By Emy Louie, Edited by Raj
I remember hearing about Chi Kung back in 2003. My first reaction was, “That’s what old Chinese people do.”
Now that I’m in my 40’s and practicing Chi Kung myself, I know why I picked up the practice now and not nine years ago. It took me a long time to try out all different physical fitness regimens and then come to my own conclusion about which physical fitness practice suits best for me.
For example, I swim, jog and play tennis. Each of these activities took me a year to learn and then to discover whether I really liked them. I have tried almost every physical fitness activity that I wished.
Perhaps the most startling part of Chi Kung is that it generates energy unlike the other physical fitness activities that use up energy. This is mentioned in the book ‘The Way of Energy’ by Master Lam Kam Cheun. I realized it the first time when I did the “Holding the Balloon” which is the second position of Chi Kung.
When the weather is cold, my feet would always get cold, and I used to call that poor circulation. I have also heard other women complain about their cold feet. But the first time I did the second position, the core of my body felt warmer and my feet didn’t have that uncomfortable ice cold feeling.
Earlier my feet used to get cold in the cold weather and I used to wear socks like most people. However, after taking up the Chi Kung practice, I can really feel the difference physically. It takes only 20 minutes a day but the time spent is completely worth in order to have adequate energy to enjoy the whole day. And that’s priceless!
Mindfulness and Healthy Living 