Gentle Exercises for Optimal Health

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

The Middle Burner

In this section of video training, I detail how to release blocking tensions in the the center organs of the body: the Spleen, Stomach, Pancreas, Upper Small Intestine, Gall Bladder and Liver, as well as the Solar Plexus area. The entire area is known as the Middle Burner.

Emotional Release in Masse

Releasing blocks in this area will help you easily release repressed emotions such as worry, over-thinking, anger, grumpiness, and rage. It will also help generally clear held-onto emotions from your body, resulting in more freedom for feeling well.

Ho, Ho, Ho

The healing sound used for this central section of the torso–the Middle Burner–is a long “Ho.” This sound is expressed to vibrate the target area from left to right (or right to left.) While making the sound you lower the bent arms to the lower ribs and turn the torso from left to right (or right to left, if you like.)

Twist the Towel

The torso-turning is a unique method that will take a little practice to get. It is an organ-wringing style–like twisting a towel–that is done from the center, between the chest and the belly button. This massages the organs of the upper abdomen and helps release tensions, trapped emotions and toxins from them.

Below is the third of Five Videos on Reducing Depression with the “Old Man” Qigong Set.

Open the Heart and Release Armoring

Opening the heart area can release stuck and stagnant emotions such as impatience, frustration, criticalness, anxiety, cold-heartedness, and armoring against feeling. All of these emotions get in the way of healing; as well as living a full, vibrant, friendly life.

The Healing Sound of the Heart and the Sparrow Fist

The Heart healing sound used in the “Old Man” exercise is a sighing, descending “Haaa.” The hands are held in a partly open palm shape called a Sparrow Fist. The hands descend from head level down to the lower chest as you make the chest-vibrating “Haaa” sound.

It is also important to slowly, slightly lower the head with the movements here, bringing  your gaze somewhat downward. This helps lower excess rising Qi.

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 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.

Beginning in January I will host two 8-week Qigong classes. Both classes will run two times a week; on Mondays and Fridays. Students can choose to attend one or both classes, either once or twice a week.

Taoist Yoga

Mondays and Fridays from noon to 1:00 will be Introduction to Taoist Yoga: Stretch your muscles, ligaments, tendons, and joints using the principles of Chinese movement.

The cost for this course is $80. You can take it once or twice for the same price.

Prevent Colds and Flu

Mondays and Fridays from 1:00 to 2:00 will be Qigong to Prevent Colds and Flu. Use vibrating healing sounds and slow, rhythmic, repeating movements to knock an incipient sickness off it’s trajectory.

The cost for this course is $80. You can take it once or twice for the same price.

Expanding and Contracting the Rings

Here are photos of one of the Qi-refining exercises that will build the strength of your immune system.

Pull Qi up from the Ground

Flow Qi over the Head

Descend Qi into the Earth

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
• Taiji 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

Strengthen Your Immune System with Qigong

Qigong has earned a reputation for being a powerful illness-prevention practice. Qigong can and often does prevent many acute illnesses from arising. While there is no guarantee you won’t get sick if you practice Qigong, your body will stand a much better chance of fighting off sickness. In my experience, there is something even more than prevention that sometimes goes on: The oncoming illness is waylaid, knocked out like a boxer with a glass jaw.

Qigong Workshop

On November 14, which is a Saturday, I will offer a 4-hour workshop on Qigong methods that can prevent acute sickness from taking effect in your body.

Workshop Details

When:              Saturday, November 14 , 2009
Time:               10:00 pm to 2:00 pm. Bring a Lunch.
Cost:                $60. 
Location: 1095 East Axton Road, a few miles north of Bellingham, WA.
To Sign Up: (360) 398-7466, or rbbatesdc@comcast.net

First Clear the Organs with the Six Healing Sounds

First we will warm the body up and begin the purging of stagnation. The Six Healing Sounds clear the organs, tissues and cells of stagnant Qi; open blocked Qi channels; and reinvigorate sluggish lymph.

Then Engage in Slow, Gentle Movements that Move the Qi

For this we will practice the set known as Hun Yuan Qigong. I find this set to be a marvelous way to stave off getting sick.

Move Qi Stagnation

My Own Experiences with Vaulting Past Colds and Flu

Over the past two or three long, cold, wet Washington State winters, whenever I start to feel run down—maybe on the verge of getting sick—I practice the slow motion Hun Yuan set for about 30 to 40 minutes. By the end of the practice I can feel a pulsing, whole-body empowerment. There is a balanced magnetic warmth in my hands, ease in my breathing, and calmness in my heart and mind. I get a strong sense that the healing forces in my body have been renewed and reinvigorated.

So far, it has worked and I haven’t gotten ill when engaging in my preventive Qigong practice. This idea of staving off illness is a very common one in the Qigong literature, a universal notion of the value of the art.

Proved Once Again

Again, there is no guarantee, but I proved to myself just the today that it works. I’ve been very busy lately, with little down time. I thrive on a certain minimum of time off to rest my mind and body. Last night I began to get fatigued-feeling and overly-sweaty. I went to bed early and slept in, feeling even more tired in the morning.

Over the day I practiced 20 to 30 minutes of the above type of Qigong three times. After the second practice–in the early afternoon–I began to feel a definite shift toward energy and strength. Hours later, I feel pretty good over all.

It isn’t just me who thinks Qigong is good for preventing colds and flu. Googling for “Qigong and colds”; and “Qigong and flu” I quickly found these websites extolling the virtues of Qigong practice for preventing colds and flu.

http://www.centralpathacupuncture.com/blog/?p=29

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2009/11/prweb3226484.htm

http://www.dailygalaxy.com/my_weblog/2007/08/qigong-and-tai-.html

http://www.healingqigongcenter.com/apps/blog/show/899824-swine-flu-influenza

Qigong for prevention of illness doesn’t work every time, nor exclusive of other lifestyle factors. Diet, stress, bad habits, climate, etc. do have their effects. Yet it is surprising just how often and how effective Qigong can be for promoting illness-bashing power.

Flowing Lymph Leads to Glowing Health

Recently I was re-attending a seminar on the powerful healing art of Lymphatic Drainage Therapy from the Chikly Institute. Lymphatic Drainage Therapy (LDT) is a method of helping someone’s lymph flow better. This results in many, many, many benefits; I won’t go into them here, except to say that you want good, strong, regular lymph flow. You really want this. One of the best way to help your lymph flow is through the practice of Qigong.

I’ll talk more about the specifics of how lymph and Qigong are related in a later post.

Don’t Work on the Acute Illness

One of the many great ideas I came away with from the seminar was about the rhythm of working with the arc of acute illness. Basically it is this: Don’t do LDT on someone who is in the throes of an illness–someone on the top end of the bell curve of being sick. Let the illness take its course. [By the way, I always have to look up the proper use of its and it’s. Why won’t that rule stick in my head?]

Heal First and Avoid Getting Sick

As a general rule don’t work on a fully sick person with energetic or body work. However, if you perform the healing work just as the sickness is taking off, you may lessen the severity of the illness, or even thwart it entirely. You are giving the body a leg up on fighting the oncoming illness.

Recover Faster

If you do the LDT on someone as they are coming down from the illness, you can increase how quickly and thoroughly they heal.

When Not to Do Qigong: When You are Sick

Here’s my point with Qigong: It is exactly the same as receiving hands’-on bodywork. Don’t do Qigong if you are full-on sick. Rest, sleep, let your body find a way for you to recover.

When to do Extra Qigong: When You Feel Run Down

But if you feel yourself beginning to get sick–if you feel extra fatigued, tired, run-down–do a bunch of Qigong pronto. It is likely you can stave off the illness. Thirty or sixty minutes of slow, energizing Qigong is a much more fun experience than a day or week or fortnight of feeling like a smashed, twisted and upended car, spilling its fluids.

When to do Qigong: When You are Recovering

If you do get a cold or the flu or some other uncertain collection of sick yuckiness; wait until you start to come out of it. Then restart your Qigong practice. You’ll get better faster, and more completely.

With preventing sickness that seems to be threatening, there is a particular approach to Qigong that works well. Do slow, smooth, rhythmic, gentle movements over and over and over. Build the sense of magnetic power, of pulsing Qi, or whole body pulsing.

More on this soon.

An article in the New York Times describes how a frozen shoulder patient used his malady as a prod to look at how 10 different countries treat such a symptom. The patient is a writer named T.R. Reid. He used his experiences to write a book–The Healing of America–about the underlying policies of each of these countries.

If you know even a little about modern medicine in the USA, you will correctly guess that, an American orthopedist went straight to recommending shoulder replacement surgery.

While this book is mostly about particular national health policies and approaches (from what I read in the review of the book), some underlying philosophies of health seep out.

To pull a quotation from the from the book review:

In an Ayurvedic hospital in India, a regimen of meditation, rice, lentils and massage paid for entirely out of pocket, $42.85 per night, led to “obvious improvement in my frozen joint,” Mr. Reid writes, adding, “To this day, I don’t know why it happened.”

Maybe he should research a book about “…why it happened.”

And then make policy recommendations.

As important as insurance is, healing is not about insurance.

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.