If you do any kind of sport then the video on this page is just for you! If you find that you easily pick up injuries when training or simply want to avoid getting injured then Qigong can be of enormous benefit to you. An injury for any athlete can seriously set back your training schedule causing disappointment and frustration. The Qigong stretch in the video on this page will help to loosen out the lower back, hamstrings and groin area. This makes it a perfect Qigong stretch for athletes who wish to avoid injuries to these areas of the body.
Please go to my YouTube channel and click the red “Subscribe” button. That way you won’t miss my regular videos which are full of useful health enhancing tips. These videos will help you to enhance your health and prevent illness from arising in the first place. Also please give this video a “Like” if you found it informative.
Why Bother Stretching?
Anyone who performs any type of sport realises the importance of stretching to warm up the muscles beforehand. Performing Qigong stretching in a mindful way, using the combination of movement, breath and your mind is the quickest way to do this. As a result you will be able to get out there and do your stuff without becoming injured!
A Qigong Stretch For Athletes To Loosen Hamstrings, Lower Back and Groin
This exercise is part of a method called the “Yi Tai Zhi Qi” stretches, the whole of which is taught in my Space To Relax membership programme of Qigong video lessons. It is aimed at releasing turbid Qi from the joints of the body and is the perfect one to do first thing in the morning to set you up for the day feeling energised but relaxed at the same time.
Each movement can be performed in multiples of 3, 6 or 9. Start with multiples of 3 and gradually build up the repetitions as you become stronger and if you have more time. As you stretch breathe out and as you relax and come back to your original position, breathe in.
Method
This is only part of the Yi Tai Stretching method but is the perfect Qigong stretch for athletes.
Feet twice shoulder width distance apart.
Stretch down from waist with hands to centre.
Stretch down to right and then stretch down to left.
Hold your toes with fingers and bring your head to one side then the other.
Bend your knees and scoop up the Qi in your hands as you come up. Turn your hands over when they reach knee level to push down the Qi and bring your palms to Dan Tian.
Hands slide round to lower back. Bend backwards.
Slowly come forwards from waist and repeat.
(Note: For those with high blood pressure do not allow the head to drop below the level of the waist).
Important Point to Note for This Qigong Stretch for Athletes
Remember to pay attention to your mind, body and breathing; that they are united together leading to the best results. With this exercise, perform it at the speed and regulation of Qi that suits you so that you don’t feel tired. This is different to physical exercise because the main thing here is that the Qi and blood are able to flow. Only secondly is this a physical exercise.
What Do I Do Next?
If you would like to learn more Qigong then:
1. Head over to my Space To Relax homepage. There you can sign up for a free 3 part video series of Qigong lessons. These three lessons will show you just how easy it is to get started with Qigong. Once you’ve completed the free series you’ll have the opportunity to join my Space To Relax online membership programme of Qigong video lessons. This will allow you to take your practice to a whole new level where you will learn many exercises to eliminate health issues before they become a major problem. I’ll guide you step by step through many more effective Qigong methods, including the whole of the Yi Tai Zhi Qi stretching method.
2. Subscribe to my YouTube channel by clicking the red “Subscribe” button. That way you won’t miss my regular videos which are full of useful health enhancing tips. Also please give this video a “Like” and share with me in the comments box your best methods of stretching.
3. Join my free Facebook group, “Space To Relax Free Group” and leave any comments or questions for me there. I’ll be happy to answer them. Also, by joining this group, you will receive regular posts of Qigong articles and videos with really useful tips about how to use Qigong to improve your state of health.
Do you ever wake up in the morning feeling stiff and inflexible in your body? If so then there is a simple Qigong stretch that you can do to help. The simple Qigong stretch in the video on this page will help to loosen out the shoulders, chest and upper back. It’s the perfect exercise to perform in the garden first thing in the morning!
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 enhance your health and prevent illness from arising in the first place. Also please give this video a “Like” if you found it informative.
Why Bother Stretching?
When we are sleeping at night our circulation of Qi and blood naturally slows down because we are moving less. Our muscles don’t require the same blood supply by night as they do by day. When we wake up in the morning it’s a good idea to warm up the body by stretching. Performing a simple Qigong stretch (such as the one in the video) in a mindful way, using the combination of movement, breath and your mind is the quickest way to “wake up” the body in the mornings. As a result you will feel awakened, enlivened and ready to face the day brimming with energy.
A Simple Qigong Stretch
This exercise is part of a method called the “Yi Tai Zhi Qi” stretches, the whole of which is taught in my Space To Relax membership programme of Qigong video lessons. It is aimed at releasing turbid Qi from the joints of the body. Follow along with the video to learn how a simple Qigong stretch like this is the perfect one to do first thing in the morning. It will set you up for the day feeling energised but relaxed at the same time.
Each movement can be performed in multiples of 3, 6 or 9. Start with multiples of 3 and gradually build up the repetitions as you become stronger and if you have more time. As you stretch breathe out and as you relax and come back to your original position, breathe in. Perform this exercise from the Qigong standing position.
Method
Open back bending forwards. (Note: caution not to let the head drop too low if you have high blood pressure) and breathe out.
Come back up to standing as you breathe in.
Open chest, arms extend to the sides as you breathe out.
Bring arms back to centre as you breathe in.
Important Points to Note for This Qigong Stretch
1. This technique especially benefits older people because it promotes Qi and blood circulation. When combined with stillness it promotes Qi and blood and expands mental function. As you get older lack of movement causes stiffness. This exercise is to help you stretch the stiff tendons a little and soften all the all the joints in your body. If you continue doing it, it becomes easier.
2. Remember to pay attention to mind, body and breathing; that they are united together leading to the best results. With this exercise, perform it at the speed and regulation of Qi that suits you so that you don’t feel tired. This is different to physical exercise because the main thing here is that the Qi and blood are able to flow. Only secondly is this a physical exercise.
What Do I Do Next?
If you would like to learn more Qigong then:
1. Head over to my Space To Relax homepage. There you can sign up for a free 3 part video series of Qigong lessons. These three lessons will show you just how easy it is to get started with Qigong. Once you’ve completed the free series you’ll have the opportunity to join my Space To Relax online membership programme of Qigong video lessons. This will allow you to take your practice to a whole new level where you will learn many exercises to eliminate health issues before they become a major problem. I’ll guide you step by step through many more effective Qigong methods, including the whole of the Yi Tai Zhi Qi stretching method.
2. Subscribe to my YouTube channel by clicking the red “Subscribe” button. That way you won’t miss my regular videos which are full of useful health enhancing tips. Also please give this video a “Like” and share with me in the comments box your best methods of stretching first thing in the morning.
3. Join my free Facebook group, “Space To Relax Free Qigong Group” and leave any comments or questions for me there. I’ll be happy to answer them. Also, by joining this group, you will see really useful tips about how to use Qigong to improve your state of health.
Do you ever wake up feeling as though you’ve been run over by a bus? I do, but thankfully not very often. We all know the feeling of having suffered a terrible night’s sleep. We feel exhausted both physically and mentally. We may also feel anxious that we won’t be able to function to the best of our ability at work. We may also be fearful of this happening night after night, and wonder how we are going to manage our lives if the exhaustion gets worse. In the video today you’ll learn how to use Qigong for sleep problems.
Please don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel by clicking the red “Subscribe” button on the page. That way you won’t miss my regular videos which are full of useful health enhancing tips. These videos will help you to enhance your health and prevent illness from arising in the first place. Also please give this video a “Like” if you found it informative.
Types of Sleep Problems
There are a number of different sleep problems which can all affect the quality and quantity of the sleep we get. The result is that they can also have a negative effect on our energy levels and our mental health. The following sleep problems are listed on the Mental Health Ireland Factsheet on Sleep where you can find more information.
Insomnia. This affects an estimated 20% of people and is the most common sleep disorder. This is the one we will be focusing on in this video.
Narcolepsy. This is excessive sleepiness.
Sleep Apnoea. The person may stop breathing at intervals in the night which then wakes them so their sleep is constantly being interrupted.
Sleep Disorders in Children. This can be distressing and exhausting for both children and parents. Sleep problems can impact on the physical and emotional health of a child so are important to address as early as possible.
The Solution – Qigong For Sleep Problems
In order to be able to sleep soundly we need to have a calm mind. Often we find that our minds are too busy when we go to bed. This over-excitement in the brain can prevent us from getting off to sleep quickly and easily.
There are many practical steps you can take to ensure that your mind is calm before bed, e.g. taking regular exercise, establishing a regular time for going to bed, turning off screens at least an hour before bed, taking a bath, avoiding coffee and alcohol a few hours before going to bed.
Qigong is also the perfect practice to help you improve the quality of your sleep because every Qigong method helps to calm your mind, the essential ingredient for good sleep.
Below are a few specific tips using Qigong for sleep problems.
Watch my previous video called “How to Calm Down with Qigong” so that your mind is in a calm state before going to bed.
Relaxation is very important as it gets you into the state where you can easily go to sleep. Watch the video “Qigong Relaxation Techniques” for some effective Qigong tips on how to do this.
Watch another video from me called “Qigong for Sleep Difficulties” which will give you more information and useful methods of Qigong for sleep problems.
What Do I Do Next?
If you would like to start using Qigong for sleep problems then:
Head over to my Space To Relax homepage. There you can sign up for a free 3 part video series of Qigong lessons. These three lessons will you to help to improve the quality and quantity of your sleep. Once you’ve completed the free series you’ll have the opportunity to join my Space To Relax online membership programme of Qigong video lessons. This will allow you to take your practice to a whole new level where you will learn many exercises to eliminate health issues before they become a major problem. I’ll guide you step by step through many more effective Qigong methods which work to calm and clear your mind; essential factors in enabling you to sleep soundly.
Subscribe to my YouTube channel by clicking the red “Subscribe” button. That way you won’t miss my regular videos which are full of useful health enhancing tips. Also please give this video a “Like” and share with me in the comments box any tips you might have to improve the quality of your sleep.
Join my free Facebook group, “Space To Relax Free Qigong Group” and leave any comments or questions for me there. I’ll be happy to answer them. Also, by joining this group, you will receive regular posts of Qigong articles and videos with really useful tips about how to use Qigong to improve your state of health.
Have you ever suffered with eye problems? If you have you’ll know just how uncomfortable and depressing this can be. This is because your eyes are one of the most sensitive organs in your body. Any interference with healthy functioning of your eyes can make you feel anxious, irritable and depressed. Even simple long or short-sightedness, teary eyes or dry, gritty eyes can cause us worry and misery. In the video today you’ll learn some simple Qigong eye exercises to help you keep your eyes in the best health possible.
According to the National Eye Institute in the United States, the estimated annual economic burden of vision loss, eye diseases and vision disorders in the U.S. amounts to $139 billion!!! (March 2014). These disorders include glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and cataracts. However, we don’t have to have serious eye disorders for us to be negatively impacted by poor eye health.
Please head over to my YouTube channel and click 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 enhance your health and prevent illness from arising in the first place. Also please give this video a “Like” if you found it informative.
3 Qigong Eye Exercises (Plus A Bonus Video)
Every organ in Chinese medicine is associated with a sense organ. The Liver opens into the eyes so Qigong eye exercises generally focus on improving the smooth flow of Qi through the Liver channel and into the Liver organ itself.
Close your eyes. Concentrate on your eyes. Move your eyeballs up and down vertically, then side to side, then in circles. Open your eyes and look forward, then to both sides, then circle the eyes. Repeat a few times.
Close your eyes. Use your imagination to look at a fixed object, e.g. a tree or flower a few metres away. Open your eyes and look at the same object, or look at it with one eye at a time. Repeat a few times.
Close your eyes. Rub palms together to generate heat. Place them over eyes for a few seconds. Rub face up and down with a “face wash” action. Open the eyes and observe the brightness and clarity of your vision!
Refer to a previous video “Combating Excess With The Ba Duan Jin” which shows you a method which smooths the flow of Liver Qi and therefore benefits the eyes. It’s also great for easing the after effects of too much alcohol through its action on the Liver system! 🙂
What Do I Do Next?
If you would like to start using Qigong for eye health then:
Head over to my Space To Relax homepage. There you can sign up for a free 3 part video series of Qigong lessons. These three lessons, in addition to the Qigong eye exercises referred to above, help to improve general eye health. Once you’ve completed the free series you’ll have the opportunity to join my Space To Relax online membership programme of Qigong video lessons. This will allow you to take your practice to a whole new level where you will learn many exercises to relieve pain, calm your mind and eliminate health issues before they become a major problem. This includes many more effective Qigong methods which work to harmonise the Liver and thereby its associated sense organ, the eyes.
Subscribe to my YouTube channel by clicking the red “Subscribe” button. That way you won’t miss my regular videos which are full of useful health enhancing tips. Also please give this video a “Like” and share with me in the comments box any tips you might have to improve the health of your eyes.
Join my free Facebook group, “Space To Relax Free Group” and leave any comments or questions for me there. I’ll be happy to answer them. Also, by joining this group, you will receive regular posts of Qigong articles and videos with really useful tips about how to use Qigong to improve your state of health.
Menstrual cramps or period pain are all too common. Along with cramping and pain, symptoms may include headaches, fatigue, feeling faint, breast tenderness, nausea, bloating and diarrhoea. Also, you may experience a whole range of unwanted emotions including irritability, anxiety or feeling tearful. In the video on this page you’ll learn how to use Qigong for period pain management so that you can keep this unwanted monthly misery to a minimum!
Please don’t forget to subscribe to go to my YouTube channel and click the red “Subscribe” button so you don’t miss my regular videos which are full of useful health enhancing tips. These videos will help you to enhance your health and prevent illness from arising in the first place. Also please give this video a “Like” if you found it informative.
The Impact Of Menstrual Cramps (Period Pain) On Our Lives
Any woman knows that period pain can be absolutely miserable. It can vary in intensity from mild cramping to excruciating pain which may cause us to double up and almost pass out. It may cause us to miss work, prevent us from going to social events and stop us from exercising. This truly can be a depressing experience, especially if we know it is going to happen month after month!
The Solution – Qigong For Period Pain
1. Any moving Qigong exercise. In Chinese Medicine pain is the result of the stagnation of flow of Qi, blood and/or fluid through an area. Qigong encourages the internal movement of Qi and blood in the area of the uterus resulting in a relief of stagnation and thereby pain.
2. Discharge With Vibration Method. This is lesson 3 in my free 3 part video series (more about how to access that below). This method will quickly rid waste Qi (in the form of stagnation and pain from the whole body).
3. Qigong for Cleansing. Watch my previous video on “Qigong For Cleansing“. You can use this method of Qigong for period pain because it helps to rid any waste Qi from your body, i.e. pain, nausea, bloating, headache.
What Do I Do Next?
If you would like to start using Qigong for period pain then:
1. Head over to my Space To Relax homepage. There you can sign up for a free 3 part video series of Qigong lessons. These three lessons will show you many useful pain relieving methods to help relieve menstrual cramping. Once you’ve completed the free series you’ll have the opportunity to join my Space To Relax online membership programme of Qigong video lessons. This will allow you to take your practice to a whole new level. You’ll learn many exercises to relieve pain, calm your mind and eliminate health issues before they become a major problem. This includes many more effective Qigong methods which work to harmonise the Liver and Spleen systems (those responsible for healthy and pain free periods).
2. Subscribe to my YouTube channel by clicking the red “Subscribe” button over on YouTube so that you won’t miss my regular videos which are full of useful health enhancing tips. Also please give this video a “Like” and share with me in the comments box what you do to relieve period pain.
3. Join my free Facebook group, “Space To Relax Free Group” and leave any comments or questions for me there. I’ll be happy to answer them. Also, by joining this group, you will receive regular posts of Qigong articles and videos with really useful tips about how to use Qigong to improve your state of health.
Have you ever had a headache or migraine? If the answer to this question is “No” then you are probably in the minority of people reading this. The World Health Organisation (WHO) reports that “almost half of the adult population have had a headache at least once within the last year“. Among those people, 30% or more have reported migraine. This makes headache one of the most common disorders of the nervous system. (Click here to see the WHO document). If you or someone you know suffers with this problem then watch the video on this page to learn how you can use Qigong for headaches and migraine management.
Please head over to YouTube to subscribe to my YouTube channel and click the red “Subscribe” button. That way you won’t miss my regular videos which are full of useful health enhancing tips. These videos will help you to enhance your health and prevent illness from arising in the first place. Also please give this video a “Like” if you found it informative.
The Impact Of Headache and Migraine On Our Lives
You will all no doubt know someone who suffers with recurrent headaches and/or migraine. This is because it is such a common problem affecting people of all ages, races and income levels around the world.
If you’ve ever suffered with a headache you will know that it is painful, miserable and debilitating. Other negative impacts of headache and/or migraine may include:
Fear of when the next one is going to occur.
The ability to carry out our daily tasks.
Days or months of work lost with a consequent financial impact.
A severely restricted social life.
Side effects of medication we may take which create further health problems for us.
A predisposition to further illnesses. The WHO states that “anxiety and depression are significantly more common in people with migraine than in healthy individuals“. Click here for the WHO factsheet.
I think you’ll agree that enduring recurrent headaches or migraine is not an acceptable situation!
The Solution – Qigong For Headaches and Migraine
Make sure you are hydrated. Although this is not Qigong I’m including this tip here because on many occasions headache can be caused by a lack of fluid intake so ensure that you are drinking plenty of water.
Discharge With Vibration Method. This is lesson 3 in my free 3 part video series (more about how to access that below). This method will quickly rid pressure in your head literally in the space of less than 5 minutes.
Qigong for Cleansing. Watch my previous video on “Qigong For Cleansing“. You can use this method of Qigong for headaches and migraine because it helps to rid any waste Qi from your body, i.e. pain, dizziness, nausea, heaviness in the head.
Face Wash and Massage. This simple method will give you relief from headache. Rub palms together until hot. Close eyes and place palms on eyes feeling the heat from the hands. Face wash. Comb over head down to back of neck. Pluck around eyebrows and under eyes with index finger and thumb. This brings more circulation of Qi into the face and stimulated acupuncture points around the eyes so if you have migraine where vision is affected this can be a very useful little tip to improve things for you.
What Do I Do Next?
If you would like to start using Qigong for headaches and migraine then:
Head over to my Space To Relax homepage. There you can sign up for a free 3 part video series of Qigong lessons. These three lessons, in addition to the videos referred to above, will give you many useful pain relieving methods to help relieve headaches and migraine. Once you’ve completed the free series you’ll have the opportunity to join my Space To Relax online membership programme of Qigong video lessons. This will allow you to take your practice to a whole new level where you will learn many exercises to relieve pain, calm your mind and eliminate health issues before they become a major problem. This includes many more effective Qigong methods to minimise headaches and migraine.
Subscribe to my YouTube channel by clicking the red “Subscribe” button. That way you won’t miss my regular videos which are full of useful health enhancing tips. Also please give this video a “Like” and share with me in the comments box what you do to manage headaches and/or migraine.
Join my free Facebook group, “Space To Relax Free Group” and leave any comments or questions for me there. I’ll be happy to answer them. Also, by joining this group, you will receive regular posts of Qigong articles and videos with really useful tips about how to use Qigong to improve your state of health.
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