How can something as old and exotic as Kunlun Dayan (Wild Goose) Qigong be of relevance to us in our fast paced modern world? How many of us without an interest in Chinese arts have even heard of Qigong? Most of us will no doubt be aware of Taiji, the slow meditative exercise practiced by people all over China, but the point they might be missing is that actually many of these people are not practicing Taiji at all. More often than not the movements will be Qigong, exercises with a history far older than Taiji. Whereas Taiji is a martial art, around 400 years old, and frequently diluted of martial meaning to be practiced simply as a health exercise, Qigong has evolved over the course of 5000 years, and has been specifically designed to develop and improve health. In this respect it is exponentially beneficial.

Unfortunately the conditions of modern living are not conducive to good health. The air in our cities is heavy with pollution. Sedentary lifestyles and societal pressures leave many of us feeling sad and despondent, or angry. We are bombarded with images of fame, beauty, wealth, and sex. This
sub-consciously engenders an unrealistic and disappointing disparity between the way we see ourselves and how we think we should be living, and the way the majority of us actually live.

If ever there was a need for authentic Qigong skill in the West, it is now. When times are difficult, we need something to help calm our minds and stabilise our emotions. Practicing Qigong can help us negate the adversity we encounter in our lives, and the detrimental effect this can have on our health by raising our energy levels and improving our outlook. It is perfectly suited to managing the newly emerging psychological strains of living in the 21st Century. Very few exercise systems are so accessible to all, so easy to learn, and so powerful in their ability to affect positive changes in the health and well being of the practitioner whilst instilling a sense of purpose and community that extends beyond the material...

So is Dayan Qigong relevant to our modern world? Yes, more so than ever.

 

By Oliver Lock.

 

 

 

 

 

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