When we feel anxious that is a sign that we are concerned about something in the future. If it’s a past negative event we are thinking of then the feeling is often one of resentment. In this post I’m going to give you some tips as to how to use Qigong for anxiety reduction. Below you will find my 3 top tips to use Qigong for anxiety.
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 benefit your health and prevent illness from arising in the first place. Also please give this video a “Like” if you found it informative.
What Is Anxiety?
When we feel anxious we may feel the following sensations:
Butterflies in the stomach or heart area
Palpitations or racing heartbeat
Clammy palms
Shortness of breath
Fear
Withdrawn
Can’t face people in social situations
Our anxiety will often keep us awake at night and rob us of peace of mind. It may cause us to think negatively about situations. If you experience any of these feelings then the video here will help you to get started on the path to annihilating anxiety.
3 Methods Using Qigong For Anxiety Reduction
1. The “One Breath” Method
Use this method of taking one abdominal breath into the belly and then breathing out. Consciously do this and you will find it very quickly calms your mind and leaves you feeling grounded.
2. Relax, Expand and Nourish The Heart Method
This simple, relaxing Qigong method is available as a free audio meditation on the Space To Relax homepage. Scroll to the bottom of the page to sign up for the audio called “Calm Your Busy Mind in 8 Minutes” and it will be delivered to you by e-mail. This extremely useful method will help you to reduce anxiety. It also promotes peaceful sleep by eliminating stagnant Qi (energy) flow on both a physical and emotional level.
3. Abdominal Breathing
This method is the basis of many Qigong methods. It is available as Lesson 1 in my free 3 part Qigong video lesson series (see below for details). Also you can learn Abdominal Breathing from one of my previous video blogs here. (https://spacetorelax.com/how-to-do-qigong-abdominal-breathing-or-diaphragmatic-breathing/).
What Do I Do Next?
To learn even more Qigong for anxiety reduction go to the Space To Relax homepage. There you can sign up to receive three free video lessons which will be delivered to you by e-mail over the course of a few days. Also, for the 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 more about Qigong for anxiety minimisation.
If you are on Facebook head over to my free 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.
Overwhelm is something we all struggle with on one level or another. Our modern lives are so much busier than that of previous generations. We seem to have to juggle more and more things, keeping the plates spinning. If this is your constant challenge then this video will show you how to use Qigong for overwhelm and how to minimise this stress inducing state.
Please don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel by clicking 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 benefit your health and prevent illness from arising in the first place. Also please give this video a “Like” if you found it informative.
What Is Overwhelm?
Overwhelm is a FEAR of not being able to get everything done. The result is that you feel stressed, paralysed and like you have no time. You may feel stuck, not sure which thing to tackle next. A lack of direction or feeling you’re not moving forwards is common. You may feel you are not achieving everything you want to achieve. There are many other ripple effects resulting from overwhelm. Suffice to say, it’s not the best feeling!
3 Methods To Tackle Overwhelm
1. Get Present
Overwhelm often creates anxiety because of the fear of not being able to get future tasks done. Bring yourself into the present as much as possible. Do this by using Qigong for overwhelm, or a daily meditation practice. A regular routine will make a huge difference to how you feel about overwhelm.
Doing activities requiring absolute focus in the present moment are also excellent for tackling overwhelm. I go surfing which keeps me in the present as otherwise I’m in danger of falling off my board at a critical moment! Other physical activities such as mountain biking or anything that requires focus in the present moment help to diminish feelings of overwhelm. For those of you less physically active, creative activities such as painting, drawing, pottery enable you to be in the present more often. Adopt more activities like these and make them a habit. Then your feelings of overwhelm will diminish.
2. Start saying “No”
Develop the practice of not committing to people immediately. You don’t have to say yes to everything! Instead tell people that you will get back to them when you’ve had chance to check your plans or that you will check your diary and let them know. This will help you to avoid taking on too much. Also be sure to delegate as much as possible at work and at home. This will take the pressure of overwhelm off you. We are all responsible for creating our own reality. We have a choice as to whether to take on too much. If you want to tackle overwhelm something will have to change and that starts with making different choices.
3. List 3 Things To Achieve The Next Day
Do this the night before. Don’t give yourself too much to do. A huge list can be daunting when you are feeling overwhelmed. We can often feel paralysed, stuck and as though we are not moving forward. Over time this leads to a lack of confidence that we’ll ever be able to progress. You may feel like life is passing you by and you are missing out. Setting yourself the goal of only 3 things to do the next day breaks through the stagnation. It gives you a sense of progress and achievement. This leads to increased confidence that you can tackle overwhelm and you will start to feel better.
What Do I Do Next?
For more information on how to use Qigong for overwhelm head over to a previous video on my website called “Qigong for Motivation“. Here I share with you how to deal with the paralysis and stagnation that can accompany overwhelm.
To learn even more Qigong for overwhelm mimimisation go to the Space To Relax homepage. There you can sign up to receive three free video lessons which will be delivered to you by e-mail over the course of a few days. 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 more about Qigong for mind chatter and how to control it.
If you are on Facebook head over to my free 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.
This week’s video has a topical theme coming up to Christmas and the holiday season. Of course many people love Christmas but I also meet those who don’t. The reason for this is that they get together with the family and very quickly start to feel a sensation of claustrophobia and stress. People start niggling at each other which makes them want to get out of the situation. They need a bit of space. Myself and my best friend describe this feeling as a feeling of being “peopled out”. When you are “peopled out” you feel like you have had too many people around you for too long! In the video above I talk to you about how to use Qigong for stress relief so that you can cope with the “peopled out” feeling and attain peace of mind over the holiday period.
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 benefit your health and prevent illness from arising in the first place. Also please give this video a “Like” if you found it informative.
The “Peopled Out” Feeling
When I asked my best friend to describe the “peopled out” feeling she sent me an e-mail with the following superb description of what it is like for her. Is there any trigger, feeling or thought you can identify below?
Triggers
1. Multiple people are demanding things of me simultaneously, without consideration for my priorities.
2. People trying to help me do something that I am perfectly capable of doing.
3. Feeling that I need to engage in small-talk conversations.
4. I have not been able to go outside / have not seen the sky (at least once a day).
5. I am physically uncomfortable (e.g. sore back, stomach ache).
Feelings
• Irritated
• Anxious
• Snappy
• Crowded
• As though I am a pressure cooker on simmer, aware that I need to release the pressure valve or an explosion may occur!!
• Mortified if I do ‘explode’
• Self conscious (exposed), everyone can see how inept and unpleasant I am.
Thoughts
• Rapid re-planning of the “to do list” that I carry around in my head in order to “fit in” others’ priorities, so lots of playing out of scenarios in my head.
• Lots of “I have to…” thoughts (when I really don’t have to!)
• Resentful thoughts about why these people have to be in my space when all I want to do is…..
• Guilty thoughts about having resentful thoughts
• Resentful thought about how “these people” make me feel guilty
• I don’t fit in, I’m not normal
• I’m odd
From the above description you can see how these feelings and thoughts can trigger each other. Before you know it you end up in a vicious spiral connected to having people around you the whole time when you are not comfortable.
Top Tactics To Deal With Feeling “Peopled Out”
1. Get up early (before everyone else) so as to have some alone time, outside – do some tai chi or Qigong (avoid an audience!). Stay up later than everyone else
2. Make excuse that dog needs a walk or I just have to run over to the neighbour to return something.
3. Reiterate my preferences about doing my own ‘chores’ (as they are actually fun for me). Politely reject offers of ‘help’ explaining that this is what I do for relaxation and please don’t take it away from me.
4. Avoid large social gatherings. Certainly avoid hosting large social gatherings.
5. Qigong for Stress Relief: Abdominal Breathing (Lesson 1 in the free Space To Relax Video Series).
6. Qigong for Stress Relief: Discharge Waste Qi With Vibration (Lesson 3 in the free Space To Relax Video Series).
What Do I Do Next?
If you would like to learn more about how to use Qigong for stress relief and the feeling of being “peopled out” you can sign up on the Space To Relax homepage to receive three free video lessons which will be delivered to you by e-mail. Also for a free audio meditation “Calm Your Busy Mind In 8 Minutes” scroll to the bottom of the Space To Relax homepage to sign up for that.
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. Also please give this video a “Like” if you learned much more about utilising Qigong for stress relief.
You can head over to my free group on Facebook, “Space To Relax Free Group” and leave any questions for me there. I’ll be happy to answer them. Also, by joining this group, you will receive regular postings of Qigong articles and videos with really useful tips about how to use Qigong to improve your state of health.
Please leave a comment in the comments box next to this video if you now have a clearer direction in which to go to use Qigong for stress and too many people around you!. I’d love to hear your tips as to what you do to minimise the “peopled out” feeling and how you use Qigong for stress relief. If we all share our ideas then we can all help each other to find peace of mind and enjoy the holiday season which is what it’s all about! 🙂
I recently asked my Space To Relax Free Group members on Facebook what they would like to see videos about. Three of our members suggested I make a video about how to use Qigong for fibromyalgia and its management.
What is Fibromyalgia?
Fibromyalgia is classified as a syndrome. This means it can involve a number of different symptoms. It’s often misdiagnosed or takes a long time to be diagnosed. This often means that patients have gone through many tests before they are diagnosed with this condition.
Fibromyalgia is a condition that I have often treated in my Chinese medicine and acupuncture clinic. I’m also familiar with using Qigong for fibromyalgia management.
Symptoms of Fibromyalgia
Symptoms can present as widespread pain, anxiety, fatigue, sleep disruption and gastrointestinal symptoms. In my experience anxiety, sleep problems and muscle pains appear to be the three main symptoms that people are struggling with.
The Two Main Areas Of Focus When Using Qigong For Fibromyalgia Management
1. Relaxation
2. Releasing the areas where the Qi is blocked (the areas of pain).
Results from Dalhousie University Study Using Qigong To Reduce Fibromyalgia Symptoms
This study was carried out in 2014 and published in the “Evidence Based Complementary & Alternative Medicine Journal”.
The study group included 100 people. Half were taught Qigong by a Qigong teacher for three and a half days. They were then instructed to practice Qigong for 45-60 minutes per day for 8 weeks. Half were told they were to be put on a waiting list to learn Qigong (the control group).
After 8 weeks the Qigong group reported a significant reduction in pain levels, anxiety levels and an improvement in sleep quality and ability to function. In addition, 4-6 months later the benefits continued.
One of the authors gave the reason for this as “the mindful, meditative state releases neurochemical and immunological messengers that improve healing and reduce pain“.
For those of you who want to read the article please go to:
1. For pains and aches. Stretch and extend the arms out to the sides at shoulder level as you breathe out and then gather Qi in with the arms as you breathe in to use the healing properties of Qi to relieve your aches and pains.
2. To improve the general flow of Qi . Circles exercise – Lesson 2 in the Space To Relax free 3 part video series (more details below).
3. For sleep and anxiety. Free 8 minute meditation: “Calm Your Busy Mind in 8 Minutes” at the bottom of the Space To Relax homepage.
5. For emotional pain (depression/anxiety). Discharge Waste Qi exercise – Lesson 3 in the Space To Relax free 3 part video series (more details below). You can any emotion or physical pain that you don’t want in your body and quickly get rid of it using this Qigong exercise.
7. For anxiety and increasing energy levels. Qigong Abdominal Breathing – Lesson 1 in the Space To Relax free 3 part video series (more details below) and there is an extract of an Abdominal Breathing exercise on the Space To Relax programme page.
For Space To Relax paying members there are specific lessons in the programme which will help you. I recommend Lessons 7 & 8 (Yi Tai Stretches), 11-19 (Ba Duan Jin), 45-47 (Walking Qigong).
What Do I Do Next?
If you would like to start using Qigong for fibromyalgia relief you can sign up on the Space To Relax homepage to receive three free video lessons which will be delivered to you by e-mail. For the free audio meditation “Calm Your Busy Mind In 8 Minutes” scroll to the bottom of the Space To Relax homepage to sign up for that.
Also you can head over to my free group on Facebook, “Space To Relax Free Group“. Here you can leave any questions for me there and I’ll be happy to answer them. You will also receive regular postings of Qigong articles and videos with useful tips about how to use Qigong to improve your state of health.
Please leave a comment in the comments box next to this video if you now have a clearer direction in which to go to use Qigong for fibromyalgia and its management. Also I’d love to hear what you do to minimise the symptoms of fibromyalgia if you have this condition.
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.
Also please give this video a “Like” if you learned much more about utilising Qigong for fibromyalgia.
In this blog I’m going to explain how, in Qigong, you can use your breath and your mind together to inhale really good stuff and exhale really bad stuff that we don’t need in our bodies or in our minds. The essence of Qigong is to use your breath and your mind together. You can therefore “get rid of the negative” with Qigong breathing exercises.
My name is Janice Tucker. I’m a Chinese Medicine and Medical Qigong practitioner. I’m also the founder of the online programme, Space To Relax, where you can learn Qigong lessons in order to better manage your health.
Think about this quote from Thich Nhat Hanh, the famous Vietnamese Buddhist monk:
Breathing in, I calm my body and mind Breathing out, I smile Dwelling in the present moment The only moment.
What this means, from a Qigong perspective, is that, as you breathe in be calm and clear. As you breathe out, relax and smile. The only thing you are doing during this breathing is concentrating on your breath and observing where you are in the present moment. This is something that no many of us do on a regular basis.
Another, more humorous, quote to consider is:
Breathe in the good shit Breathe out the bullshit!
This is not quite such a serene way of thinking about things as the first quote but it certainly gets to the point.
To summarise, when you are breathing in, think of breathing in good, clean, fresh energising air (Qi). As you breathe out, think of getting rid of anything you don’t want. This could be an ache, pain or other physical feeling. It could also be something more emotional or mental in origin, for example, anger, frustration, sadness, grief, fear, anxiety.
You can use your breathing to help dispel anything negative from your body or mind. Very importantly, visualise the negative thing actually leaving your body, leaving your nostrils as you breathe out. You can imagine the negative thing floating away from you and up into the sky so that it moves well away from you.
Simple Qigong breathing exercises like this can make a massive difference to your day to day life. All you have to do is stop for less than a minute, practice these exercises and be mindful of your breath. Breathe in the good stuff and breathing out the bad stuff while staying in the present moment. During the course of the day this can make very fine, positive adjustments to how you feel as your day goes by.
If you would like to learn more Qigong breathing exercises and meditation techniques then head over to the Space To Relax homepage. There you can download a free Qigong meditation which will calm your mind in 8 minutes. You can also sign up for a free 3-part Qigong video series where you will learn more about the Qigong breathing exercises and a couple of other great methods to help get rid the negative stuff from your mind and body.
For more videos like this you can subscribe to my YouTube channel here (and please also give this video a “like”).
I’d love to hear from you so why not head over to Facebook and join my Space To Relax Free Group. Leave a comment there to let me know how you got on and tell me what you do to get rid of negative feelings in your mind or body during the course of the day.
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