Gymming, Yogasana and Qigong

Going to gym is more of a status symbol now a days. Though I am not a regular gymming person, during travels, gyms are frequented. Somehow I always felt it fell much shorter than the yogasana practice. Of course it has several benefits like cardiovascular fitness, access to equipment, opportunity to make friends, increased energy levels and helps to establish a healthy routine. I find the muscular appearance of gymming persons very repulsive (it is a very personal opinion, I know so many who swoon over such a bulging body).

 Every day I practice yogasanas and pranayama and have recently started some Qigong and Tibetan rites. 

Qigong which combines meditative and physically active elements, is the basic exercise system within Chinese medicine. 

Today morning I started with Qigong first and the experience was amazing. Inside of the body which felt dense in the beginning started expanding and became light and one with the surrounding. Immediately I could feel the difference between gymming, yogasanas and qigong from the aspect of the five elements.

Gymming basically is targeting the muscles, it is concerned with the Earth element. Yogasanas take care of the muscles and the internal organs. The twisting asanas help to rejuvenate liver, spleen, stomach etc., Shirshasana brings new energy to the brain. So it is involving the Earth, Fire, and water elements. Qigong affects the air and ether elements also which explains the expansive feeling I got. Of course if yogasana is followed by pranayama, it takes care of air and ether elements. But I experienced a difference here. The qigong felt more thorough, as if it was permeating even the minutest spaces in the body!