Qigong Exercises

Qigong means the skill of developing your body’s energy. Qi or Chi means energy. Gong means skill. It is of a Taoist origin. There are several qigong poses that you could choose from to practice. Most of the time the exercises are standing and the rhythmic breathing is emphasized. In the morning you could try this 4-minute Qigong Exercise:

1. Namaste bow

2. Making circles while breathing in and out 3 or 6 times

(great to waken oneself in the morning)

3. Painting with light

(like painting the wall up and down using both hands; lowers blood pressure)

4. Opening the energy gates

(like hugging the world or flapping wings like a bird; great for asthma and respiratory problems.)

5. Connecting heaven & earth

(like reaching for the stars in heaven while reaching for the soil on the ground; great stretch for the spine)

For a longer exercise you could try this 8-minute Qigong Exercise:

1. Calming the waters

(like swimming in the ocean by pushing the waters in a circular motion).

2. Pushing the water (to the sides)

3. Over the drum (like touching the sides of a drum)

4. Ball in the mountain (forming a small ball of energy in the hands infront of the chest)

5. Ball in the valley (forming a small ball of energy in the hands above the knees)

6. Circle the globe (forming a big globe infront of the chest and below the navel)

7. Push from the shoulders

8. Push and pull

9. Hands waving clouds (one of the most popular taichi moves today)

10. Lotus flower closing

It is highly recommended to watch Qigong instructional videos so that you could easily follow the movements rather than read them. If you have internet access there are a lot of YouTube videos you could choose from. If you want to have a copy of your own so that in case you won’t have internet access you could still do the exercises, you could buy a DVD or CD, or download them for free or with a fee.