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Natural Awakenings Central New Jersey

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Navigating Qi Gong

Qi Gong (qigong, chee gong) is appearing in the news more often, and often without an overview of what Qi Gong really is—a comprehensive term for four different aspects of health practices conducted since prehistoric times throughout the area we now call China.

Clinical Qi Gong (Medical Qigong, Qi Healing) is performed by a trained clinician (Qi Healer and/or Qi Therapist) as a system of assessment, correction, and recommendations to affect a specific imbalance or ailment.  In other words, a person seeks a practitioner of Clinical Qi Gong when they are experiencing less than optimal health. Clinical Qi Gong has been a major healthcare modality for thousands of years. The recommendations made by a Qi Therapist will probably involve a specific still or moving meditation, chosen from thousands of possibilities.

Qi Gong Routines (Swimming Dragon, Soaring Crane, Do Yin, Wuji Jing Gong Qi Gong, Tai Chi, etc.) are poetically named moving meditations, often based on the movement of animals. They are widely performed to maintain health by attracting and circulating Qi (the vital life force) abundantly.

Quiet Qi Gong (quiescent or still meditations) employ the principles of classical Chinese Medicine to access and enliven specific acupoints, images, or breathing techniques for general good health, or as a specific remedy suggested by a Qi Therapist.  Some of the more widely used quiet meditations include Dantien Breath, Quiet Standing, seeing color, or mind-sensing, and so forth.

If you are curious, seek a knowledgeable teacher for best results.

Master Qi Healers Fran Maher and Brian Coffey teach Qi Healing/Therapy skills in weekend Clinical Qi Gong Seminars at the Qi Gong for Healing Center. Weekly classes in Tai Chi and Qi Gong Routines are also available at the Center, along with therapeutic massage, acupuncture, and yoga classes. 67 Mountain Blvd in Warren, NJ. 908-647-1563 or www.QiGongforHealing.com.

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Tick Talk

Spring officially sprung on March 21. We have turned our clocks ahead. We are looking forward to warm winds, sunny skies and the smell of fresh cut grass. The daffodils and tulips have recently bloomed and we are just starting with the yard work that comes with the warmer weather.  Sadly, another season has started ramping up.  Tick season.

•             The best form of protection is prevention. Educating oneself about tick activity and how our behaviors overlap with tick habitats is the first step.

•             According to the NJ DOH, in 2022 Hunterdon County led the state with a Lyme disease incidence rate of 426 cases per 100,000 people. The fact is ticks spend approximately 90% of their lives not on a host but aggressively searching for one, molting to their next stage or over-wintering. This is why a tick remediation program should be implemented on school grounds where NJ DOH deems high risk for tick exposure and subsequent attachment to human hosts.

•             Governor Murphy has signed a bill that mandates tick education in NJ public schools. See this for the details.  Tick education must now be incorporated into K-12 school curriculum. See link:

https://www.nj.gov/education/broadcasts/2023/sept/27/TicksandTick-BorneIllnessEducation.pdf

•             May is a great month to remind the public that tick activity is in full swing. In New Jersey, there are many tickborne diseases that affect residents, including Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease, Powassan, and Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiosis.

•             For years, the focus has mainly been about protecting ourselves from Lyme disease. But other tick-borne diseases are on the rise in Central Jersey. An increase of incidence of Babesia and Anaplasma are sidelining people too. These two pathogens are scary because they effect our blood cells. Babesia affects the red blood cells and Anaplasma effects the white blood cells.

•             Ticks can be infected with more than one pathogen. When you contract Lyme it is possible to contract more than just that one disease. This is called a co-infection. It is super important to pay attention to your symptoms. See link.

https://twp.freehold.nj.us/480/Disease-Co-Infection

A good resource from the State:

https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/tickborne.shtml

 

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