Qigong
is part of Traditional Chinese Medicine. One way to translate
"qigong" is "exercises to promote the flow of vital
energy." There are thousands of exercises and routines that have been used
for centuries to promote wellness. This Qigong for Health routine has been
developed as a healthy and fun way to revitalize after a stressful day.
I. Warmup
The
exercises start by working with your hands. Walk in a small circle, opening and
closing your hands, and smile. This gets the blood flowing and your energy
moving. Smiling promotes good energy and good feelings.
Feel Your Qi
Start by crossing your arms in front of you with the inside of the
wrists near each other, almost touching. Move your arms in slow circles with
your wrists moving past each other. Pay attention to any feeling between your
wrists. After about 15 or 20 slow circles, turn your hands so that your palms
are facing each other. Move your hands very slowly in circles with your
concentration on your palms. Pay attention to any feeling between your hands.
This exercise activates qi flow through the center of the palm. You will
probably start to feel some warmth or tingling between palms. Spend some time
"playing" with the energy. Learn to push one hand with the energy
from the other.
II. First Set
The
first set loosens your joints to get the energy flowing. All exercises start in
wu ji posture with your feet about hip’s distance apart. Relax your shoulders
and let all the tension go. Center your weight on both feet. Stand with active
knees to allow for slow, smooth movements. Use abdominal breathing to encourage
deep breathing. This is where you expand your abdomen when inhaling and
compress your abdomen when exhaling. Above all, work within your comfort zone.
Loosen the Neck
Head Down. Start with your chin down
toward your chest. Inhale and slowly raise your hands in front of you with your
palms down. Visualize a balloon lifting each hand. As your hands move, follow
the movement with your chin. When your hands reach shoulder height, you should
be facing straight ahead. Turn your hands so that your palms are toward your
face. Bring in your hands toward your chin and move your chin backward, as if
your hands were pushing it back, keeping your head upright. This straightens
your spine. Exhale, turn your hands so the palms are forward, and push your
palms forward and then down. Allow your chin to follow the hand movements by
extending your head forward and bending it down.
Side to Side. Raise one hand to shoulder
height in front of your shoulder with your palm facing in. Move your hand out
in an arc to the side. Keep your hips still and turn at the waist. Follow the
movement by turning your head. Return to center and switch hands. Repeat to the
other side.
Loosen the Shoulders
Shoulder Roll. Roll your shoulders forward
three times. Stretch your shoulders outward and maintain a small space in your
armpit to open up the joint to promote the flow of qi. Then do it again by
rolling them backward three times.
Press the Qi. Inhale and bring your hands
around from the sides toward your body in a big circle, bending your knees
slightly and gathering qi as you move. Exhale and press your hands down in
front of you. Imagine gathering qi into your hands from the universe around
you. Reach out to expand all the joints in your arms as your move. As you
exhale, sink your qi to your dan tien.
Stretch the Spine
Separating Heaven and Earth.
Slightly
tuck in your chin to straighten your upper spine. Hold your hands in front of
you with one hand about chest height and palm down and the other at your lower
abdomen with the palm up, as if holding a ball. Separate your hands and inhale,
moving one hand palm up over your head and one palm down at your hip. As you
inhale, visualize that your spine is a string and you are gently pulling the
string from both ends to stretch your spine. Feel your qi flowing up your spine
to the top of your head. Pause briefly without moving and feel your spine
stretching and the space between the vertebrae opening up. Imagine yourself
growing taller. As you exhale, bring your hands back to the center and visualize
that your qi is flowing down the front of your body. Repeat to the other side.
Moving the Qi Ball. Hold your hands in front of
you, right palm down and left palm up, as if holding a ball. Rotate at the
waist in the direction of the top hand. When you reach your limit, reverse your
hands and rotate in the other direction. Try to separate the movement of your
hips and your waist and keep your hips still. There is no need to turn more
than about 45° each way.
Loosen the Hips
Forward & Back. Shift your weight to your
right leg and bend your knees slightly. Lift your left leg and extend it
forward, touching your heel down. Keep most of your weight on your right foot.
At the same time, push your hands back from your sides toward the back. Lift
your left leg, bring it back to where you started, and extend it behind you,
touching down on the ball of the foot. At the same time, raise your hands in
front to about shoulder height. Repeat for a total of three stretches. Repeat
on the other side.
Side Stretch. Shift your weight to your
right leg and bend your knees slightly. Extend your left leg out to the left
and gently touch down. Raise your hands with the palms facing to the right,
right hand above the left. Press your hands to the right as if against a wall on
your right side. Repeat to the left side.
Strengthen the Legs
Brush Knee. Place them at your waist,
palm down. Shift your weight to your right leg and bend your knees slightly.
Slowly lift your left foot slightly, place it forward, touch down on your heel,
and touch the rest of your foot down. At the same time, shift your weight
forward and slowly press your right hand forward while exhaling. Bring your
left hand down past your left knee. Keep your back heel flat on the floor so
you don’t become overbalanced. Keep your feet apart so you are not “walking a
tightrope”. Shift your weight back, pick up your left foot, bring it back, and
touch down where you started. At the same time, bring your hand back to your
waist while inhaling. Maintain an upright posture to keep your qi flowing
properly. Make sure your movements are slow and continuous. Stretch your hip
joint from within by keeping your crotch in an arch. Repeat to the other side.
Kick & Punch Forward. Make your hands into loose
fists and place them at your waist. Shift your weight to your right leg and
bend your knees slightly. Slowly lift your left leg until your thigh is
horizontal. Slowly kick out with your left foot. At the same time, slowly punch
forward with your right fist while exhaling. Bring your foot back in and touch
down where you started. Bring your fist back while inhaling. Focus on slowly,
gradually shifting your weight. Repeat to the other side.
III. Second Set
The second set of exercises moves your mind and
body into the calming phase.
Balancing Your Qi. Bring your hands to the
Dantien, palms up and fingers facing each other. Lift up your hands out and up
to chest height while inhaling. Turn palms down, bend your knees slightly, and
let your hands move in toward your chest and sink down to the Dantien while
exhaling.
Seven Jolts Prevent All the
Ailments. This
stimulates six of the main qi meridians and balances the flow of qi. Start in
Wu Ji. inhale and raise up on your toes, lifting your heels as high as you can.
Draw your shoulders back and expand your chest. Exhale suddenly, drop your
heels to the floor and relax your entire body. Come back to the beginning
position. Optionally, clasp your hands behind your back as you raise your
heels.
Open and Close. Feel your qi as in the first
set.
IV. Meditation
Meditation is a mental practice used to get
beyond the thinking mind into a deeper state of awareness. It is voluntary
sensory deprivation. Part of the idea of meditation is to develop concentration
so that you can control distractions. Try to keep your mind on a single point
of focus. The point of focus could be a short repetitive prayer, one’s breath,
a breath count, qi energy flows, or anything else.
© 2011 Eric Borreson
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