The Science of the Mind Body Connection related to the subtle body practice of Qigong!

That which is looked upon by one generation
as the apex of human knowledge
is often considered an absurdity in the next,
and what is regarded as a superstition in one century,
may form the basis of science for the following one!
Paracelsus, sixteenth-century European Alchemist

I have created this article to talk about the latest info about the spectrum of equivalents for Qi in the Western View.

There is now pretty convincing evidence that Qi may be the element that organizes all of our bodily functions into a coherent and integrated expression of health and vitality. For decades now we have been aware that there are dynamic relationships between the nervous system and the organ systems, but the level of complexity that science is now recognizing is really astounding. This is leading to research into the effects of intentionally enhancing coherence of these systems through the use of imagery and Qigong practice.

The second equivalent is internal energy. Western science has begun to speculate that Qi might be the equivalent to bio-electricity or other internal energies such as ions. Qi could be the equivalent of the accumulation, discharge and flow of electrical impulses that operate the heart, the ionic charge that opens and closes the channels of entry and exit to the cell or the ionic discharge that carries neurological impulses along the neurons.

The third is the notion that the energy of the body is not only contained within but circulates around the body as a type of electromagnetic bodily energy.
Research has shown that these fields circulate around and penetrate the human system as magnetic fields and infrared radiation. The Human Bio-field.

The non-local aspect is the fourth equivalent of Qi in the form of photons or packets of light which are produced by cells and are stored by the body in the form of light. The Chinese have traditionally believed that mind and consciousness are unbounded in either space or time. Physicists are currently exploring the nature of fields of information, consciousness and the mind as a kind of cosmological constant-a form of subtle energy that is pervasive throughout the universe.

Therefore the multi-dimentional nature of Qi is becoming the topic of much research around the world. Maybe Qigong can be the door to even further understanding and scientific investigation by way of inquiry and curiosity where the doubting mind becomes the vehicle for understanding!

One of the most dramatic breakthroughs in the physiological domain is the simple effect of the mind mediated through the nervous system to influence the functioning of the immune, endocrine and other systems. In the 1940's through to now a huge amount of research has been done demonstrating the incredible power of stress and mood, states of the psyche, on health and disease. The minds effect on immunity, pyschoneuroimmunlogy. got the most attention but the effect of the mind on the heart was also important (psychoneurocardiology).

As new research came in it became clear that the mind body practices of Yoga, qigong, Tai Chi were quite effective in influencing these moods. The ancients had found practical ways to accomplish this carefully refined over centuries creating homeostasis and balance consciously in the human body.

Mechanical and Biochemical Effects of Qigong

* Qigong starts or initiates the relaxation response which starts when a form of focusing the mind frees one from distractions. This effectively decreases sympathetic function of the autonomic nervous system including heart rate and blood pressure, dilates the blood capillaries and optimizes the delivery of oxygen and nutrition to the tissues. Homeostasis in Western Science which is the balance of Yin and Yang in the Chinese view.
* Qigong adjust and alerts neurochemistry of the brain accelerating the healing profile. Neurotransmitters also known as neurohormones are information molecules that bond with receptor cells in the immune, nervous, digestive, endocrine and other systems to stimulate or inhibit function to moderate pain, enhance organ function , reduce anxiety or depression and neutralize addictive cravings.
* Qigong enhances immune function by increasing the flow of lymphatic fluids and neuroendocrine activation of immune cells.
* Qigong improves resistance to disease and infection by accelerating the elimination of toxic metabolic by-products from the interstitial spaces in the tissues, organs, and glands through the lymphatic system.
* Qigong increases the efficiency of cell metabolism and tissue regeneration through increased circulation of oxygen and nutrient rich blood to the brain, organs and tissues.
* Qigong coordinates and balances the left and right hemispheres of the brain promoting deeper sleep, reduced anxiety and mental clarity.
* Qigong induces alpha and sometimes theta brain waves which reduce heart rate and blood pressure facilitating mental focus and relaxation; optimizing the body's regulative mechanisms by decreasing the sympathetic activity of the autonomic nervous system.
* Qigong moderates the function of the hypothalamus, pituitary and pineal glands plus the cerebrospinal fluid system of the brain and spinal cord, which manages pain and mood as well as optimizing immune function.
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