Beijing professor Han Bin works as the head of the Qigong Research Center at the Traditional Chinese Medicine Academy. His work includes treating patients as well as teaching foreign students. He visited Finland in April to lecture on traditional Chinese medicine and qigong and held several courses as well.

We spoke with Professor Han about the principles of qigong. Translated, qigong means "practising qi" and right from the start, what qi means should be explained. "This is a question that foreign students often ask. Because of linguistic and cultural differences, qi is not something foreigners are familiar with, but to Chinese students and in other Asian cultures, it is something commonly understood," Professor Han explains.

According to him, the Chinese use the term in everyday words. For example, tiānqì means "the heaven's qi" or weather. When a person gets angry, in Chinese, the term used is shēng qì which means to be born of or give birth to qi.

Qi is originally a philosophical concept and Professor Han explains that it means the fundamental energy, from which the world was formed and is constantly changing. But because Westerners often do not have the right words to describe it, qi is usually translated as life's energy or life force.

Qi is then the basic energy found in everything living. Every human being first gets this energy from their parents and the quantity and quality of qi is affected by nutrition, the environment, seasons, and, as the Chinese believe, by emotions. Chinese traditional medicine and qigong attempt to balance the amount of qi in the body.

"In traditional Chinese medicine, the term qi is constantly used. For example, when we talk of the hear, we don't say 'the heart's function,' instead, we say ' the heart's qi.' There is also something called 'defense qi' or qi that protects and defends our bodies. In qigong, the goal is to maintain this basic energy to keep our body functional and maintain its health. It maybe easier to understand qi from this perspective and to know why qigong is practised.

Different forms, same principle

There are many types of qigong, but irrespective to the form, they all have the same basic principles. The most important, Professor Han says, are relaxation and serenity.

"If the body is tensed or nervous, qigong won't be effective. During qigong, it is important to first of all relax as much as possible both the body and the mind. Breathing also has to be relaxed and natural. Serenity is also important because when you practise qigong you have to have a concentrated and 'clean' mind. It is good to quiet the mind by keeping away thoughts of everything other than that moment."

The third important principle is what Taoists call naturalness, meaning, qigong has to come as naturally and as unforced as possible. When the three principles are put together, you reach a state that is different from 'active doing' and the strain on both body and mind is lessened. This is how good qi is created which affects our physical health positively.

Qigong prevents and cures sickness

Professor Han Bin with his interpreter Wang Yuen. (Image: Radio86)

Professor Han emphasizes that qigong can be used not only to maintain health but to cure diseases as well.

"If we look at the long history of qigong and how widely it has been used in China, we can say that qigong can be used for all kinds of diseases. Of course, qigong is used in a different manner and at different stages, depending on the sickness. There are diseases that qigong can cure completely. Qigong can also be an effective cure or therapy for other types of illness. Qigong is a way of maintaining and promoting health."

In principle, qigong can be practised by anyone, but for those who are sick, it is better to consult a doctor who can prescribe the right forms for a patient to practise. The professor cautions though that those who have serious mental problems shouldn't practise qigong. "Qigong might have an unexpected effect on these people. How it affects them should not be seen as stemming from qigong itself, but from the fact that the patient's ability to control himself has become weak and that might cause qigong to produce some uncontrolled effects as well."

As with other kinds of traditional Chinese medicine, the results of practising qigong can only be seen after a long period of regular practice. There are no miracle cures, and only through practice can make it work. Professor Han emphasizes that the patient plays an active role both in preventing and curing diseases.

"The goal is for the patient to practise qigong and reap the benefits from it. Methods have been introduced and are still being introduced in China where a caregiver uses his own qi to treat a patient. We don't however encourage this practice, however, because there are still a lot of things we don't understand about this, for example, what effect it has and how common these effects would be."

Professor Han works at the Traditional Chinese Medicine Academy's hospital, where he works both as a teacher and a doctor. The acupuncture center of the hospital is under the World Health Organization and has taken in foreign students for the past thirty years. Professor Han's own unit is perhaps a bit unique, in that almost 90 percent of patients is treated mainly by acupuncture.

"It's really difficult for me to separate my work as a teacher and doctor because I think of it as a whole. I teach what I know as a doctor to other teachers and as a doctor, I learn more from my patients about what being a doctor means. In China, we have a saying that the patient is the doctor's teacher. Our work has been very fruitful and it brings me much joy. I know I'm doing important work!"

In the second part of this article, we will talk more about the courses that Professor Han Bin taught in Finland.