A group of "Qigong" masters will pay a 14-day visit to the
United States from January 30, the first time the ancient Chinese
healing practice has been introduced to Americans by a "Qigong"
delegation.
The six-member delegation will visit New York, Boston, and
Washington D.C. to perform "Qigong" and promote Chinese culture,
said an official with the Chinese Health Qigong Association
(CHQA),the organizer of the visit.
"Qigong" is used as part of traditional Chinese healthcare for
preventive and therapeutic treatments. "Qi", frequently translated
as "energy flow," is believed to be part of every living thing that
exists, as a kind of "life force" or "spiritual energy".
China's Qigong has a variety of forms. The CHQA, the only
national health Qigong organization, developed four easy-to-learn
types of health Qigong, namely Wu Qin Xi, Yi Jin Jing, Liu Zi Jue
and Ba Duan Jin, which are based on traditional healthcare
methods.
"Traditional Chinese culture has a great appeal for Westerners,"
said Lu Shiming, CHQA vice secretary-general. "Health Qigong, due
to its emphasis on better health, more meets the needs of today's
world."
Beijing Sport University Professor Hu Xiaofei, one of the
instructors to visit US, has been practicing Qigong for more than
20 years.
"To help foreigners understand Qigong, we liken it to sports
like yoga and jogging, but it has more emphasis on breathing and
the state of inner calmness and tranquility," Hu said.
"We promote Qigong to the world because it represents a healthy
way of life," Hu added.
During China's Spring Festival period, the CHQA will send
another five groups to six countries to promote health Qigong.
(Xinhua News Agency January 25, 2008)