Many Qigong schools shy away from medical studies, worried that modern medicine doesn’t mix well with this ancient practice. But they shouldn’t be, because if Qigong is practiced properly, then it truly is beneficial for everyone, and modern medicine agrees. One Qigong school that has definitely not shied away is the Spring Forest Qigong Centre, on which many studies have been run.
These studies looked at the courses offered by the Spring Forest Qigong Centre, as well as their purported benefits. These courses claim to help with an array of conditions, from mental health problems to physical health complaints. And every single one of these studies reached a positive outcome, determining that Spring Forest Qigong was what it claimed to be.
The three main studies and their outcomes are listed below.
The Mayo Clinic
The Mayo Clinic is a not-for-profit medical research organization that employs thousands of scientists and conducts research on companies, clinics and more. They conducted a study on the SFQ, describing their objective as aiming to determine the, “efficacy of external qigong…as an adjunctive treatment for chronic pain.”
This was not the biggest study that has been performed on the centre, but it is certainly one of the biggest names, which made the positive outcome all the more beneficial and rewarding. According to the conclusions, “subjects with chronic pain who received external qigong experienced reduction in pain intensity following each qigong treatment.”
Put simply, the SFQ courses do work to reduce pain and are especially beneficial when dealing with chronic pain, such as that brought about by illness, disease or injury.
Physiological Study
A respected psychologist by the name of Dr. Frances Gaik conducted what has been the largest study performed on the Spring Forest Qigong Centre to date. The psychologist wanted to test the claims that SFQ could be used to cure depression and create a balance in those suffering from mood disorders. These claims have been made by many SFQ courses and are the highlight of everything from Qigong for Health and The Healing Connection, to the Wisdom Embodiment Package.
Dr. Gaik conducted his study in 2002, bringing 39 patients on board, all of which were suffering from some form of mental health issue. In fact, everyone of them had some form of depressive disorder, including bipolar disorder, which is characterized by intermittent periods of depression and mania.
The results that Dr gain arrived at were life changing for those with mental health issues and for the industry on the whole. He determined that Spring Forest Qigong could be used to cure depressive disorders and was a gentle, safe and accessible alternative to other treatments commonly used to treat these mental health disorders.
This is what Gaik had to say about the issue:
“I have done a full and comprehensive study of the various qigong methods and techniques as part of my research for the qigong/depression study.
I have found that the SFQ technique, which Chunyi Lin has developed, is easy for individuals to practice and yet it incorporates a full spectrum of the various movements for health. I have taught the technique in clinical settings as well and found it was well accepted by both patients and mental health practitioners. The SFQ technique was extremely effective in the treatment of depression, including bipolar subjects, and was especially instrumental in manifesting a greater sense of self and positive connection with the world. I would highly recommend the use of SFQ in the treatment of depression, anxiety, anger management, attention deficit disorder and to enhance self esteem.”
Pain Management
As with the study conducted by the Mayo Clinic, a professor by the name of Jane F. Coleman performed a study on the SFQ, the aim of which was to discover if their courses could be used to manage pain. They also wanted to discover whether SFQ techniques could be used to alleviate other symptoms common in those who suffer from chronic pain, and as with the other studies, the results were incredibly positive.
This is what the professor had to say:
“There was a significant decrease in the perception of physical pain and emotional distress for the majority of participants during the study timeframe. Also, symptom variables (sleep, concentration, decision-making, appetite, loss of interest) improved in the majority of subjects.”
She also concluded that both the meditative and the exercise aspects of Spring Forest Qigong were able to reduce such symptoms, showing that it’s not just the techniques (such as Qi-ssage) that can help to cure pains and other symptoms.