Qi Gong is a collection of many different exercises to develop the coordination of body and mind and works very well in combination with acupuncture.

With stress the body is constantly responding automatically to the chatter of thoughts, creating an emotional and physical rollercoaster with your sympathetic nervous system.

Causing:
muscle tension
increased heart rate and force of contractions
constriction of blood vessels
blood pressure to rise
digestive system to shut down
increased levels of stress hormones that impair the immune system
blood to be diverted to the muscles rather than organs.

The sympathetic nervous system is for emergency use, 'fight or flight' and should not be on all the time. Qi Gong, like acupuncture, act as a reset button to bring one back to a relaxed state. A state of homeostasis, where the parasympathetic nervous system is on, promoting the maintenance of the body at rest.

Qi Gong exercises are given to align the posture and teach the body to move with as little effort as possible. So the body learns to move with the correct muscle group enabling you to feel more relaxed and strong in yourself.

Imagination is often incorporated into the exercises to enhance focus and relaxation.

For example:
1. Rotate the body while holding a ball.
2. Move like a puppet on strings connecting hands to feet, elbows to knees and shoulders to hips.

There is no actual ball or string connecting the hands and feet but in using the imagination you enable a greater coordination of the body. By using this system the body and mind relay information to each other increasing sensation and level of relaxation.

Try this - Draw a perfect circle with the nose. If there is some neck tension it is hard to draw a perfect circle. As you continue to iron out the circle in your mind you soften the muscles in your neck, so enabling you to draw a better circle.

As practice continues you will realize your initial feeling of relaxation was quite tense. This continues to be a never ending experience of further relaxation and wellbeing in yourself as you develop your Qi Gong.

Acupuncture and Qi Gong compliment each other. Acupuncture treats and clears symptoms, while regular Qi Gong maintains health.