Perhaps the most popular of the Eastern meditation practices in the West is yoga. Developed in India thousands of years ago, yoga has continued to evolve toward the pursuit of achieving unity with the energy of the universe. In practicing yoga, the meditator cleanses his mind, body, and spirit through breathing practices and postures to achieve that unity. Yoga removes emotions, events, disappointments, anger, and other hindrances - both positive and negative - from the mind, allowing the meditator to become aware of the condition of each of the facets of his body and the chi that runs through them.

The benefits of unhindered, balanced chi within the body have incredible physical manifestations. Practicing yoga and its corresponding deep-breathing exercises relaxes the nervous system and enhances the immune system. These effects help the immune system to protect the physical aspect of the body against viruses and bacteria. Furthermore, the thymus gland, the center of the immune system, which sits in the chest and corresponds with the fourth chakra, can be stimulated by opening the chest and breathing deeply into it through postures that concentrate on filling an open chest with air.

Yoga, as with most of the meditation practices that involve a physical component, has direct benefits to both the physical and energy system aspects of the body. While yoga helps achieve physical fitness and the above-mentioned physical health benefits, this form of meditation also aids in clearing the channels through which chi flows and opening blockages, allowing unrestricted flow of energy. This improved energy flow can be felt by the mediator and has the power to prevent ailments and illnesses that would otherwise manifest in physical terms.

Tai Chi

Tai chi, another Eastern form of meditation that has traveled westward, has become increasingly popular in the United States in recent years due to its health and longevity effects. Tai chi is a soft-style martial arts practice based on the principles of yin and yang and internal - not physical - power. The purpose of tai chi is to achieve internal yin and yang balance in combat as well as in all other aspects of life.

After engaging in sufficient practice, tai chi artists, as in other forms of meditation, develop the ability to sense and even manipulate chi. In tai chi, the artist gathers chi in the navel area, feeling warmth and heaviness in that center, then circulates the chi through the body in synchronization with the movements of tai chi.

The training for this martial arts technique begins with solo routines of slow movements from one posture to the next. The calm movements use coordination in relaxation instead of muscular flexing. These motions slowly and repetitively move the body, enabling the practitioner to use the flow of chi to create smooth movements, opening the internal circulation of oxygen, blood, body heat, chi energy, and other bodily functions. Often considered a type of moving meditation, tai chi focuses the mind of the artist solely on his movements in the tai chi forms. This creates stillness and clarity in the mind of the meditator while simultaneously bringing together the coordination of the physical and energy aspects of the body.

The health aspect of tai chi's training focuses on alleviating the physical manifestations of mental and physical stress. Tai chi leads to improved balance control, flexibility, and cardiovascular fitness, reduced pain, stress, and anxiety, improved respiratory function, lowered cholesterol, lessened Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), improved heart rate, lessened tension, anxiety, and depression, improved posture, digestion, balance, memory, emotional stability, and overall physical and mental wellness. Clinical studies even indicate that individuals suffering from Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, arthritis, and depression experience improvement through tai chi.

Qigong

Qigong, also known as chi kung, is the practice of therapeutic, controlled deep breathing, rhythmic movement, and mental awareness. Qigong, like tai chi, is a form of internal martial arts. The aim of qigong is proper movement and coordination of the body's energy and connection with the energy of the universe, using that energy to control all physical movement. The respiration and movement techniques of qigong are used not only for the purpose of health maintenance and stimulating energy mobilization and physical endurance, but also for medical treatment and therapeutic intervention. Furthermore, qigong, through its deep relaxation practices, releases stress, promotes coordination in the elderly, improves balance, preserves joint mobility, and connects the meditator with the energy flow of the universe.