Chi Gong Side Effects

[GOLDEN ARMOR]

Can anyone give me some info on this subject?

I would mostly like info on the effects chi gong can have on the heart?

I did a search on the web & I read that chi gong can have side effects on beginners during or after practice. Some symtoms were rapid heart rate, short breath, anxiety, etc. these are the main ones i'm interested in.

[Repulsive Monkey]

These can happen, providing one does the Qi-gong inccorectly. If it is done correctly then there are no negative sides effects.

[PLCrane]

Here are a couple of review articles on the adverse effects of qigong.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entre...&dopt=Abstract

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entre...&dopt=Abstract

[GOLDEN ARMOR]

Thanks for replying.

But how do i know if the chi gong is the problem?

& how do I fix it?

Do I go see a TCM Dr.

At the end of chi gong class I was feeling great then all of a sudden my heart started raceing very fast. My teacher came over & told me to sit down, relax & take deep breaths. He took my pulse then he put one hand on my neck & the other near/on my chest then I just felt my heart skip back to normal pace. He said that he gave me some of his energy & that I reacted very quickly. He also said that he didn't think the chi gong was the cause. My friends been training with him for a while & he seems like a very good teacher.

I went to the Dr's & did some tests & she said she didn't find anything & that it's probably anxiety. She sent me to the cardiologist last weekend for more tests & again they didn't find anything yet. I have to go back & see them in a few weeks.

One of the dr's there knew a little about chi gong & even he said that it could be the cause. He said not to mention it in front of the other dr's tho. This sh!t is freakn me out. Do u guys think it could have anything to do with the chi gong? I havn't been to training for a few weeks but I'm going to go this week & speak to my teacher.

[Former castleva]

You mention that after having completed chi-gong,you felt your heart racing (I do not know what the intensity of your exercise might have been,but the possibility of the exercise itself causing it strikes me)
You indicate that when your instructor came by,you did calm down (him telling you that gong probably is not the cause)

I posit that it´s just anxiety,psychosomatic causes for large (naturally I´m wholly unaware of your underlying medical condition) Whatever may the factors behind there be,I´m well aware that extended periods of such stress can be dangerous indeed and responsible for similar symptoms that you hand out.
Besides this,it does not really have to be qi-gong...

I suspect that further tests won´t reveal anything related to your practices as we know them.I suggest you trust those professionals (be wary of alternative doctors,in this context,telling you about underlying pathologies that regular MD:s simply cannot detect,or so they say)

Wrong I might be but I suspect that the fact that one of the doctors told you to not mention it to others,might have to do with the esoteric nature of your hobby (which,clearly not everyone knows how to deal with)

Just my ideas.

[ZIM]

There are other possible side effects: nausea, vertigo, hyperventilation, neuritis, etc. as well as the psychophysical as noted before.

One of the things about qiqong is that [imo] you can't do it half-way, and thats why its important to see a teacher, if only to remind you constantly of proper practices.

For what you are describing [anxiety, heart-racing] start by practicing to still the mind and just be, just settle into the postures. Generally speaking, the 'side effects' are not entirely due to doing qiqong right but from doing it wrong-ish. Relax and settle, note the positives within your practice, get that 'inner smile' going, and realize that you're gaining strength, not losing it.

Claimer: No, I am not an expert in qiqong or a TCM Dr.: these are my thoughts and experiences, not medical advice. Good luck!

[Former castleva]

Effects to the direction of hyperventilation too,I might assume,could be achieved by self-suggestion.
The difference between "...extend your arm and exhale..."&"...Force the great bow and empty yourself of heavenly energies..." if you know what I mean.

[ZIM]

What? No, more along the lines of 'trying too hard'... both of your examples can be examples of that. Don't 'try', just do and cultivate patience. "The ordinary is the extraordinary"

Hey- as long as we're on the subject of side effects, here's a question for those who might know:

I live near a large lake and I wanted to adopt the practice of walking there [loosening up the muscles] with my dog in the early AM to do my ZZ practice... then a nice cooling walk back to coordinate everything. Sounds absolutely Idyllic, huh?

Aside from all the 'poetic nonsense' that this may or may not be a part of, really I just want to see if there's a reason ppl do that stuff.

Now, the pressing question! While its a big oceanic lake that stinks a little of fish and trash [all good tao stuff, yo] it faces North and its Summer and I'm male and it'd be dawn. Lotsa Yang environmental energy, I guess. IS this just superstition OR is there really anything to that??? Suggestions? Laughter?

[Former castleva]

That was a hard post to read.

As for your question,what to what then?

I wonder if I feel centered walking in the woods because "wood element is so strong".
Will I be lucky if I place my flower pot according to season,pa kua board and with right elemental energies included,do I get money? Will I find a to-be loved one?
Will I be hard working and stubborn because my star sign is ox?
If my star sign is goat,does it mean I will freak out if I place a tiger statue in my house?
If my liver energies are disturbed,does it mean I may be angry?
If my hair becomes gray during my older days,is it because my kidneys are weakening?
Is it generally too yang if I use microwave to warm my food?
Does this all make a lot of sense?
No.

[ZIM]

On one level, I totally agree with what you wrote: superstitious poppycox all of it.

But then: some might think that doing qiqong to begin with is superstition, not fact. And some would definitely think that the need to do it at certain times of day are superstition.

Then you try it a little, changing the time of day, and its very different somehow. And no, its not psychological but physical. Or psychophysical, anyhow. There is a percievable difference between AM and PM practice, to me.

So why throw away what I don't understand? Even things that are not useful or true often point to things that are.

Anyhow I just wanted opinions... for which I thank you for yours!

[ZIM]

Ah! one more thing-

The stuff you pointed out, the unrelated things... this is part of the Chinese system of correspondences... it is very much like the "Aries rules the Head and its Gem is the Diamond" kind of thing. All cultures, more or less, have something similar.

There is a use for it all, but that has to do with beliefs in magic and what not, back in the medieval period. If nothing else, it helps to know of it so as to be able to translate the thinking and writings from those times.

On a deeper level, knowing the Western system of correspondences is a little jarring when you really "get it". You realize, or at least I did, that the West is both very ancient and very new, both at once... I don't hold to it as a part of my beliefs, no, but that doesn't stop me from seeing or appreciating it.

[Former castleva]

"The stuff you pointed out, the unrelated things... this is part of the Chinese system of correspondences... "

I never thought of them as unrelated,I think it´s pretty much the same central philosophy that unites these "sciences" or whatever we call it.
I don´t get a lot of what you say,sorry.
Would you like to tell me more?

[ZIM]

Tell you more what? I just did.

[Former castleva]

Ah,that´s OK.

I was not quite following your texts that´s all.

[[Censored]]

EXTRA EXTRA! A male scientist has just confirmed that the position of the sun and moon have no effect on the human body! LOL. This BBS BS is much better than the Sunday comics.