The Path to a Tranquil Mind

http://www.msnbc.com/news/991205.asp?cp1=1

China's ancient spiritual art hasn't always been in vogue. But it is
now

By Anthony Kuhn
NEWSWEEK INTERNATIONAL

Nov. 17 issue — Just off Beijing's main shopping street, Wangfujing,
patients with every imaginable malady line up to see qigong doctors
in the Hall of the Tranquil Mind clinic. Director Zhang Xiaotong
first became a believer in the spiritual art after he was
immobilized by three slipped discs. When a qigong doctor tapped on
acupuncture points on Zhang's arms and legs to free up the flow of
qi, or bioenergy, his pain subsided. "Qigong masters can't explain
it. Modern science can't explain it," says Zhang. "Only Chinese
medical theory can explain qigong's curative powers."

THAT THEORY holds that circulating qi energy through the
body can not only restore health but also slow or reverse aging, as
well as increase strength and mental acumen. As far back as the
third century B.C., a Chinese medical canon called "The Yellow
Emperor's Internal Classic" described "regulating the flow of blood
and qi, taking medicine while observing yin and yang, and calming
the mind by relaxing the bones and muscles." Today China has
hundreds of styles of qigong, exercises that combine elements of
yoga, meditation, massage and martial arts to regulate breathing,
mental activity and posture. Like yoga, qigong is intended to
integrate body, mind and spirit, and its practitioners seek
enlightenment as well as health.
Numerous studies aimed at determining the medical value of
qigong have proved inconclusive. But that hasn't stopped the Chinese
government from promoting the art as a low-cost health-care
alternative—especially now that the state is dismantling its welfare
system and transferring health-care costs to citizens. Last month
the government began requiring all qigong doctors to take a
standardized national test—not just to weed out phonies but also to
help prevent psychotic reactions among devotees. (Like meditation,
advanced qigong can trigger hallucinations if not guided by an
experienced teacher.) Traditionally, qigong was an elite discipline,
transmitted through religious sects from master to disciple. Today
qigong instruction is available through video discs and
correspondence courses, peddled along with meditation cushions and
herbal teas.