This video shows you some Qigong for chest opening, lung cleansing and immune strength. It was taught by myself, Dr. Janice Tucker, the founder of the Space To Relax Programme of Qigong video lessons.
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.
I have been teaching Qigong for two decades and am a practitioner of acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine. My passion is helping people just like you to develop skills, knowledge and tools to rebalance and maintain your health.
You can join my live classes on Zoom on the first Thursday of each month at 4 pm Irish time. Click here to join us (lesson replays sent out by email in case you can’t make it).
Qigong For Chest Opening, Lung Cleansing & Immune Strength – Introduction
Chest tightness and congestion are common problems in our modern-day lifestyle which involves spending a significant amount of time in a hunched or slumped posture. Driving, working on screens and phone use all cause us to too easily adopt a posture that constricts the lungs and impairs efficient breathing. This can result in:
Physically: feeling short of breath, fatigued, having a weakened immune system (see below for explanation);
Mentally: feeling anxious, depressed, unmotivated, not focused, lacking in confidence and self-esteem.
Research has shown that developing an upright posture with an open chest area can help with:
Physically: less fatigue, easier breathing, increased resilience;
Mentally: more mental clarity, less anxiety and depression, more confidence and a better mood.
In terms of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) the Lung system is responsible for breathing, water metabolism, associated with the emotions of sadness and grief and self-confidence/value of oneself. The Lung is also responsible for the strength of our defensive Qi (Wei Qi) so by creating the conditions for smooth and abundant flow of Qi to the Lungs, we can help to strengthen our immunity.
Qigong exercises combining simple movements with the breath and mind focus can help to:
- Open the chest area and improve breathing efficiency;
- Enhance immunity;
- Relieve fatigue;
- Improve mood.
In the video lesson on this page you can follow along with some simple beginner Qigong exercises to
- Cleanse the lungs of waste or stale air and open up the chest area.
- Encourage the flow of Qi through the Lung channel (from just under the collar bones on each side, down the arms to the tip of the thumbs).
- Strengthen the lungs so that you can increase the efficiency of your breathing.
Qigong For Chest Opening, Lung Cleansing & Immune Strength – Method
- Adopt a Qigong Standing Posture.
- Settle into your practice with a few Abdominal Breaths.
- Cleansing the Lungs:
Place one hand on top of the other on your lower abdomen. Inhale through your nose. Exhale through your mouth, at the same time leaning foward and gently pressing the abdomen inwards towards your spine. Repeat 3 times.
Inhale through the nose to fill your lungs as much as you can, at the same time leaning back slightly and extending your arms to the sides at shoulder level. Hold your breath for a short time. Exhale through your mouth as you come back to an upright position. Repeat 3 times.
NOTE: TAKE CARE WITH FORWARD BENDING IF YOU HAVE ANY ISSUES WITH BLOOD PRESSURE, OSTEOPOROSIS OR LOWER BACK PAIN.
Relax and perform a few abdominal breaths. - Encouraging Flow of Qi Through the Lung Channel
Inhale and lift your arms up to shoulder level in front of you. Make loose fists then extend your index fingers and thumbs out from the fist. Press the heels of the hands away from you so that you feel a stretch along the inside of your forearms. Exhale, moving your arms out to the sides at shoulder level, keeping your index fingers pointing to upwards and focusing on pressing the heels of your hands away from you. Bring your mind to the lung chanel running from beneath the collar bones to your thumbs. Inhale back to your starting position. Repeat 3 times. - Strengthen the Lungs:
Adopt a comfortable seated position. Use your right index and middle finger to find your pulse on your left hand. Rest your tongue on the roof of your mouth. Inhale and hold for 20 beats of your pulse (less if this is uncomfortable for you or you have any history of heart/cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure or feel generally weak in any way). Exhale, at the same time, dropping your tongue away from the roof of your mouth and making the sound “Song”. Make this exhalation as long as possible. Repeat 3 times.
Note: If you can’t hold your breath for long then instead focus on a long, slow exhalation.
Additional Video Resources & Further Tips
- Qigong for Chest Congestion and Anxiety
- Qigong for Lungs and Immunity
- The Ultimate Guide To Qigong for Beginners
- Qigong for Grief
You’ll find many other live lesson replays on my blog page. Take a look at some of them to find methods that you can easily combine with this one. You can use the search box on the blog page to find any topics you are interested in.
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. After you sign up I’ll send details to your email with links to the Zoom classes. Check your junk/spam folders for notifications and then 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.
If you are new to Qigong you’ll probably find my Ultimate Guide To Health and Wellbeing With Qigong very helpful which explains the origins and benefits of Qigong along with 10 beginner Qigong exercises to get you started.
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