![]() The difference between hypotonic slackness and eutonic calmness in subjective state presumably corresponds with a difference on the level of ANS configuration (parasympathetic dominance vs. Payne and Crane-Godreau define eutonic calmness, a state of balanced muscular tone (eutonic) and mental calmness, as the characteristic state of mind-body exercise. It refers to a state of “hypotonic slackness” (e.g., dozing off on the couch in a state of limpness) as well as a state of “eutonic calmness” (e.g., expecting the starting signal for a 50 m sprint, mentally calm with optimal muscular tone). However, the concept of relaxation conveys ambiguity with regard to ANS activity and practitioners’ subjective state. Relaxation is a term often used to describe the impact of mind-body exercise on stress and symptomatology. However, equivocal evidence still exists regarding the acute physiological and subjective experiential effect of Qi Gong–a gap we aimed to address in this study. Risk factors such as stress and sleep quality are responsive to regular Qi Gong practice, and evidence about its long-term benefits on a physiological level is beginning to accumulate. Qi Gong has shown promising effects in the alleviation of some of society’s most debilitating conditions. Qi Gong in the following sections refers to the moving, standard forms of health-cultivating Qi Gong. Baduanjin (“Eight pieces of brocade”) is a form of moving, health-cultivating Qi Gong, which will be used as a representative mind-body exercise in this article because a standard form of this traditional Qi Gong exercise has been developed and increasingly used in research. Like other mind-body practices, Qi Gong consists of a multitude of forms and styles, practiced for various purposes. One prominent example from the group of mind-body exercises is Qi Gong (Chinese: 气 Qi for vital energy 工Gong for work, cultivation). A growing number of studies have therefore started to investigate their effects on the level of health outcomes however, the exact mechanism on which these effects are based remains unclear. Over the last decades, mind-body exercises, such as Yoga, Taijiquan, or Qi Gong, have become a global phenomenon in the pursuit of private and public health endeavors. Mind-body exercise, mind-body therapies, or meditative movement describe a group of practices characterized by a combined focus on movement/posture, patterns of breathing, and mental activity. Overall, this study highlights moderate general physiological activation, exercise-dependent rhythmic ANS modulation, and induction of a characteristic state of eutonic calmness as potential psychophysiological mechanisms underlying the health benefits of mind-body exercise. Significant associations between Qi-Gong-specific beliefs, age, cultural background, and experiential and physiological measures demonstrated the complexity of mind-body exercises as multicomponent interventions. Significant changes in subjective state, not on the physiological level, before and after the exercise were observed. Examination of the RR-interval trajectories revealed a rhythmic pattern of ANS activation and deactivation in sync with activating and relaxing segments of the exercise. A significant increase in overall RR-interval modulation and cardiac coherence during Qi Gong were indicative of a mechanism of active regulation. On the physiological level, a significant decrease of parasympathetic modulation and increase in heart rate indicated a pattern of moderate general physiological activation during Qi Gong. Following Qi Gong, all practitioners reported significantly increased subjective calmness and perceived body activation, attentional focus, and subjective vitality. Relaxation in supine position prior and after the exercise served as a control condition to Qi Gong and to assess changes before and after the exercise. Heart rate variability (HRV) and subjective state were assessed in 42 Qi Gong practitioners from China and Germany during a standard moving Qi Gong exercise (Baduanjin). ![]() To investigate the exact nature of this mechanism, we tracked acute changes in autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity and subjective state over a common form of mind-body exercise (Qi Gong). ![]() Theoretical frameworks highlight regulation as a characteristic and specific mechanism of mind-body exercise for which empirical evidence is scarce. However, the psychophysiological mechanism underlying these effects remains unclear. Mind-body exercises such as Yoga or Qi Gong have demonstrated a wide range of health benefits and hold great promise for employment in clinical practice.
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