Have you ever suffered with eye problems? If you have you’ll know just how uncomfortable and depressing this can be. This is because your eyes are one of the most sensitive organs in your body. Any interference with healthy functioning of your eyes can make you feel anxious, irritable and depressed. Even simple long or short-sightedness, teary eyes or dry, gritty eyes can cause us worry and misery. In the video today you’ll learn some simple Qigong eye exercises to help you keep your eyes in the best health possible.
According to the National Eye Institute in the United States, the estimated annual economic burden of vision loss, eye diseases and vision disorders in the U.S. amounts to $139 billion!!! (March 2014). These disorders include glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and cataracts. However, we don’t have to have serious eye disorders for us to be negatively impacted by poor eye health.
Please head over to my YouTube channel and click 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.
3 Qigong Eye Exercises (Plus A Bonus Video)
Every organ in Chinese medicine is associated with a sense organ. The Liver opens into the eyes so Qigong eye exercises generally focus on improving the smooth flow of Qi through the Liver channel and into the Liver organ itself.
Close your eyes. Concentrate on your eyes. Move your eyeballs up and down vertically, then side to side, then in circles. Open your eyes and look forward, then to both sides, then circle the eyes. Repeat a few times.
Close your eyes. Use your imagination to look at a fixed object, e.g. a tree or flower a few metres away. Open your eyes and look at the same object, or look at it with one eye at a time. Repeat a few times.
Close your eyes. Rub palms together to generate heat. Place them over eyes for a few seconds. Rub face up and down with a “face wash” action. Open the eyes and observe the brightness and clarity of your vision!
Refer to a previous video “Combating Excess With The Ba Duan Jin” which shows you a method which smooths the flow of Liver Qi and therefore benefits the eyes. It’s also great for easing the after effects of too much alcohol through its action on the Liver system! 🙂
What Do I Do Next?
If you would like to start using Qigong for eye health 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, in addition to the Qigong eye exercises referred to above, help to improve general eye health. 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 relieve pain, calm your mind and eliminate health issues before they become a major problem. This includes many more effective Qigong methods which work to harmonise the Liver and thereby its associated sense organ, the eyes.
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 health of your eyes.
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.
Wouldn’t it be fantastic if we could all live our lives in a state of feeling grounded, centred and like nothing could throw us off course? Many of us feel exactly the opposite of that most of the time. We suffer from constant mental chatter, anxiety and stress! In the video on this page I’m going to show you how you can use Qigong for grounding. When you can do this you can sail more smoothly through life and it’s daily challenges without been thrown off course. You’ll remain calm, relaxed and focused, even when people around you seem to be losing the plot!
Please don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel by clicking the red “Subscribe” button across on Youtube. 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.
What Does It Mean To Be “Grounded”?
Mindbodygreen.com published an article on grounding and wrote:
“Being grounded is an essential skill for empaths and highly sensitive people who pick up emotions from the people and environment around them. It means that you’re present in your body and connected with the earth, allowing you to feel centred and balanced no matter what’s going on around you.
If you aren’t grounded, you’re like a leaf in the wind: very vulnerable and thrown off balance very quickly. But when you are well grounded, you are like a big, strong tree. If something happens around you, it doesn’t influence you so much and you are able to feel much more peaceful and balanced in your daily life.”
Qigong methods in general are perfect grounding exercises for us as they encourage you to be present in your body and connected with the earth and nature. However there are a couple of methods which are particularly useful to get you started on your journey to feeling more grounded.
1. 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 extremely relaxing. This simple method alone will help you to feel more grounded, especially if you practice outside in a pleasant environment like woodland, a park or the beach.
3. Practice a moving Qigong exercise where you have to pay attention to your movements. This will again bring you into the present and help to develop a feeling of being grounded. The more you practice the more that you will experience this feeling even when you’re not practising!
What Do I Do Next?
If you would like to start using Qigong for grounding 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 1 will teach you how to breathe more efficiently with Abdominal Breathing. The perfect moving Qigong exercise to perform and bring you into the present is lesson 2. Lesson 3 will teach you how to rid waste Qi (energy) from your body and feel a closer connection with the earth.
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 what you do to help you feel more grounded.
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 will receive regular posts of Qigong articles and videos with 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.
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.
In our busy lives it is becoming more important to develop techniques and strategies to enable us to slow down. We all have busy schedules which leads us to feeling overwhelmed and stressed. By slowing down we can learn how to create more “brain space”. This will enable us to focus, concentrate and also overcome the fatigue which results from a hectic, draining schedule of endless tasks. In the video on this page I’ll be showing you how to slow down with Qigong practice so that you can take life in your stride!
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.
Slow Down With Qigong – Why Bother?
The faster we go the harder it is to maintain our energy levels, focus and concentration. When we notice that we are “losing control” we then become stressed. This is not good for our state of mental or physical health. We are all pretty well aware that stress leads ultimately to a breakdown in the body (aches and pains, digestive problems, skin rashes, etc.) or mind (anxiety, depression, panic attacks).
By slowing down and doing things more deliberately we can maintain our energy levels, focus, concentration and control so that we minimise stress, overwhelm and fatigue.
Slow Down With Qigong – The Benefits
The practice of Qigong enables us to take the time to slow down. Nearly every Qigong movement is slow, deliberate and mindful. We can learn how to slow down with Qigong practice of only 5 minutes per day. This will allow your both your body and mind to take a breather and relax. Eventually this practice will start to infiltrate the rest of your daily life with the following positive results:
you start the day with a more positive and optimistic outlook;
happier day to day living;
a deep sense of wellbeing;
feeling more balanced mentally and physically;
having a more constant energy supply instead of highs and lows of energy;
feeling you are moving ahead with your life and are in control;
able to cope much more effortlessly with issues which you would previously have classed as a major hurdle or problem.
If you would like to slow down with Qigong and experience some of the positive benefits listed above then this is what you can do:
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 slow things down and take it easy.
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.
