Gentle Exercises for Optimal Health

Qigong is slowly making inroads on the consciousness of America. An article on one of my students was recently in the local newspaper here in Bellingham, Washington, USA, North American Continent, Planet Earth.

Vitality

Lee Willis has been benefiting from Qigong for a decade or so. I find Lee to be one of the most present, friendly, happy, helpful and engaging people I know. The photo and article don’t quite show her effervescence. And she vehemently denies–as the article speaks of–that she is a sufferer or victim of any kind. In the decade plus I have known her, I agree with this self-assessment. She leads not just an active life, but a thorough life.

Lee Willis in 2007

Qigong Awareness is Growing

Anyway, read the article. The benefits and joys of Qigong (and Tai Chi) are trickling up, seeping into general consciousness. Maybe we will soon see a bigger awareness of these arts. Most individuals–and the country as a whole–would be better off practicing these internal movement arts.

Lee Willis teaches a short, gentle Tai Chi form that was designed for people with arthritis (whether or not they are victims), but the form is actually great training for anybody seeking better internal and external balance, smoother movement and less pain in their bodies.

Modify Your Movements When You Need to

Lee mentions the principle of modifying in the article, which is so key in making a practice work for whatever your current physical needs, abilities, and areas of concern. To restate the principle of modifying: Find a way to move that doesn’t hurt, whether this means using less effort, doing slightly different movements, or making the range of the motion smaller. By modifying as necessary, you engage your body in relaxation, which engenders healing responses at all levels of your being.

The Omnipresence of Limitations

Another point she touches upon is the fact that most of us have some “limitations” in our health to deal with. Actually, everyone does. Working within the boundaries of whatever your current abilities are–rather than fantasizing or blithely stepping into the dangerous water of overdoing–is so much of what Qigong is all about. When engaged in healing practices, activated movement within relaxation is necessary. Working within your limits is both wise and pleasurable. Pushing into pain is the path to problems.

Below is the second of five videos on Reducing Depression with the “Old Man” Qigong Set.

There are three movements in the Old Man exercise, beginning with the Lung Movement, as taught in this video.

Open the Lungs and Release Grief

In the Lung movement you will stretch the lungs open, massage them repeatedly with relaxed arm movements and release sadness into the earth. Each movement is accompanied by a directed healing sound, one that is specific for that area, bringing loosening vibration to the cells of the targeted area. The Lung sound is “SHHHH” or “SSSSS”.

Contraindications for Practicing Healing Sounds

According to Jerry Alan Johnson people should not practice Qigong sounds if:

• They have any bone fractures
• They are in the throes of an acute illness
• They are pregnant
• They are menstruating

I’m not sure about the last one. It seems to be more of something to be cautious about and aware of your own body’s needs. Refer back to the second principle of Qigong: Modify.

Note: The “Lung” movement is also a Kidney strengthener. Bending over while imagining your feet are in warm water is–in the Five Elemental Energy conception–nutritive for your Kidneys.

Without going into it in too much detail in this post: Full, strong Kidneys give you energy, healthy bones, mental clarity, and a sustaining connection to Nature.

Below is the first of five videos of a movement and healing sounds Set that is very effective in helping to alleviate negative emotions. The full name of this exercise Set is Old Man Searching for the Reflection of the Moon at the Bottom of the Tide Pool. That is a mouthful; I usually just called it “Old Man.”

Many People Have Benefited

I learned this set from my Medical Qigong teacher Dr. Jerry Alan Johnson. He credits Dr. Her Yue Wong with introducing it into the USA in the 1970’s. Dr. Johnson told me that he gave these exercises to more people than any any other healing prescription. He often found that very sick people were holding so much armor that they were unable to relax enough to let healing enter and spread through their bodies. So he taught them the Old Man to release their holding, usually to impressive results.

Open Blocks and Release Stuck Emotions

Following a sophisticated understanding of the Five Elemental Energies system, the Old Man Set opens blockages in the body so stuck fluids, Qi, and blood can flow again, resulting in healing. By upgrading from stagnant swamp internally to flowing rivers and rivulets, health naturally re-establishes.

Since 2000, I have taught this exercise to many clients. Over and over again they have come back to me with glowing reports of how well it has helped them manage or delete unhealthy amounts of blocking, sludgifying emotions, feelings, and sensations.

Many Emotional States Helped

I’ve truncated the name of the encompassing term of the video to depression, but the Old Man exercise is great for helping with many emotional weights, including: sadness, grief, impatience, judgementalism, anxiety, worry, low energy, unprocessed emotions, indecisiveness, lack of clarity, anger, grumpiness, and rage.

Below is the Overview Video of the Old Man. In the next post I’ll add the video detailing the Lungs and sadness tomorrow; and videos 3, 4 and 5 over the next week or two.

Here is basic list of Qigong Workshops that I offer. Click the hyperlink to get the 20-page PDF document of more detailed descriptions of each workshop listed below.

• Five Flows Qigong Set: Two-hour workshop
• Qigong to Prevent Colds and Flu: Two or four-hour workshop
• The Delightful Dozen: Four-hour workshop
• Healthy Joint Qigong: Two, four, or six-hour workshop
• Empower Your Breathing: Four-hour workshop
• Six Healing Sounds with Color Radiation: Four-hour workshop
• Qigong Self-Massage: Two or four-hour workshop
• Swimming Dragon: Four-hour Workshop
• Taij Qigong (Tai Chi Chi Kung): Four-hour workshop
• Chakra Tuning and Auric Butterfly: Four-hour workshop
• Five Animal Frolics Qigong: Two or four-hour workshop
• 36-Movement Snake Qigong Set: Taught in a pair of four-hour workshops
• Introduction to Medical Qigong Therapy: One-day or two-day workshop

In the 5:17 video below I teach three simple and relaxing exercises that can reduce high blood pressure.

Exercise 1: Belly Breathing Retraining

Breathing high and hard in the upper body can put extra pressure on the heart. Many, many people breathe this way and have for years, it having long ago become an ingrained, unconscious habit.  Breathing in this manner over and over and over, every day, for years, leads to habitual stress and underlying, unresolvable tension.

Belly breathing is the natural way to breathe; the first step for most people in retraining how they breathe.

Using a belt or flat strap, you can gently retrain your breath to become comfortable with going lower, slower and deeper. Simply wrap the belt around your abdomen–not tightly, just snug. Inhale, sending your breath deep to your belly. Such an inhale will create expansion against the strap. This teaches the muscles a better way of breathing. It shows them what to breathe against–the palpable pressure of the belt.

Exhale by relaxing the belly, allowing it to deflate.

Exercise 2: The Healing Sound “Haaaahh”

Look down and make the sighing sound “haaaahh.” Make this healing sound as the hands are expanding out and down from the heart, opening the hands forward, outward and toward the the ground.

The sound vibrations help release tension energetic stagnation in the center of the chest.

Opening and lowering the arms and hands dissipates tension out of the chest into the earth.

Looking down sends energy and consciousness downward; which is what you want for lowering your blood pressure.

Exercise 3: Rooting the Heart Energy in the Dantian

Begin with your palms facing down at the upper chest. With an exhale, press down from the upper chest to lower abdomen. Intend that excess energy in your heart to descend to your lower energy center, where it stays.

The premise of this exercise is that most people with high blood pressure have too much energy in the chest and too little in the lower energy center (the Dantian.) By redistributing the energy, a new and better balance in the body is established, leading to easier breathing, easier blood flow, and more calmness.

See a Larger Version of the Video on Youtube.

Breathe with Your Diaphragm

In the 3:42 video below on belly breathing, I talk about the importance of breathing with the diaphragm muscle inside of the body.

Instead of using the muscles of the ribs,chest, shoulders or neck to bring air into your body–an inefficient, tension-producing approach–use the muscle designed to get you lots of air: the diaphragm.

The Diaphragm is Dome-Like

The diaphragm is a thick, circular muscle that adheres to the the inside of your ribcage. It is below the heart and lungs; and above the liver and organs of the abdomen. When you inhale, it expands downward, like a dome. This pulls air into your body.

The stronger and more trained it is, the better you breathe: You get more of the dome-like, downward expansion. The farther it expands downward, the more air you pull into your lungs and body.

Here is a website with some drawings and a moving animation of a diaphragm.

Relax and Expand

When you inhale with the diaphragm while relaxing everything else, two obvious results happen with your body:

1. Your belly expands.
2. Your shoulders don’t rise; and the muscles of the chest and neck stay still.

Breathing this way will give you more energy, relaxation, and happiness.

Breathing Prompts

On this video I also talk about a simple technique that easily brings many more deep breaths into your every day. The dot-reminder system gives you a free deep-breathing practice everyday.

To see a larger version of this video, go to YouTube.

On this video I include some pointers on breathing, and an overview of what a Dantian (“DAHN tee enn”) is.

“The Three Intentional Corrections” is the name of a simple and valuable health practice that you can apply throughout the day. It is a method of shifting yourself into a higher and more healthful state of being. It is a quick, mini-practice that you can use for getting back on track at any time.

All you do is ask yourself three questions, then respond with the appropriate shift.

You ask:

• How is my posture?
• How is my breathing?
• How is my consciousness? Read the rest of this entry »

Locking the Knees Creates Pain

Locking the knees is a harmful habit that many people slip into without being aware of it, a habit that can result in various chronic pains. You might experience, for instance, knee pain, pelvic problems, low back pain, neck stiffness, or tense shoulders. When the legs are completely straight as you stand, with the knees pressed back, it may seem like you are saving energy. Actually, you are putting strain onto your body. Locking the knees put pressure on the knees and pinches off some of the flow of blood, lymph, and Qi through your legs. Locking the knees adds more tension to your body because you have taken away the shock absorber effect that bent knees provide.

A Small Experiment

Do this experiment: Stand up and lock your knees. Inhale a deep breath, then exhale. Read the rest of this entry »

Breathe When You Type

Notice how you breathe when you are typing. Years ago, when I was first struggling with the confounding intricacies of computers (mostly with learning MS Word), I noticed I tended to stop breathing at the keyboard. This got me tense and frustrated and tired. I resolved to consciously breathe when working at the computer. I began to remind myself over and over and over to breathe. I would say, “I breathe when I type, I breathe when I think, I breathe when I write.” It took me two years to build the habit where I did breathe well at the keyboard. I still must remind myself now and then. Good breathing takes a conscious effort, an involvement of awareness and a desire. These days, I’m lot happier on the keyboard and I get my breath practice at the same time as I type.

Free Medicine

There is no reason not to breathe while looking at a computer screen. Just utilize a small portion of your awareness toward keeping your breath deep, easy, full, slow, and constant. You will have more energy, be more relaxed, and heal all kinds of little ills. You will feel better.