by Iris J. Stewart. Belly dance (by whatever name it is called) is excellent for any age. It is a celebration of womanhood, a dance by women for women's purposes. It can be practiced in preparation for childbirth. After childbirth, the dance can be practiced as a way to tone the abdominal muscles. This dance has also helped many women who have suffered from PMS and menstrual discomfort because the movements bring about better circulation and blood flow in the
pelvic area.
|
|
Read more...
|
|
|
by Larry Johnson, O.M.D., L.Ac. Throughout history, peoples in many parts of the world have sought ways to develop their energetic potentials for improved health, martial power, and to bring themselves closer to the divine. In China these practices are called QiGong. It is believed that the correct regulation of body, breath, and mind will
harmonize yin and yang, balance Qi and blood, clear the energy/information
channels, increase vitality, improve resistance to disease, and transform
pathological energy patterns thereby prolonging life and nourishing the
spirit.
|
|
Read more...
|
|
|
by Lucy Pappas - Bellydancing is the last vestige of goddess worship in the Middle East and is in danger of becoming extinct. Bellydancing began as ritual for childbirth preparation in the ancient Middle East. Before Islam and Christianity, when the Mother Goddess was worshipped, sex and
childbearing were sacred. During this time, many societies were matriarchal, and
bellydancing was performed by women for women.
|
|
Read more...
|
|
by Chia Siew Pang Goh Ewe Hock. The majority of those who practice tai chi do so mainly for the benefits it gives as an exercise. Relatively few learn it only for its martial aspects. As an exercise, tai chi is
suitable for people of all ages, particularly those on the wrong side of thirty.
The very nature of the art stimulates blood circulation, loosens and limbers up joints and at the same time promotes mental relaxation.
|
|
Read more...
|
|
|
by Carla Inniss, Have you ever marveled at the amazing flexibility of your cat? Ever felt a warm sense of contentment just watching your dog take a long yawn and then a happy stretch that reaches all the way down to her toes?
|
|
Read more...
|
|
|
by Genia Pauli
Haddon. Yoga! Suddenly, everyone wants
to know about this gentle approach to whole-self fitness. A recent Roper poll
reveals that over six million Americans (more than 3% of the population) already
practice yoga.You don't have to be lean to do yoga. I have decided to forget about `losing weight' and focus instead on being as healthy as possible with the body I have..
|
|
Read more...
|
|
 by Xu Xiangcai. Qigong, through mind, breathing, and posture regulation, aids in the prevention and treatment of diseases and preserves and lengthens life. Qigong cultivates intrinsic energy (genuine Qi) which is found naturally within all people. There are many different forms of Qigong
practice, each with its own distinct style and goals. When a Qigong method is selected, two aspects must be taken into consideration:
the general improvement of the body functions as a whole, and the treatment of
an illness in particular.
|
|
Read more...
|
|
by Carolyn Scott Kortge. All too often we approach exercise as just another task -- maybe even a burden. We do it because we know we should. "Stress walking", some folks have labeled it as they dash off to battle calories and advancing years with frantic lunch-hour sprints. You return from a thirty-minute walk with urgent memos swirling in your head.
|
|
Read more...
|
|
by Chia Siew Pang and Goh Ewe Hock. In ancient times, Tai Chi was taught only to members of the Chen family living in a small village in Hopeh Province. One day the grandmaster explained why he had broken one of the strongest family
traditions by teaching an outsider the secrets of the art. This is the story of how this occured, related by teachers of this ancient art...
|
|
Read more...
|
|
|
New research shows that minor excersing is very benefical to a healthy heart and preventing cardiovascular problems and heart disease. Endurance
exercises—such as walking, jogging or cycling for 30 minutes—generate a protein
in the heart called Heat Shock Protein 72.
|
|
Read more...
|
|
|
by Xu Xiangcai. Qigong, as
an art of healing and health preservation, is thought to have originated as
early as four thousand years ago in the Tang Yao times as a form of
dancing. From the
experience of their long-term struggle with nature, the ancients gradually
realized that body movements, exclamations, and various ways of breathing could
help readjust certain bodily functions. Qigong, through mind, breathing, and posture regulation, aids in the prevention and treatment of diseases and preserves and lengthens life. Qigong cultivates intrinsic energy (genuine Qi) which is found naturally within all people.
|
|
Read more...
|
|
 by F.J. Chu. The wisdom and knowledge that the martial arts offer is something that should be preserved in modern society. The Asian intellectual heritage embraces the whole cycle of life that most of Western psychology has studiously avoided. The practitioner who views his training as merely a means of self-defense will eventually realize that his efforts are unrewarding. The martial Way is nothing less than self-cultivation and the promotion of virtuous conduct. |
|
Read more...
|
|
