I directed my formal education, from middle school on, towards one thing: becoming an Engineer. Because I started college while the moon program was in full swing, I went into Aerospace Engineering rather than my original aim which was Aeronautical. As it happened, the space program was in a lull by the time I started looking for employment, but I was fortunate enough to find work on one of the U. S. Navy’s submarine programs. After all, submarines “fly” through the oceans, much like aircraft fly through the air, don’t they? A few years went by and I discovered that the Shuttle program was ramping up, so I started a 22 year career there. In short, I’m one of those rocket scientists that so many jobs don’t need you to be.
How is it that someone with intensive training in higher mathematics, scientific methodologies both empirical and theoretical, steeped in logic and critical thinking would find any kind of affinity for Qigong? The short answer is: Because it works.
My favorite brief description of engineers is that we are practical scientists. An engineer learns theory to have an understanding of why some things work and others don’t. Even in Engineering, we find things theory cannot explain. For example: it seems obvious that airplanes need wings. However, wing-form design is empirical, which means that you can only try things and see what works. No theory has been developed which can reliably produce a wing-form design that performs as predicted. The cycle is to build a model, test it, evaluate the results, change the model and repeat until the desired results are achieved.
The practice of Qigong centers on the reality of Qi. This Qi may be called universal energy or energy of vitality. It cannot be directly quantified by scientific instruments, but it can be detected by human senses. Its qualities can be discerned, but its strength cannot be measured. Some photographic techniques seem to be able to capture images that might represent a Qi aura. Rigorous examination however, often shows that the images are more likely to be an artifact of the photographic technology than a demonstration of the objective reality of Qi. Despite the limitations of technology, it is quite possible to develop a practical working knowledge of the qualities of Qi.
Since the Qi cannot reliably be detected or measured by scientific instruments, how can one be sure of its reality? I use a cycle similar to the one described above. The teacher and the student form a team. The teacher shows the student an approach to using Qi (build a model); the student practices (tests the model), and the team evaluates the results. If the results are not satisfactory, the team adjusts the approach (changes the model) and the cycle repeats until the desired results are achieved.
As a teacher of Qigong, I rely on my own observations combined with what my students tell me about their experiences. I have made a practice of asking each of my students to provide me with a description of how practicing Qigong has changed the way they feel about their own health. With their permission, I post these testimonials on my website (rwtodd.net). Observation of students’ progress shows a consistent pattern.
First, the student learns to relax. Relaxation of the skeletal muscles promotes greater range of movement and proper nourishment of the joints. When the joints can move freely, the Qi can move more smoothly throughout the body. This manifests in the musculo-skeletal system as reduction of pain and stiffness as well as greater strength and endurance.
Second, the student learns to breathe more deeply and more fully. This promotes lung capacity and pulmonary efficiency. The lungs are better able to exchange oxygen and carbon-dioxide, reducing stress on the heart and improving vascular efficiency. Deeper breathing also stimulates the lymphatic system. Qi moves with the flow of blood and lymph throughout the body and combines with them to improve the efficiency of sympathetic and parasympathetic responses. These changes manifest in improved resistance to disease, higher levels of cardio-vascular endurance and better ability to maintain balance.
Third, the student learns to focus intent. Training this faculty improves synaptic responses of the central nervous system which results in improved clarity of thought, better emotional stability and a more integrated sensory apparatus. These combine for better awareness of the physical body and of the immediate environment. This greater awareness results in improved ability to avoid accidents resulting in reduced frequency and severity of injuries. Focused intent, when combined with the first two, manifests in more complete healing of injuries, both new and old, as well as shorter healing time and reduced scarring.
My personal experience has been that studying Qigong is more like remembering than learning. We remember how to relax and breathe as we did when we were babes-in-arms. We remember how to focus intent the way we did as a child practicing a new skill. We remember how to feel and experience the Qi as we felt and experienced the enthusiasm of our youth.
This is just the beginning. People can and do spend a lifetime studying Qigong and learning how to use the Qi to improve their own life and the lives of those around them. I would encourage you to seriously examine concept of Qi and the proposed benefits of learning and practicing Qigong. Find a teacher you can work with and give them a chance to prove its value to you.