A report on the study of Qigong exercise in the practice of
Chinese internal martial arts and health exercise modalities.
The Chinese internal exercise and martial arts have garnered a
legendary reputation for generating remarkable levels of health
and emotional well-being in those who perform the arts on a
daily basis. The following reports, conducted by the Life
Sciences Institute™ and the Beijing Institute of Traditional
Chinese Medicine in China, clearly indicate that the routine
practice of Chinese internal arts can be of significant benefit
in the prevention and secession of various forms of mental and
physical maladies associated with stress and/or environmentally
induced disorders of the human body and mind, major forms of
internal arts exercises being, specifically:
Taijiquan (T’ai Chi Ch’uan)
A gentle, soft style of Chinese martial art often practiced in
slow motion as an exercise to also stimulate the flow of Qi and
improve general health.
Baguazhang (Pa Kua Chang]
A rare form of Chinese internal martial art and Qi stimulation
exercise comprised of eight basic forms. The art is often
practiced at a normal walking speed with the practitioner
walking in a circle some eight feet or more in diameter. Each
form is designed to stimulate a specific area of the meridian
system.
Qigong (Ch’I Kung)
A series of physical exercised coupled with rhythmic breathing
developed to stimulate and/or enhance the circulation of
bio-electric energy (Qi) flowing throughout a system of
meridians. These meridians are said to supply the entire human
system with Qi energy.
Today it is an accepted scientific fact that stress levels
have a direct effect on an individual’s lifespan and
susceptibility to various forms of illness throughout life. The
art of Taijiquan has shown, in controlled testing, that when
combined with a prudent dietary program, the life expectancy and
health potential of an individual can be significantly
improved. Students who perform the forms for fifteen to thirty
minutes a day, five days a week, and follow a sensible diet
remain virtually free of colds, flu, and other ailments. Viral
infections were significantly reduced due to the flushing action
on the lymphatic system and energy levels in students increased
while stress levels markedly decreased. Taijiquan was found to
incorporate a series of “psycho-physical” postures and breathing
exercises which appear to have the ability to stimulate brain
wave activity at deep levels associated with states of
meditation and relaxation.
Beginning in 1976, until November 30, 1086, the Life Sciences
Institute™ conducted a series of test studies on the
conditioning effects of Classical Baguazhang based upon the
Taoist method taught by Chinese physician Li, Ching-yuen.
Baguazhang was found to incorporate a series of
“psycho-physical” postures which have the ability to stimulate
brainwave activity in creating an intuitive physical and mental
link between the right and left brain hemispheres. Baguazhang
shows great promise as a safe method for stimulation of the
endocrine system, cardiovascular system, and neutral systems of
the human body.
Tests conducted to determine the effectiveness of the art
for attaining overall fitness indicate that Baguazhang is
capable of producing gains in strength, flexibility, and aerobic
conditioning hitherto unrealized by many other forms of
exercise. Baguazhang can easily qualify as a form of “soft”
aerobic exercise. The techniques of Baguazhang can be adjusted
to suit the beginning or advanced student. A growing body of
data in the Baguazhang test files indicates that Baguazhang is
indeed a superior form of exercise, not only for the physical
body, but for the emotional stability of the practitioner as
well.
BAGUAZHANG PHYSICAL TEST RESULTS
Subjects exercises by walking around a 10’ diameter
circle while performing the exercises known as the eight
mother forms for a period of 20 minutes daily, for a
five day period, with rest cycles of two consecutive
days at the end of each week over a period of four
months.
Subject
Age
Max.
Target
RHR
1.
J.B.
25
195
160-170
70 > 45
20 > 12
10
2.
S.C.
28
192
154-163
75 > 50
30 > 15
8
3.
B.L.
24
196
157-167
68-40
25 > 10
15
4.
P.B.
30
189
151-161
80 > 55
35 > 14
9
Legend
Max. = Maximum heart rate for subject.
Target = Range subject worked within.
RHR = Resting heart rate, the first number indicates
start of test, the second, four months later.
%BF = Percent of body fat, the first number shows start
of test, the second, four months later.
%LBM = Percent of lean muscle weight, indicates
increases in muscle tissue over four months.
Part 3:
Beijing Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, China
THE EFFECT OF QIGONG EXERCISES ON EEG
MANIFESTED BY COMPUTER ANALYZE
He Qigong, Zang Jianzhou and Li Jingzen
The study was taken to analyze the effects of Qigong exercise
and meditation using a 12-channel EEG compressed spectral array,
EEG brain topographic mappings, and the correlation coefficient
topomappings.
Thirty subjects were tested, among whom 10 were long-term
practitioners of Qigong (called Qigong Masters): 10 were
short-term practitioners (called Qigong Beginners: the other 10
were in the control group without any Qigong exercise. All the
members were in good health and had no history of neurological
disease of head injury. The method of the study was as follows:
The Subjcects sat comfortably in chairs in a quiet chamber
while EEG recordings were made from silver disc electrodes at
the following locations: Fp1, Fp2, C3, C4, F7, F8, T5, T6, Fz,
Pz, and 01, 02.
EEGs were recorded on paper, and were simultaneously
recorded for 5 minutes prior to Qigong exercise, 10 minutes
during exercise, and 5 minutes after the Qigong exercises.
The EEG was continually monitored in order to minimize the
effects of muscle activity, drowsiness, and eye blinks on
of-line computer processing (SIGNAL processor YT17S). The
computer program involved: (1) initial sampling processing; (2)
window and periodogram arithmetic processing; (3) compressed
spectral array processing; (4) linear three-dimensional
interpolation processing; (5) topographic mapping processing;
(6) statistical T-test topographical mapping analysis; and (7)
correlation coefficient topographical mapping process.
The spectral analysis was performed on the background of
EEG using to FFT for the delta band, the theta band, the alpha 1
band, the alpha 2 band, the beta 1 band and the beta 2 band.
EEG TEST RESULTS
The results showed that the EEGs for Qigong Mastered (with
over 10 years of experience) during the Qigong exercise were
different from those of others. In the compressed spectral
array, the alpha rhythm in the frontal region increased. The
T-test topographical maps showed that in alpha 1 topographical
map only the T values of the anterior half of the brain were
over (T)9 = 2.4536, therefore, the increase in alpha 1 component
in the frontal regions was significant. Moreover, it was found
that the alpha 1 component gradually increased and alpha 2
component gradually decreased during the Qigong state.
There was no change of the alpha rhythm in the control
group (without any Qigong exercise) who were in the resting
state with the eyes closed.
Quantitative analysis of EEGs in subjects in the process of
Qigong exercise and in the resting state showed that changes in
EEGs during the process of Qigong exercise were specific, and
different from patterns associated qith awakening and
drowsiness, or any state between these two extremes.
The EEGs of the 10 Qigong Masteres in the process of Qigong
exercise were clearly different from those recorded during a
resting state with eyes closed. The peak amplitudes of alpha
rhythm increased during the Qigong state in all 10 Qigong
Masters and this change was statistically significant,
especially in the frontal regions. This resulst was the same as
the result of the T-test topographical mapping, which showed
that the increase in alpha 1 component in the frontal regions
was statistically significant (P<0.05). The change in alpha
rhythm in the posterior regions was not significant. Thus, the
qigong state appears to be a special and unusual state of
excitation.
CONCLUSION
From these three studies it appears that the practice of
internal arts forms, especially those of Taijiquan, Baguazhang,
and Qigong, have a significant effect upon the physical and
mental systems of the human body, especially when practiced for
an extended length of time. Overall, the practice of one or all
of these three forms has been shown to increase physical fitness
and significantly reduce stress and anxiety levels while
enhancing the overall function of the immunological systems.
Benefits derived from such practices are believed to be the
result of the production of specific mental states associated
with deep-level relaxation. Such forms of deep-level relaxation
have been shown in laboratory tests to considerably improve the
capacity of the human brain to regulate the function of all
internal systems, including human immune response reaction,
thereby increasing resistance to disease while reducing the
premature breakdown fo cellular tissues associated with the
aging process.
While these benefits are exciting, it must be said that Tai Chi
is not a miracle cute and that a student's health depends on the
amount of practice he or she is committed to. One day of
practice gives one day of health; a lifetime of practice gives a
lifetime of health.
