Chakra Issues: Third Chakra

Personal Power

Manipura, the third chakra, is a potent reservoir of qi (chi) in the body. Earthly qi can enter the body through the feet, can be activated or “pumped up” at the Muladhara chakra, and when combined with atmospheric qi, creates life force which can be stored in Manipura. This vital force can be quite dynamic and, like a battery, can be in motion or exist in either a potential or quiescent state. Besides the absorption of earthly qi through the feet (or perineum / coccyx if sitting), we can acquire earthly qi through the digestion and assimilation of food. Once assimilated and combined with the heavenly qi we absorb through the breath, this energy becomes our personal qi or life force. 

Tantric Qigong: A Course in Self Mastery

Vitality is required to keep the body, mind, and emotions healthy and in good working order. Once these basic needs are satisfied, any surfeit of vitality becomes personal power. In many with Western mindsets, active vitality has a strong tendency to be applied externally, and if one’s personal power is thwarted in some way, this energy can internalized, often in an unhealthy way.  If the first chakra mediates the flight part of the fight or flight response, the third chakra is in charge of the fight part. The primitive part of ourselves feels that the best defense is a strong offense.

 There is no guarantee that one will use one’s life force appropriately in a karma-free sense. Here are some examples of karma inducing uses of personal power:

– Externally: one can use one’s personal power to manipulate or dominate other people or the environment. Anger is a subset of this: it appears as the “cure” for our power being thwarted.      Hatred, violence, are other examples.

– Internally;  the energy of attack (anger) can be turned against one’s mind and physiology -self hatred, allergies, auto immune conditions, visceral organ malfunction and degradation.

Examples of the appropriate use of personal power:

– External: manifesting your desires without karmically infringing upon another, selfless service.

– Internal: Self mastery, commitment to a course of personal development, development of spiritual willpower, surrendering to your higher self.

When we have attained the highest level of personal power, and have manifested all our worldly desires, we may begin to yearn for something beyond power and the material. This is spiritual yearning (see: The 3rd Chakra and the Spiritual Purpose of Power ). © 2012 Keith E. Hall and www.Inner-Tranquility.com. All rights reserved.

Tantric Qigong Karma Burning: Chakra Issues,  Part 2,  Chakras 1 & 2,  Third Chakra

Karma Burning  Karma Burning in the Lower Chakras  1 2 3  4 5

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Chakra Issues: First and Second Chakras

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Karma Burning: Survival

All fears can be reduced to some flavor of fear of death or concern for one’s welfare and survival. Even social anxiety i.e., fear of being judged or cast out of the tribe to fend for oneself, would have its origin in a concern for personal survival in Paleolithic times. One of the reasons homo sapiens, and primates in general, have adapted and flourished in a hostile world has been the ability to use the group for defense, territorial dominance, food gathering / growing, etc. In modern times, these now irrational fears have led to economic, cultural, and military “dominance displays” which could, in extremis, threaten all human life on this planet.

Karma Burning: Gratification

Gratification is a pleasurable reaction that results from the fulfillment of a desire. The personality trait of uninhibited pleasure-seeking results in a tendency towards hedonism. The inability to experience normal pleasure, desire, or motivation in life is sometimes termed anhedonia.  William James described anhedonia as a “passive joylessness and dreariness, discouragement, dejection, lack of taste and zest and spring.”*

The second chakra has a powerful role in sadness and depression, and one sure sign of depression is a reduced ability to take gratification in simple things as food, friends humor, conversation, sex, etc.

Depending on the degree, delaying gratification could be seen as a valuable life skill related to long term success, happiness, even spiritual awakening.  An example of the latter would be the transmutation of sexual energy, e.g. delaying orgasm and sending your Kundalini upward through the central channel, or the spinal nadis, awakening the chakras and knowledge of the higher Self.

A more permanent pattern of denying gratification without any excitation or transmutation of life force can be a clinical state of avoidance related to a moralistic denial of expression. © 2013 Keith E. Hall and www.inner-tranquility.com All rights reserved.

*Varieties of Religious Experience Lecture VI, The Sick Soul, William James 1902

Tantric Qigong Karma Burning: Chakra Issues,  Part 2,  Chakras 1 & 2 , 3rd Chakra

Karma Burning  Karma Burning in the Lower Chakras  1 2 3  4 5

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Tantric Qigong Karma Burning: Chakra Issues,  Breath, Emotional Intelligence and Evolution

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Referring to the tendency of modern technology to be shaped by Paleolithic emotional patterns, Einstein was alleged to have said “It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity…All our lauded technological progress–our very civilization–is like the axe in the hand of the pathological criminal…The human spirit must prevail over technology.”  How can we achieve this process of accelerated evolution implied by Einstein?  Try this breathing technique when you feel emotionally challenged: Keep your back straight, inhale slowly and deeply to a count of 5, exhale slowly to a count of 5. Repeat 1-3 times or until calm. If you know the Third Eye Balancing technique, you can also use it to balance your mental / emotional state.

Do this interpersonal experiment: the next time you are confronted by someone who is experiencing great anxiety, anger, or pain, ask them to take a deep breath. The person controlled by the atavistic urges of the amygdala will blast you for suggesting this. The more evolved will endeavor to comply.  

The intention to mediate our bestial aspects is associated with the higher cortical centers which can override the amygdala / brain-stem reactions. I have yet to see a convincing medical explanation for how this intention is generated; this may remain one of the ancient mysteries of spiritual masters. Certainly once put in motion, Intention from our higher centers can subsume and mediate automatic neuro-muscular and endocrine reactions. By asserting control through our higher cortical centers we unite the yin and yang portals of the psychic bridge (third eye) and neutralize the more barbaric urges of the brain stem.

In short, the amygdala represents our primitive aspects and the anterior cingulate cortex and the lateral orbitofrontal cortex develop our higher civilized and spiritual aspects. You can see by the diagram that the anterior cingulate cortex / lateral orbitofrontal cortex is in a direct line between the amygdala / brainstem and the neocortical centers controlled by the third eye (Ajna). It is one of the functions of Cobra Breath to unite and balance these centers, bringing vital, primal energy to the higher centers while soothing and calming the atavistic beast within us. © 2012 Keith E. Hall, www.inner-tranquility.com  All rights reserved.

Tantric Qigong Karma Burning: Chakra Issues,  Part 2,  Chakras 1 & 2,  Third Chakra

Karma Burning  Karma Burning in the Lower Chakras  1 2 3  4 5

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Tantric Qigong Karma Burning: Chakra Issues Recurrent emotional and behavioral patterns / habits that are energized and repeatedly re-grooved in our consciousness become Issues.

Transform yourself with Tantric Qigong

Repeated emotional / behavioral patterns that have consistent negative consequences seem to be driven by brain stem and amygdala reactions that are inconsistent with emotional intelligence, or are inappropriate for the stimuli present at the time. We can seem stuck in these patterns like an old vinyl record skipping and repeating the same music over and over. These recurrent emotional / behavioral patterns inform the issues of the lower chakras.

The human brain is exactly the same as humans living 200,000 years ago. Think about it, we are meeting new, challenging stimuli of the modern world with the same neural circuitry as nomadic cavemen during the Paleolithic Stone Age. We still treat every new stimulus as a potential danger to be defended against. We are using the same old knee jerk fight-or-flight responses of our ancient ancestors 194,000 years before recorded history began. This explains the reactions of patriarchal cultures of terrorism that are both entrenched in Neolithic tribalism and have access to nuclear and electronic technology – kill it or be killed by it, eat it or be eaten, dominate or die.

The Amygdala, Limbic Resonance and Patterns

The limbic system and the brain stem (reptilian brain) are at the center of these quasi-automatic attitudes and responses. In addition to internal automatic brain stem reactions to a threatening stimulus, we tend to come into attunement with other nearby mammals possessing limbic resonance. If you are in close proximity to a person who is angry, you pick up on this. If you have an adoring cat or dog on your lap, you tend to resonate with their emotion.

The amygdala activates fight or flight responses by receiving neural signals that indicate possible threats slightly before other brain centers. Higher cortical areas receive these signals milliseconds later, making it a challenge to override one’s reactions if we judge that immediate action is required. The difficulty is that the older parts of the brain always react as if the stimulus is a true life and death situation requiring immediate action, although the vast majority of the time it is not.

The amygdala processes information unconsciously and has no sense of chronological time. This means that stimuli perceived as a threat in childhood will tend to be perceived the same way in adulthood. So, a memory of a barking dog that frightened you at an early age is recorded by the amygdala and will set off the same fear reactions with similar intensity if you are presented with the same stimulus in the present. This lack of personal historical chronology at the center of the limbic system may be a basis for the perpetuation of negative emotional / behavioral patterns.

Anterior Cingulate Cortex

The anterior cingulate cortex has a mediating role in rational cognitive functions, decision-making, empathy, and modulation of emotional responses through the abundance of specialized neurons called spindle cells. These cells are a relatively recent occurrence in evolutionary terms, so far found only in humans and apes. Whether we use these cell structures fully or not makes all the difference.

The relationship between the anterior cingulate cortex and more primitive brain structures can even explain one’s choice of politics. A now famous study conducted by the University College London (UCL) demonstrated a correlation between larger development of the anterior cingulate cortex and progressive political identification compared to a larger development of the amygdala in retrogressive political identification. “We found that greater liberalism was associated with increased gray matter volume in the anterior cingulate cortex, whereas greater conservatism was associated with increased volume of the right amygdala…political attitudes reflect differences in self-regulatory conflict monitoring and recognition of emotional faces by showing that such attitudes are reflected in human brain structure.“*  © 2012 Keith E. Hall, www.inner-tranquility.com  All rights reserved.

*Kanai, R., Feilden, T., Firth, C., Rees, G. (7 April 2011). Political orientations are correlated with brain structure in young adults. Current Biology

Tantric Qigong Karma Burning: Chakra Issues,  Part 2,  Chakras 1 & 2,  Third Chakra

Karma Burning  Karma Burning in the Lower Chakras  1 2 3  4 5

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Can T’ai Chi Keep You From Going Crazy: T’ai Chi and the Physical and Mental Health of College Students

A group of several scientists from the Department of Physical Therapy of Georgia State University conducted a study published in The American Journal of Chinese Medicine* and Medicine and Sport Science** to assess the mental and physical health in college students and whether the practice of T’ai Chi could improve their overall health.

Students attended an hour long T’ai Chi class twice a week for 3 months that included 10 minutes of warm up exercises followed by 50 minutes of T’ai Chi instruction and practice.  Their levels of physical and mental health were measured using a health survey questionnaire (SF-36v2) before and after the intervention.

Assessed physical parameters included physical function, body pain, and general health. The mental assessment included perceptions of one’s vitality, mental, emotional, and social functioning.  What the researchers found was that both physical and mental balance improved over just 3 months or 24 T’ai Chi class sessions. This was particularly noticeable in the mental health arena.

College age students, being younger, tend to be somewhat healthier physically than older adults. Mental health can be a different deal though. The stresses surrounding college life can be quite significant, and students tend to be less experienced in healthy mechanisms to cope with this. The findings that T’ai Chi noticeably improved the students’ perception of their mental balance is therefore quite significant. My own experience as a college student learning T’ai Chi was that the practice was quite calming and balancing, in fact, an emotional lifesaver!

The scientists concluded their research paper by recommending that colleges offer “Tai Chi as a component of their ongoing physical activity programs available to students.” So, yes, T’ai Chi can perhaps keep you from going crazy. Even if you are A College Student Gone Wild!  © 2013 Keith E. Hall and www.Inner-Tranquility.com  All rights reserved.

*Am J Chin Med. 2004;32(3):453-9

**Med Sport Sci. 2008;52:135-45

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T’ai Chi, Tantric Qigong, Meditation, and Sleep

Good, deep, restful sleep is like a cool draught of spring water to someone wandering in a baking desert. Our stressful, harried lives require good quality sleep, yet our ability to achieve these deep states seems to be slipping.

In the UK, one third of the population report that they suffer from insomnia and, according to a 2002 poll conducted by the National Sleep Foundation, 58% of adults in the U.S. experience symptoms of insomnia for at least a few nights each week.*

Prevalence and Etiology  Insomnia appears to be more common in women; however the quality of sleep often deteriorates with age in both men and women. Additionally, insomniacs often experience fatigue during the day, fall asleep at work or have difficulty concentrating, poor memory, and can experience irritability. Persons suffering from insomnia can also wake up frequently during the night, have problems going back to sleep, wake up too early, and often feel tired following sleep.

Health conditions such as high blood pressure, sleep apnea, and menopause; medications, drugs, poor nutrition, bad habits such as over-consumption of caffeine and alcohol, pain or other physical discomfort, shift work, negative emotional states such as anger, OCD, and depression, even the anxiety about sleeping well itself can contribute significantly to the degradation of your sleep quality.

T’ai Chi Can Improve Sleep   In research conducted by Li F, et al. of the Oregon Research Institute and published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, the ability of T’ai Chi to improve the quality of sleep was studied in a group of older adults. 118 men and women, ranging in age from 60 to 92, were randomly delegated to either a T’ai Chi or a low impact exercise class meeting for one hour, three times a week for six months. The two groups exhibited the same sleep duration at the beginning of the study. At the conclusion of the trial, the T’ai Chi practitioners showed significant improvement in sleep quality compared to the low impact exercise group as measured by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). The T’ai Chi-ists were able to fall asleep 18 minutes faster each night and slept 48 minutes more than the exercise group. The researchers concluded that “Tai chi appears to be effective as a nonpharmacological approach to sleep enhancement for sleep-disturbed elderly individuals.”**

How does this work?  The researchers did not postulate the mechanisms involved in the improvement of sleep quality through the practice of T’ai Chi. However, with several decades of practice and teaching under my belt, I am willing to hazard a few guesses about this:

1. T’ai Chi (and Tantric Qigong) reduces pain and physical discomfort through gentle movements that improve blood flow, circulating out toxins while presenting no physical stress to the body.

2. T’ai Chi and Tantric Qigong increase oxygenation and vital energy (qi, chi) while at the same time balancing the active and receptive or quiescent aspects of this energy (yin and yang).

3. The gentle stretching characteristic of T’ai Chi reduces muscle spasticity and joint compaction that can lead to pain.

4. Like meditation, Tantric Qigong and T’ai Chi’s conscious breath patterns unite the frontal cortical centers with brain stem and limbic functions resulting in more self mastery and a concomitant decrease in negative emotional states.  Training the brain to attain deep Theta states will also relax a person so deeply as to bring them to the threshold of sleep. © 2013 Keith E. Hall and www.Inner-Tranquility.com .  All rights reserved.

*2002 Sleep in America Poll, National Sleep Foundation.

**J Am Geriatr Soc. 2004 Jun;52(6):892-900. Tai chi and self-rated quality of sleep and daytime sleepiness in older adults: a randomized controlled trial. Li F, Fisher KJ, Harmer P, Irbe D, Tearse RG, Weimer C. Oregon Research Institute, Eugene, Oregon.

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Karma Burning: Transcendence & Sahasrara, the Crown Chakra

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 He who loses himself will find himself.  Matthew 10:39

The crown chakra is the connection between the physical body and its energetic emanations, energy bodies, etc. There is not really an emotion per se associated with this chakra, the closest we come is a sense of liberation or spiritual ecstasy resulting from a release from the confines of ego.  Transcendence can be defined as that which goes beyond any possible intellectual knowledge, a full spiritual awakening or liberation from egocentricity, a condition of going or being beyond ego. The mantra which describes this is:  “Gate Gate Paragate Parasamgate Bodhi Swaha!”, i.e. go, go, go beyond, go beyond beyond, all hail the goer! (Enlightened one).

In religious experience, transcendence is a state of being that has overcome the limitations of physical existence and perhaps become independent of it. This state of being in connection with the universal self can sometimes be experienced through processes which expand the boundaries of our definition and our consciousness, and can include prayer, meditation, entheogen induced extasis, tantric practices, and spontaneously experienced out of body states. All the great religious traditions of the world to some extent share the belief of the possibility of transcending the ego, even such a staid authority as the Catholic Church:

          Freeing itself from the sensuous world by purification (katharsis), the human soul

          ascends by successive steps through the various degrees of the metaphysical

          order, until it unites itself in…contemplation to the One, and sinks into it: it is

          the state of ecstasis.

-The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume 10, Herbermann, Charles George 1907-1913

Just as the t’ai chi symbol (yin yang) contains the seed of its opposites, so transcendence can contain an aspect of immanence.  We can be alive, but have consciousness outside the body; we can be in the world, but at the same time not of it. © 2012 Keith E. Hall and www.Inner-Tranquility.com. All rights reserved.

Karma Burning  Karma Burning in the Lower Chakras  1 2 3  4 5

Karma Burning: Chakra Issues

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Karma Burning: Ajna, the 3rd Eye:  Serenity / Equanimity

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As we delve into the emotions related to the head chakras, we may be surprised to find that little to none are resident there. Emotions are deeply connected to the body and the somatic chakras, whereas the chakras of the head are more connected to mental and spiritual realms. If one were to affix an appellation to the emotion of Ajna, it would be inner peace, tranquility, equanimity, or serenity.

Equanimity…is the ground for wisdom and freedom and the protector of compassion

 and love. The Buddha described a mind filled with equanimity as “abundant, exalted,

       immeasurable, without hostility and without ill-will. -Gil Fronsdal, Insight Meditation Center

Equanimity can be seen as evolving from a state of stability or composure arising from a deep witnessing and acceptance of this present moment.  Far from analytical aloofness, spiritual equanimity results in a clarity and a kind of calm, warm, state of being.

Serenity is defined by some dictionaries as “a disposition free from stress or emotion”, and “steadiness of mind under stress.” Stress, as we know, is a combination of anxiety, discomfort, and irritability brought on by the inability to fully control a given situation. In other words; fear, pain, and anger: the emotional denizens of the first three chakras. The ability to maintain a serene affect when challenged by the negative emotions of the lower three chakras is a prima facie case for a certain degree of self mastery.

While the emotions present in the fourth and fifth chakras do not have any negativity in their resident aspects (Love and Joy), these emotions can have a dynamic quality to them that affects the body quite strongly. At times the emotions of Love and Joy can be overwhelming, and in their most profound expressions can fill the body with an energized exuberance.  While a delightful state, this is quite different than the calm landscape of serenity. Using the model of Kundalini ascension, one could see how the exuberance of chakras 4 and 5 could “boil up” and gradually evanesce or distill into a refined sense of presence and inner peace at the sixth chakra.

            God grant me the serenity

            to accept the things I cannot change;

            courage to change the things I can;

            and wisdom to know the difference. –Reinhold Niebuhr

This famous quote from the Serenity Prayer is interesting in terms of the dynamics of the chakras. We have serenity, a function of the third eye, acceptance, an energy of the 4th chakra, courage, which can be a power of the third chakra, and wisdom and discernment bring us back to the third eye. In other words, intention, steadfastness, and surrender when enjoined can help create presence and wisdom.

Limbic resonance, aka empathic resonance, is a psychiatric theory delineating how humans and mammals in general express the capacity for sharing deep emotional states which arise within the limbic system through non-verbal interconnectedness or a kind of psychic quantum entanglement.  These states include the feelings of empathic harmony (dopamine circuit), and the emotional states of fear, anxiety and anger (norepinephrine circuit). This theory is the first well defined medical hypothesis to address the mechanics of non-verbal emotional communication in both humans and some animals.  What psychiatry is attempting to describe in neurologic terms, Tantric and Taoist practitioners attain through the practice of meditation, conscious movement and techniques such as mantra, Transmuting Breath, and Cobra Breath. Inner tranquility and attentiveness would be prerequisites for conscious mastery of the lower emotions, non-verbal attunement, and the attainment of harmony, syntony, and empathy.

If we think about this in quasi-Taoist terms, serenity and equanimity could be seen as the fulcrum of balance between negative and positive emotions, between the soma and the subtle energy bodies, between our embodied sense of the heavenly (cosmic consciousness) and earthly realms (vitality, emotionality, and sensuality). © 2012 Keith E. Hall and www.Inner-Tranquility.com. All rights reserved.

Karma Burning  Karma Burning in the Lower Chakras  1 2 3  4 5

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Chinese Snakes on a Plane?

Well, maybe on your plane of consciousness

Sunday, February 10^th 2013, is the beginning of the Chinese New Year of the Water Snake, a time of change and newness. Snakes can disturb political hierarchies and World Orders. For instance, the events of the Great Depression, the Pearl Harbor bombing, and the 2001 attack on the World Trade Center all occurred during snake years.

However, Water Snake years, such as 2013, tend to encourage the development of wisdom and can be a time auspicious for spiritual growth. Considered one of the symbols of transformation, the snake is  associated with major changes due to the way it sheds its outer skin to reveal new inner growth. It is an excellent year to finally invest your time and commitment to develop the skills of introspection and Self Mastery.   What will this portend for Cobra Breath aspirants? (c) 2013 Keith E. Hall and www.inner-tranquility.com  All rights reserved.

Personal growth through the processing of karmic patterns

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Qigong and Blood Pressure

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It is well known that moderate exercise and relaxation are helpful in the reduction of hypertension. Qigong (Chi Kung), with its gentle movements and coordinated breathing patterns, might seem to be an ideal exercise candidate for reducing blood pressure. Calming, centering and mildly aerobic in the sense of continuous conscious breathing, qigong has obvious benefits in promoting a relaxation response. But does it actually lower blood pressure?

There have been several interesting medical studies done on this question. BM Cheung, et al of the University of Hong Kong conducted a randomized controlled trial to study the effect of Guolin qigong on blood pressure.   88 patients with mild essential hypertension were recruited for a four month qigong and exercise program. they found at the conclusion of 16 weeks of training that their patients had lowered their blood pressure by an average of  11 points. they also found that “General health, bodily pain, social functioning and depression also improved…”*

MS Lee, et al did a study of 58 volunteers with essential hypertension split into a qigong group and a control group to investigate the efficacy of Qigong as a non-pharmacological treatment.  After 10 weeks of qigong training both systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure significantly decreased. The researchers observed “a significant reduction of norepinephrine, epinephrine, cortisol, and stress levels”  in the Qigong group. The authors conclude that “these results suggest that Qigong may reduce BP and catecholamines via stabilizing the sympathetic nervous system.  Therefore, Qigong is an effective non-pharmacological modality to reduce BP in essential hypertensive patients.”**

Reporting in the American Journal of Chinese Medicine, Lee’s group of researchers also noticed improved breathing among the qigong patients participating in this study. “The ventilatory functions, forced vital capacity and forced expiratory volume per sec., were increased in the Qigong group but not the control. These results suggest that Qigong may stabilize the sympathetic nervous system” and improve “ventilatory functions in mildly  hypertensive middle-aged patients.”***

These studies show the efficacy of qigong practice in reducing blood pressure, pain and stress levels, increasing lung capacity and breathing, and improving social functioning, depression and general health within 10 – 16  weeks. (c) 2013 Keith E. Hall and www.inner-tranquility.com All rights reserved.

*Cheung BM, Lo JL, Fong DY, Chan MY, Wong SH, Wong VC, Lam KS, Lau CP, Karlberg JP. Randomised controlled trial of qigong in the treatment of mild essential hypertension. J Hum Hypertens. 2005 Sep;19(9):697-704.

**Lee MS, Lee MS, Kim HJ, Moon SR. Qigong reduced blood pressure and catecholamine levels of patients with essential hypertension. Int J Neurosci. 2003 Dec;113(12):1691-701.

***Lee MS, Lee MS, Choi ES, Chung HT. Effects of Qigong on blood pressure, blood pressure determinants and ventilatory function in middle-aged patients with essential hypertension. Am J Chin Med. 2003;31(3):489-97.

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