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What's New includes the most recent scientific and medical research on Qigong and Energy Medicine, as well as news on Qigong, Tai Chi and Energy Medicine events, symposiums, research and seminars.
Jet Li opens Tai Chi academy with Alibaba founder
According to Groove Asia, the tai chi school is Ma's idea, who wanted to promote the traditional exercise and do more in education and the environment. Having the support of an internet entrepreneur and movie star may raise the visibility of Tai Chi within China, especially among the younger generation.
Patients' preconceptions of acupuncture: a qualitative study exploring the decisions patients make when seeking acupuncture Existing theories of how context influences health outcomes could be expanded to better reflect the psychological components identified here, such as hope, desire, optimism and open-mindedness. Future research on the context of acupuncture should consider these elements of the pre-treatment context in addition to more established components such as expectations. There appears to be a need for accessible (i.e. well-disseminated), credible, and individualised, patient-centred materials that can allay people's concerns about the nature of acupuncture treatment and shape realistic hopes and expectations
Swedish review strengthens grounds for concluding that radiation from cellular and cordless phones is a probable human carcinogen
Some studies have examined mobile phone users for periods of time that are too short to detect an increased risk of brain cancer, while others have misclassified exposures by placing those with exposures to microwave radiation from cordless phones in the control group, or failing to attribute such exposures in the cases. In 2011, the World Health Organization, International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) advised that electromagnetic radiation from mobile phone and other wireless devices constitutes a "possible human carcinogen." The authors also note that brain cancer is the proverbial "tip of the iceberg"; the rest of the body is also showing effects other than cancers.
Meditation by phone found effective for corporations Findings suggest that an MBSR program delivered via phone can be a low cost, feasible, and scalable intervention that shows positive impact on health and well-being, and could allow MBSR to be delivered to employees who are otherwise unable to access traditional, on-site programs.
The promise and challenges of teleconsultation
Professionals assume teleconsultation co-defines a new patient-professional relationship by extending hospital-based caregivers' perceptions of as well as attention for their patients. At the cost, however, of clinical and personal connectedness.
Qigong Institute Chairman Francesco Garripoli to teach in Oakland, CA Sat June 29 (.PDF)
Qigong for Personal Empowerment
& Self Healing. Francesco Garripoli is an internationally renowned Qigong instructor, researcher, wellness advocate,
Emmy Award winning television graphics designer, producer/director and is the author of “Tao of the Ride” and “Qigong – Essence of the Healing Dance.” For 18 years he produced educational television programs for PBS-TV and has created and is featured on a series of award-winning Qigong instructional DVDs with Daisy Lee.
Philosophy of the Tao 1 & 2 [Video] - Alan Watts
Best known in Taoist circles for his final book “Tao; the Watercourse Way,” Alan Watts (1915-1973) was one of the 20th century’s a “foremost interpreter of Eastern thought for the West.” During the 1950’s & 60’s Watts was a teacher and Dean of Academy of Asian Studies in San Francisco. Through the late 60’s & early 70’s Watts began to lecture and appeared on television and radio. This short two-video (25:10 and 26:06) introduction to Taosim is an excert from a library of over 400 talks. For related information, see Spiritual Qigong.
Cleansing the Internal Organs - A Comparison Between The Methods of Yogis and Qi Gong Masters There are many reason to clean the internal organs, and both traditions, from India and China respectively, agree that a sluggish immune system, poor digestion caused by overtaxed eliminative organs, and clogged emotions that can reside in the liver, gallbladder, or heart, for example, can impede spiritual progress. There seem to be some subtle differences in the conceptualization of the energy system in both traditions, however, and thereby the means that masters of each path engage in to purify the body, mind and spirit.
Relaxation response (i.e. Qigong) induces beneficial changes in energy metabolism, insulin secretion and inflammatory pathways
This is yet another outstanding research result from the Benson-Henry Institute and Harvard Medical School. Both short-term and long-term practitioners evoked significant temporal gene expression changes with greater significance in the latter as compared to novices. Relaxation response practice enhanced expression of RNA associated with energy metabolism, mitochondrial function, insulin secretion and telomere maintenance, and reduced expression of RNA linked to inflammatory response and stress-related pathways. This research proves some of the most significant benefits of Qigong practice. Also see Meditation Produces Opposite Effect of ‘Fight or Flight’.
'The Yogis of Tibet': a film for posterity.
This film is an insight into esoteric practices of Tibetian Buddhism. It explores the lives of Tibetian yogis dedicated to rigorous and previously secret training that deepens their control over their minds and bodies.
Temari Reiki: A new hands-off approach to traditional Reiki
This paper encapsulates the history of Reiki from its origins in Japan to current practice in the United States. It defines Reiki therapy and discusses the development of a new Reiki method called Temari Reiki and the use of two additional chakras, and its success as a therapy.
How does tai chi influence the body and mind?
Dr. Anthony Komaroff of Harvard Medical School recently responded to a reader question about tai chi, and reflected on Peter Wayne's new book (Harvard Medical School Guide to Tai Chi ) as an introduction and guide to the world of tai chi.
The brain's GPS: The neural correlates of proprioception
Proprioception is having a sense of where you are, or your body position in space. This ability is critical, especially to older adults who are susceptible to developing a fear of falling as they age due to their diminished mental capacity to navigate in space. Tai Chi is a proprioception exercise. In other words, it is a coordination exercise that directly affects sensorimotor control of balance, neuromuscular function, and postural stability. This article reports on exciting basic neurological research that has revealed some of the mystery of how the brain implements proprioception.
Program Schedule for the 15th World Congress on Qigong/TCM
The Qigong Institute will be at the World Congress on Qigong and Traditional Chinese Medicine which is being held from May 17 - May 20 in San Francisco. Friday and Monday are half or all-day workshops. The Congress is Friday night (opening ceremony), Saturday, and Sunday. On Saturday, the Congress is being held in conjunction with the Asian Heritage Sreet Celebration which in the past has attraced 100,000 people for the one-day event. In addition to the Congress program at the Whitcomb Hotel, masters and experts in Qigong, Tai Chi, Martial Arts, Acupuncture, Meditation, etc. will be demonstrating and presenting all-day outside at the Celebration, which is being held a few blocks from the Congress venue at the Whitcomb Hotel. World class presenters include Dr. Peter Wayne from Harvard who just released The Harvard Medical School Guide to Tai Chi: 12 Weeks to a Healthy Body, Strong Heart, and Sharp Mind (Harvard Health Publications). Just one of the presenters at the AHSC will be renowned chef Martin Yan.
Qigong for Cancer Survivors
Integrative medicine specialist Yang Yang describes the benefits of qigong for cancer survivors, and demonstrates exercises and meditation.
Clinical integration of Mindfulness-based interventions
This is a review of mindfulness research published during the last five years. Over 500 scientific articles on mindfulness were published in 2012. This was more than the total number of mindfulness articles published between 1980 and 2000. A recent survey by the Mental Health Foundation found that 75% of general practitioners in the UK believe that mindfulness is beneficial for patients with mental health problems. Indeed, recent findings indicate that Mindfulness-based interventions may be effective treatments for a broad range of psychological disorders and somatic illnesses.
Study Finds Some Alternative Therapies Lower Blood Pressure
The American Heart Association has identified several alternative therapies that could lower blood pressure in patients with hypertension. Researchers say the alternative methods are options when traditional medications don't work, or patients can't tolerate them. The alternatives include yoga, various types of meditation, biofeedback, device-guided breathing, relaxation, acupuncture, and stress reduction.
Preview the Table of Contents and Foreword written by Dr. Ted Kaptchuk, world-renowned author, researcher, and Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School.
Free digital copy of Tai Chi Principles for Massage Therapy
To celebrate WTCQD 2013, Sifu Richard Kosch, is giving away free digital copies of his new book: Tai Chi Principles for Massage Therapy, to anyone who sends him a request on April 27th by putting World Tai Chi Day Gift in the subject line. They can request the copy by emailing:
SifuRichKosch@yahoo.com.
Proteomic Analysis of Differential Proteins Related to Anti-nociceptive Effect of Electroacupuncture in the Hypothalamus Following Neuropathic Pain in Rats
This study reports that electroacupuncture can modulate pain via regulation of expression of multiple proteins in the hypothalamus. The main significance of this research is that it proves that proteins are directly affected by electromagnetic forces, in this case, electroacupuncture. In other words, energetic practices like Qigong and acupuncture modulate the activity of molecules that directly regulate physiological processes. This exciting new field of protein-energy interaction is proteomics, whose name was coined in 1997.
Traditional Chinese exercises and treatments boost the mind, soul and joints New studies by U.S. researchers are revealing the potential healing power of acupuncture, Tai Chi exercise and Qigong to reduce the symptoms of osteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis, which causes pain and reduced motion in the joints and spine. Experts say there is no current medicinal cure for osteoarthritis.
Science behind acupuncture revealed Researchers have explored the basic science and mechanisms of action of medical acupuncture, which is increasingly being validated as an effective treatment for a broad range of medical conditions.
In a special issue of Medical Acupuncture, a peer-reviewed journal published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers presents a series of articles by authors from around the world who provide diverse and insightful perspectives on the science and physiologic responses underlying medical acupuncture.
Doctor’s Orders: 20 Minutes Of Meditation Twice a Day Meditation increasingly is being worked into hospital rehabilitation programs as studies show it can lower blood pressure and help patients with chronic illness cope with pain and depression.
Meditation can boost test scores, study suggests The study, which appeared in the March 2013 issue of Psychological Science and was reported by The New York Times Wednesday, found subjects who participated in two weeks of “mindfulness training” had improved test scores and memory capacity as well as reduced distracting thoughts.
Mayo Clinic Says 2.5 Million Americans Now Use Tai Chi to Improve Health
According to the Mayo Clinic more than 2.5 million Americans are practicing tai chi to reduce stress and anxiety, increase energy, stamina and flexibility, muscle strength and definition and balance. There is also evidence that Tai Chi improves immune response, sleeping patterns, lowers cholesterol levels, relieves joint pain and, in older adults, reduces the risk of falls.
Harvard Medical School strongly endorses Tai Chi with new book:
Harvard Medical School Guide to Tai Chi
Conventional medical science on the Chinese art of Tai Chi now shows what Tai Chi masters have known for centuries: regular practice leads to more vigor and flexibility, better balance and mobility, and a sense of well-being. Cutting-edge research from Harvard Medical School also supports the long-standing claims that Tai Chi also has a beneficial impact on the health of the heart, bones, nerves and muscles, immune system, and the mind. This research provides fascinating insight into the underlying physiological mechanisms that explain how Tai Chi actually works. Harvard Medical School author, Peter Wayne, and other Harvard researchers will mark World Tai Chi & Qigong Day with a free public web link to a series of lectures on Tai Chi research at Harvard. They will release this web-link publicly on World Tai Chi & Qigong Day, April 27th.
United States Department of Health and Human Services Administration on Aging Recommends Tai Chi The Administration on Aging provides grants to States and Territories based on their share of the population aged 60 and over for education and implementation activities that support healthy lifestyles and promote healthy behaviors. Evidence-based health promotion programs reduce the need for more costly medical interventions.
A number of Tai Chi based programs have met varying degrees of criteria for inclusion in the AoA's list of effective evidence-based interventions for improving health and wellbeing or reducing disease, disability and/or injury among older adults; and being ready for translation, implementation and/or broad dissemination by community-based organizations using appropriately credentialed practitioners.
A plausible mechanism for Reiki and Acupuncture
Many so-called "alternative medicine" techniques such as Reiki and acupuncture produce very good outcomes for intractable pain and other chronic illnesses but the efficacy is often dismissed as being psychosomatic. However a plausible mechanism does exist i.e. that the treatments alter the electromagnetic fields in living organisms and thereby prevent or reduce activity of neurons which lead to the pain.
Electroacupuncture reduces alcohol consumption in rats by affecting reward-related brain regions
Although previous studies have shown that electroacupuncture reduced alcohol consumption, the underlying mechanisms have not been fully elucidated. This study found that the effect of electroacupuncture may be caused by downregulation of a gene transcription factor implicated in neural plasticity in drug addiction.
National Qigong Association launches Qi Talks
The NQA's FREE monthly tele-seminar series Qi Talks will present leaders from the world of the Energetic Arts for an hour of information, discussion and Q &A. Qi Talks debuts on Thursday, April 11, 2013 from 8:30 - 9:30 EST with your host: Vicki Dello Joio and will feature Mark R. Reinhart on Three Rivers/12 Steps: Qigong For Recovery. Register for Qi Talks.
Companies get Strict on Health of Workers. Employers are feeling the need to intensify their efforts to create an environment where people feel they are responsible for their own health. More information on Qigong and Energy Medicine for Cubicles and Corporations can be found on the Qigong Institute home page.
Information and Meditation -- Improving attention in the digital-age. In the University of Washington Information and Contemplation class, participants scrutinize their use of technology: how much time they spend with it, how it affects their emotions, how it fragments their attention. They watch videos of themselves multitasking and write guidelines for improving their habits. They also practice meditation—during class—to sharpen their attention.
Harvard Medical School to release Tai Chi Guide in conjunction with World Tai Chi & Qigong Day 2013 The Harvard Medical School Guide to Tai Chi - 12 Weeks to a Healthy Body, Strong Heart & Sharp Mind mentions World Tai Chi & Qigong Day, and footnotes link to www.WorldTaiChiDay.org. Excerpt from the book: 'A reflection of how successful the invasion [of Tai Chi worldwide] has been is World Tai Chi Day ... One of the purposes of this day is "to bring together people across racial, economic, religious, and geo-political boundaries, to join together for the purpose of health and healing, providing an example to the world." Millions of people around the world -- 65 nations participated in 2011 -- gather one day each year to celebrate the health and healing benefits of Tai Chi and Qigong.' The Harvard Medical School will hold Tai Chi as medical therapy lectures in days leading up to World Tai Chi & Qigong Day 2013 (Sat., April 27th, 2013), to kick off the global education events held in hundreds of cities in 70 nations on WTCQD!
7 Myths of Meditation Deepak Chopra attempts to debunk some of the more common myths surrounding the practice of meditation.
Acupuncture can significantly reduce the stress hormone response in an animal model of chronic stress
Rats were used to test the effect of electronic acupuncture on levels of proteins and hormones secreted by biologic pathways involved in stress response. Electronic acupuncture blocked the chronic, stress-induced elevations of the hypothalamus pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis hormones and the NPY peptide secreted by the sympathetic nervous system in rodents and humans.
New England Journal of Medicine article on Tai Chi for Parkinson's chosen Top 10 story of 2012 by Journal Watch Neurology Exercise science professor Peter Harmer’s publication in The New England Journal of Medicine has been selected as a Top 10 story of 2012 by Journal Watch Neurology. Harmer’s study, "Tai Chi and postural stability in patients with Parkinson's disease," was also recognized by the American Academy of Neurology as the most important advance in movement disorders research for 2012.
Australian review includes summary of the anti-inflammatory effects of acupuncture
The mechanisms underpinning acupuncture's anti-inflammatory effects include mediation by sympathetic and parasympathetic pathways; antihistamine action and downregulation of proinflammatory cytokines, proinflammatory neuropeptides, and neurotrophins which can enhance and prolong inflammatory response; and suppression of the expression of COX-1, COX-2, and iNOS during experimentally induced inflammation.
Acupuncture reduces geriatric chronic pain The study results suggest that acupuncture is highly acceptable and could be very useful in the management of chronic pain when performed in very old frail people with chronic physical and mental disability.
Mobile EEG becomes reality
This study investigates the use of mobile electroencephalography (EEG) as a method to record and analyse the emotional experience of a group of walkers in three types of urban environment including a green space setting.
Film Wisdom of Changes - Richard Wilhelm and the I Ching
Richard Wilhelm (1873-1930) is regarded as the European who discovered China´s spiritual world. "Wisdom of Changes“ is a documentary about the life and work of the most distinguished translator and mediator of classical Chinese culture to the west. The film narrates from today's perspective of the granddaughter, award winning film director Bettina Wilhelm, the phases of Richard Wilhelm's eventful life in times of dramatic changes. It also provides insight into the deeply humane, timeless Chinese wisdom of the I Ching, which can still
serve as orientation in our own volatile times.
The Health Benefits of Spirituality: A Complex Subject Johns Hopkins Medicine Health Alert: Do people who are religious or who have a nonreligious set of spiritual beliefs that guide them in their daily life have an advantage over those who don't when it comes to mental and physical well-being? A growing body of research suggests that religion and spirituality may help some people better cope with illness, depression and stress.
Spirituality Linked With Mental Health Benefits
A small study shows that regardless of what religion you ascribe to, spirituality in general is linked with greater mental health. In particular, spirituality in the study was linked with decreased neuroticism and increased extraversion, researchers found.
"With increased spirituality people reduce their sense of self and feel a greater sense of oneness and connectedness with the rest of the universe," study researcher Dan Cohen, an assistant professor at the University of Missouri, said in a statement.
Meditation fosters liberal attitudes
Besides conferring health benefits, meditation also fosters liberal attitudes immediately after a session, say Canadian researchers. ”There’s great overlap between religious beliefs and political orientations,” says psychology researcher Jordan Peterson of University of Toronto. ”Inducing a spiritual experience through a guided meditation exercise led both liberals and conservatives to endorse more liberal political attitudes,” adds Peterson, a study co-author.
Long-term yoga practice improves well-being of women over 45 years
In a sample of female yoga practitioners between 45 and 80 years, increased yoga experience predicted increased levels of psychological well-being. Results showed a dose-response effect, with yoga experience exercising an increasingly protective effect against low levels of subjective well-being and vitality.
Electromagnetic brain oscillatory activity and the Brain Activity Map Project
Wouldn't it be wonderful if conventional scientific research incorporates the study and characterization of electromagnetic activity in the brain into President Obama's recently announced Brain Activity Map Project (also see NYTimes Connecting the Neural Dots). The real breakthrough here would be to understand real-time oscillating energy fields in the brain and not just end up with a reductionist map of the physical wiring of the brain. One can only hope that some of the money will make it to researchers such as those in Italy who are aware enough to understand and study the process of physiological brain activity by utilizing non-invasive electromagnetic means. Although their paper Clinical neurophysiology of brain plasticity in aging brain does mention the possible use of their findings to characterize the action of drugs, it is more encouraging to note their integrated approach to research utilizing modern neurophysiological techniques, including electroencephalography (EEG), event-related potentials (ERPs), and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), together with biological markers and structural and functional imaging which is promising for large-scale, affordable, and noninvasive medicine.
Chi Tree This short film explores the connection we have to the life of trees. It's a video meditation on the stillness of the earth and the presence of an oak tree in a Quantock field in Somerset, England.
"Everything on earth is made of the same stuff ultimately - chi (qi, ki, prana or life force - vitality). The notion that we humans are separate from nature, including the earth itself below our feet, is an illusion.
Mindfulness Meditation: How It Works In The Brain
Mindfulness may be so successful in helping with a range of conditions, from depression to pain, by working as a sort of "volume knob" for sensations, according to a new review of studies from Brown University researchers.
The Qigong Institute is a co-sponsor of theLive Qi Summit - Open Your Heart, Be the Change
March 3, 2013, Richmond, CA. Marina. Join Master Mingtong Gu and guest teachers in dedicated healing of ourselves and our world. Learn and practice Open Heart techniques live in person and via the online "live stream".
Yoga significantly reduces stress in middle-aged women
Regular, long-term practice of yoga provides clear and significant health benefits. Participation in a single 90-minute yoga class can significantly reduce perceived stress. Doing yoga regularly can reduce perceived stress even more significantly.
Sympathetic nervous system implicated in acupuncture analgesia
Acupuncture appears to activate the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) in people experiencing pain, a randomized study indicates. The research offers clues to the mechanisms involved in acupuncture analgesia, although the precise interplay of local versus systemic effects remains unclear.
Tai Chi Exercise May Reduce Falls in Adult Stroke Survivors
Compared to survivors receiving usual care or participating in a national fitness program for Medicare-eligible adults called SilverSneakers®, those practicing Tai Chi had the fewest falls.
Yoga effective for chronic neck-pain Beneficial effects lasted for at least 12 months after treatment. Sustained practice is the most important predictor of long-term effectiveness.
Proteomics is an exciting new field at the emerging frontier of bioenergy research Proteomics is the study of proteins, including their structure and function. It is so new that its name was coined in 1997. Recent research suggests that studying proteins might give a better understanding of the functional processes ongoing in cells than genomics or transcriptomics, because proteins are the molecules that directly regulate physiological processes, and they are affected by electromagnetic forces. See:
Help acupuncturists become listed as healthcare providers nationally in the Social Security Act by petitioning to the White House
For more information and to sign the petition see 'Recognize Acupuncturist as Healthcare providers'.
Meditation is going mainstream Your mind as medication. How you can reshape your brain to deal with pain and other problems. More doctors are now prescribing it almost as a medication to help with healing and more.
U.S. Marines Overcome PTSD with Transcendental Meditation®
A study published in Military Medicine in 2011 found that veterans from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars who practiced the TM technique experienced a 50 percent reduction in symptoms of PTSD after just eight weeks of meditating. Similar reductions were found in a study on Vietnam veterans conducted at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and published in the Journal of Counseling and Development in 1985.
Breathe away stress in 8 steps Are you plagued by daily stress? If so, you can tap a simple, free, and powerful tool called the "relaxation response." A simple method for achieving this relaxed mental state was developed and popularized by Dr. Herbert Benson, a cardiologist and professor at Harvard Medical School. He is now director emeritus of the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital.
Research shows that eliciting the relaxation response for as little as 10 to 20 minutes a day pays off in numerous ways.
Harvard Medical School review presents the latest available evidence regarding the use of acupuncture for cancer pain
Cancer pain is one of most prevalent symptoms in patients with cancer. The National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines for adult cancer pain recommends acupuncture, as one of several integrative interventions, in conjunction with pharmacologic intervention as needed. It also provides "actionable" acupuncture protocols for specific cancer pain conditions and related symptoms in order to provide more clinically relevant solutions for clinicians and cancer patients with pain.
An Oncology Mind-Body Medicine Day Care Clinic: Concept and Case Presentation
Cancer diagnosis and treatment are often associated with physical and psychosocial impairments. Many cancer patients request complementary and alternative therapies such as mind-body medicine. A mind-body medicine day care clinic was found to alleviate psychological consequences of cancer and its treatment.
Ever wonder how someone could get cancer or some other disease even though they exercise, eat right, and "do all the right things?" Dirty electricity, also called electrical pollution, is high-frequency voltage transients riding along the 50 or 60 Hz electricity provided by the electric utilities. It is generated by arcing, by sparking and by any device that interrupts current flow, especially switching power supplies. It has been associated with cancer, diabetes and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in humans. Epidemiological evidence also links dirty electricity to most of the diseases of civilization including cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and suicide, beginning at the turn of the twentieth century.
Yoga finds a home in prisons
When many states have cut their wellness and education programs for inmates, citing cost and political pressure, some wardens looking for a low-cost, low-risk way for inmates to reflect on their crimes, improve their fitness and cope with the stress of overcrowded prison life are turning toward yoga.
A Brief History of the Use of Electricity for Pain Treatment
The pain relieving action of electricity is explained in particular by two main mechanisms: first, segmental inhibition of pain signals to the brain in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord and second, activation of the descending inhibitory pathway with enhanced release of endogenous opioids and other neurochemical compounds (serotonin, noradrenaline, gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA), acetylcholine and adenosine). The modern electrotherapy of neuromusculo-skeletal pain is based in particular on the following types: transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), percutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (PENS or electro-acupuncture) and spinal cord stimulation (SCS). For more information see Energy-Based Technologies and Therapies.
