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Possible Side Effects
But be careful because studies also point to potential negative effects like "headache, dizziness or vertigo, distension of head, tinnitus, stuffiness in the chest and worsening shortness of breath, heart-pounding or palpitations, muscular soreness or pain, and so on."[3]
Many of these effects may be caused by a heightened awareness of existing conditions or from anxiety resulting from a confrontation with previously subconscious issues like past traumas and fear of death or illness. Other symptoms may be caused by overdoing physical and mental exercises.
Personal Program
Getting positive results relies on finding the right program for you. The practices we are talking about are not one-size-fits-all. You start with a yoga class or meditation training and you "play with it" so it fits your lifestyle. Then you tune into the way it is affecting you and adjust.
Tuning into your body and mind requires mindfulness - objectively observing what is going on. Are you backing off because you can't take a bit of discomfort? Are you pushing yourself too hard? Are you expecting too much too soon?
The Difference
So, what difference does it make? For me, the biggest difference is in the capacity to accept things as they are and let go of the attachments and aversions that cause unnecessary stress.
Anger and other emotions still arise. The same with negative thoughts, aggression, selfishness, etc. I still get frustrated with computer glitches, long waits for support, people blaring their horns to disturb the little peace that we have in the heart of the city, and idiotic bots asking stupid questions. I am still ruminating about how people can support self-serving authoritarian leaders.
The difference is that I recognize these self-imposed stresses and can choose to let go into a quiet mind that experiences the sky, trees, sounds, and smells more clearly and appreciates the gift of mindful awareness.
The Process
First, you analyze the options, then you start practice, overcome resistance, and even as soon as a month or two, you recognize positive changes. You recognize distracting thoughts and feelings as they arise and observe them dissolve on their own. When they don't, you apply a remedy, for example, a mantra or aphorism that replaces the thought or a breathing technique that relieves tension. With positive results and persistence, practice becomes a self-sustaining part of life.
There is a paradox. The reason you practice is to get positive results, yet to get the best results, drop your expectations. Practice and every so often take a moment to reflect on the difference between how you were and how you are until you let go into the flow of optimal living.
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[1] Pitagorsky, George, "The Peaceful Warrior's Path", Self-aware Living, 2023, p. 1.
[2] See the 2022 paper “Yoga and Qigong for Health: Two Sides of the Same Coin?” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9312231/#:~:text=Reychler%20et%20al.,adherence%20and%20long%2Dlasting%20effects.
[3] “Safety of Qigong Protocol for an overview of systematic reviews” https://journals.lww.com/md-journal/fulltext/2018/11020/safety_of_qigong__protocol_for_an_overview_of.49.aspx#:~:text=At%20the%20same%20time%2C%20Qigong,the%20arms%20or%20legs%2C%20profuse
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