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 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 Back Problems – Introduction
I think you’ll agree that very few of us go through our lives experiencing no issues with our backs. At one time or another we may injure our backs lifting something too heavy. Many people around the world suffer from arthritis of the spine. Our jobs may involve lifting or sitting at a desk for long periods of time which can be detrimental to our posture and have a detrimental impact on our back health. The long and short of it is that back problems are common!
In this video you can follow along with some simple methods of Qigong for back problems and learn how to help relieve aches, pains and stiffness in your back.
Qigong Routine
1. Begin with adopting the correct Qigong stance so that your posture allows for the free flow Qi and blood throughout the whole spine (more details here).
2. Use Abdominal Breathing to calm the mind and prepare yourself for your practice, focusing on the back of the Dan Tian area around the lower back (more details here).
3. Holding your arms at shoulder level, move the arms in and out, rounding and extending the upper back as shown in the video. Remember to breathe and smile! 🙂
4. Relax your arms by your sides, turning from one side to the other, allowing your arms to tap the back of the body as you are moving. 🙂
5. Perform the “Looking Back Over Shoulder” method which is part of the Ba Duan Jin (8 Pieces of Brocade) method. This exercise regulates everything, especially the spine and the thighs. It is useful in the prevention of painful twisting and distortion of the spine. You can also help calm your nervous system and aid recovery from fatigue as well as regulate visceral Qi and blood. Looking Back Over Shoulder can help in the prevention and management of hypertension (high blood pressure). This exercise also benefits the eyes (because we look back). Headaches will also often be reduced.
6. Massage the lower back, buttocks and hamstrings to bring more circulation into these areas.
7. End this routine with a few abdominal breaths.
For more information on Qigong for back problems please refer to my previous video here. This gives you more detail on the “Looking Back Over Shoulder” method.
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. In addition, you’ll learn 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.
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“.
