To Understand Chi Kung
The frog and the Millepede
A millepede walked jolly, smooth and swift over a meadow. The frog, sitting likewise on the meadow, saw him. Astonished he regarded the millepede and jumped afterwards. Full of curiosity the frog asked him, which of his many legs he moves first while walking. The millepede pondered over it for a moment than he responded: „I do not know. I may and do not even want to know that. Never ever ask a millepede this question again!“
It has influence on feeling, thinking and acting and thus it affects on one’s daily life
In the Western sphere Chi Kung / Qi Gong is perceived under three aspects
(1) Perception of Qigong as an technique of treatment
according to this conception of Qigong it can be applied, to treat specific symptoms. Particular forms of Qigong have been developed which are offered and labeled as „Heart-Qigong“ (Bölts 1992), „Lung-Qigong“ (Bölts 1993) or „Kidney-Qigong“ (Bölts, Belschner & Zhang 1996). As a result this arouses strong hope of ill people, that the particular method of Qigong from an other culture could treat the specific disease effectivly.
In that way Qigong is seen in a clinical contect.
(2) Perception of Qigong as a method of health furtherance
- one would like to live longer, expand the span of life
- one would like to stay longer vital
- one would like to be able for a longer span of time to lead a good life and to realize the desires of life (Gronemeyer 1993)
- one would like to yield in the years of the statistic liefe expectance as “save“ into the calculus of life planning (Imhof 1984)
Also for these general ambitions of healthcare Qigong is applied in Western cultures.
(3) Perception of Qigong as a spiritual way
- humans want to explore the deepest sense of life
- they want to scrutinise the true nature of reality
- the want to find and found a way of life, in which they can live in the highest possible extent of unison with their essential being (Dürckheim 1972)
Belschner, W.; Bölts, J.; Fischer, P. Authentisch und achtsam werden, Qigong als Methode der Bewusstseinserforschung, Oldenburg, 2008