Many of us know that aerobic exercise reduces the level of our body's stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol. Aerobics also stimulates the production of endorphins, the body's natural painkiller and mood elevators. Most often, these are the factors that help us stick to our work-out regimens and daily routines. It just feels good. Exercise can be relaxing as well as health promoting.

But what happens, when the remedy becomes the problem? There is nothing worse than having your best-laid plans derailed because of an injury or because your muscles and ligaments have been overworked and weakened. Webmd.com recommends that: “One of the best way's to avoid fitness injuries is to know your body” I would expand upon this by saying that the key is to pay attention to the signals and signs that your body produces. Your body can warn you of potential risks, and gently steer you toward exactly what it needs and when.

A good approach to sustaining your exercise program is to discover your natural rhythms, to know when to push or train hard and to know when to rest or lighten the routine. Basic self-maintenance requires that you include a warm up, stretch and cool down component with each training session. However, the most holistic and effective way to protect your body and your health is to integrate a mind/body/energy approach with your regular fitness work-out and wellness program.

When we engage in a moving meditation the positive effects of both exercise and meditation are

further enhanced. Practices such as Tai Chi and Qigong integrate the desire to move with the need to meditate. While the practice appears to be very slow moving, those movements work to

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Some of the benefits of a regular practice of moving meditation are improved strength and

better balance; reduced pain and stiffness; enhanced sleep; increased immunity; stamina and vitality; improved cardiovascular;

respiratory; circulatory; lymphatic and digestive functions; decreased risk of falling and reduced

symptoms and improved function in people with fibromyalgia.

There are specific Qigong routines for dealing with cancer; hypertension; chronic disease; and

to relax the mind; muscles; tendons; joints and inner organs. __________________________________________

Meditation and Energy Circulation exercises can ease both mental and physical stress, including the physical stress, which results from heavy exercise, and the load of emotional stress that you bring from your life into the gym.

Cardiologist Herbert Benson advises that any condition that is caused or worsened by stress can be alleviated through meditation. In fact studies have shown that the relaxation response gained from meditation helps to lower blood pressure, improve heart rate and breathing, ease chronic pain and boost immunity.

Benson is the founder of the Mind/Body Institute at Harvard Medical School's Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

How can we heal, or better yet avoid, stress injuries and chronic muscle fatigue?

We can train our muscles to relax! Relaxed muscles allow for greater flexibility of the joints, and reduced build up of the fatigue and soreness that lead to weakness, injury and pain.

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Tai Chi pronounced Tai (gee) was originally formed as a training process for developing ones

skills in the martial arts. The Chi or (gee) stands for the ultimate practice for sparing with the energy of

an opponent. However, over time the practice has come to be used to create greater awareness, calmness and overall well-being. The Qi, in

Qigong, pronounced (chee-gong), refers to the movement of energy within the body.

Some forms of Tai Chi and more predominantly Qigong were cultivated from the 3,000-year-old

Taoist traditions for building inner strength, fortitude and wisdom; and, to raise Kundalini or

original energy through the spinal column.

Some forms of Qigong were also developed from Buddhist practices for spiritual awareness and to empower the Dantians (similar to chakras) and

other Qigong forms were developed from the principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine for

healing disease and circulating Qi through the energy channels and acupoints and to enrich the

larger fields of the energy body.

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build stamina and strength into the muscle fibers. And, when integrated with a breath practice, it will relax the muscles; increase circulation of lymph for detoxification and regulate the circulation of blood for increased oxygenation. The combined affect helps to keep the body fluid in motion and free of inflammation

It is the state of our energy body that determines

the strength and health of our physical body and our capacity to have a clear mental process and stable emotional response to life. When we adopt a regular energy practice we cultivate the skills necessary to communicate with the deeper parts of our self and resolve potential health issues before they become a crisis. This allows us to stay healthy, mitigate stress and

implement the relaxation response that reduces

the incidence of injury or disease, and heals more fully those problems that continue to undermine our progress.

The author of this article, Kathryn Annette Davis is certified as a Qigong Teacher and in Qigong Healing Techniques from the Oregon College Of Oriental Medicine (OCOM) and the Wu Dao Jing Shi Qigong Society, and in Cosmic Qigong, Chinese Philosophy and Traditional Chinese Medicine from the Wisdom and Peace Wellness Center. She also studied Qigong and Taoist philosophy during three educational trips to Beijing China.

Certified as a Reiki Healer and in the Sandlin Technique, an Indigenous form of energy therapy based on vision quest and shamanic insight. Kathryn is the founder of the Kun Li Sheng™ Temple of Understanding and School of Applied Healing Arts. She teaches meditation, relaxation techniques, and several Qigong Forms, including Soaring Crane, Jade Body, Essence, Turtle Longevity, and the Super Energy Method.

She currently offers private sessions at her healing space in Bay Ridge Brooklyn New York.

Kathryn Davis is co-host of Health Action, which airs on Monday’s at 1:00 PM and host - producer of Heart Of Mind, Radio for the New Millennium, heard on Wednesday’s at midnight over WBAI, Pacifica Radio 99.5 FM, wbai.org and on the Progressive Radio Network, PRN.FM on Friday’s at 10:00 AM.

Learn more about energy healing and meditation at QigongOnLine.net Communicate by calling (347) 480-1694 or by email to QigongOnLine@gmail.com or HeartOfMindRadio@gmail.com

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