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Support . . .

During the first COVID lockdown I was obliged (rightly) to postpone all qigong classes and shiatsu sessions.

For years I had made promises to create videos of simpler qigong movements, physical stretches, and self-shiatsu.  Lockdown has enabled these videos to happen.  Hopefully they will enable and motivate keeping up or initiating a regular practice.

There are also shorter "live" streaming sessions on my professional Facebook page.  This is less formal and usually contains guidance through one specific movement.  I've added one at the bottom for you to try out.

On-line may not be everyone's cup of tea, but these videos have become a valuable resource and alternative to venue-based classes.

 

Please note that earlier recordings used built-in tablet microphones, more recent recordings have much improved audio quality resulting from a lapel microphone.

Qigong Videos . . .

This first video is simply about qigong "rules".

There are numerous styles of qigong. Here we practise qigong for health and mindfulness, not for power.

Simple arm swings (from side to side), enable being present, feeling how the body is at this moment, not how it was yesterday, or how it should be, simply how it is . . . now.

More arm swings (backwards and forwards), prepare the body for other Qigong movements and help develop your roots, connection to the Earth, and slowing down when Life becomes demanding.  Often combined with other warm-up exercises, they are powerful in their own right.

Whole Body Breathing is another rather aerobic movement. Its good for getting going in the morning, helps clear stagnation (procrastination, depression).

 

The movement also satisfies our Monkey Mind that always wants to "do", preparing us for stillness and not-doing.

Standing Still is such a powerful and valuable tool for being present.

This is a short formal meditation, but Standing Still can be used anywhere for only a few breaths. Waiting in queues, for an appointment, at bus stops and railway stations.  No one knows you're meditating, just be careful have enthusiastically you wriggle!

The latest Qigong video follows, ably assisted by Pablo, one of our cats.

 

Shoulder rotations release stuck Qi, typically manifesting as stiffness in the neck and shoulders, or tension headaches.

 

Movements are synchronised with breathing into the belly (Hara), encouraging the descending of Qi down to our reservoir, the Lower Sea of Qi.

Qigong Knee Rotations

 

These move our Qi downwards, helping move thoughts out of the head, down to our Qi reserves in the belly.

 

Regular practice develops strong & flexible roots allowing us to be stable, bending with and recovering from life's storms, both outside and inside.

The first movement (Supporting the Sky) from a series of eight Qigong movements often translated as The Eight Fine Treasures.

 

This movement often appears in Daoist art in the form of a happy, laughing, fat-bellied Buddha supporting the sky.

 

Especially valuable for releasing when the body has been bent, as in gardening.

This was streamed "live" on my professional Facebook page on March 8th 2021.

You can find all the weekly QiKi TV broadcasts on my professional Facebook pages.

 

The video below guides you through some simple, unusually aerobic movements. These help clear stuckness and it's associated frustrations, and focus our intention, our Qi, on a goal, a target . . .

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