Qigong For Stress Relief

Qigong For Stress Relief

This week’s video has a topical theme coming up to Christmas and the holiday season. Of course many people love Christmas but I also meet those who don’t. The reason for this is that they get together with the family and very quickly start to feel a sensation of claustrophobia and stress. People start niggling at each other which makes them want to get out of the situation. They need a bit of space. Myself and my best friend describe this feeling as a feeling of being “peopled out”. When you are “peopled out” you feel like you have had too many people around you for too long! In the video above I talk to you about how to use Qigong for stress relief so that you can cope with the “peopled out” feeling and attain peace of mind over the holiday period.

Janice Tucker is a practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Medical Qigong, and the founder of the Space To Relax online programme of Qigong video lessons.

Please don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel by clicking the red “Subscribe” button above so you don’t miss my regular videos which are full of useful health enhancing tips. These videos will help you to benefit your health and prevent illness from arising in the first place. Also please give this video a “Like” if you found it informative.

The “Peopled Out” Feeling

When I asked my best friend to describe the “peopled out” feeling she sent me an e-mail with the following superb description of what it is like for her.  Is there any trigger, feeling or thought you can identify below?

Triggers

1. Multiple people are demanding things of me simultaneously, without consideration for my priorities.
2. People trying to help me do something that I am perfectly capable of doing.
3. Feeling that I need to engage in small-talk conversations.
4. I have not been able to go outside / have not seen the sky (at least once a day).
5. I am physically uncomfortable (e.g. sore back, stomach ache).

Feelings

• Irritated
• Anxious
• Snappy
• Crowded
• As though I am a pressure cooker on simmer, aware that I need to release the pressure valve or an explosion may occur!!
• Mortified if I do ‘explode’
• Self conscious (exposed), everyone can see how inept and unpleasant I am.

Thoughts

• Rapid re-planning of the “to do list” that I carry around in my head in order to “fit in” others’ priorities, so lots of playing out of scenarios in my head.
• Lots of “I have to…” thoughts (when I really don’t have to!)
• Resentful thoughts about why these people have to be in my space when all I want to do is…..
• Guilty thoughts about having resentful thoughts
• Resentful thought about how “these people” make me feel guilty
• I don’t fit in, I’m not normal
• I’m odd

From the above description you can see how these feelings and thoughts can trigger each other. Before you know it you end up in a vicious spiral connected to having people around you the whole time when you are not comfortable.

Top Tactics To Deal With Feeling “Peopled Out”

1. Get up early (before everyone else) so as to have some alone time, outside – do some tai chi or Qigong (avoid an audience!). Stay up later than everyone else
2. Make excuse that dog needs a walk or I just have to run over to the neighbour to return something.
3. Reiterate my preferences about doing my own ‘chores’ (as they are actually fun for me). Politely reject offers of ‘help’ explaining that this is what I do for relaxation and please don’t take it away from me.
4. Avoid large social gatherings. Certainly avoid hosting large social gatherings.
5. Qigong for Stress Relief: Abdominal Breathing (Lesson 1 in the free Space To Relax Video Series).
6. Qigong for Stress Relief: Discharge Waste Qi With Vibration (Lesson 3 in the free Space To Relax Video Series).

What Do I Do Next?

If you would like to learn more about how to use Qigong for stress relief and the feeling of being “peopled out” you can sign up on the Space To Relax homepage to receive three free video lessons which will be delivered to you by e-mail. Also for a free audio meditation “Calm Your Busy Mind In 8 Minutes” scroll to the bottom of the Space To Relax homepage to sign up for that.

Please don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel by clicking the red “Subscribe” button above so you don’t miss my regular videos which are full of useful health enhancing tips. Also please give this video a “Like” if you learned much more about utilising Qigong for stress relief.

You can head over to my free group on Facebook, “Space To Relax Free Group”  and leave any questions for me there. I’ll be happy to answer them. Also, by joining this group, you will receive regular postings of Qigong articles and videos with really useful tips about how to use Qigong to improve your state of health.

Please leave a comment in the comments box next to this video if you now have a clearer direction in which to go to use Qigong for stress and too many people around you!. I’d love to hear your tips as to what you do to minimise the “peopled out” feeling and how you use Qigong for stress relief. If we all share our ideas then we can all help each other to find peace of mind and enjoy the holiday season which is what it’s all about! 🙂

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Qigong For Fibromyalgia & Muscle Pain

Qigong For Fibromyalgia & Muscle Pain

I recently asked my Space To Relax Free Group members on Facebook what they would like to see videos about. Three of our members suggested I make a video about how to use Qigong for fibromyalgia and its management.

What is Fibromyalgia?

Fibromyalgia is classified as a syndrome.  This means it can involve a number of different symptoms. It’s often misdiagnosed or takes a long time to be diagnosed.  This often means that patients have gone through many tests before they are diagnosed with this condition.

Fibromyalgia is a condition that I have often treated in my Chinese medicine and acupuncture clinic. I’m also familiar with using Qigong for fibromyalgia management.

Symptoms of Fibromyalgia

Symptoms can present as widespread pain, anxiety, fatigue, sleep disruption and gastrointestinal symptoms. In my experience anxiety, sleep problems and muscle pains appear to be the three main symptoms that people are struggling with.

The Two Main Areas Of Focus When Using Qigong For Fibromyalgia Management

1. Relaxation
2. Releasing the areas where the Qi is blocked (the areas of pain).

Results from Dalhousie University Study Using Qigong To Reduce Fibromyalgia Symptoms

This study was carried out in 2014 and published in the “Evidence Based Complementary & Alternative Medicine Journal”.

The study group included 100 people. Half were taught Qigong by a Qigong teacher for three and a half days. They were then instructed to practice Qigong for 45-60 minutes per day for 8 weeks. Half were told they were to be put on a waiting list to learn Qigong (the control group).

After 8 weeks the Qigong group reported a significant reduction in pain levels, anxiety levels and an improvement in sleep quality and ability to function. In addition, 4-6 months later the benefits continued.

One of the authors gave the reason for this as “the mindful, meditative state releases neurochemical and immunological messengers that improve healing and reduce pain“.

For those of you who want to read the article please go to:

Reference: Jana Sawynok and Mary Lynch, “Qigong and Fibromyalgia: Randomized Controlled Trials and Beyond,” Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, vol. 2014, Article ID 379715, 14 pages, 2014. doi:10.1155/2014/379715.

Qigong For Fibromyalgia – My Tips

1. For pains and aches. Stretch and extend the arms out to the sides at shoulder level as you breathe out and then gather Qi in with the arms as you breathe in to use the healing properties of Qi to relieve your aches and pains.

2. To improve the general flow of Qi .  Circles exercise – Lesson 2 in the Space To Relax free 3 part video series (more details below).

3. For sleep and anxiety. Free 8 minute meditation: “Calm Your Busy Mind in 8 Minutes” at the bottom of the Space To Relax homepage.

4. For back pain.  Qigong Standing Posture – see my previous video blog on “The Correct Qigong Standing Posture“.

5. For emotional pain (depression/anxiety).  Discharge Waste Qi exercise – Lesson 3 in the Space To Relax free 3 part video series (more details below). You can any emotion or physical pain that you don’t want in your body and quickly get rid of it using this Qigong exercise.

6. For anxiety.  See my previous video blog entitled “How To Calm Down With Qigong“.

7. For anxiety and increasing energy levels.  Qigong Abdominal Breathing – Lesson 1 in the Space To Relax free 3 part video series (more details below) and there is an extract of an Abdominal Breathing exercise on the Space To Relax programme page.

For Space To Relax paying members there are specific lessons in the programme which will help you.  I recommend Lessons 7 & 8 (Yi Tai Stretches), 11-19 (Ba Duan Jin), 45-47 (Walking Qigong).

What Do I Do Next?

If you would like to start using Qigong for fibromyalgia relief you can sign up on the Space To Relax homepage to receive three free video lessons which will be delivered to you by e-mail. For the free audio meditation “Calm Your Busy Mind In 8 Minutes” scroll to the bottom of the Space To Relax homepage to sign up for that.

Also you can head over to my free group on Facebook, “Space To Relax Free Group“.  Here you can leave any questions for me there and I’ll be happy to answer them. You will also receive regular postings of Qigong articles and videos with useful tips about how to use Qigong to improve your state of health.

Please leave a comment in the comments box next to this video if you now have a clearer direction in which to go to use Qigong for fibromyalgia and its management. Also I’d love to hear what you do to minimise the symptoms of fibromyalgia if you have this condition.

Please don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel by clicking the red “Subscribe” button above so you don’t miss my regular videos which are full of useful health enhancing tips.

Also please give this video a “Like” if you learned much more about utilising Qigong for fibromyalgia.

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