Qigong Assistant
Introduction
Qigong Assistant helps you record and review the time you spend practicing Qigong.
You can log each session under a training method group (dynamic qigong, quiet qigong, massage qigong, etc.) so that times are aggregated per method.
Recorded sessions can be summarized by day or by month.
You can also set a start-of-practice alarm, and sync the history with a Mac or PC.
A short video walkthrough is available here.
Basic operation
Adding a training program
A training program is a playlist of one or more songs from your iPod library that play continuously during a session.
Once created, a program can be replayed simply by selecting it.
Start by giving the new program a recognizable name.
Selecting songs to play
Tap the name of the training program you just added.
Tap the "+" button in the upper-right corner of the screen that appears.
Select one or more songs to include in the program.
To play the same song multiple times in a row, tap it once per repetition (wait a moment between taps).
When you are done selecting, tap "Done" in the upper-right corner.
Setting the aggregate time
After the songs are chosen, the total playback time is displayed.
If the value is fine as-is, tap "OK".
To exclude fractional seconds from the recorded training time, edit the value on this screen before tapping "OK".
Use the keyboard to change the number, then tap "OK".
Choosing a group
After the aggregate time is confirmed, buttons for each training method (group) appear.
Tap the button for the method this program belongs to.
The program is now ready to use.
Running a session
Open the leftmost tab (the only one that is active by default) to start a session.
Tap the program name to reveal the session screen.
Tap "Start" to begin, "Stop" to pause, and "Exit" to end the session.
Reviewing history
After a session, open the rightmost tab to review the recorded times.
Entries are listed newest first; drag or swipe to scroll to older entries.
From the second session onward
Just tap the leftmost tab and the session can start immediately.
Screen contents by tab
Training tab
Start, pause, and end a session from this screen.
Title: the name of the current training program.
"Start": begin the session.
"Stop": pause the session.
"Next": skip to the next song.
"Exit": end the session.
Date: the current date.
Solar term: shown when today matches one of the 24 solar terms (二十四節気).
Alarm: shows the current alarm status; tap to register or change the start-of-session alarm.
Training program tab
Screen for editing training programs (playlists used for training).
Training program: shows the name of the training program.
Tap to view the contents of the training program.
Swipe to show the "Delete" button.
"+": add a new training program.
"Delete": delete the training program.
Group tab
Screen for editing the groups (per training method) used to aggregate training time.
Group: shows the name of the group.
Tap to view the details of the group.
Swipe to show the "Delete" button.
"+": add a group.
"Delete": delete the group.
History tab
Screen for reviewing and editing training history.
History: shows the song title used for training, the training time, and the multiplier.
Tap to view the details of the history entry.
Swipe to show the "Delete" button.
"+": add a new history entry.
"Delete": delete the history entry.
Advanced operations
Alarm
To register a signal for the start of training, go to the Training tab.
Tap the "Alarm" button, enter the date and time to sound the alarm, the repeat, and snooze, then tap the "Save" button in the upper-right corner.
To cancel the alarm, tap the "Alarm" button and tap the "Trash" button in the upper-left corner of the screen that appears.
While an alarm is set, "Alarm: ON" is shown on the Training tab.
Creating a training program with multiple groups
For example, you can register a combination of dynamic qigong and quiet qigong in a single training program.
In that case, first add the songs to register as dynamic qigong, then add the songs to register as quiet qigong.
All songs registered in the program are played in order from the beginning.
Editing groups
To edit a group, go to the Group tab.
[Change]
To change the multiplier setting, 24 seasonal nodes setting, or display color, tap the displayed group name.
On the screen that appears, correct the items you want to change and tap the "<" button in the upper-left corner.
[Add]
To add a new group, tap the "+" button in the upper-right corner.
On the screen that appears, enter the group name, multiplier setting, 24 seasonal nodes setting, and display color, then tap the "Save" button in the upper-right corner.
[Delete]
Swipe the group name you want to delete.
Tap the "Delete" button shown at the right end of the group row.
Adding a comment to a history entry
You can add comments to your training history, such as changes in your condition during training or things you noticed.
To do so, select the History tab and tap the entry to which you want to add a comment.
Enter what you want to record in the Remarks field of the screen that appears, then tap the "< History" button in the upper-left corner.
The comment you entered is included in the Remarks field of the output table when the history is aggregated, so you can review it later.
Editing history
To edit history entries, go to the History tab.
[Change]
To change the training time or multiplier, or to add a comment, tap the displayed entry name.
On the screen that appears, correct the items you want to change and tap the "<" button in the upper-left corner.
[Add]
To add a training time that was not recorded, tap the "+" button in the upper-right corner.
On the screen that appears, enter the entry name, comment, training start date and time, training duration, and multiplier, then tap the "Save" button in the upper-right corner.
Buttons for selecting a group (training method) are shown on the screen; please select the appropriate method.
[Delete]
Swipe the history entry you want to delete.
Tap the "Delete" button shown at the right end of the entry row.
Aggregating history
To aggregate history, go to the History tab.
[To output daily aggregated training times]
Tap the "Save" button in the upper-left corner.
* Perform the following steps while connected to a Mac or PC.
When you connect via iTunes, the saved file appears under "Qigong Assistant" through the app's file-sharing feature.
Select the "history.csv" (for Numbers/Excel) or "history.html" (for a web browser) file and click the "Save to" button to save it.
Backing up and restoring data
See this page for the procedure.