The first of its kind in Italy, Life Nourishing Internal Alchemy - Qigong and International Scientific Research was recently held in Rome with great success.
Organized by Nei Dao Association of Rome, this conference brought together over 100 Qigong practitioners, instructors, medical doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, and research scientists to discuss how to harness one’s health through Qigong which combines mind, body, breath, and spirit to establish the energetic balance within an individual. Dr. Kevin Chen, Ph. D MPH, a prominent Qigong research scientist, Associate Professor of the Center for Integrative Medicine and the Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland, and Associate Editor in Chief of the English version of Chinese Medical Qigong, and Qigong Grandmaster Dr. Effie Chow, Ph. D, RN, Lac, President of East West Academy of Healing Arts (EWAHA) of San Francisco, and founder of World Congress of Qigong & Traditional Chinese Medicine were invited to this Conference as keynote speakers along with Maria Luisa Vocca (nicknamed Marisa), a long-time Qigong practitioner, instructor, and founding member of Italian national Organization for Tuina and Qigong Operators and President of Nei Dao Association.
Dr. Kevin Chen gave a well-researched in-depth speech on Medical Qigong and its effectiveness on various pathologies. He presented the results of scientific studies on cancer, stress-related health issues, addiction and dependency treatment by utilizing Qigong as a medical intervention method.
Dr. Chow’s speech was titled "Body, Mind, Spirit Chow Medical Qigong - Heal Yourself, Heal the Planet".She introduced the Chow Medical Qigong system and how it works.
Marisa provided a summary report of the 12th World Congress of Qigong & TCM held in San Francisco in April.
- Established in March, 2010, Nei Dao Association sets itself high with important missions as the following:
- Spreading and widening the knowledge within the entire philosophical and cultural field that is the real essence of Qigong.
- Proposing and carrying out the practice and the study of Qigong in all of its forms.
- Promoting scientific research on Qigong in collaboration not only with doctors and health workers, psychologists, psychotherapists, but also with biologists and physicists.
- Promoting round-table discussions and conferences on various spheres of practice and research.
- Promoting training courses in the various main branches of Qigong.
With these, another important section of the Conference was the Interdisciplinary Expert Panel where experts of Qigong (Dr. Chow, Professor Chen, and Marisa Vocca) spoke and discussed Qigong with medical experts (an oncologist, from one of the most important hospitals in Roma, a Medical doctor responsible of a Unit for Addiction therapy, a biochemistry researcher, a homeopathic medical doctor, and a physic researcher). The conclusion of the Expert Panel was: the potentiality and hope of cooperation between science and practice, with no prejudices from either side. President Marisa Vocca sees the opportunity of forming good partnership among the scientists, the health operators, and Qigong practitioners. She and others were energized by this Conference and foresee the initiation of many Qigong projects.
The feedback on this Conference in general was very positive. Some enjoyed more the left side of the brain, with Prof. Chen and the scientific method; others preferred the right side with Dr. Chow, and most would like more Qigong practice to be included. According to Marisa Vocca, there is a growing interest in Qigong in Italy. With the success of this Conference, she would like to make it an annual event and also to build closer relationships and synergies between this Conference and the World Congress of Qigong & TCM.
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