Qi Gong & Negative Ions Combined: The Breath of Extended Life

Qi Gong & Negative Ions Combined: The Breath of Extended Life

According to Team Ionic (http://www.ionic-balance.com):

Ions are invisible particles, either molecules or atoms, which have an electric charge. Atoms, for example, consist of an atomic nucleus that contains neutral neutrons and positively charged protons, as well as orbiting electrons that are negatively charged. When an atom is in a neutral condition, the number of protons (+) and electrons (-) is equal. When the number of protons and electrons is not the same, the particle becomes an ion that is either positively or negatively charged.

Virtually all particles in the air have a positive charge, while negative ions have a negative charge. In which case, negative ions and particles magnetically attract to one another. When there is a high enough concentration of negative ions in the air, they will attract to floating particles in large numbers. This causes the particle to become too heavy to remain airborne. As a result, the particle will fall out of the air, and will then be collected by normal cleaning activities, such as vacuuming or dusting.

In nature, negative ions are generated by processes such as sunlight, lightening, waves from the ocean, and from waterfalls. “Concrete Jungles” minimize the natural production of negative ions by disrupting the delicate electrical balance between the atmosphere and the earth. Ioniser/ionic air purifiers recreate them with electrode pins (“needlepoints”) to electrically produce negative ions.

As stated by Don Strachan and Jim Karnstedt in their article Negative Ions – Vitamins of the Air:

“Negative ions promote alpha brainwaves and increase brainwave amplitude, which translates to a higher awareness level. Negative ion induced alpha waves spread from the occipital area to the parietal and temporal and even reach the frontal lobes, spreading evenly across the right and left brain hemispheres. All of this creates an overall calming effect.

On the physical side, they have given relief from hay fever, migraine and burn and post-operative pains. Along with the burn pain relief, they lessen infection, dry the burns faster, heal them more quickly and leave less scarring. After operations, not only did 57 percent of Dr. Igho Hart Kornblueh’s patients treated with large doses of negative ions (10,000/cm3) feel less pain (as opposed to 22.5 percent of controls), but restlessness and infection were also reduced and healing quickened.

But why are ions therapeutic? Partly because they kill germs. Back in the 1930s, a Russian team headed by A.L. Tchijevski found that large ion doses of either polarity retarded bacteria colony formation on plates. Ionization also sterilized enclosed air. Later experiments duplicating Tchijevski’s work noted an exponential bacteria decay rate of 23 percent per minute for untreated air, 34 percent per minute for air with positive ions, and 78 percent per minute for negatively charged air. They concluded that the positive ion decay rate was due to simple bonding of the ions with the bacteria, whereas the negative ions actually killed them.”

Here is a list outlining some environmental factors in negative ion counts as summarized from Daniel Reid’s The Tao of Detox:

Polluted Air: Airtight Factories, Heavy Traffic:

20 – 200 negative ions / cm3 / second      Toxemia of Blood and Tissue

Unhealthy Air: Heavy Urban Areas, Shopping Malls, High Rise Buildings:

200 – 500 negative ions / cm3 / second   Headaches, Lung Problems, Fatigue

Average Air: Sub Urban Areas, Low Lying Farm Areas:

500 – 1000 negative ions / cm3 / second No Health Problems Associated

Good Air: Forests, Unpolluted Ocean Fronts:

1000 – 2000 negative ions / cm3 / second Rejuvenates the Body and Purifies the Blood Stream

Healthy Air: High Mountain Ranges:

Up to 4000 negative ions / cm3 / second Potent Detoxifying Ability, Accelerates New Tissue and Cell Growth

Qi often times is translated as “Air”, and Gong as “Work”. So Qi Gong can be considered “Working with Air”. When you are practicing Qi Gong, you should do as the Ancient masters did, seek the fresh air of the mountains and forests that the Tao has provided. It is very basic math, the better the Air the more effective your Qi Gong practice will be. The true key to Qi Gong is in its most basic process, breathing. There are many forms of Qi Gong that have come and gone over the past several thousand years, but they all have breathing in common. The most important, and often times the most neglected aspect of your practice should be the four stages and three locks involved in proper Qi Gong breathing. You can have all bell and whistles in your practice you wish, but without proper breathing you are without roots.