Lesson 85 – Qigong For Muscle and Joint Stiffness

Lesson 85 – Qigong For Muscle and Joint Stiffness

This video shows you some Qigong for muscle and joint stiffness. It will help you to create the conditions for free-flowing circulation of blood and Qi throughout your joints and muscles from head to toe, so that you feel less pain, stiffness or discomfort. This is a fantastic routine to practice on awakening in the morning as this is often the time when we feel the most stiffness and lack of flexibility in our physical bodies.

This lesson was taught by myself, Dr. Janice Tucker, the founder of the Space To Relax Programme of Qigong video lessons.

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.

I have been teaching Qigong for two decades and am a practitioner of acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine. My passion is helping people just like you to develop skills, knowledge and tools to rebalance and maintain your health.

You can join my live classes on Zoom on the first Thursday of each month at 4 pm Irish time by clicking here (lesson replays are sent out by email in case you can’t make it).

Qigong For Muscle and Joint Stiffness – Introduction

In a healthy person Qi circulates freely like water flowing in a river. In an unhealthy person it is as if the “river” becomes congested with debris, forming a dam which blocks free flow from one place to the other. When there is blockage or stagnation of Qi, like the dam in the river, it is often most pronounced as it negotiates the nooks and crannies of the joints. This is why we often feel stiffness in our joints rather than in other parts of the body. However the muscles can also feel stiff and achy if they are not well nourished with a free flowing supply of blood, Qi and fluid.

Nearly all moving Qigong methods can help create the conditions for open and free-flowing circulation throughout the muscles and joints. Below is only one example, which will help relieve muscle and joint stiffness from head to toe.

First thing in the morning is often the time when our bodies feel the least flexible so this is an excellent time to perform this simple routine of simple Qigong for muscle and joint stiffness.

Qigong For Muscle and Joint Stiffness – Method

  1. Begin by standing and performing a few abdominal breaths to bring yourself into the Qigong state.
  2. Follow along with the Qigong movements I demonstrate in the video below. Be sure to pay equal attention to the breath and focus of the mind as well as the movement.
  3. Consolidate your practice with a few abdominal breaths.

Additional Video Resources & Further Tips

In addition to this routine of Qigong for muscle and joint stiffness, you may find the routines listed below helpful.

You’ll find many other live lesson replays on my blog page. Take a look at some of them to find methods that you can easily combine with this one. You can use the search box on the blog page to find any topics you are interested in.

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. After you sign up I’ll send details to your email with links to the Zoom classes. Check your junk/spam folders for notifications and then 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 click here. In these lessons, you’ll learn more about abdominal breathing, Qi movement and how to rid waste Qi. This will help you to feel more relaxed and energised.

If you are new to Qigong you’ll probably find my Ultimate Guide To Health and Wellbeing With Qigong very helpful which explains the origins and benefits of Qigong along with 10 beginner Qigong exercises to get you started.

You can click the red “subscribe” button to join my YouTube channel. That way you won’t miss any future Qigong lessons from me.

Click here to join our Qigong group on Facebook.

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Qigong for Hip Pain

Qigong for Hip Pain

Hip pain can take many forms. You may feel it in the front of the hip, the back (in the buttocks), on the side (femoral head) of the hip, travelling into the groin, close to the skin surface of deep within the joint. Wherever it is, and whatever the cause, it is generally a good idea to keep the area mobile in order to promote circulation to the area and speed healing (unless your pain restricts your movement completely). In this article you’ll learn some Qigong for hip pain and how to promote the flow of Qi through the hip area so that the pain is reduced.

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 head over to YouTube 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.

1. Shaking Head and Wagging Tail Method

This method is part of the 8 Pieces of Brocade (Ba Duan Jin) method in my Space To Relax membership site of online video lessons. What you’ll see in the video clip is how to perform this method.

Method

Use a horse stance, standing with feet about 3 feet apart, knees flexed and pushed outwards over the toes (do not let the knees drop inwards).  Place palms on knees.  Incline trunk of body to left (men) or the right (women) with head slightly lowered and look at the foot.  Raise body up, twisting into hips.  Lower body back down and sweep whole of trunk across to the other side (think of top of head as a lighthouse beacon).  Look at foot then raise body up, twisting into hips.  Lower body back down and sweep across to the other side once more.  Weight changes from one side to the other and hips are relaxed, following the movement.  Knees are bent all the time – do not lock the knee.  Maintain strength in legs but be relaxed in waist and trunk.

Finish the exercise by stepping together as palms turn to face the ground then placing one hand (right for women, left for men) flat over Dan Tian with the other hand on top.  Circle a few times in one direction and then the other to seal in the Qi.  Allow the hands to drop down by the sides of the body and observe any sensations or changes.

Take care if you suffer with high blood pressure or dizziness not to lower the head below waist level.

Exhale as you look at foot.  Inhale as body is raised slightly.  Exhale as you look at foot again.  Inhale as body sweeps across to the other side.

2. Using the Breath to Release Negative Emotions

Use Abdominal Breathing to exhale the pain out through your nostrils. Visualise it as a balloon that you are letting go and see it floating up and away into the sky. You can learn this method from a previous video I made. It is a very useful method of Qigong for hip pain or any other type of pain. Click here to watch it.

Where Can I Learn More?

If you would like to learn even more benefits of Qigong for hip 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. 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. You can adapt all of these methods for the condition of hip pain, regardless of where you feel it.
  1. 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 thought of the exercise in the video.
  1. 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.

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A Simple Qigong Stretch

A Simple Qigong Stretch

Do you ever wake up in the morning feeling stiff and inflexible in your body? If so then there is a simple Qigong stretch that you can do to help. The simple Qigong stretch in the video on this page will help to loosen out the shoulders, chest and upper back. It’s the perfect exercise to perform in the garden first thing in the morning!

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 above so you don’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.

Why Bother Stretching?

When we are sleeping at night our circulation of Qi and blood naturally slows down because we are moving less. Our muscles don’t require the same blood supply by night as they do by day. When we wake up in the morning it’s a good idea to warm up the body by stretching. Performing a simple Qigong stretch (such as the one in the video) in a mindful way, using the combination of movement, breath and your mind is the quickest way to “wake up” the body in the mornings. As a result you will feel awakened, enlivened and ready to face the day brimming with energy.

A Simple Qigong Stretch

This exercise is part of a method called the “Yi Tai Zhi Qi” stretches, the whole of which is taught in my Space To Relax membership programme of Qigong video lessons. It is aimed at releasing turbid Qi from the joints of the body. Follow along with the video to learn how a simple Qigong stretch like this is the perfect one to do first thing in the morning. It will set you up for the day feeling energised but relaxed at the same time.

Each movement can be performed in multiples of 3, 6 or 9. Start with multiples of 3 and gradually build up the repetitions as you become stronger and if you have more time. As you stretch breathe out and as you relax and come back to your original position, breathe in. Perform this exercise from the Qigong standing position.

Method

Open back bending forwards. (Note: caution not to let the head drop too low if you have high blood pressure) and breathe out.

Come back up to standing as you breathe in.

Open chest, arms extend to the sides as you breathe out.

Bring arms back to centre as you breathe in.

Important Points to Note for This Qigong Stretch

1. This technique especially benefits older people because it promotes Qi and blood circulation. When combined with stillness it promotes Qi and blood and expands mental function. As you get older lack of movement causes stiffness. This exercise is to help you stretch the stiff tendons a little and soften all the all the joints in your body. If you continue doing it, it becomes easier.

2. Remember to pay attention to mind, body and breathing; that they are united together leading to the best results. With this exercise, perform it at the speed and regulation of Qi that suits you so that you don’t feel tired. This is different to physical exercise because the main thing here is that the Qi and blood are able to flow. Only secondly is this a physical exercise.

What Do I Do Next?

If you would like to learn more Qigong 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. These three lessons will show you just how easy it is to get started with Qigong. 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, including the whole of the Yi Tai Zhi Qi stretching method.

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 your best methods of stretching first thing in the morning.

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. Also, by joining this group, you will see really useful tips about how to use Qigong to improve your state of health.

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