| My purpose in this study has been to learn how qigong, an ancient Chinese system of healing and self-development, has been adopted by Western practitioners as a way of taking part in their own health care. Qigong (translated as "energy work") is a multi-faceted discipline that serves as prevention and treatment of illness as well as complementary care and to improve quality of life. Because the individual's participatory experience of movement and meditation is at the heart of the practice, this is what drew my attention most.; I chose the phenomenological Experiential Method to focus on stories contributed by ten research participants describing their experiences of healing supported by qigong.; In addition to my research findings I present a review of literature on qigong, Traditional Chinese Medicine and the new direction of Western medicine that has been called "Body/Mind Medicine" by a number of contemporary authors. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)... |
