Spirit of the Organs
Science and Soul Behind Energize Organs and Meridians QiGong
by Dr. Gayl Hubatch, OMD, LAc

What if you had a direct communication with your internal organs? You could empower yourself through knowing that the body does talk while building an awareness of how to interpret its messages. Wow!

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) describes an essence, a spirit or soul of each of the main yin organ systems. The heart is considered the master or monarch of all the organ systems. In the meridian system, the heart also includes the circulatory system the blood vessels.      

Tai Chi Easy™ may offer help to the millions of people impacted by knee arthritis.

 Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a major contributor to disability affecting 13 percent of women and 10 percent of men over age 60 (Zhang 2010). Knee OA significantly impacts movement, daily tasks and decreases quality of life and has psychological impacts (Mahir et al 2010).

The good news is that there is help for the pain and other negative symptoms associated with knee OA.

Comments Submitted

The Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2016 (CARA) required the Pain Management Best Practices Inter-Agency Task Force develop the Draft Report on Pain Management Best Practices: Updates, Gaps, Inconsistencies, and Recommendations (Draft Report) which identified gaps or inconsistencies, and proposed updates to best practices and recommendations for pain management, including chronic and acute pain. CARA also required the public to have an opportunity to provide comments on the Draft Report during a 90 day public comment period, which occurred December 31, 2018 – April 1, 2019. 

A recent article appearing in UK's The Telegraph states that research suggests retirees may cut the risk of falls by a fifth by practicing Tai Chi and other exercise programs, research suggests.

A study involving Oxford University found that elderly people enrolled in fitness classes to improve their strength were far less likely to end up suffering potentially deadly injuries.

The research, which examined 108 trials, with 23,407 participants, found that classes which aim to improve balance and functional exercise cut the risk of falls by 23 per cent.

The Health Benefits of Tai Chi

This gentle form of exercise can help maintain strength, flexibility, and balance, and could be the perfect activity for the rest of your life.

Tai chi is often described as "meditation in motion," but it might well be called "medication in motion." There is growing evidence that this mind-body practice, which originated in China as a martial art, has value in treating or preventing many health problems. And you can get started even if you aren't in top shape or the best of health.

In this low-impact, slow-motion exercise, you go without pausing through a series of motions named for animal actions — for example, "white crane spreads its wings" — or martial arts moves, such as "box both ears." As you move, you breathe deeply and naturally, focusing your attention — as in some kinds of meditation — on your bodily sensations. Tai chi differs from other types of exercise in several respects. The movements are usually circular and never forced, the muscles are relaxed rather than tensed, the joints are not fully extended or bent, and connective tissues are not stretched. Tai chi can be easily adapted for anyone, from the most fit to people confined to wheelchairs or recovering from surgery.

Harvard Medical School Reports

Some solid research shows that tai chi can benefit people with osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, tension headache, and other ongoing, painful conditions. In one trial, for example, 66 people with fibromyalgia were randomized into two groups: one group took tai chi classes twice a week, the other group attended wellness education and stretching sessions twice a week. After 12 weeks, those in the tai chi group reported less pain, fewer depression symptoms, and better sleep than the control group. The results were published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Qigong Institute Provides Valuable Research Information

Current research articles on Qigong, Tai Chi and other mind, body, spirit practices can easily be found at the Qigong Institute's website. Their Research Page includes helpful search features to help you locate articles on the specific topics you may be searching for.

The Qigong Institute is a 501c(3) not-for-profit organization dedicated to promoting the scientific understanding of the basis of Qigong through research and education. Since 1984 it has been a clearinghouse for related news and scientific facts to aid researchers, writers, Qigong practitioners and teachers, members of the Western medical community, and the members of the general public who are interested in learning more about Qigong and Tai Chi. It's goals are:

• Promoting Qigong via education, research, & clinical studies
• Improving healthcare by integrating Qigong and Western medicine
• Making information on Qigong available to medical practitioners, scientists, the public, and policy makers