really taking a look at the physical, even though Qigong is much more than that. People understand that they’re doing something physical,” he explained. Qigong is a gentle practice that is easier for people than yoga and can help improve physical and energetic health. “Qigong ends up being something you can actually do to improve and continue to improve your life,” he said.

“Chi Kung in Recovery” is a valuable resource for anyone interested in exploring alternative approaches to addiction recovery and can be found online or at select bookstores.

Qigong as a Treatment Tool for Addiction

Qigong can be helpful for individuals in recovery or even if they are still in active addiction. However, Greg mainly focuses on teaching Qigong to individuals after detox when they start recovering physically. Qigong is an effective treatment tool as it can help with cognitive thinking and impulse control, which can help prevent relapses. The practice also promotes detoxification, as it helps to move energy and blood through the body. “It is really good for people in treatment because of the severe abuse and dysregulation the addict lifestyle has on our mind and body,” Greg explained.

The Importance of Community and Support in Addiction Recovery

It is important to note that Qigong is not a substitute for traditional addiction treatment methods but can be a helpful supplement. Greg emphasized the importance of a supportive community and having people to lean on during times of difficulty. “I had all these people that I could kind of lean on for strength when times were looking kind of scary,” he said. He credits the support of the people in the recovery community for helping him stay clean during difficult times.

Greg’s story is a testament to the power of qigong and martial arts as a path to a healthier, more productive way of living. Qigong and Tai Chi have been instrumental in his recovery journey, and he has shared his knowledge and experience with others through teaching and writing. 

Greg practicing qigong for addiction
Greg practices qigong in the Nevada desert as part of his addiction recovery.

Qigong is a gentle practice that can improve physical and energetic health and promote detoxification, making it an effective tool for addiction recovery. “Recovery is not something you learn, like, Okay, I’m done. Now, you know, you have to stay plugged in [to a program because relapse is always a risk],” Greg emphasized. Qigong can help individuals maintain their recovery by improving their physical and energetic health and promoting cognitive thinking and impulse control.

Overall, Greg’s experience with addiction and recovery highlights the importance of finding a practice as well as a community that can provide support during difficult times. Qigong and Tai Chi have been instrumental in his journey, helping him improve his physical and emotional well-being. His dedication to these practices has also allowed him to share his knowledge and experience with others, ultimately helping those struggling with addiction find a path to recovery.

Qigong for Addiction Recovery

Qigong’s ability to harness life energy and promote balance makes it a promising treatment tool for those struggling with addiction. Moreover, scientific research has backed its positive effects on addiction, proving its efficacy in fostering recovery.

In a study reported by the National Qigong Association, 50 men in treatment for early-onset alcoholism participated in Qigong/Tai Chi alongside medication and group therapy. A comparable control group received medication, group therapy, and yoga but did not practice Qigong. Assessments conducted after 18 days and six months revealed significant differences between the two groups. The Qigong group showed improvement in cognitive thinking and impulse control early on and, after six months, experienced significantly fewer relapses and longer periods of abstinence.[2]

Additionally, a recent systematic review and meta-analysis by Kumar et al. examined the effects of qigong and tai chi exercises on individuals with drug addiction. The study found that qigong and tai chi exercise had a significant overall effect on depression, anxiety, quality of life, and sleep quality in individuals with drug addiction. Qigong was found to outperform tai chi in improving depression, anxiety, and sleep quality.[3]

Qigong’s benefits extend beyond cognitive improvement, as it also aids in detoxification by helping cleanse the bloodstream. By promoting relaxation, self-care, and energy generation, Qigong supports the achievement of many recovery goals. In addition, its spiritual aspects contribute to healing and fostering a sense of community among practitioners.

source: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.826187

Conclusion

While Qigong and other holistic practices can be helpful supplements to traditional treatment methods, they are not a substitute for professional medical or psychological care. However, Qigong and Tai Chi may be worth considering for individuals interested in exploring alternative approaches that enhance addiction recovery.

In conclusion, Qigong’s life energy and focus on balance make it an effective, holistic approach to addiction recovery. By addressing cognitive, physical, and spiritual healing aspects, Qigong can help individuals regain control over their lives and reduce their chances of relapse. As more people discover the benefits of this ancient practice, Qigong is poised to become an increasingly important tool in the battle against addiction.

About the Author

I Liq Chuan Instructor Ashe Higgs

Ashe Higgs, I Liq Chuan Master Instructor & L2 Nutrition Coach

Ashe is a highly skilled martial arts instructor and certified nutrition coach with over two decades of experience in the field. He holds a Master Instructor certification in I Liq Chuan under Sam FS Chin, making him one of only several individuals worldwide to hold the title. He has taught classes and workshops worldwide and is passionate about helping others achieve their fitness and wellness goals.

With a background in full-contact fighting and a Level 2 certification from Precision Nutrition in nutrition coaching, Ashe is a well-rounded expert in the fields of martial arts. In addition to his expertise, he has a wealth of experience in teaching and mentoring others. He has a natural ability to connect with his students and inspire them to reach their full potential.

Read more about Ashe here…

Disclaimers & Conflicts of Interest

I am not a doctor, and the information provided should not be considered medical advice. The information provided is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Consult your doctor or a qualified healthcare professional before making any changes to your diet, exercise routine, or lifestyle.

Please note that some of the links provided in this content may be affiliate links, meaning that I may receive a small commission if you purchase through them. However, please rest assured that any products or services recommended are based on my personal experience and belief in their value. I only recommend products or services that I have personally used and believe in.

References

  1. Hsu, Mei-Chi, et al. “Effects of Baduanjin exercise on oxidative stress and antioxidant status and improving quality of life among middle-aged women.” The American journal of Chinese medicine 36.05 (2008): 815-826.
  2. Kumar, Rajesh, et al. “Effectiveness of an Integrated Intervention Program for Alcoholism (IIPA) for enhancing self-regulation: Preliminary evidence.” Asian journal of psychiatry 43 (2019): 37-44.
  3. Cui, Jiabao et al. “The Impact of Qigong and Tai Chi Exercise on Drug Addiction: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.” Frontiers in psychiatry vol. 13 826187. 8 Mar. 2022, doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2022.826187
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Kung Fu Breathing Exercises

I put together a playlist on YouTube of my videos discussing kung fu breathing exercises. Most of these videos are excerpts from our weekly online zoom class. If you find these videos to be interesting or helpful, please consider signing up!

Kung Fu Breathing Techniques

There are as many different breathing exercises for kung fu as there are styles of kung fu (many)!

The Chinese have written records of breathing exercises dating back to at least 300 BCE and possibly much earlier. For example, the Daoist philosopher Zhuang Zi wrote “The men of old breathed clear down to their heels…”

In modern-day, the art of Chinese breathing exercises is called qigong 氣功 (pronounced chi gong). The root word qi 氣 (chi), meaning something like “vital force”, is made up of two characters that mean “steam” or “vapor”, and “rice”. The word qi is a recognition by the ancient Chinese that life is driven by the energy derived from both food and the air we breathe (vapor).

“For breath is life, and if you breathe well you will live long on the earth.”

~Sanskrit Proverb.
Chinese artwork related to kung fu breathing exercises called Neijing Tu
The “Inner Landscapes” from White Cloud Temple in Beijing

Playlist Contents

In Chinese martial arts, when we coordinate breathing exercises with specific movement patterns, we consider these to be neigong or internal exercises. Neigong is more specifically martial arts training; neigong training helps you to develop power, protect yourself from injury, and keep your balance, as opposed to qigong which is mostly for health and meditation.

Neigong will help you to understand how to use your breathing to generate more power and protect your inner organs from injury in a fight. In Chinese martial arts, this is also called “Golden Bell” or “Iron Body” training. If you want to get the very most out of your kung fu training, you can’t neglect training neigong.

In his book “The Zen Way To The Martial Arts” the great Zen master, Taisen Deshimaru, when asked by a student about the most important thing to learn arts, answered by saying “Breathing. What condition are you in below the navel? I don’t mean your genitals! I mean the hara 腹, three fingers beneath the navel (note that in I Liq Chuan we consider it to be two fingers below). The way to develop the power of the hara, to assemble all your energy there, is by right breathing.”

If you’d like more personal instruction or guidance with kung fu breathing exercises, consider signing up for our weekly online class or our group classes if you’re local.

Join us and unlock the secrets of the Old Masters!

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What Is Qigong?

Have you heard of Qigong yet? It’s an ancient Chinese secret for health and longevity involving breathing and movement. Tomorrow during the Payson farmer’s market from 10 to 11, we’ll be running a free Qigong class here at Rim Country Wellness.

What Is Qigong & How Does It Work?

The type of Qigong that we’re practicing comes from Zhong Xin Dao I Liq Chuan, the martial art that we’re practicing here throughout the weekend, We’re blessed to have Grandmaster Sam Chin here to lead us through this weekend’s training and to have the opportunity to experience some of the secrets through practice by breathing and moving to create and cultivate your own health and longevity. So without further ado, I will go to Grandmaster Sam Chin and Sifu Ashe Higgs.

Interview With GM Sam Chin

Sam Chin
Yes, I am glad to be here. All right, this is the first trip after COVID to Arizona here. Tomorrow, we are trying to promote the art we call Zhong Xin Dao which is a style of Chinese kung fu.

Alright, kung fu is about cultivation; it’s about the skill of knowing yourself, right mental and physical. So it’s based on the principles of Zen and Tao. It’s about balancing, about harmonizing; basically, it’s about how to be happy.

So, to understand how our minds and bodies work, it’s how we feel ourselves. Through understanding the movement, the breath, and then what to call, we say “qi/chi”.

What is the “qi”? Qi is the energy flow; it’s about the attention of how you look into the mechanism of the body, right.

Ashe Higgs
So, we mentioned that tomorrow morning, we’re going to be having the free Qigong session during the farmers market here at Rim Country Crossfit.

So, what is qigong?

Can Qigong Heal?

Sifu Says

Sam Chin
Qigong is the art of energy cultivation, you could say it’s breathing exercises.

Qi is the life force you could say. So, what we eat, how we breathe, it’s the life force within us; everyone has it. Life force is also outside [of us] you see, we need to have that to survive. Through attention, through concentration, we are able to gather it; gather it for healing, for the purpose of healing any person.

Ashe Higgs
We all want to be happier and healthier, how does qigong help us to be healthier?

Sam Chin
Now, basically, because of the movement, there’s mental and physical, when once mental is physical. So this is what you call the unifying mental and physical. When you unify the action with the movement, you maintain your mind in the moment; when we talk about the moment, the moment has no kind of feeling of “you like, or you don’t like”; it’s a feeling of “as such”. When you feel it “as such” with balance, and harmony, you will have a feeling of satisfaction and joy.

This is one part of things that leads you to happiness. This happiness will be kind of continuous happiness that is different from another kind of happiness; when you get [the emotional kind of happiness], you’re afraid of losing it.

Qi Gong & Cancer

Ashe Higgs
So, I hope you don’t mind me mentioning it, but a few years ago you had cancer.

Sam Chin
Yes, in 2013 I had cancer. I had mantle cell lymphoma, so I went through chemo and a bone marrow transplant; because of qigong and meditation and understanding how the mind works, how to handle me, myself mentally, it helped me to go through [the process of treatment].

Ashe Higgs
Did it give you tools for stress management during that time?

Sam Chin
Yes, it helped me to look into the [mental and physical] process. So like I said, when you look at the process, it’s just seeing what is happening [now]. So, if you don’t really have any resistance [to change], right, you won’t suffer.

Ashe Higgs
And it seems like it also gave you the ability to tolerate the chemo easier than most people. And it seems like you recovered faster than most people normally do, under those circumstances, right? If I remember correctly, you told us some stories that the doctors were impressed with how fast you could recover.

Qi Gong & Anxiety

Sam Chin
Yes, because it’s all about the mindset, or mental attitude. If you can stay more in the present, you won’t have [such a] stressful experience you see. Normally, when you have stress, it’s because you bring in all this past experience into [the present]. There’s a joke in Zen that knowledge and our past experience is attacking us, because [we’re] comparing [and judging] things; that makes us feel very stressed. So when we train qigong and all these exercises we call kung fu, it’s a skill of maintaining [yourself] in the moment, trying to maintain in the present to see what is happening.

Ashe Higgs
And you used the word “acceptance”, right, and said it’s more about what is happening, but at the same time it’s not like you gave up, right? You’re still here. So [flowing] is not a passive kind of thing, it’s still active.

Sam Chin
We say that nature itself is about change. To be in the moment is actually very active; active, and alert [with the quality of] readiness, so you will just enjoy the moment. It’s not that you will just [give up], but we can just enjoy everything as it is, to say that means we don’t add anything in or we don’t take anything away.

Through meditation and qigong, we’ll be able to look at things “as such”. When you’re doing things, let me say, everything has beauty by itself; you’re not comparing anything and then you will have the kind of joyfulness because you look at is the thing and it is not comparing, but it’s not that you don’t know the difference, you know the difference, but you’re not comparing it.

So everything has its own place. That’s why it exists. See, it’s not that “this is bad”, and “this is good”; this [kind of thinking/judging] is all from your own point of view. Anything that exists, has its own value; [things exist] because they all have a relationship and interact. So when whatever you encounter, every little thing has its own, intrinsic beaut.

So, everyone is the same; everyone has their own beauty by themselves if you can stay in the moment, but that takes the training, right? To understand, to have your attention there; how to pay attention within yourself.

Qi Gong Awareness

So that means you must first understand your breathing. Training your breathing in Chinese is called qigong. Qi is “breath”, gong is “exercise”; actually, it’s just breathing exercises.

Breathing exercise is about the pressure within ourselves, how we adjust this pressure through movement, and all these things. So, through this, at that moment you will attain peacefulness; this is what we call “discipline and concentration”.

So, when we want to attain this right being… learning how to be mindful, we will see things in a way we have not seen before because we’re more mindful. That is the purpose of training.

Learn More About Qigong

So, this mindfulness training will help you to get through everyday life, and not to be stressed out, because you know yourself, and how we handle your mind and body; how this mind affects the body, how the body affects the mind, and how to balance this [relationship].

If you can balance this, you will balance your movement, balancing your action, balancing your speech, how you talk, and everything. So, with this balancing, it creates harmony; with harmony, then you will affect your surroundings: your family, your colleagues, your workplace, and everything. So, this creates positive energy.

Ashe Higgs
It helps us to be better people.

Sam Chin
It helps you be a better person.

Ashe Higgs
So, movement and breathing exercises help us to understand our mind and understand our body better, like you’ve said before,” first you must know [understand] yourself, only then can you use yourself correctly (i.e. right action).”

Sam Chin
Yes.

Ashe Higgs
Rudy, you wanna take over?

Rudy
Thanks for joining us! Join us tomorrow for the free qigong from 10 AM to 11 AM, and to be present in the moment, come get a massage as well.

We’ve got chair massage going on here right next door to rim country CrossFit, at Rim Country Wellness with Miss Amy Jen’s coming up from the valley from eight to noon. So come join us for the Qigong class. Enjoy the farmers market, check out the art (of Zhong Xin Dao) to be more present, and become happier and healthier with us. A great night.

Sam Chin
Thank you

Join us and unlock the secrets of the Old Masters!

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Are Breathing Exercises Good For You?

A Look At Breathing Exercises Benefits & Limitations

We’re going to take look at one of the most important ways breathing exercises can be good for us. We’ll also consider some of the limitations. This post is a follow-up of last week’s article on the “four quarters of breathing,”

As always, it’s important to be clear that I am not a doctor. Nothing in this post meant to be considered medical advice. I only share my own practice and motivations for others to consider. Always consult with a licensed and credentialed functional medicine practitioner before making any changes to your exercise and lifestyle routine.

Deep Breathing Exercises Can Be Improved By Providing Resistance

Allow me to introduce you to my newest toy:  the Breather Fit. This tool allows you to add variable resistance to both the inhale and exhale.

Yes, it does look exactly like a crack pipe. 

Breather Fit

There is a free app meant to be used in conjunction with this piece of equipment, but in my experience, it’s not necessary and not very high quality or interesting to use.

So, why would we want to bother adding resistance to our breathing?

In one word: reserves.

Let’s look at the graphic below, which illustrates lung volumes, and corroborates my premise that a full breath cycle should have “four quarters.”

http://www.pathwaymedicine.org/lung-volumes

Failure to maintain adequate reserves is the physiological equivalent of living paycheck to paycheck. It’s all good until you find yourself in a high-demand state. We want to keep as much money in reserve as possible to cover those unexpected bills.

Our bodies are constantly adjusting to the signals it receives; if all they ever receive are weak signals, our bodies adapt towards weakness.

The Last Word On Why Breathing Exercises Are Good For You

When’s the last time you heard somebody complaining they had too much time in the day? Technology hasn’t saved us any time in our day-to-day lives, but it has saved us energy. It generally takes much less effort to complete tasks today than in the past. That reduced effort translates into reduced messages to our bodies. Without these signals from our environment, we won’t maintain our strength or the ability to meet our oxygen demands.

In the 21st Century, we must seek opportunities to expose ourselves to healthy physical stress regularly. If we don’t, our reserves dwindle to the bare minimum necessary to support us while sitting indoors in central air and artificial lighting. It leaves us unprepared for the inevitable unexpected challenges of life.

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The Four Quarters of The Breath

GM Sam Chin likes to say “if it’s a circle, it has a center.  If it has a center it has four quarters.”


We tend to think of breathing as simply inhale and exhale, but I began to notice during my breathwork a year or so ago, one full breath cycle should also have four quarters.

Each inhale and exhale has two phases; an active phase and a passive phase separated by a neutral point.

The neutral point is when the diaphragm is completely relaxed and there is no movement of either inhale or exhale because the relative pressure inside the lungs matches the external pressure.



If we inhale from here, the inhale is active, requiring some effort from muscles like the external intercostals of the ribs, and if done properly the rib cage expands as the lungs fill with air.  At the very top of the breath, we reach maximum pressure inside the lungs.

From here we can simply relax and the built-up pressure will cause the air to rush out of our lungs until we reach the neutral point again.  This is the passive phase of the exhale.  Below the neutral point, we can use some effort to continue to exhale actively, which should cause the waist and rib cage to continue to condense by activating muscles like the internal intercostals and transversus.

At the bottom of the active exhale, we’ve built up some negative pressure inside the lungs;  if we simply relax, the vacuum will draw some air into the lungs until we reach neutral, and this is the passive phase of the inhale.

We need to acknowledge and actively train each of the four phases to some degree.

Why? Like anything else, it’s “use it or lose it” as we age.

Lung function declines by almost 40% over the lifetime of an average individual, more so in men than women.



Most people develop a shallow, “vertical” breathing pattern that involves too much involvement of the neck and shoulders as their activity levels decline, spending most of their time breathing at and just above the neutral point.

This lack of excursion (change in diameter) causes ossification in the rib cage. As the rib cage becomes increasingly stiff, we’re forced to take more breaths to maintain our normal 5-6L of air per minute. Heart rate and sympathetic (fight or flight) nervous system activation are directly linked to our diaphragm, this increased number of breaths per minute shifts us into mild chronic physiological stress.  

The alveoli, the tiny sacs in our lungs where O2/CO2 are exchanged, become deflated and increase dead airspace within the lungs reducing our ability to take in fresh oxygen.

Respiratory muscle strength decreases with disuse, impairing effective airway clearance leaving us prone to infection.

We’re also left with less and less reserve to meet our needs during high demand states like when we’re fighting off a bear (or pneumonia).

Pulmonary (lung) function measured as a function of forced expiratory volume has been shown to be a reliable indicator of life expectancy.

We also have research that shows that breathwork can and does improve lung function in older adults, so if your over 50 and you haven’t been doing breathwork your whole life, you don’t need to throw in the towel.

Start today and do what you can, with what you have where you’re at.



Here’s what to do

  • become more mindful of your breathing all the time. Make sure you’re spending time breathing in all four quarters throughout the day.
  • incorporate max inhales and exhales during your breathwork.  Reach both hands above your head, inhale to your max and try to flare your ribs as wide as possible like the hood of a cobra
  • Ball your hands into fists and pull arms down close to your sides and exhale as much as possible.  Feel your rib cage and waist get as small as possible. Repeat 10x. (bonus, if you’re training a martial art like I Liq Chuan, when you fajin, you’re already training your forced expiratory volume!)

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Marrow Washing – Can You Breathe Your Way To A Healthier Brain?

A new scientific study potentially sheds some light on how the practice of bone marrow washing qigong may work. At its core, all qigong essentially boils down to coordinating your breathing and movement with focused attention: yi dao qi dao li dao 意到氣到力到 (attention arrives, energy arrives, power arrives).

Shaolin is famous for two sets of qigong in particular; the yijinjing (易筋經) and xisuijing (洗髓經) (although you’ll be hard-pressed to find any two teachers who agree on exactly what either of them should look like).

The yijinjing, loosely translated, means “muscle/tendon changing classic.” This is the set that Master Jiru teaches as part of his approach to “mindfulness of feeling.”

Xisuijing – Marrow Washing Qigong

Xisuijing means something like “marrow washing exercises”. Dr. Yang Jwingming writes “Xi means “to wash” or “to clean.” Sui includes Gu Sui , which means “bone marrow,” and Nao Sui , which refers to the brain—including the cerebrum, cerebellum, and medulla oblongata. Jing () means “classic or bible.” This work is commonly translated “Marrow Washing Classic,” but “Brain/Marrow Washing Classic” is a more accurate translation.”

In I Liq Chuan, GM Sam Chin teaches that “expand and condense” helps to cycle the qi from the center of the bones (the marrow) out through the ligaments, tendons, and skin and back and considers this training to be xisuijing.

Other systems of kung fu, like Little Nine Heavens, teach specific exercises using weights tied to the genitals as a major component of, if not the singular focus of xisuijing.

The Purpose of Bone Marrow Washing Qigong

<—WARNING: long, but relevant tangent ahead—>

In his book “Qigong, The Secret of Youth” Yang, Jwingming translated many old documents detailing the practice of xisuijing, and while there were exercises that involved the testicles, no mention was made of swinging weights from them, therefore I’m inclined to think that either only certain schools adopted this practice as part of their specific approach to marrow washing, or over time the practice was abandoned by most schools.

Remember the semi-mythical founder of Zen, Bodhidharma, was an Aryan prince turned monk who’d traveled to Shaolin from India around the 5th century AD, where he found the monks in poor health due to lack of exercise (they spent all their time translating sutras from Sanskrit into Chinese).

Learn More About Qigong

Bodhidharma, aka Damo or Daruma.

As the story goes, Bodhidharma taught the monks various yogic practices, which became the foundation of Shaolin’s qigong and kung fu. There are Indian yogis who also practice hanging weights from their genitals, so it almost certainly pre-dates its practice in China, and potentially was an important part of the original xisuigong.

<—/tangent—>

In his article on the purpose of xisuijing, Yang Jwingming writes
“Most important of all, the practitioner of Brain/Marrow Washing Qigong is able to lead Qi to his brain to nourish it, and to raise up his spirit. To the Daoists and Buddhists, Brain/Marrow Washing Qigong is the path to reach the final goal of enlightenment or Buddhahood.”

How does one lead the qi? With focused attention: yi dao qi dao li dao.

“Where the attention goes, the energy goes.”

New Science Meets Ancient Practices

Now that we’ve established some background on marrow washing and the role of focused attention and breathing in qigong methods let’s take a look at some recent discoveries that support the premise that we can use intentional breathing exercises to optimize the health and function of our brains.

Our brains are our most metabolically active organs; they account for only about 2% of our body weight yet consume ~20-25% of all the calories we eat; as a result, it produces large amounts of metabolic waste products. Accumulation of these harmful substances, like amyloid plaques, is associated with cognitive decline as seen in Alzheimer’s, and one of the most important functions of sleep is clearing out waste from the brain by circulating (i.e., “washing”) the CSF, or cerebrospinal fluid. Breathing, however, also plays a role in the process!

A recent study published in the journal Nature Scientific Reports showed that slow breathing had a considerable impact on the flow of CSF.

How Slow Breathing Helps Clean Your Brain

frame rate is faster than real time

The volume of CSF circulated was four times greater from breathing than from heart rate, and this was for a “normal” breath rate of 15 breaths per minute.

On Instagram, Dr. Steven Lin writes “During an inhale and exhale the chest rises and falls. The change in pressure flows upward to the CSF dynamics around the brain.

​Here’s how it works:
Breath in (inspiration) – Lowers chest pressure and empties the venous plexus. CSF flows down the spine.
Breath out (expiration) – Increases chest pressure and fills the venous plexus, pushing CSF up the spine into the head.”

Slower breathing, like that used in qigong and breathwork, can be 5-6 breaths per minute (or less).

In an article from Science Norway, study author Vegard Vinje explained why fewer deep breaths have a greater impact on the flow of brain fluid than faster, shallow breathing. Essentially, the longer waves that result from deep breaths can carry more volume. He compares it to ocean waves hitting the land.

“Imagine a beach with rubbish. A long wave will remove garbage and clutter on a beach more efficiently than a short one,” he said.

Although there is a certain risk of trying to shoehorn modern data to fit into ancient practices, I believe that the old masters developed deep insights into the inner workings of their bodies and minds, and modern imaging technology is finally allowing us to see and measure what they were feeling all along.

Join us and unlock the secrets of the Old Masters!

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Qigong Breathing

Brain Over Body – Inner Workings of The Inner Fire

Thrive Market 

I’ve been training in adaptation to both hot and cold for several years (each one has particular benefits to health, and performance), but it wasn’t until this past October that I attended a formal workshop on the material with the Art of Breath coach Rob Wilson. Although I had done Wim Hof’s 10 Week Course, I wasn’t completely happy with it. I felt that there were “secrets” missing from the material, some of which I uncovered by accident, in Scott Carney’s book “What Doesn’t Kill Us”.

 

The workshop with Rob Wilson was a good experience on many levels, the most important of which was just validating my experience with training cold exposure up to now, and also helped clarify my experience with the Wim Hof online course; compared to deep meditation methods like Vipassana or Zen which are meant to completely overhaul your mental “operating system”, cold exposure practice is really so simple, there’s not much “how to” to talk about, just do it, and nature pretty much handles the rest over time. The keys are a little bit of intent, and controlling your breathing to manage your physiological state.

Recently I posted about a review paper that detailed some of the relationships between breathing exercises and improvements in immune function and now, we have some more exciting new findings in regards to respiration / breathing exercises and cold exposure from Wayne State University as part of exerting active control over normally autonomic functions in the body. The study is titled “Brain over body”–A study on the willful regulation of autonomic function during cold exposure Here are a few highlights from the study

  •  fMRI analyses indicated that the WHM activates primary control centers for descending pain/cold stimuli modulation in the periaqueductal gray (PAG)
  • The periaqueductal gray (PAG), also known as the central gray, constitutes a cell dense region surrounding the midbrain aqueduct.
  • In addition, the WHM also engages higher-order cortical areas (left anterior and right middle insula) that are uniquely associated with self-reflection, and which facilitate both internal focus and sustained attention in the presence of averse (e.g. cold) external stimuli.

I think one of the more interesting findings from the study was that BAT, or brown fat, played a negligible role in generating heat to maintain core temperature during cold exposure, but instead the muscles of the rib cage, the intercostals, played the chief role by burning massive amounts of glucose.
This helps add some understanding to my own experience with the practice, which is that anytime I’m sleep deprived, or in a fasted state I have a much more difficult time resisting the cold compared to when I’m fed, and rested.

I commonly fast two days a week, and the first three or four days of every month. In a fasted state, core temp drops a bit anyway, and my system may not yet be fat adapted well enough to efficiently keep up with the higher demand for blood sugar through gluconeogenesis. (I suspect this is true, as I still have not recovered 100% of my exercise performance since switching to a ketogenic diet in June of this year). There was also a recent study done that showed blood ketone levels above 2.0 (which wouldn’t be uncommon during fasting) basically results in “ketone resistance”.

 Similarly, cortisol levels are high, and you’re naturally more insulin resistant when sleep deprived, so again, this could potentially play a role in not being able to keep up with the glucose demands of the “inner fire” practice.

If you’d like a  nice animated synopsis of the study and the results, the official Wim Hof YouTube channel released a nice video about it.

 

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References 1. “Brain over body”–A study on the willful regulation of autonomic function during cold exposure
Author links open overlay panelOttoMuzik
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1053811918300673?via%3Dihub

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Qigong For Health – New Science [Part 1]

The Science Behind Qigong For Health

The old masters discovered centuries ago that deep breathing practices like qigong and pranayama lead to long life and abundant health. I teach several of these traditional qigong sets as part of our local martial arts classes here in Tempe, AZ, including a variation of yijinjing 易筋經 unique to I Liq Chuan, as well as a qigong for health set taught by GM Sam Chin and the “five contemplations of breathing” taught by Venerable Jiru of the Mid-America Buddhist Association.

Possible Benefits of Qi Gong For Health

A new review article recently published in Frontiers in Psychiatry [1] reveals some mechanisms behind such practices and their applications in treating mental and physical disorders like anxiety, depression, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and Crohn’s disease.

At over 15 pages and full of scientific jargon, the original review paper is quite long and dense for many readers, so I’ll summarize some of the more critical details below. Even as a summary, I’m going to break this post up into multiple parts:

Part 1: some basic anatomy
Part 2: The Immune system

Basic Anatomy

The human gut has an estimated 100-500 million neurons; this is more neurons than the spine. It’s the most significant accumulation of nerve cells in the human body. Often referred to as “the second brain,” it is more appropriately referred to as the enteric nervous system. Well-known author of martial arts and qigong books, Yang, Jwingming, has been writing about this since at least the 90s.

The enteric nervous system produces more than 30 neurotransmitters and communicates directly with the brain (and vice versa) via the vagus nerve. The vagus nerve originates in the brain stem and extends downward through the torso connecting to all the major organs, including the brain, heart, liver, lungs, and the gut. Due to its length and complexity, it’s called “the wandering nerve” (vagus means wandering in Latin).

The Gut-Brain Axis

Photo credit – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4367209/

This “two-lane highway” between gut and brain via the vagus nerve is referred to as the gut-brain axis or GBA.

From an “Eastern” point of view, the body tissues can be divided into yin and yang types like flexors and extensors in the muscles or arteries and veins in the circulatory system. Nerves are similarly divided into two different fiber types: afferent (long “A” like hay) and efferent (long “E” like feel) fibers.

Afferent fibers bring information from the point of contact (stimulus) back to the brain and central nervous system. In contrast, efferent fibers carry information from the CNS back to the other end of the system. You could say that afferent fibers bring information “from out-to-in,” while efferent fibers bring information “from in-to-out.”

A whopping 90% of the nerve fibers in the vagus are afferent fibers, bringing detailed information about the gut and the state of its internal environment back to the brain, then to the brain stem and limbic system (more on this later). In comparison, the remaining 10% of fibers are efferent, communicating information about our external environment and mental state back to the gut. This intimate connection explains why you feel moody when you’ve eaten the wrong foods or why you get butterflies in your stomach when you get nervous.

How Qigong Works – Slow Breathing

So that you don’t forget to do important things like breathe, say, after you fall asleep, by default, respiration (breathing) is hardwired into the autonomic nervous system. However, being able to speed up or slow down our breathing voluntarily is an ability we all possess. (As a side note, I recently heard about a condition in which people lose the autonomic function and basically can’t sleep anymore. Every time they try to fall asleep, they wake up because they quit breathing and eventually die of sleep deprivation!)

The nervous system can be divided into two main parts, the voluntary (somatic) nervous system and the autonomic nervous system, which can be again divided into the enteric nervous system, the sympathetic (fight or flight), and the parasympathetic (rest and digest) nervous system. The vagus nerve is the primary regulator of the parasympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system. To make a rough analogy, if the nervous system were your house and the autonomic nervous system your central heating, the vagus nerve would be the thermostat.

As you may have guessed by now, breathing practices can directly stimulate the vagus nerve by increasing the vagal tone, leading to an improvement in autonomic regulation, clarity of thought, improved mood, and ability to cope with stress.

Heart Rate Variability & Vagal Tone

Simple breathing exercises seem to restore vagal tone, at least in part, through heart rate variability.

Each of us naturally has a different heart rate between the inhale and exhale, as well as from beat to beat. When you inhale, the heart rate speeds up a bit, and when you exhale, the heart rate goes down.

Good heart rate variability indicates that you’re in a relaxed state, whereas poor variability indicates a stressed, sympathetic state. So by slowing down the number of breaths we take in a minute and focusing on making the exhale longer than the inhale, we naturally cause the heart rate to drop, which restores vagal tone and increases relaxation as we shift from a sympathetic into a more parasympathetic state. Once in the parasympathetic state, the gut then upregulates the production of “feel good” neurotransmitters like serotonin, which go back to the brain, increasing relaxation and beginning a cascade that feeds forward into itself.

The old saying goes, “happy wife, happy life,” but “happy gut makes a happy brain” might be more accurate.

Although the effects of practicing various qigong for health techniques are at least initially, global, masters of breathing exercises like Wim Hof have shown that conscious and direct, targeted increases in autonomic nervous functions like immune responses to pathogens like e. Coli can be achieved.[3]

Slow your breathing, heart rate drops, and the gut starts doing all kinds of things beneficial to our health. We can do all this consciously because the forward, “thinking” brain is wired into the brain stem through the limbic system (the emotional center of the brain), which is in turn wired to the vagus nerve.

Part two will continue with how stimulating the vagus nerve through breathing exercises like qigong and pranayama helps to regulate the immune system and improve blood pressure and gut health.

Learn More About Qigong

References

[1]Vagus Nerve as Modulator of the Brain-Gut Axis in Psychiatric and Inflammatory Disorders
Sigrid Breit, Aleksandra Kupferberg, Gerhard Rogler and Gregor Hasler

[2] Sudarshan kriya yoga: Breathing for health
Sameer A Zope, Rakesh A Zope[3] Voluntary activation of the sympathetic nervous system and attenuation of the innate immune response in humans
Matthijs Kox, et. al

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Scientists “Discover” What Martial Artists Have Known For Centuries…

a martial arts master using his kiai, or spirit shout

A recent study by research scientists documented the effects of “grunting” during the execution of a kick.  What did they find? The average study participant generated almost 10% more force when they “grunted.”[1]

If you’ve trained in martial arts for any length of time, this should come as no surprise. The old masters have known this for centuries.  In the Japanese arts, this phenomenon is referred to as kiai 氣合, or “spirit shout,” and in the Chinese arts (i.e. kung fu), we train heng/ha 哼哈, and specifically in I Liq Chuan, we also train tu’na 吐納 breathing. The shout helps increase core stability, resulting in more power to the limbs. For example, in this study, researchers found that improving core stability of female handball players resulted in an increased throwing speed of almost 5%.

While this might seem like a no-brainer to experienced martial artists, the real secret lies in using the diaphragm. Most people are familiar with the diaphragm and its role in breathing; however, what’s less commonly understood is that the diaphragm plays a role as a respiratory muscle and a spinal stabilizer.

My experience has been that even dual role; as a respiratory muscle and a spinal stabilizer. In my experience teaching my martial arts classes here in Tempe, Arizona, even martial arts and yoga veterans often have extreme difficulty accessing the diaphragm and have faulty breathing patterns. As a coach, I’ve had to get creative at times with finding novel ways of to get people in touch with their diaphragm.

The secondary findings of the study are possibly more interesting; the audible noise made during exertion has the potential to confuse an opponent and cause them to misjudge their defense.

22 students from the University of Hawaii were tested on their ability to guess the angle of a recorded kick in the presence of a simulated grunt.

Although I think the methodology used in the second part of the study was problematic at best, the concept has merit.

With that being said, when my kids were young, I used to use the concept to interrupt bad behavior by them without having to spank them. Remember, this isn’t just any ole yell; it comes from deep down, propelled by a powerful diaphragm pulse. There were occasions when my kids were taken enough by surprise that their young nervous systems were overwhelmed, and their legs buckled, causing them to stumble. 

Of course, you can’t expect such an extreme response from a fully mature nervous system. Still, I have occasionally seen grown men nearly cry in my local martial arts classes when I demonstrated by belting out a powerful “ha” in their faces (then again, maybe it was just my breath…).

Returning to the study results, the students responded about 50ms slower to kicks accompanied by the simulated grunt. That’s about 1/20th of a second slower to judge the angle of an incoming kick. Enough lag to potentially result in a KO kick, or in the old days, when swords or other weapons were involved, make the difference between life and death.

Of course, this is martial arts, so if somebody didn’t take the concept to questionable extremes, it just wouldn’t be any fun, now would it?

Join us and unlock the secrets of the Old Masters!

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About the Author

I Liq Chuan Instructor Ashe Higgs

Ashe Higgs, I Liq Chuan Master Instructor & L2 Nutrition Coach

Ashe is a highly skilled martial arts instructor and certified nutrition coach with over two decades of experience in the field. He holds a Master Instructor certification in I Liq Chuan under Sam FS Chin, making him one of only several individuals worldwide to hold the title. He has taught classes and workshops worldwide and is passionate about helping others achieve their fitness and wellness goals.

With a background in full-contact fighting and a Level 2 certification from Precision Nutrition in nutrition coaching, Ashe is a well-rounded expert in the fields of martial arts. In addition to his expertise, he has a wealth of experience in teaching and mentoring others. He has a natural ability to connect with his students and inspire them to reach their full potential.

Read more about Ashe here…

Disclaimers & Conflicts of Interest

I am not a doctor, and the information provided should not be considered medical advice. The information provided is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Consult your doctor or a qualified healthcare professional before making any changes to your diet, exercise routine, or lifestyle.

Please note that some of the links provided in this content may be affiliate links, meaning that I may receive a small commission if you purchase through them. However, please rest assured that any products or services recommended are based on my personal experience and belief in their value. I only recommend products or services that I have personally used and believe in.

References

  1. Sinnett, Scott, Cj Maglinti, and Alan Kingstone. “Grunting’s competitive advantage: Considerations of force and distraction.” PloS one 13.2 (2018): e0192939.
    https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0192939