From Relaxation Response, Building Power for Health to an Advanced Self-Cultivation Practice: Genuine Well-Being

Abstract

Recently, much more mind-body/mindfulness interventions have been used in different people including frail elders, patients with major depressive order, pain suffering, chronic fatigue, infection, and patients in intensive care unit, etc. In the field of Complementary and Alternative Medicine, many Chinese mind-body exercises are under very active investigation for evidence-based decision making. At the same time, there is a fact that Yoga and Health Qigong/Tai Chi, especially meditative practice based on ancient oriental civilizations, have been practiced for thousands of years and are getting more attention. The use of Traditional Chinese music as therapy was documented around 94 BC and that was foundational to traditional Chinese medicine, building power for health as well. Meditation, as a mind-body practice, originally introduced by cultivators in ancient Eastern religious and/or spiritual traditions has raised increasing awareness recently in the Western world. Medical research results suggest that the benefits of Eastern meditative practices not only include the promotion of emotional and mental health, resilience, stress and anxiety reductions, but also cure other health-related conditions. It was suggested that improvement of moral level would be of the same importance with those achieving mind-body health. Through experiential learning, and what delivering big sample size survey results and numerous case reports, the authors are illustrating the mindful practice of Falun Gong (also called “Falun Dafa”) and have real health-wellness effects to practitioners.