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.
How To Breathe Properly When Wearing a Face Mask – Introduction
If you have been enjoying these classes during the last few months and you’d like to donate something by way of a thank you, I’ll be giving 50% of donations to the ICU nurses in my local hospital. Click here to donate.
Introduction To How To Breathe Properly When Wearing a Face Mask
When we breathe rapidly, shallowly or through the mouth this can create a state of high alert (fight or flight) in our bodies. In this state we can feel tension, stress and panic. Shallow breathing can also cause tension in the chest and neck muscles, making it more difficult for you to mentally relax.
In this video you can follow along with a Qigong technique which can help to breathe properly and be more relaxed when wearing a face mask. This will help you to quell any feelings of claustrophobia or suffocation which can result in stress, anxiety and panic. Being able to regulate your breathing using Qigong and also adjusting your posture to allow easy flow of air in and out of the lungs can make a huge difference to how you adapt to wearing a mask.
Method for How to Breathe Properly When Wearing a Face Mask
Ensure your posture is upright to allow for free and easy movement of air in and out of your lungs. For more on the correct Qigong stance click here.
Just before you put your mask on take 5 “quality breaths” by inhaling for a count of 4 and exhaling for a count of 6.
Put your mask on then repeat your 5 “quality breaths” to adapt to the presence of the mask on your face.
Take off the mask and continue with Abdominal Breathing.
Integration into Your Day
We are all in a position where we have to now wear a mask for some part of our day. The best way to learn how to breathe properly when wearing a face mask is to practice for short periods of time at home. Think positive, and know that by using abdominal breathing, you can get enough air into your lungs and regulate your breathing in a calm and relaxed manner. Remember to take regular breaks from wearing your mask when possible.
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.
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.
A while ago I sent out a survey asking those of you on my email list, “What is your biggest struggle when it comes to peace of mind and relaxation?”. I followed this up by asking, “What are the negative consequences of this struggle?” By far the most popular answer was to do with time, or more precisely, lack of time. Many people imagine that by adopting the habit of a mindful practice like Qigong, they will have less time to do other more urgent or important things. In the video on this page I’ll be explaining how you can in fact gain time with Qigong.
If you are watching on YouTube, 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 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.
Survey Responses On The Subject Of Time
Here are some of the time related comments left by the people who responded to my survey:
I feel guilty for taking time out;
I can’t make time in my busy schedule;
I have no time to get things completed;
I want to take time to relax and watch your videos;
I want to be more disciplined about taking time for myself;
I want to schedule more time;
I want to make more time to do nice things and then actually do them!
Any of these sound familiar to you?
Can We Actually Gain Time?
What is important to realise is that there is a finite amount of time in the day so “gaining” or” making” time isn’t actually possible. It’s more about “allocating” or “apportioning” time to the things we feel are more important or urgent. It’s up to you to decide upon those things.
If your response to this is, “Well it’s not up to me, it’s all determined by others”, just remember that you created your life because of the choices you made at a particular time. We create our own reality. If you are feeling a lack of time then please don’t despair! You can begin to make different choices to change things for the better. You create your life, remember that!
How To Gain Time With Qigong
I want to help you to start making different choices. The key to this is deciding that your physical and mental health is a priority. Just pause for a moment and think about how your life would be without them. How restricted would you feel then? This is usually enough incentive for us to gain a little perspective around our health. We all take it for granted until it’s taken away from us.
If you can invest 5 minutes per day in a regular Qigong practice this will go a long way to helping you maintain your physical and mental health.
Take a look at the exercise on abdominal breathing in the video. This is a perfect example of how to gain time with Qigong practice. Why? Because your mind will become clearer and more alert as a result of focusing on abdominal breathing. You will start to feel physically more energetic. This means that you will then be able to complete all the tasks in your busy schedule faster and more efficiently, freeing up time to spend relaxing with friends and family.
See how it works? The hamster on the wheel idea is not sustainable. Something needs to change if you want your management of time to be more effective. That something is the state of your physical and mental health.
What Do I Do Next?
If you would like to gain time with Qigong by improving the state of your physical and mental health then:
Head over to my Space To Relax homepage to sign up for a free 3 part video series of Qigong lessons.
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 free up more time to spend doing the things you love.
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.
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 help you to benefit your health and prevent illness from arising in the first place. Also please give this video a “Like” if you found it informative.
A couple of months ago I received and e-mail from Sally Perkins who is a content manager for a senior advice site called Senior Advisor. She had watched a previous video on my Space To Relax website called “Qigong for Stress Relief” and was interested in how Qigong could help the elderly. She very helpfully suggested that I cover the use of Qigong for seniors and how it can help them with stress relief.
Sally kindly provided me with an introduction to this post, highlighting the importance of regulating our stress levels as we age. The introduction from Sally is below followed by my top 3 tips using Qigong for seniors in order to minimise stress levels.
Sally’s Introduction – Don’t Let Stress Get You Down!
Let’s face it: we are all busy bees. As we get older, it is important to our overall mental and physical health to keep our stress levels in check, or else there are many negative health issues that will arise. There are both short and long term effects of leading a high-stress lifestyle, including:
1. Weakening the immune system
2. Insomnia and sleep issues
3. High blood pressure and high blood sugar levels
4. Skin rashes and acne breakouts
5. Digestive issues
6. Headaches and trouble focusing
By trying to avoid things that bring you stress, whether it be managing your time better at work or trying to steer clear of situations or people who might add to your frustrations, you can better maintain a healthy lifestyle. This guide will show you how to focus on ways to relax and make a true difference in your energy levels which will help you to avoid the negative impact of stress that is increasingly damaging to your health as you age.
Qigong For Seniors – My Top 3 Tips
As Sally rightly points out, if you can avoid stressful situations in the first place that will go a long way towards maintaining a healthy, balanced life. However that is not always possible due to lifestyle, family and work situations. If you do find yourself becoming stressed here are my top three Qigong for seniors tips which you can use to help yourself. This advice applies to senior members of our population and also carers of the elderly as they can also suffer from stress.
1. Breathe Into Your Belly. This Qigong exercise will instantly ground and calm your mind. You can learn how to do this by signing up for my free 3 part video series which I mention at the end of this post. Belly or abdominal breathing is Lesson 1.
2. Relax as soon as possible after experiencing stress to allow your body and mind to recover. After doing this, if you still feel stressed, refer to Lesson 3 in the free video series showing you how to get rid of “waste Qi” or energy/feelings from your body. Also take a look at one of my previous videos on the Space To Relax website called “Qigong for Cleansing“.
3. Develop a Daily Qigong Routine. A daily routine of Qigong or meditation will allow you to better cope with future stressful situations. Bit by bit you will notice that you become better at taking stressful events in your stride.
To learn the Qigong methods I mention above go to the Space To Relax homepage. There you can sign up to receive three free video lessons. They will be delivered to you by e-mail over the course of a few days so check your spam/promotions folder. Also, for a free audio meditation “Calm Your Busy Mind In 8 Minutes” scroll to the bottom of the Space To Relax homepage.
Please don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel by clicking the red “Subscribe” button. Then you won’t miss my regular videos which are full of useful health enhancing tips. Also please give this video a “Like” if you learned much more about how stress affects us as we get older and what to do about it.
If you are on Facebook head over to my free group, “Space To Relax Free Group” . You can 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 Qigong tips.
If you’d like some tips on how to make changes to your home in order to continue to move around with confidence then read this guide on “Aging in Place“.
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