Tai Chi

When you go to the gym and hit the weights or take laps at the community park the exercise that you get does a great deal of good for your body. The problem with exercise programs like this is that they are entirely focused on external development. The muscles are developed, excess fat is shed and joints are strengthened, but at a cost. These high impact exercises put stress on the joints that will eventually develop into injury and the increased circulation will wane soon after the session is complete. ...

The biggest question people ask me about standing qigong, especially when they hear about the 2-hour project, is “what do you do, just stand there?” There is actually a really delicate balance between “doing” and “feeling” when you stand. You learn lots of different techniques, like breathing, sinking, dissolving, and pulsing, but how you apply them internally when you are holding a static posture is a tricky topic. ...

The spine is the frame upon which our body hangs and keeping a healthy spine means paying attention to your posture. The way that our body is constructed is quite strong but if you keep negative pressure on an area, especially a joint, it will begin to adjust itself to the new position, which might or might not be natural. When this position is maintained it can actually reshape the joint, causing pain and lack of circulation. ...

Studies have shown conclusively that regular meditation not only helps prevent stress related illness but also helps to treat injuries or illness someone is currently suffering. Meditation is a regular treatment paradigm in the Western world now when treating anxiety and depression. Other studies are indicating that regular practice of Tai Chi and Qigong will help in the treatment of many different physical conditions, such as coronary issues and Parkinson's disease. ...

A few months ago we talked about the signs of progress in your qigong practice. For so many of us, the issue of “progress” is central to qigong or Tai Chi practice, since we are driven by the desire to get it right, to solve a problem like a health issue, or to reach an amorphous and elusive spiritual goal. But what if we completely abandoned the idea of outcomes and perfection in practice? Instead, what if you started each day with a “doing” mindset in your qigong practice? ...

While Tai Chi has been used in China for thousands of years, it has only been recently that much has been written about this ancient healing art. The number of books, articles and medical studies that have been published during the last two decades however has been voluminous. The problem is that there is so much material now that it is hard to sift through it to get what you need. While some books will guide you down the path to learning Tai Chi, the best of these are technical and have a nearly spiritual tone. Medical books about the subject seldom go deeply into the actual practice, concentrating instead on studies about the results. ...

Our eyes are our windows to the world. More than any of our other senses our eyes are major data collectors. Every waking moment we are flooded with images that our brain translates into experiences, which are filed away in our memories. The problem is that while we need our eyes to experience the world, when we are trying to focus inward the eyes can be a huge distraction. Everything our eyes see we tend to think about, making it difficult to focus on finding and manipulating the Chi. One of the first things that we need to do before beginning Tai Chi, Yoga and even mediation is to soften the eyes. This allows us to begin the relaxation process with much less effort. ...

In all Taoist practices, there is a theme of moving like a newborn. We look to the softness, connectedness, and smoothness of their movements to re-learn and relax how we normally get around. Taoist breathing trains you to move your belly, sides, and back in a gentle compress and release pattern that tones the internal organs. The Opening and Closing of the joints that we train in the Marriage of Heaven and Earth qigong, teaches you how to minimize muscular force and lead your movements from the natural hydraulic pumps in the joints and cavities of the body. ...

Anyone who has suffered back pain, especially lower back pain, understands from listening to doctors and therapists that much of their problems are the result of years of bad posture. The spine is meant to curve in a certain manner to allow the nervous and circulatory systems to function at their optimum. When we slouch, sag our shoulders, even stand too straight, such as maintaining a military like posture, we force the spine into unnatural positions. When these positions are held for long periods we begin to develop many different types of problems, from chronic pain to shortness of breath. ...

Exercising without stretching is like waking up without opening your eyes, especially if you lead a sedentary lifestyle. When you muscles are not in use they tend to constrict slightly, which lowers the flow of both blood and healing Chi throughout the body. If you are doing either resistance training or high impact exercises forgetting to stretch can actually lead to serious injury. If you watch professional athletes before they perform, from football players to gymnast, dancers and many others, you will see them stretching. In the softer movement arts, such as Tai Chi and Qigong, proper stretching is even more important. The reason for this is simple. Stretching begins the relaxation process and many students use yoga poses to stretch before mediation. ...