Moving Qigong

Any movement that uses relaxed postures integrated with breathing techniques could
technically be called Qigong. However
there are certain exercises that also work on specific organs or in the treatment of certain
diseases when combined with the
breathing techniques.
The changing of the sinews, or triple warmer Qigong
This triple warmer exercise is said to balance the yin and yang energy of the body.
Stand in a normal position with feet relaxed, toes turned slightly outward. Breathe in through
the nose and lift both palms up in
front of you with the palms facing upwards. The fingers point towards each other as you
stand up onto your toes. Older people
may prefer not to stand on their toes. See photograph 7. Photos 7 & 8
As you breathe out, turn the palms downwards still with the fingers of each palm pointing
towards each other and
push downwards back to the starting point as you lower your heels. This must be done with
very relaxed palms and
shoulders. Make sure the shoulders do not lift up at any time. See photograph 8.
This first movement is called the Lower Warmer and acts upon the elimination organs, colon,
kidneys, etc.
Repeat this exercise three times and then go on to the next part, called the Middle Warmer.
This exercise acts upon the
digestive organs.
This time lift the palms in the same way as before, coming up onto the toes again. This is
exactly the same as before.
Now as you breathe out, turn both palms outwards at chest height and push out away from
your body. When you push out
from your chest, the arms should be held at arms length but not quite straightened. Continue
the push until the palms have
reached the sides of your body. Continue the circular movement and push downward at both
sides until the palms have come
back to your hip level. Remember to stay relaxed. See photographs 9 and 10. Photos No. 9,
10 & 11
For the Upper Warmer, start the movement in the same way as for the other two by bringing
the palms upwards and standing
up on your toes. This time gently roll the palms up and over your head with the palms turned
up. Hold your breath as you push
upward. Photograph 11. Next, take both palms out to either side and as you push down,
breathe out and stand down.
Photograph 12. This acts on the respiratory system and the mind.
Never eat before or after practising any Qigong for at least 10 minutes and preferably one
hour as digestion uses up too much
energy The main areas of energy use are procreation (sex), digestion and physical or mind
movement. So when practising any
meditation we need the ch’i to flow freely. If we use up the gained energy there is no sense in
doing the exercise in the first
place.
Exercise for the alleviation of the triple warmer
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This exercise harmonises the three vital forces, respiration, digestion and reproduction. Link
your fingers down near the tan-tien
(3’ below the navel). As you stand up in the same way as for the first triple warmer exercise,
bring the palms up to chest height,
this time a little closer to the chest. Photograph 14. Now push both palms up over your head
as you look at the backs of the
palms, which have been turned outwards. Hold this position for about 5 seconds and breathe
out as the palms part and push
down to either side.
Photos No. 14, 15, 16 & 17
Harmonising yin and yang of stomach and spleen
This exercise works upon the stomach and spleen, which are linked in Chinese medicine. Lift
the palms as before with the
fingers almost touching and the palms in close to the chest as you breathe in. Now push one
palm up over your head, palm up,
and one down to your side, palm down. Hold this position for about 5 seconds while holding
the breath and then breathe out
as the upper palm comes down to the same level as the other. Repeat this on both sides.
Photographs 15 and 16.
Prevention of tuberculosis
Turn your head as far as possible while breathing in. Don’t strain. Hold this position for a
count of 5 then turn back to the front
while breathing out and repeat on the other side. Photograph 17 If any unusual amount of
pain is felt in either shoulder as this is
done, there could be something wrong with your small intestine.
To strengthen the kidneys
Bend down with knees straight, grab your big toes and lift them upwards as you breathe in.
Hold this position for 5 seconds
and breathe out as you stand up. Older people may bend the knees. This exercise acts upon
the kidney meridian. See
photograph 18. An alternative is to simply press the main kidney point called K1 on the sole
of the foot just between the
mounts of the big toe and second toe. Hold pressure for 7 seconds and stop, then repeat.
Kidney 1 position is shown in
photograph 19.
Photos No. 18 & 19
Qigong for sexual organs
This is a very powerful exercise and should be treated with a little caution. If you start feeling
sick, stop and try again later. This
is also helpful for menstrual disorders and helps with premature ejaculation.
Sit on a low chair or on the edge of a bed so that your feet are flat on the floor and your back
straight. Cover your knees with
your palms. Inhale through the nose while bending forward 45 degrees, keeping the back
straight. Use the mind to feel a
concentration of energy coming up through the soles, along both legs to CV1, between the
anus and the sexual organs. Now
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breathe in just a little more as you bend a further 10 degrees and direct the energy to the
uterus or penis. Slowly breathe out as
you sit up. As with many yogic exercises, a little ‘sexual feeling’ may occur during practice,
but this is quite natural.
For this exercise, lie on the ground with your arms by your sides and slowly relax every
muscle. Inhale and imagine that the
breath is coming in through your feet as you slowly lift your legs keeping the feet together. It
is important not to use any more
muscle than is necessary for the job — just think about which muscles you need and keep the
rest relaxed. Bring the feet up 45
degrees and hold until you start to shake a little, usually about 10 seconds. Now as you
breathe out, imagine that the air is
moving from the stomach back down and out of your feet, as you slowly lower your feet to
the ground.
Colour therapy and Qigong
Sometimes it is necessary to use a more potent form of Qigong when treating certain
diseases. Colours seem to be able to
direct the ch’i to certain organs. Practice the Qigong exercises described earlier and place a
large board of the relevant colour
on the wall in front of you, and let this colour enter your mind as you practice. Sometimes in
China they use colour rooms, and
the patient is left to practise Qigong in a room of a colour pertinent to the organ being treated.
The position of your hands
If you have trouble with your lungs, place the two palms, still in the Qigong position, near the
lungs. For the heart place the
palms in front of your upper chest and a little closer than usual. For the kidneys, hold the
backs of the palms about one inch
over the kidney area at your lower back, etc.
The colours
White: Lungs and colon; to treat grief or sorrow
Green: Liver and gall bladder; to treat anger
Yellow: Stomach and spleen; to treat thoughtfulness and worry
Black: Kidneys and bladder; to treat fear
Red: Heart and intestine; to treat over joy
Tapping the thymus
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