What do ancient warriors have in common with modern-day civilians? Well, they both face a variety of external energies that can threaten their wellbeing.
Although you might not need to contend with sharp spears from enemy soldiers, the trials in your personal life can still lead to stress, fatigue, and even physical injuries. However, using specific “battlefield-tested” practices, you can overcome many common challenges you may encounter in your own life.
In this blog, you’ll learn about five key benefits of Iron Shirt Qi Gong. In ancient times, these practices were only taught to elite warriors who needed them for battle.
If you want to learn more about the history and principles of Iron Shirt Qi Gong, be sure to check out one of our previous blogs on the topic that provides a comprehensive understanding of the ancient practice.
In the twenty-first century, most fitness programs are hyper-focused on developing strong muscles. Indeed, muscular health is an important part of overall physical health. However, there’s one element of strength and fitness that is often overlooked, probably because it’s not as visibly apparent.
In addition to muscular strength, the Shaolin warriors who developed Iron Shirt Qi Gong recognized that your ligaments and tendons are also very important. In fact, many sports injuries are connected to tears in various tendons and ligaments within your body.
Long before athletes started building big muscles in gyms, Shaolin warriors were focused on strengthening the small connective tissues known as ligaments and joints. They understand that these tissues play a crucial role in physical balance, strength, and resilience. Therefore, Iron Shirt practices use a variety of exercises designed specifically to strengthen these small but essential tissues in your body.
Additionally, Iron Shirt Qi Gong practices seek to increase the flow of energy throughout your body, which is important for a variety of reasons. When energy flows, your entire body is nourished. This helps maintain the health of your internal organs, bones, muscles, and mind.
One of the key ways that Iron Shirt targets energy movement is through pulsation. In nature, there are many different ways that energy moves and flows. Pulsation allows your energy to flow to the deepest parts of your body, which is one reason that Iron Shirt is so nourishing for your ligaments and tendons.
To promote the healthy flow of energy, Iron Shirt uses a variety of different kinds of exercises, including postures, activations, and flowing movements.
Together, they seek to awaken, strengthen, and circulate your life-force energy known as “Qi.”
The two benefits mentioned above contribute to another key quality of Iron Shirt practices. When practiced consistently, Iron Shirt Qi Gong can help you prevent injuries so you can stay healthy and active.
As mentioned, many injuries are related to your tendons and ligaments. Moving your body quickly or engaging in strenuous activities can often result in tearing those small tissues. Because Iron Shirt helps strengthen your ligaments and tendons, it can help reduce the incidence of physical injuries. Additionally, because Iron Shirt Qi Gong focuses on overall strength, it can help reduce the likelihood of falling or breaking bones.
When injuries occur, it makes it more difficult to stay active and mobile. In turn, when you’re unable to engage in physical activities, it leads to reduced strength and fitness. Essentially, these two qualities compound on one another. When you get injured, you’re unable to do as many activities. And when you can’t do as many activities, you lose strength and become more susceptible to further injuries.
In alignment with the principles of Chinese Medicine and Qi Gong, Iron Shirt focuses on preventing injuries from occurring in the first place.
In addition to helping you circulate energy within your body, Iron Shirt practices also focus on strengthening your energy. In Qi Gong, this process of strengthening is known as tonifying.
To tonify your energy, Iron Shirt practices integrate a variety of activation exercises, standing postures, and flowing movements. Once you’ve cultivated an abundance of vitality within your body, you then learn how to “pack” that energy into your organs. This fuels up your energy energy system, helping you feel focused and full of life.
Increasing your energy levels also has a very positive impact on your overall emotional state. When your internal energy is charged up, it’s easier to feel joyful, inspired, and motivated. These qualities affect all aspects of your life, from work to relationships and your overall sense of personal well-being. Also, when you’re feeling energized, it’s much easier to feel stable and balanced in the face of stressful situations.
Qi Gong practitioners often liken your body’s energy system to a body of water. If you have an abundance of energy that is flowing smoothly, your mind and body thrive. If your energy is depleted and stagnant, then a variety of physical health ailments will likely ensue.
When your energy is abundant and flowing, it’s like a mountain stream rolling down a hillside. Flowing water is fresh and full of nutrients.
Now, compare that to a small pond that is sitting without movement. As water sits, it becomes stagnant and murky. The same thing happens to your energy system when you don’t give it the attention it deserves. Unfortunately, that can lead to various health ailments and shorten longevity.
Iron Shirt Qi Gong practices help boost your health and longevity by strengthening and circulating energy throughout your body. This helps ensure that all of your organs and body tissues get the nourishment they need to stay healthy and vital.
If you’re interested in learning Iron Shirt practices aimed at strengthening your body, increasing energy levels, and boosting longevity, be sure to check out The Iron Shirt Online Course.
When you sign up for the course, you’ll discover more about the origin and principles of Iron Shirt Qi Gong practices. You’ll also get to try the practices, enabling you to experience their potent benefits for yourself.
This is an online course led by master Qi Gong teacher Lee Holden. Click on the banner below to learn more and give Iron Shirt Qi Qi Gong a try.
