Qigong: Unblocking Energy Stagnation for Breast Health

By Grand Master Nan Lu

Breast cancer, like all other “disease,” is considered an energy imbalance in the eyes of Chinese medicine. To be in balance, energy must flow freely through pathways called meridians. Meridians carry information that allow the five major organ systems — the Liver, Heart, Spleen, Lung, and Kidney — to cooperate and achieve the best health possible. 

If we look at everything as energy, we open ourselves to unlimited possibilities. A diagnosis, then, is a way of saying your energy is stuck, not moving, or out of balance. This ancient understanding removes the fear that is so often part of a modern diagnosis and replaces it with opportunities to heal. Healing comes from the inside out, not the outside in. 

So what creates energetic imbalances? In many instances, our emotions and hectic lifestyle throw our bodies out of whack. Becoming aware of your environment and how you relate to your job, family, and beliefs begins the healing process.

Then learning special Qigong practices are key. Qigong works directly on the meridian level to help energy move freely throughout the body. The two postures below help move energy through the breast area. For optimal breast health, practice these postures daily for 2-4 minutes each. Once learned, practice for as long as you can.
 

Push Out, Touch the Moon

• Stand with your feet shoulder width apart.

• Raise your hands to chest level, bringing your fingertips up.

• With palms facing forward, push both hands in front of you, keeping your elbows slightly bent. Bring your arms back to starting position.

Open the Curtain 

• Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, knees slightly bent.

• Raise your hands to chest level, keeping your fingertips pointing up and palms facing forward.

• Push your arms out to a comfortable distance in front of your chest.

• Slide your hands to each side and then bring them back to center, as if opening and closing a curtain.

These movements have helped women prevent and heal from breast cancer at various stages. You can learn more about this view by visiting Breast Cancer Prevention..

Here’s a typical story:

Two days after TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine World Foundation) held a Breast Health workshop, I received a phone call from my college roommate. She received notice of an irregular mammogram. The doctor recommended a biopsy possibly followed by a lumpectomy and radiation. We spoke about my personal health benefits with Qigong. That afternoon, I showed her the Qigong for Breast Health movements and gave her the Breast Health booklet. 

She began practicing the movements daily. A week later, she had her biopsy and the pathology indicated cancer. She continued to practice daily and went for the lumpectomy two weeks later. The surgeon called with good news — the lumpectomy was completely clear, no cancer. My roommate immediately gave credit to the Qigong movements and without missing a beat, the surgeon agreed! She continues to practice and enjoy good health, putting any doubts behind her.
— Tracey Burde, LAc.

Grand Master Nan Lu, is founding director and president of the Traditional Chinese Medicine World Foundation, the country’s foremost educational organization for traditional Chinese medicine. He is also founder of BreastCancer.com and The Breast Cancer Prevention Project. As Grand Master of Wu Ming Qigong, he is a lineage holder of ancient knowledge not found in today’s textbooks. He has devoted his life to preserving the unique body–mind–spirit wisdom of TCM and Wu Ming Qigong. A longtime TCM practitioner, his mission is to help patients and his Qigong students discover their healing abilities and the effect of consciousness in everyday health. 

Dr. Lu’s latest book is Digesting the Universe: A Revolutionary Framework for Healthy Metabolism Function, a major work that addresses the multidimensional aspects of today's chronic health issues. He holds a doctorate in Traditional Chinese Medicine from Hubei College (University) of TCM, China, and is a clinical associate professor at the State University of New York (SUNY) at Stony Brook, School of Social Welfare. Other sites include TaoOfHealing.com.