Do you ever wake up feeling as though you’ve been run over by a bus? I do, but thankfully not very often. We all know the feeling of having suffered a terrible night’s sleep. We feel exhausted both physically and mentally. We may also feel anxious that we won’t be able to function to the best of our ability at work. We may also be fearful of this happening night after night, and wonder how we are going to manage our lives if the exhaustion gets worse. In the video today you’ll learn how to use Qigong for sleep problems.
Please don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel by clicking the red “Subscribe” button on the page. 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.
Types of Sleep Problems
There are a number of different sleep problems which can all affect the quality and quantity of the sleep we get. The result is that they can also have a negative effect on our energy levels and our mental health. The following sleep problems are listed on the Mental Health Ireland Factsheet on Sleep where you can find more information.
Insomnia. This affects an estimated 20% of people and is the most common sleep disorder. This is the one we will be focusing on in this video.
Narcolepsy. This is excessive sleepiness.
Sleep Apnoea. The person may stop breathing at intervals in the night which then wakes them so their sleep is constantly being interrupted.
Sleep Disorders in Children. This can be distressing and exhausting for both children and parents. Sleep problems can impact on the physical and emotional health of a child so are important to address as early as possible.
The Solution – Qigong For Sleep Problems
In order to be able to sleep soundly we need to have a calm mind. Often we find that our minds are too busy when we go to bed. This over-excitement in the brain can prevent us from getting off to sleep quickly and easily.
There are many practical steps you can take to ensure that your mind is calm before bed, e.g. taking regular exercise, establishing a regular time for going to bed, turning off screens at least an hour before bed, taking a bath, avoiding coffee and alcohol a few hours before going to bed.
Qigong is also the perfect practice to help you improve the quality of your sleep because every Qigong method helps to calm your mind, the essential ingredient for good sleep.
Below are a few specific tips using Qigong for sleep problems.
Watch my previous video called “How to Calm Down with Qigong” so that your mind is in a calm state before going to bed.
Relaxation is very important as it gets you into the state where you can easily go to sleep. Watch the video “Qigong Relaxation Techniques” for some effective Qigong tips on how to do this.
Watch another video from me called “Qigong for Sleep Difficulties” which will give you more information and useful methods of Qigong for sleep problems.
What Do I Do Next?
If you would like to start using Qigong for sleep problems then:
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 you to help to improve the quality and quantity of your sleep. Once you’ve completed the free series you’ll have the opportunity to join my Space To Relax online membership programme of Qigong video lessons. This will allow you to take your practice to a whole new level where you will learn many exercises to eliminate health issues before they become a major problem. I’ll guide you step by step through many more effective Qigong methods which work to calm and clear your mind; essential factors in enabling you to sleep soundly.
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 any tips you might have to improve the quality of your sleep.
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. 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.
Shoulder and neck pain is one of the most common complaints I see in my Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture clinic. If you have ever experienced this before you’ll know how miserable this can make you feel. In the video on this page I’ll show you some simple Qigong for shoulder and neck pain so that you can feel much looser, more flexible and stronger in this area.
Janice Tucker is a practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Medical Qigong. She is also the founder of the Space To Relax online programme of Qigong video lessons.
Please don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel by clicking the red “Subscribe” button on that channel. 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.
How Does Shoulder and Neck Pain Affect Us?
You will know all too well if you have ever suffered with shoulder or neck pain before that it can leave you feeling absolutely miserable.
• Physically you may be in so much pain that you have to take pain medication. This may then have its own side effects that you have to deal with.
• You will most likely feel restricted in your movement. This may mean that you can’t lift things, reach up in to cupboards, tie your bra strap or put on your coat.
• The restriction will affect you when you’re driving. You may not be able to turn your head fully to look behind you when reversing. Your shoulders may become more painful after driving as you are holding them in tension.
• If this situation goes unchecked you may feel pain in other areas of your body such as headaches or lower back ache.
• Mentally and emotionally you will be affected too. You may feel depressed, irritable and anxious that this pain will never improve.
So, it is obvious that this is not a situation which you would want to tolerate for any longer than absolutely necessary!
The Solution – Qigong For Shoulder and Neck Pain
Any moving Qigong methods in general are perfect for dealing with shoulder and neck pain as they smooth the flow of energy (Qi) and blood flow through the area. In Chinese Medicine terms, it is a stagnation or blockage of the flow of Qi and blood which can cause pain. However there are a couple of methods which are particularly useful to help you regulate shoulder and neck pain more specifically.
1. Neck movements. Tilt the head forward and back, tilt the head from one side to the other, turn the head from one side to the other. Each movement is performed slowly. Breathe out as you move away from your starting position, breathe in as you move back to the starting position. Caution: anyone with serious neck problems be very gentle with these movements and take care not to over stretch.
2. Watch Lesson 2 in my free 3 part video series which shows you the “Circles” exercise. This is an excellent method of Qigong for shoulder and neck pain as it improves the flow of Qi and blood through these areas. See below on how to get this free video series.
3. Practice any moving Qigong for shoulder and neck pain as this will promote the smooth flow of Qi so that you can lessen any pain or stiffness.
What Do I Do Next?
If you would like to start using Qigong for shoulder and neck pain then:
1. Head over to my Space To Relax homepage. There you can sign up for a free 3 part video series of Qigong lessons. Lesson 2, the “Circles” exercise is the perfect moving Qigong exercise to perform. It promotes the smooth flow of Qi through the shoulders.
2. 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 any tips you have to help relieve shoulder and neck pain.
3. 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’ll receive really useful tips about how to use Qigong to improve your state of health.
One of the most common complaints I hear in my acupuncture clinic is that of insomnia and poor sleep. The subject of today’s post is how to use Qigong for insomnia and sleep difficulties.
Clients in my acupuncture clinic often say to me:
“I’m not sleeping as I’m too stressed”,
“I have difficulty getting off to sleep and then feel exhausted”,
“My thoughts play over and over in my head which stops me from sleeping”,
“I wake up at 3 am and then can’t get back to sleep as my mind is too busy”.
Sound familiar? If so then this video will show you how to use Qigong for insomnia and sleep difficulties. With a little practice you will soon notice an improvement in your sleep and therefore your energy levels the next day!
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.
The Problem – Why Do We Suffer From Insomnia?
In terms of Traditional Chinese Medicine it is only possible for us to experience full and restful sleep when our mind is calm. A calm and peaceful mind is essential for calm and peaceful sleep. If our minds are too busy then we will find it difficult to sleep, no matter how exhausted we are going to bed.
The Solution – Qigong For Insomnia and Sleep Difficulties
One of the main benefits of Qigong practice is that it helps to calm and clear our minds. Qigong brings us into the present and allows us to focus clearly on what we are doing. Many of the physical exercises in Qigong are extremely relaxing so this in turn helps to calm our mind.
Qigong also requires us to pay conscious attention to our breath. Breathing usually takes the form of what is called “Abdominal Breathing”. During this method, as you breathe in your belly expands and as you breathe out your belly shrinks and this is extremely relaxing.
The key to using Qigong for insomnia is to perform exercises which calm your mind, especially before bed. It’s as simple as that. The more you practice these exercises, the better quality and quantity of sleep your will enjoy!
What Do I Do Next?
If you would like to start using Qigong for insomnia then:
Head over to my Space To Relax homepage. Scroll to the bottom of the homepage to sign up for a free audio meditation called “Calm Your Busy Mind in 8 Minutes“. This is the perfect breathing and visualisation method to help you to sleep better. On the homepage you can also sign up for a free 3 part video series of Qigong lessons. This will take you even further towards calming and clearing your mind so that you can enjoy peaceful sleep.
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 to get off to sleep at night.
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.
Watch my previous video on “How To Calm Down With Qigong“. This will give you even more tips on Qigong for insomnia by showing you how to calm your mind and bring it into a restful state to be able to sleep at night.
This video from me, Janice Tucker, at http://spacetorelax.com/ explains a simple and quick Qigong (Chi Kung) method to get rid of the “icky, yucky” feelings that you might epxerience at the end of the day. These feelings may be tiredness, aches/pains, irritability, grief, sadness, anxiety, etc. The Qigong (Chi Kung) method featured here is particularly useful when practised just before going to bed. You will sleep like a baby after this!! 🙂
I am a practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Medical Qigong. I am also the founder of the Space To Relax online programme of Qigong video lessons. My passion is helping people to improve their health using simple Qigong (Chi Kung) methods which can be easily integrated into their day. You can practice most of these in 5 minutes or less so they are perfectly suited to fit in to our busy lives!
Please subscribe to my YouTube channel by clicking the red “Subscribe” button above so you can view my regular videos which are full of useful health enhancing tips. Also please give this video a “Like” if you found it informative.
Watch and follow along with the short demonstration of the Qigong (Chi Kung) method called “Discharge Waste Qi With Vibration”. This video is available on my Space To Relax website as part of a FREE 3 part video series which you can sign up to receive by e-mail.
Principle
For this exercise you think of any waste energy (Qi) that you might have accumulated during the day. This can be physical (ache, pain, stiffness), mental/emotional (sadness, grief, worry, anxiety). Bring waste Qi from deep within the body up to the skin surface. Your action of a simple vibrating movement and breathing is what gets rid of the waste Qi.
Method
-Stand with the feet shoulder width distance apart and be soft in the knees. Vibrate the body by bouncing gently up and down on the knees. The whole body should be loose and relaxed.
-Think of using the vibration of the body to bring up any waste Qi from deep inside the body to the skin surface.
-Breathe out and think of sending the waste Qi away from the surface of the body. Think of it as raindrops flying off the surface of the skin and away into the atmosphere.
-Continue vibrating the body, tilting first to one side and then the other.
You can practice this exercise for as long as you want in order to feel that waste Qi has left the body.
Effects
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.
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. 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.
