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Imagine a day where you are constantly happy and feeling your best, a day without stress, anxiety and the feeling of being overwhelmed. Although it may sound impossible to you, being in complete "balance" and having your life go along as smoothly as can be is a lot closer to you than you think.

The first part to becoming aware of how to have greater balance in your life comes from understanding that you operate at your peak performance when your body, mind and spirit are "synchronized."

For most of us (including me not so long ago), it is a very rare occurrence to have all three functioning harmoniously. But don't despair because it just takes knowledge and a little practice to make this rarity an "everyday" experience.

To start, you need to recognize that each one of us has a physical energy system that runs through our body, which the Chinese refer to as our energy meridians. These are the same meridians used in Acupuncture, Acupressure and the Tong Ren healing technique.

How well the energy, what we'll call Qi (pronounced: Chee) from now on, flows through your meridians is a direct indicator to how "balanced" you are. The better the flow of Qi you have the greater balance you experience.

In addition, the Chinese have known for thousands of years that pain in the body is cause by a blockage of Qi within the body's energy meridians. When the blockage is cleared, the pain subsides.

One of the best ways to balance the body, mind and spirit, and enjoy improved health and well-being, is through the practice of an ancient Chinese exercise called Qigong (pronounced: Chee Gung).

It is easy to learn, has no prerequisites and does not require any special equipment. And, it can be preformed in any room where you can raise your arms over your head and reach out at arms length. In addition, in can also be done outside, one of the best (and recommended) places to practice.

Qigong is also a great way to compliment other forms of exercise, and there are numerous health benefits that go along with a consistent daily practice.

A Brief History

Qigong is a beautiful yet simple natural breathing and movement exercise used for healing, health preservation, increasing body strength, toning muscles and bringing complete inner balance to one's life. It is thought to have originated as early as four thousand years ago in the Tang Yao times as a form of dancing.

As with dance steps, there are many different styles of Qigong. These styles originated from the different regions in China and different families who have passed this amazing healing system on. The common bond with all of them is they promote good health, well-being and balance through the regular practice of simple exercises.

The word Qigong is made up of the Chinese character "Qi" which can mean breath or energy and "Gong" which can mean exercise or work. Together, they can be thought of as "breath exercise" or "energy work." This amazing ancient Chinese health care system focuses on allowing the free-flow movement of Qi (energy) through the body's energy meridian network (or energy channels).

Unlike westernized exercise, Qigong simultaneously combines concentration, movement and breathing to utilize all of the body's strategic components at the same time. This provides a much more focused and intense total-body workout while being completely low-impact and user-friendly.

It is estimated that over 80 million people practice Qigong regularly and it can be done either standing, lying down or sitting, depending upon the ability of the participant.

The best part of Qigong is that it puts the power of healing and health preservation in your hands. It allows you to take a proactive approach in keeping yourself healthy, balanced and living a better way of life.

The Benefits of Qigong

In addition to showing you how to achieve consistent balance in your life, experimental evidence demonstrates that Qigong has many beneficial effects when used in conjunction with the standard treatments of illnesses such as cancer, hypertension and heart disease.

When practiced consistently, Qigong has been shown to:

• Reduce stress and relieve anxiety.
• Increase energy (Qi) and vitality while helping to restore youthfulness.
• Promote well-being, improve health and raise the quality of life with an emphasis on balancing the whole body system.
• Produce a more restorative sleep and help you find the deep relaxation and mental quiet necessary for sleep.
• Develop a clear and tranquil mind, which allows healing, transformation and better decision-making.
• Improve physiological control by helping to normalize, for example, breath rate, heart rate, blood pressure, hormone levels, blood oxygenation and states of chronic inflammation or depletion.
• Raise the efficiency of the metabolism such as improving the digestion, helping the skin to become clearer and assist the body in eliminating toxins.
• Enhance intuition and creativity while allowing the brain to become more awakened.
• Sharpen the senses through improved mindfulness and concentration.
• Build strength, tone your body and increase your flexibility.

Balance, better health, relaxation, greater inner peace, well-being and an improved lifestyle all come into play when you harmoniously connect your body, mind and spirit.

Qigong is a simple yet effective way for you to take control and start improving the quality of your life almost instantly.