Summary
Tami Simon interviews Ken Cohen, a renowned Qigong master with over 40 years of practice and winner of the Lifetime Achievement Award in Energy Medicine. Ken discusses the origins of Qigong as a practice rooted in ancient Chinese culture, explaining how it involves tuning three aspects of being: body (through posture and movement), breath (through various breathing techniques), and mind (through meditation and visualization). The conversation covers how Qigong differs from simple exercise by incorporating intentional mental focus and breath coordination. Ken explains the concept of qi as life force energy that flows through meridian channels in the body, and describes how regular practice can help manage stress, improve immune function, and develop heightened body awareness. He shares practical guidance on how to begin a Qigong practice, emphasizing that even simple standing meditation with deep breathing can produce noticeable effects, and discusses how Qigong complements conventional medical treatment.
Key Points
- Qigong involves tuning three aspects of being: body (posture/movement), breath (breathing techniques), and mind (meditation/visualization)
- The practice differs from ordinary exercise by combining physical movement with intentional mental focus and breath coordination
- Qi flows through meridian channels in the body, the same pathways targeted by acupuncture
- Regular practice helps manage stress by shifting the autonomic nervous system from sympathetic (fight-or-flight) to parasympathetic (rest-and-digest) dominance
- Simple standing meditation with deep abdominal breathing is an accessible entry point that produces noticeable effects
- Qigong enhances immune function through improved circulation and reduced cortisol levels
- The practice can complement conventional medical treatment but should not replace it for serious conditions
- Ken Cohen recommends starting with just 10-20 minutes daily, emphasizing consistency over duration
Key Moments
What is Qigong and how does it differ from Tai Chi
Ken Cohen explains that Qigong is a broader category of practices focused on cultivating life force energy through body, breath, and mind, while Tai Chi is a specific martial art form that falls under the Qigong umbrella.
"And to begin with, Ken Cohen, the Qigong master, people I think maybe know, think they know what Qigong is. Oh, that's something kind of like Tai Chi, right? You do a bunch of... What is Qigong?"
Tuning body, breath, and mind
Ken describes the three pillars of Qigong practice: tuning the body through posture and gentle movement, tuning the breath through diaphragmatic and specific breathing techniques, and tuning the mind through meditation and visualization.
"You need a certain amount of oxygen to survive. If you're breathing more shallowly, then your breathing rate quickens to get the oxygen. But if your breathing is deep and you're not interfering with the breathing process, then the breathing rate can slow down because now it might take you only 10 breaths to get as much oxygen that it took earlier, 20 breaths. See? So pay attention to the body first. Get the good posture, healthy movement. Then you start working more on the breathing. And the emphasis in Qigong breathing is: I mean, primarily, it's slowing down the breath, deepening the breath, learning how to breathe in a healthy way. Basically, it's belly breathing. You know, when you inhale, the diaphragm drops, the belly goes out. When you exhale, the diaphragm pulls back a little bit towards the spine. So it's knowing how to breathe in a much healthier way so you have more energy."
Managing stress through Qigong's nervous system effects
Ken Cohen explains how Qigong shifts the autonomic nervous system from sympathetic dominance toward parasympathetic balance, reducing cortisol and improving immune function through regular practice.
"You need a certain amount of oxygen to survive. If you're breathing more shallowly, then your breathing rate quickens to get the oxygen. But if your breathing is deep and you're not interfering with the breathing process, then the breathing rate can slow down because now it might take you only 10 breaths to get as much oxygen that it took earlier, 20 breaths. See? So pay attention to the body first. Get the good posture, healthy movement. Then you start working more on the breathing. And the emphasis in Qigong breathing is: I mean, primarily, it's slowing down the breath, deepening the breath, learning how to breathe in a healthy way. Basically, it's belly breathing. You know, when you inhale, the diaphragm drops, the belly goes out. When you exhale, the diaphragm pulls back a little bit towards the spine. So it's knowing how to breathe in a much healthier way so you have more energy."
