This is a replay of a live session showing you a Qigong routine for Spring, 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. I’m also 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.
Liver Cleansing Qigong Exercises – Introduction
In terms of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the Liver System functions to regulate the smooth and harmonious flow of Qi. It also stores the Blood, releasing it when needed to provide you with physical stamina. The eyes are the sense organs associated with the Liver and its associated emotion is anger/frustration.
Liver Qi is depleted by overwork/pushing/striving as is common in modern day life. Liver is responsible for good organisation and planning but overdoing this can also deplete Liver Qi. Overconsumption of alcohol or drugs also tends to exhaust and overheat the Liver system.
Some symptoms of unhealthy functioning of Liver Qi include:
muscle tension and cramps;
headaches and migraine;
eye problems (dry, gritty eyes/blurred vision);
mood swings;
irregular menstruation;
waking up in the middle of the night and not being able to get back to sleep;
anger and frustration;
aches and pains in the sides of the body.
Method for Using Liver Cleansing Qigong Exercises
Begin by taking a comfortable standing (more on Qigong stance here) or sitting position (more on seated Qigong here).
Settle into your practice by relaxing your body and mind with Abdominal Breathing.
Discharge waste and stagnant Liver Qi by using the “Xu” sound taken from the Six Healing Sounds Qigong method.
Perform the “Circles” exercise three times to smooth the flow of Qi in the four directions.
Tonify your Liver Qi with the eyes closed, visualising the position of the Liver. Inhale green (the associated colour of the Liver) into the Liver organ. As you exhale say to yourself “Relax”. Perform this for as long as you feel you need to in order to feel calm and relaxed on the inside.
Consolidate your practice with a few abdominal breaths, taking time to observe any changes in the state of your body and mind.
Dietary and Lifestyle Advice To Improve Liver Health
Sour foods, fermented foods, dark green leafy foods.
Sufficient rest – stop overworking and pushing yourself even when you feel exhausted.
Any stretching exercises, especially side bends and twists to stretch the part of the Liver channel which runs along the sides of the lower torso and up through centre of the breasts.
Integrating Liver Cleansing Qigong Exercises Into Your Day
Perform this whole routine, or only part of it, whenever you have a few minutes. This Qigong method works best if you can find a few minutes each day to practice. Little by little, day by day, you will start to observe that you feel a little more comfortable and at ease, both physically and mentally.
Please watch the following videos I made previously which may also help you resolver any Liver related symptoms:
Previous live lesson replays are listed below and can be found on my blog page.
Click the image above to follow along with the Qigong class!
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 go to my homepage. In these lessons you’ll learn more about abdominal breathing and Qi movement along with how to rid waste Qi from your body in order 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.
This is a replay of a live session showing you a Qigong routine for Spring, 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. I’m also 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 For Trauma Release and Shock – Introduction
When we go into shock or suffer trauma, our body visibly shakes. In this Qigong exercise, we make use of this shaking movement to release any trauma which may have been bottled up inside the body for years. This is never a good thing as it can lead to a manifestation of physical symptoms such as shoulder, back or stomach pain. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can also be a result of trauma, shock or emotions which have not been healthily dealt with and processed by the physical body and mind.
The Qigong exercises shown in this video can help you:
1. Release old stress patterns which manifest as pain, discomfort or stiffness as a result of holding trauma and shock inside the physical body;
2. Increase your energy levels as you let go of “bracing the body” against trauma in an attempt to hold it inside;
3. Discharge any energy or emotions which are being held inside the body leading to a softening of the muscles.
Method for Using Qigong For Trauma Release and Shock
Begin by taking a comfortable standing (more on Qigong stance here) or sitting position (more on seated Qigong here).
Settle into your practice by relaxing your body and mind with Abdominal Breathing.
Shake and twist the arms and hands, relaxing the muscles and joints as you do this.
Lift the arms as you inhale, drop the arms and bend your knees as you exhale through the mouth.
Hold the arms at shoulder level, shaking and twisting them in this position.
Let your body move in whichever direction it leads you in order to release any tension and ease any remaining areas of tension.
Perform the “Circles” exercise three times to smooth the flow of Qi in the four directions.
Consolidate your practice with a few abdominal breaths, taking time to observe any changes in the state of your body and mind.
Integrating Qigong For Trauma Release and Shock Into Your Day
Perform this whole shaking Qigong routine, or only part of it, whenever you have a few minutes. This Qigong method works best if you can find a few minutes each day to practice. Little by little, day by day, you will start to observe that you feel a little more comfortable and at ease.
Please watch the following videos I made previously which may also help you release any pent up emotions:
For anyone with PTSD you may want to consider NADA Ear Acupuncture treatment. More information on this is here.
Previous Live Lesson Replays
Previous live lesson replays are listed below and can be found on my blog page.
Click the image above to follow along with the Qigong class!
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 go to my homepage. In these lessons you’ll learn more about abdominal breathing and Qi movement along with how to rid waste Qi from your body order 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.
This is a replay of a Qigong video interview conducted by Robert Bowley who put together a Qigong Summit in January 2020. He interviewed one Qigong expert per day for 30 minutes over a period of 21 days. This was a monumental effort on Rob’s behalf in response to the increasing desire to know more about ancient healing systems and how we can bring them into our lives in the modern day. Rob’s intention was to interview experts who could provide solutions to transform your health and build emotional resilience.
I was amongst an esteemed group of Qigong experts so I felt extremely fortunate to be invited to be interviewed by Rob.
In this Qigong video interview I emphasise my passion and belief in equipping my clients and Qigong students with tools which they can use to manage their health for themselves. These “Qigong tools” encourage you to take responsibility for your own health, giving you confidence and empowering you so that you no longer feel helpless when it comes to your state of health.
Main Points
Particular points to note from my Qigong Summit interview are: 1. That Qigong is not about pushing & straining to achieve a goal. Rather, you enter into the practice and allow things to unfold; 2. The ways in which my students have gained huge benefits by practicing Qigong regularly; 3. Why Qigong can help you enjoy better sleep; 4. How you can allow your emotions to flow through you & be processed through your body/mind or expressed in a healthy way. By doing this you can gain peace of mind & happiness in your relationships with others.
The most important takeaway for you from my Qigong video interview is to understand that change can happen by allowing rather than forcing things unnaturally. Many Qigong students put in too much effort rather than simply enjoying and observing their practice. 😊
What Can I Do Next?
If you are interested in learning some simple Qigong you can join my live classes on Zoom every Tuesday at 10 am and Thursday at 4 pm Irish time. These lessons will continue for the duration of Covid-19 and until I can return to my face to face Acupuncture/Chinese Medicine clinics. You can follow the live classes free of charge.
To sign up and attend the live online sessions please click here. Classes are accessible are 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 as they could end up there. Please share this information with family and friends as everyone is more than welcome.
To get my free part video series of 3 Qigong lessons which will be delivered to you by email please go to my homepage. In these lessons you’ll learn more about abdominal breathing and Qi movement. In addition, you’ll learn how to rid waste Qi from your body 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.
For more information about Robert Bowley and to access the free resources on his website please click here.
This extremely well written article is one I just had to share with you all. It was sent to me by Josie at the Art of Living Retreat Centre and written by Sejal Shah, E-YRT 500 Sri Sri Yoga Teacher, YACEP, Art of Living Teacher, NYU Post Graduate Medical School approved Yoga-CME retreat facilitator, Mind-Body Wellness Writer and Homeopath. Below are listed 25 reasons to meditate.
Take a look at the list below and see how many reasons you can find to start meditating!
Meditation, simply put, is nothing but mental hygiene: clearing out the daily mental garbage and junk so that you can get in touch with your real Self and tune up your talents and skills. Think about it–you shower every day and clean your body, but do you ever shower your mind? An unshowered mind can smell as filthy as an unshowered body, maybe even more. But if you shower your mind with meditation, you’ll feel clearer and see things with a wider perspective and spread peaceful vibes.
Although meditation has been around for centuries, it is
becoming increasingly popular as more and more people discover its wide-ranging
benefits. Meditation does everything from improving your health, helping you
sleep better, and improving your mood to increasing emotional resilience and
sharpening your focus. The purpose of meditation can be different for different
individuals.
In today’s fast-paced, modern world, when you already feel
short of time, you might wonder why meditate, and whether meditation can help
you. If you have been feeling in low spirits, or nothing seems to be going your
way, your mind and body could be trying to tell you that meditation is needed
in your life.
Listen to your mind and body. If you’re receiving any of
these 25 signs, it may be time to start, ramp up, or recommit to your
meditation practice.
1. You feel exhausted and tired all the time.
‘Why am I so tired?’ was one of the 10 most-Googled health questions in 2017. This hints to just how many of us feel dogged by fatigue. A few minutes of meditation can leave you feeling more energised and rejuvenated.
2. You have repeated attacks of colds and the flu.
If you’re suffering from a lot of colds and flu, it’s a good
indication that your immunity is low. According to research, meditation can
help strengthen your immune system to help you fight infections better.
3. You’re constantly achy.
Constant aches and pains without any pathological basis is a
sign of tension and stress. You may not find relief from over-the-counter
medications, but a few minutes of regular meditation can help you become
pain-free.
4. It feels like you’re always short of time.
If you keep feeling that you have too much in your hands,
your calendar is always full, your day begins very early and ends too late, and
there is very little time to do what you really want to do, meditation can help
you find balance. While finding time to meditate may seem like an extra burden,
the boost that meditation gives to your mental well-being may help you get
everything else done faster and better.
5. You scowl a lot.
“A child smiles naturally 400 times a day, an adolescent
smiles 17 times, and an adult does not smile at all,” says meditation Guru Sri
Sri Ravi Shankar. This is because babies are stress-free. The purpose of yoga
and meditation is to put a smile on our face, in spite of all the stress and
tension we face in our day-to-day life.
6. You cry often.
If you find yourself tearing up at the slightest
provocation, small failure, or setback, work pressure, or somebody’s minor
opinions or criticism of you, meditation can help you become more emotionally
resilient. You might be wondering why certain people are always smiling and
laughing when you seem to be sad all the time–maybe they’re practicing
meditation!
7. You either brood and analyse or plan and fantasise too much.
You find yourself caught up in past regrets or making future
plans, either feeling bitter, angry, or anxious and worried. Overactive mind is
a sign of stress. Meditation is known to bring the mind into the present moment
and give you the ability to enjoy the moment as is.
8. You struggle even to make simple decisions.
When you find yourself asking either your spouse or friend
to take small everyday decisions like what to wear, which restaurant to go to,
which coffee to order, or what food to make, meditation can help you become
more confident in what you want.
9. You feel overwhelmed for no reason.
Small things start overwhelming you, and you’re always
worrying about how you’ll fit in everything you need to do today! Meditation
helps calm your mind, organize your thoughts, and tackle your day with
confidence.
10. You feel that there is a never ending workload.
Every morning you wake up dreading your workload, and the
pile of work on your desk or in your home seems to multiply no matter what you
do. Your deadlines start scaring you and you feel that you can’t cope.
Meditation can help improve your ability to multitask, and also improve your
observation, perception, and expressions, helping you be more efficient and
effective in what you do.
11. You experience too many mood swings.
You find yourself seated in the roller-coaster ride of your
mind, rapidly going up and down, feeling very happy and excited and then
suddenly sad and depressed the next moment. Meditation is great for emotional
regulation and can help you manage your mood swings.
12. You’re easily distracted.
In this era of social media, it is very easy to get
distracted, and remaining focussed is a great challenge. If you find yourself
having no control over your social media or any other such distractions,
meditation can help you remained focused and centered. Meditation improves your
focus to help you manage your life with peace of mind rather than pieces of
mind scattered here and there.
13. You experience bouts of depression.
If you very often feel a generalized low feeling, this could be a sign of non-clinical or clinical depression. Meditation can help alleviate symptoms of both.
14. You are anxious and worried most of the time.
If you’re constantly being told that you need to calm down
or relax, meditation can be a great chill pill to help you bring that nervous
energy down a few notches.
15. You make quick judgments about people.
It’s common courtesy to not judge others, but sometimes,
even though we know that, it’s hard to put into practice. Meditation helps to
keep your mind open and increases your empathy and compassion, so that you have
better control over your instincts to quickly judge people.
16. You find that you’re lacking problem-solving skills.
Meditation improves your ability to be creative and think
outside the box. It also helps increase your self-awareness, and keeps your
mind calm and collected, so that you can find new perspectives to look at your
problem and solve it effectively.
17. You keep wondering “What’s the point of all this?”
Life is complex and sometimes it feels like a constant
struggle and you have no enthusiasm left. You start wondering whether all your
painstaking efforts are even worthwhile! This is exactly a time to shut down
everything and pause and just be and allow meditation to help bring back the
spark and the joy.
18. You keep looking for a change.
Do you find yourself bored with your daily routine? Add a
few minutes of meditation to your day, and you may find that your schedule is
more refreshing than ever before.
19. You get angry for no reason.
Meditation puts you in better control of your anger and
enables you to respond to triggering situations with mindfulness, rather than
to impulsively react.
20. You’re stressed out beyond your imagination.
Sometimes you are put in a situation that demands that
you’re on your toes constantly, and you’re just plain stressed. One of
meditation’s most famous and well-researched benefits is reduced stress. Making
sure to spend just a few minutes meditating and taking care of your mind, body,
and spirit will allow you to be more happy and energetic.
21. You have high blood pressure.
Meditation has been proven to lower your blood pressure,
says Joel Kahn, M.D.cardiologist and best-selling author.
22. You suffer from insomnia or sleeplessness.
If you can’t get to bed on time, or find that you can’t fall asleep until late, or that your sleep quality is poor, you may want to start meditating. Meditation can help relax your body, releasing tension and placing you in a peaceful sleep.
23. You feel lonely.
You may think meditation is a solo activity. It may be
solitary (unless you are meditating in a group), but it actually increases your
sense of connection to others by nurturing emotional intelligence and social
connection, improving your social life.
24. You suffer from PMS.
90% of women during the days leading up to their menses
report experiencing challenging physical and emotional changes, from increased
irritability, difficulty concentrating, and appetite changes, to full-blown
depression, fatigue, and anxiety. Luckily, meditation has been found to help
women manage their symptoms.
25. Your sex life needs a boost.
By improving empathy, meditation can help you to connect
with your partner at a deeper level and thus improve your sexual relationship
too.
Meditation is something everyone can do to improve their physical, mental, and emotional health. No wonder meditation retreats and meditation meetups are increasing in popularity every day. There is a great variety of styles, too, each with different strengths and benefits. Trying out a style of mediation suited to your goals is a great way to improve your quality of life, even if you only have a few minutes to do it each day.
Make meditation part of your life, and start reaping the
physical, mental and emotional benefits. Science says it takes only 40 days to
develop new habits. For the next 40 days, commit yourself to daily meditation
and see the difference for yourself.
Happy Meditating!
What Do I Do Next?
So there you have it; 25 reasons to meditate listed above. How many signs did you identify as being aspects of your life which could do with rebalancing?
If you would like to start using Qigong to help you on your meditation journey there are a number of things you can do:
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 give you the perfect introduction to Qigong. They only take 5 minutes to perform and are very easy to learn. Also, scroll to the bottom of my homepage where you can sign up to receive a free audio meditation called “Calm Your Busy Mind in 8 Minutes“. I talk you through this simple breathing method in order to help you feel calm, relaxed, clear and focused in your mind.
2. Go to YouTube and subscribe to my channel by clicking the red “Subscribe” button. That way you won’t miss my regular videos which are full of useful health enhancing tips.
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. Here I post articles and videos with really useful tips about how to use Qigong to improve your state of health.
4. Janice’s Video Blog If you would like more information and access to many free video demonstrations of Qigong then head over to my video blog. Some videos of particular interest to you are listed below. Please feel free to browse through some of the others on the blog page.
In this blog post I’m sharing information from the Art of Living Retreat Centre’s page written by psychiatrist, Dr Judith Orloff. Many of my clients tell me that they are an empath and feel so drained and anxious as a result of this. If you suspect that you are then take the quiz below to find out to what extent and then read my tips below to find out how you can use a simple method of Qigong for empaths to help you rid any negative energy you may have absorbed from someone else.
Here’s the article below (for the full article click here)….
Have you ever been told that you’re “too sensitive” or need to toughen up? Do you feel exhausted and anxious after being in crowds or around certain people? Do you have a sensitivity to light, sound, and smells? Or perhaps it takes you longer to wind down after a long day at work? If you answered, “yes” to these questions you may be an empath.
To determine how empathic you are take the following self assessment test.
Empath Self Assessment
1. Have I’ve been labeled as “overly sensitive,” shy, or introverted? 2. Do I frequently get overwhelmed or anxious? 3. Do arguments or yelling make me ill? 4. Do I often feel like I don’t fit in? 5. Am I drained by crowds and need alone time to revive myself? 6. Am I over stimulated by noise, odors, or non-stop talkers? 7. Do I have chemical sensitivities or can’t tolerate scratchy clothes? 8. Do I prefer taking my own car places so I can leave early if I need to? 9. Do I overeat to cope with stress? 10. Am I afraid of becoming suffocated by intimate relationships? 11. Do I startle easily? 12. Do I react strongly to caffeine or medications? 13. Do I have a low pain threshold? 14. Do I tend to socially isolate? 15. Do I absorb other people’s stress, emotions, or symptoms? 16. Am I overwhelmed by multitasking and prefer doing one thing at a time? 17. Do I replenish myself in nature? 18. Do I need a long time to recuperate after being with difficult people or energy vampires? 19. Do I feel better in small cities or the country than large cities? 20. Do I prefer one-to-one interactions or small groups rather than large gatherings?
To calculate your results:
If you answered yes to one to five questions, you’re at least partially an empath.
Responding yes to six to ten questions means you have moderate empathic tendencies.
Responding yes to eleven to fifteen means you have strong empathic tendencies.
Answering yes to more than fifteen questions means that you are a full blown empath.
More Information About Empaths
Being an empath is different from being empathetic. Being empathetic is when your heart goes out to someone else. Being an empath means you can actually feel another person’s happiness or sadness in your own body.
In empaths, the brain’s mirror neuron system – a specialized group of cells that are responsible for compassion- is thought to be hyperactive. As a result, empaths can absorb other people’s energies (both positive and negative) into their own bodies. At times it may even be difficult to tell if your are feeling your own emotions or someone else’s.
There are different types of sensitivities an empath may experience. Physical empaths, for example, are especially attuned to other people’s physical symptoms and absorb them into their own bodies. Emotional empaths pick up on people’s emotions and become a sponge for their feelings, both happy and sad. Food empaths are another type of empath who is attuned to the energy of food and may even experience sensitivities to certain foods.
Being empathic has incredible benefits such as greater intuition, compassion, creativity and a deeper connection to other people. But living in this state of high sensitivity also comes with its challenges such as becoming easily overwhelmed, over-stimulated, exhausted, or absorbing the stress and negativity of others.
If a person isn’t aware that he or she is an empath, everyday interactions that others find tolerable could be causing and empath stress. Those who are not aware of their empathic abilities may be inclined to use food, alcohol, and drugs to unconsciously numb their emotions.
Empaths are the medicine the world needs and they can have a profound impact on humanity with their compassion and understanding. As you learn to identify your special talents, you will find that you not only enrich your life but you can enrich the lives of others too. The key skill is to learn how to take charge of your sensitivities and learn specific strategies to prevent empathy overload.
Qigong For Empaths-How To Discharge Negative Energy You May Have Absorbed
Click here to read how to perform a simple 5 minute method of Qigong for empaths whereby you can rid any negative energy you may have absorbed from someone else due to your empathetic nature.
By discharging waste Qi in this way you will feel:
-much more energised
-relaxed
-able to sleep much better at night
This Qigong (Chi Kung) method feels almost like you are “taking a shower on the inside”. The removal of waste Qi from deep down makes you feel much cleaner on the inside which makes this the perfect method of Qigong for empaths.
This is a short extract from the full exercise of “Discharge Waste Qi With Vibration”. If you are interested in learning the full exercise then click on my Space To Relax homepage. At the top of the page you can sign up for a free 3 part Qigong video course which will be delivered to your e-mail. The exercise featured here is Exercise 3 in the FREE course. The first exercise shows you how to breathe much more efficiently so that your mind becomes instantly calmer and more focused. The second exercise shows you how to quickly increase your energy levels in the space of only 5 minutes!
Also, if you head over to my free group on Facebook, “Space To Relax Free Group” you can leave any questions for me there and I’ll be happy to answer them.
Please subscribe to my YouTube channel by clicking the red “Subscribe” button when you head over there. When you do that you will receive my videos which are packed full of useful health enhancing tips and some additional useful methods of Qigong for empaths. Also, please give this video a “Like” if you learned something new here today. Got questions? Just pop them in the box below and I’ll be happy to answer.
