This is a replay of a live session showing you some Qigong exercises for stability, mobility and balance, taught by myself, Dr. Janice Tucker. I have been teaching Qigong for two decades and am the founder of the Space To Relax Programme of Qigong video lessons and a practitioner of acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine.
You can join my live classes on Zoom every Thursday at 4 pm Irish time. Click here to join us (lesson replays sent out by email in case you can’t make it).
These classes are free and everyone is welcome. However, if you’d like to contribute as a thank you for the class click here. 50% of donations will go to the ICU staff in my local hospital in Co. Kerry. The other 50% goes towards the upkeep of this website.
Qigong Exercises for Stability, Mobility and Balance – Introduction
The theme of the exercises in this video is “stabilise to mobilise“. When our joints are stable we can then move from a position of strength with confidence that we are not going to cause ourselves injury. When our balance is stablised we feel much more secure in our Qigong movements and can gain maximum benefit from them. Improved balance is also important for seniors as this will reduce the likelihood of falling in day to day life which can have serious consequences, especially for people with osteoporosis.
In this video you will learn how to use purposeful movement combined with breath awareness and mind focus (the three elements of Qigong) in order to:
- Promote free flow of Qi and blood through the joints and muscles;
- Prevent injury from overstraining the body;
- Improve balance for fall prevention.
Qigong Exercises for Stability, Mobility and Balance – Method
- Adopt the Qigong stance and begin with a few abdominal breaths.
- Loosen the shoulder joints with shoulder circles, forwards and backwards, using the breath and thinking deep inside the shoulder joint as you do this.
- Bring hands into a prayer position then lift them to the level of the forehead. Bring the elbows together to meet as you exhale, stretching the trapezius muscles (the ones on the tops of the shoulders which often become very tight through poor posture and when we are under pressure). Inhale, relax and move the elbows apart. Repeat a few times.
- Lift the arms to shoulder level, reach forward to move the shoulder blades apart from each other, pull the arms back into the sockets, drawing the shoulder blades towards each other, creating a “valley” between them in the upper back.
- From your Qigong stance, rock forwards and backwards, bringing your awareness into the soles of your feet, in particular the ball of your foot behind the big toe and the centre of the heel.
- Bend your knees, lift alternating heels a few times, then both heels off the ground together in order to practice your balance.
- Finish your practice with a few abdominal breaths, taking time to observe the state of your body and mind.
Additional Video Resources
- Qigong For Balance.
- Qigong Grounding Routine.
- Routine For Arms, Elbows, Wrists and Hands.
- Routine for Legs, Feet and Ankles.
Many other live lesson replays can be found on my blog page. Take a look at some of them to find methods which you can easily combine with this one.
What Can I Do Next?
To sign up and attend the live online sessions please click here. Classes are free of charge and suitable if you’re a beginner or have more Qigong experience. Once you sign up I’ll send details to your email with links to the Zoom classes. Check your junk/spam folders for notifications. Please share this information with your family and friends as everyone is more than welcome.
If you’d like to take your practice to the next level with my structured, step-by-step Space To Relax Qigong programme of 50 video lessons accompanied by audio and PDF files with support from me every step of the way then click here.
To get my free part video series of 3 Qigong lessons which will be delivered to you by email over the course of one week please click here. In these lessons you’ll learn more about abdominal breathing, Qi movement and how to rid waste Qi. This will help you to feel more relaxed and energised.
You can also click the red “subscribe” button to join my YouTube channel. That way, you won’t miss any future Qigong lessons from me.
Click here to join our Qigong group on Facebook.
