Feeling stiff and inflexible, or even worse, feeling pain in your back is debilitating and can be a source of misery and depression for many people. Back pain is extremely common. If you are an office worker sitting at a desk every day or have ever been pregnant then the chances are you have experienced back pain at some point! The website goodbody.com reports that 8 out of 10 Americans will experience back problems at some point in their lives. In my experience the similar statistics must also apply to Ireland, where I live, and many other countries too. The good news is that there are many practices and methods we can adopt to help minimise back pain and manage it so that it doesn’t limit our lifestyle. In the video on this page you will learn how to use Qigong for back pain management so that you can regain strength and flexibility in this very central supporting area of your body.
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 in Youtube. 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 Back Pain On Our Lives
In my Chinese medicine and acupuncture clinics I have observed an increase in back pain over the years. I’m sure that we all know someone with recurrent back pain, even if we ourselves are not sufferers. Perhaps this is because of the increasing number of people sitting at their desks working.
In addition to the misery that back pain brings, it can also negatively impact our lives:
We may not be able to go to work and so lose financial security.
The ability to carry out our daily tasks may be limited.
We may not be able to exercise and therefore put on weight which may lead to further health complications.
Our sleep may be interrupted as we can’t find a comfortable position in bed. This can result in us waking up exhausted.
Any pain medication that we may take for back pain may have side effects which create further health problems for us.
Back pain can be a recurrent problem because often the cause is never identified. If the cause cannot be eliminated then your pain is more likely to recur. This is why the appropriate management of back pain is crucial in preventing the problem developing into a long term, chronic one.
The Solution – Qigong For Back Pain
Qigong for back pain methods in general involve movement. They are perfect for dealing with back pain as they smooth the flow of energy (Qi) and blood flow through the area. In Chinese Medicine terms, a stagnation or blockage of the flow of Qi and blood can cause pain. However there are a couple of methods which are particularly useful to help you regulate back pain more specifically.
This method of Qigong for back pain is exceptionally helpful as it provides you with a standing posture which will avoid any obstruction in the flow of Qi and blood through two areas which are particularly prone to stagnation and pain, the lower back and neck.
2. For morning stiffness and pain
If you feel especially stiff in the mornings and it takes you a while to get going then it will be very helpful for you to start the day with a few gentle movements. This will help you to loosen up the back in the mornings! My perfect Morning Qigong Routine is shown here.
3. Looking Back Over Shoulder Method
This exercise is one belonging to a series of 8 called the Ba Duan Jin. It regulates everything, especially the spine and the thighs. It is useful in the prevention of twisting of the spine.
Basic Instructions
Qigong stance. Stand with neck stretched straight, arms hanging down freely. Bring hands into position with palms facing down and pressure on heels of hands, fingers spread wide. With chest projected out and shoulders squared, slowly rotate head to left (men) or right (women) with eyes looking backward over shoulder and move hands to sides of body, palms facing ground. Keep arms close to sides of body and chin parallel to the ground as you turn the head. Then slowly rotate head back to starting posture and bring hands back to in front of body. Repeat to right side. Repeat several times.
Finish the exercise by placing one hand (right for women, left for men) flat over Dan Tian (lower abdomen) with the other hand on top. Circle a few times in one direction and then the other to seal in the Qi. Allow the hands to drop down by the sides of the body and observe any sensations or changes
Breathing Instructions
Exhale as head and hands turn to side. Inhale as body returns to starting posture. Exhale as palms press to ground. Inhale before starting the movement again.
Focus of Mind
Imagine Qi travelling down side of the leg to the sole of the foot) on side you are looking towards. As head returns to centre make Qi come back to coccyx in the lower back.
What Do I Do Next?
If you would like to start using Qigong for back pain 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 Qigong for back pain relieving methods to help improve any problems you have with your back. Once you’ve been through that 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. In this programme you will also learn the other 7 exercises in the Ba Duan Jin to complement the “Looking Back Over Shoulder” method you just learned in this video. This is a fantastic, comprehensive series of exercises which will elevate your health to a whole new level.
Go to my YouTube channel by click 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 back pain if you are one of the many sufferers around the world.
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.
Feeling stiff and inflexible, or feeling pain in your joints is debilitating and can be a source of misery and depression for many people. Approximately 350 million people worldwide have arthritis (www.medicinenet.com) which makes this a huge problem for both the healthcare profession and the sufferers themselves. Although there is no cure for arthritis, there are many practices and methods we can adopt to help minimise the progression of this condition. In the video on this page you will learn how to use Qigong exercises for arthritis and other related bone and joint conditions.
Please don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel by clicking the red “Subscribe” button. That way you 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.
What Are The Symptoms of Arthritis?
Symptoms of arthritis include pain and limited function of joints. Inflammation of the joints from arthritis is characterised by joint stiffness, swelling, redness, and warm. Tenderness of the inflamed joint can be present.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine terms your symptoms are due to a lack of smooth and open flow of blood, fluid and Qi (energy) through the joints. This is often where things tend to stagnate because there are lots of nooks and crannies in the joints for the blood, fluid and energy to flow though. The narrowing of these circulatory pathways is a bit like the narrowing of a motorway caused by road works; if a lane is closed everything backs up in the area!
The Solution – Qigong Exercises For Arthritis
Any moving Qigong methods in general are perfect for dealing with arthritis. This is because they smooth the flow of energy (Qi) and blood flow through the area. In Chinese Medicine terms, it is a stagnation or blockage of the flow of Qi and blood which can cause pain. However there are a couple of methods which are particularly useful to help you regulate arthritis more specifically.
1. Qigong for Cleansing. Watch my previous video on “Qigong For Cleansing“. You can use this method of Qigong for arthritis because it helps to rid any waste Qi from your body, i.e. stiffness, aches, heaviness and pain.
2. For back pain. Watch my previous video on “Qigong Standing Posture“. This method is exceptionally helpful if you suffer with arthritis of the spine or knees. This is because it provides you with a standing posture which will avoid any obstruction in the flow of Qi and blood through two areas which are particularly prone to stagnation and pain, the lower back and neck.
3. For morning stiffness and pain. If you feel especially stiff in the mornings and it takes you a while to get going then it will be very helpful for you to start the day with a few gentle movements. This will help you to get going quicker in the mornings! Click here for my Qigong morning routine.
4. For fibromyalgia and related muscle stiffness and pain. A few of my Space To Relax online Qigong members requested the video I made here as they suffer with fibromyalgia. If you also suffer with muscle stiffness and pain in addition to joint stiffness watch my previous video on” Qigong for Fibromyalgia“.
What Do I Do Next?
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 are perfect Qigong exercises for arthritis, in addition to the videos referred to above. They will help ease out stiff and inflexible joints. In addition they will help you to manage arthritis to the best of your ability.
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 share with me in the comments box what you do to help relieve pain in your joints.
3. Join my free Facebook group, “Space To Relax Free Group” and leave any comments for me there. I’ll be happy to answer any questions on Qigong exercises for arthritis. Also you will receive regular posts with useful tips about how to use Qigong to improve your state of health.
4. You may want to consider looking into how various supplements such as turmeric supplements and anti inflammatory foods can help you to manage arthritis and joint pain.
Shoulder and neck pain is one of the most common complaints I see in my Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture clinic. If you have ever experienced this before you’ll know how miserable this can make you feel. In the video on this page I’ll show you some simple Qigong for shoulder and neck pain so that you can feel much looser, more flexible and stronger in this area.
Janice Tucker is a practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Medical Qigong. She is also 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 on that channel. 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.
How Does Shoulder and Neck Pain Affect Us?
You will know all too well if you have ever suffered with shoulder or neck pain before that it can leave you feeling absolutely miserable.
• Physically you may be in so much pain that you have to take pain medication. This may then have its own side effects that you have to deal with.
• You will most likely feel restricted in your movement. This may mean that you can’t lift things, reach up in to cupboards, tie your bra strap or put on your coat.
• The restriction will affect you when you’re driving. You may not be able to turn your head fully to look behind you when reversing. Your shoulders may become more painful after driving as you are holding them in tension.
• If this situation goes unchecked you may feel pain in other areas of your body such as headaches or lower back ache.
• Mentally and emotionally you will be affected too. You may feel depressed, irritable and anxious that this pain will never improve.
So, it is obvious that this is not a situation which you would want to tolerate for any longer than absolutely necessary!
The Solution – Qigong For Shoulder and Neck Pain
Any moving Qigong methods in general are perfect for dealing with shoulder and neck pain as they smooth the flow of energy (Qi) and blood flow through the area. In Chinese Medicine terms, it is a stagnation or blockage of the flow of Qi and blood which can cause pain. However there are a couple of methods which are particularly useful to help you regulate shoulder and neck pain more specifically.
1. Neck movements. Tilt the head forward and back, tilt the head from one side to the other, turn the head from one side to the other. Each movement is performed slowly. Breathe out as you move away from your starting position, breathe in as you move back to the starting position. Caution: anyone with serious neck problems be very gentle with these movements and take care not to over stretch.
2. Watch Lesson 2 in my free 3 part video series which shows you the “Circles” exercise. This is an excellent method of Qigong for shoulder and neck pain as it improves the flow of Qi and blood through these areas. See below on how to get this free video series.
3. Practice any moving Qigong for shoulder and neck pain as this will promote the smooth flow of Qi so that you can lessen any pain or stiffness.
What Do I Do Next?
If you would like to start using Qigong for shoulder and neck 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. Lesson 2, the “Circles” exercise is the perfect moving Qigong exercise to perform. It promotes the smooth flow of Qi through the shoulders.
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 any tips you have to help relieve shoulder and neck 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’ll receive really useful tips about how to use Qigong to improve your state of health.
“Do you ever get angry?”
“No.”
“What, never?”
“No.”
“I don’t believe you!”
Over the past 18 years or so this has been a fairly common exchange between myself and my clients in the acupuncture clinic. The reason I don’t believe people who say they never get angry is that everyone does. The difference is that some people express it by shouting and screaming and some people bottle it up in the form of frustration, silent resentment or sulking. In the video today I’m going to share with you how to use Qigong for anger management, more specifically, for getting rid of anger in a healthy way.
Please don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel by clicking the red “Subscribe” button on if you are watching over there. That way you won’t miss my regular videos which are full of useful health enhancing tips. These videos will help you to improve your health and prevent illness from arising in the first place. Also please give this video a “Like” if you found it informative.
How Does Anger Affect Us?
Anger is the emotion associated with the “Liver” organ system in Qigong. The Liver system is responsible for the smooth flow of Qi on all levels (physical, mental, spiritual, emotional). If anger is excessive it impacts on the healthy functioning of the Liver system which can result in many health problems such as:
• feeling a lump in the throat;
• abdominal distension;
• eye problems;
• tendon stiffness and inflexibility;
• digestive issues;
• pre-menstrual tension in women;
• lumps in the breasts or breast tenderness in women;
• tinnitus;
• headaches;
• brittle nails;
• muscle cramps and spasms;
• lack of direction and organisation in life.
As you can see it’s not a good thing to be experience and out of balance Liver system!
The Solution – Qigong For Anger
Qigong for anger management is perfect as the methods in general encourage your mind to be calm and relaxed, the very opposite of anger! However there are a couple of methods which are particularly useful to help you regulate anger more specifically.
1. Ba Duan Jin Exercise
This is one exercise from an 8 part series of Qigong exercises called the Ba Duan Jin or 8 Pieces of Brocade. It’s a very famous series of Qigong exercises and this particular one is a perfect method of Qigong for anger because it helps the Liver system. It thereby helps to combat the damaging effects of anger your body and mind.
This movement is called “Open Eyes Wide With Clenched Fists”. The position for this Qigong exercise is a horse stance. Step out into a horse stance that is comfortable for you, as wide or as narrow as you want. Check that the knees are not dropping inwards and are pushed out over the toes. Tuck the pelvis in under your body to make the lower back flat. Both hands rest on the hips, with loose fists and the palms facing upwards. The chest is pulled back slightly and you are nice and tall, with length in the back of the neck.
Women begin with the right hand and men with the left hand. Move the first hand out in front of you with a gentle punching action and as you extend it, at the end, twist the arm so the back of the hand ends up facing uppermost. Bring the fist back, turning the palm upwards as you draw it back in. Repeat with the other arm, extending the arm outwards and looking at the fist. Pull the arm back, twisting it back into the starting position on the hip.
The movement for this punching action actually comes from your hips. You need to twist in the whole body as you make the punching action, looking at the fist. The movement of the hip then draws the punch back. The hip turns and pushes the arm out. Look the fist. The hip then turns, drawing the arm back in towards the body.
Breathing
Breathe in before you begin. Exhale as you punch. Breathe in as you draw the arm back to the hip.
In this method you pick one thing that you want to release from your body or mind. In this case pick the emotion of anger and breathe it out using the technique shown in the video.
3. Practice any moving Qigong exercise.
Moving Qigong methods promote the smooth flow of Qi and thereby help to disperse the emotion of anger.
What Do I Do Next?
If you would like to start using Qigong for anger 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. Lesson 1 will teach you how to breathe more efficiently and calm your mind with Abdominal Breathing. Lesson 2 is the perfect moving Qigong exercise to perform and promote the smooth flow of Qi. In Lesson 3 you will learn how to rid waste Qi (in this case in the form of anger) from your body.
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 what you do to help dispel anger in a healthy way.
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.
Wouldn’t it be fantastic if we could all live our lives in a state of feeling grounded, centred and like nothing could throw us off course? Many of us feel exactly the opposite of that most of the time. We suffer from constant mental chatter, anxiety and stress! In the video on this page I’m going to show you how you can use Qigong for grounding. When you can do this you can sail more smoothly through life and it’s daily challenges without been thrown off course. You’ll remain calm, relaxed and focused, even when people around you seem to be losing the plot!
Please don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel by clicking the red “Subscribe” button across on Youtube. 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.
What Does It Mean To Be “Grounded”?
Mindbodygreen.com published an article on grounding and wrote:
“Being grounded is an essential skill for empaths and highly sensitive people who pick up emotions from the people and environment around them. It means that you’re present in your body and connected with the earth, allowing you to feel centred and balanced no matter what’s going on around you.
If you aren’t grounded, you’re like a leaf in the wind: very vulnerable and thrown off balance very quickly. But when you are well grounded, you are like a big, strong tree. If something happens around you, it doesn’t influence you so much and you are able to feel much more peaceful and balanced in your daily life.”
Qigong methods in general are perfect grounding exercises for us as they encourage you to be present in your body and connected with the earth and nature. However there are a couple of methods which are particularly useful to get you started on your journey to feeling more grounded.
1. Breathing. Make sure that you are breathing efficiently. Qigong has the perfect solution to this as it requires us to pay conscious attention to our breath. Breathing usually takes the form of what is called “Abdominal Breathing” (as you breathe in your belly expands and as you breathe out your belly shrinks) which is extremely relaxing. This simple method alone will help you to feel more grounded, especially if you practice outside in a pleasant environment like woodland, a park or the beach.
3. Practice a moving Qigong exercise where you have to pay attention to your movements. This will again bring you into the present and help to develop a feeling of being grounded. The more you practice the more that you will experience this feeling even when you’re not practising!
What Do I Do Next?
If you would like to start using Qigong for grounding 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. Lesson 1 will teach you how to breathe more efficiently with Abdominal Breathing. The perfect moving Qigong exercise to perform and bring you into the present is lesson 2. Lesson 3 will teach you how to rid waste Qi (energy) from your body and feel a closer connection with the earth.
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 what you do to help you feel more grounded.
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.
How amazing would it feel to be like one of the action or super heroes we see in films and TV? When you look at them you can sense their seemingly overflowing and abundant levels of energy. It’s as though they are bursting with it! Wouldn’t you like to feel like that? Unfortunately this is not the case for many of us mere mortals! More commonly we struggle with lack of energy (or total exhaustion). We have little or no motivation, feelings of stagnation or not moving forward with our lives. Often we have no energy to complete the simplest daily tasks. Thankfully we can use simple methods of Qigong for energy!
The consequences of low energy levels can have a huge impact on our lives. One person told me, “I feel like I’m not living life to its full potential”. Hopefully you are not feeling so exhausted that you are thinking these kinds of thoughts. However, if you are, or if you simply need a bit of an energy boost (and who doesn’t?) then the video on this page will help you. I’m going to show you how to use Qigong for energy so that you can at least go some way to feeling like Superman or Wonder Woman! 🙂
Please don’t forget to 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. These videos will also help you to prevent illness from arising in the first place. Also please give this video a “Like” if you found it informative.
Why Do So Many Of Us Struggle With Low Energy Levels and Exhaustion?
Many factors affect the levels of Qi (energy) in our bodies. Our main sources of Qi come from:
What we inherit from our parents (our “constitution” if you want to think of it like that);
The amount and quality of air that we breathe;
The amount and quality of food and drink that we ingest.
Our Qi can also be depleted in many ways. Too little sleep, stress, smoking, drinking alcohol, excessive exercise, excessive sex and many other pressures can easily leave us exhausted.
So what can we do about minimising our energy loss?
The Solution – Qigong For Energy
We cannot change what we have inherited from our parents in terms of our basic constitution. However we can do lots of things to improve the quality of air that we breathe, the efficiency of each breath and the types of food and drink we consume.
Breathing. Make sure that you are breathing efficiently. Qigong has the perfect solution to this as it requires us to pay conscious attention to our breath. Breathing usually takes the form of what is called “Abdominal Breathing” (as you breathe in your belly expands and as you breathe out your belly shrinks) which is also extremely relaxing. This is a much more efficient way of breathing than “chest breathing” which most of us do. Abdominal breathing makes use of the diaphragm which pushes down as you inhale and increases your lung capacity. You are therefore taking in more air (good quality Qi) per breath which in turn gives you more energy.
Food and Drink. Eating fresh, locally grown, organic if possible food will go a long way to improving your energy levels. Also, if you are someone who is lacking in energy and also feels cold a lot of the time, or if you suffer with digestive issues, then it is important to avoid cold, raw foods and eat warm, cooked food. This means you will not to put too much stress on your system by wasting energy digesting food that has not already been partially broken down by the cooking process.
Rid Waste Qi (energy). Getting rid of waste Qi which we may have accumulated through stress, drinking alcohol, smoking, eating junk food etc. is important as waste Qi circulating in the body can leave us feeling exhausted. There are excellent methods in Qigong for the removal or “Discharge” of waste Qi (see below and also my previous blog on “Qigong for Cleansing“).
What Do I Do Next?
If you would like to start using Qigong for energy then:
Head over to my Space To Relax homepage. There you can sign up for a free 3 part video series of Qigong lessons. Lesson 1 will teach you how to breathe more efficiently with Abdominal Breathing. Lesson 2 is the perfect Qigong exercise to perform if you are feeling tired as it will give your energy levels a real lift! In Lesson 3 you will learn how to rid waste Qi.
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 in your life to rid exhaustion and gain energy.
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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