Editor’s note: Betty Lee reached out to me to share some of her favorite Qigong exercises. I happened to be angsty when I got her email and immediately tried the breathing and movement exercises and they did help!
Breathing exercise
Did you know Qi means “Breath of Life?” Here’s a basic Qigong breathing technique that’s good for relieving stress.
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Breathe in through your nose for 8 counts deeply from your diaphragm
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Blow out through your lips for 8 counts.
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Do this 8 times, and you will feel calmer.
Movement exercise
Chow Qigong exercises balance your energy to boost your immune system — even 15 minutes can help you feel energized and positive! Hip rotation exercises massage all your inner organs. Here’s an 18-minute video of the 8 Brocades Qigong practice. These exercises can be done sitting down, if you are in a weakened condition.
Here’s another version of movement exercises featuring Dr. Chow, a world renowned Qigong Grandmaster. (She rehabilitated herself from wheelchair to climb stairs using these exercises, when she was in a weakened condition at 88.)
Brushing Technique
The Chow Qigong Brushing is a unique technique that helps you brush away excess energy that can cause pain.
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Start by choosing a painful point on your arms or legs, e.g. for when you have a charley horse. You are going to brush away excess energy from that point.
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Now put your hand 3 inches from that painful point and and sweep down firmly towards the ground. Do this a few times until you obtain relief quickly.
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Make sure not to brushing that energy back onto yourself or anyone else.
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For a painful point like a hip it may be more effective for another person to do it, because you are standing and the distance from painful area sweeping firmly to the ground is longer.
Betty Lee was born in Hong Kong and is bilingual in Chinese and English. She was certified as a Chow Qigong practitioner by Dr. Effie Chow. She has helped maintain people’s health for nearly 5 years in San Francisco and Reno.
