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What is Qi?

Yoga

Yoga as we know it mostly here in the West (Hatha yoga) is in fact quite a limited part of the full range of yogic practices that are more familiar to those in parts of the world such as India, Tibet and China, but it is one which has enormous benefits in terms of physical health and feelings of calm and relaxation. The wonderful stretching, gently twisting and flexibility-building exercises contained in a typical yoga routine promote health in a very special way by stimulating both the endocrine system and the spinal nerves which, in turn, radiate out to connect to all the vital organs and glands of the body.

It is no accident, therefore, that much of yogic exercise features movements that stretch, rotate and stimulate various parts of the spinal column, from the top of the neck, right down to the sacrum at the base of the spine itself. Anyone who does yoga for any length of time will quickly realise that different yogic exercises affect different parts of the spine, and therefore different internal organs and processes -everything from breathing (upper spine) to digestion (middle and lower spine) to the reproductive system and urinary system (lower spine).

Those who practice yoga are concerned with cultivating and enhancing the body's natural supply of what is called Prana - or vital energy, very similar to the Qi associated with Chinese and Japanese (Ki) forms of exercise and medicine. In the West we once used to recognise the vital life force as a reality, and it was only with the age of the Enlightenment in 18th century Europe that such concepts became unfashionable and eventually 'unscientific.'

Special breathing exercises, similar to those found in chi kung, feature in most advanced yoga sessions. The breath is never forced, but is allowed to flow naturally by relaxing the diaphram. The breath is also the guiding principle that takes us towards meditation - another important aspect of yogic practice.

Yoga is not just a solitary pursuit. It's great when you share it with friends!

Don't try these exercises at home! If you are interested in learning yoga, do it with someone who can guide you carefully through the various stages of each movement. Good teachers can always be found.

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