qigong (exercise) SHEET 2

Qigong for the Five Organs

This is only intended as a crib sheet for students who have already had tuition

Do each exercise 10 times (except where indicated), slowly and with deep breathing and good concentration

Preparation

  1. Put hands in front of dantian, palms facing in
  2. Bring them down, out to the sides and round and up so they are over the head facing palm down
  3. Drop the hands down so they return to the starting position
  4. Repeat 5 times

Lungs

Think breast stroke!

  1. Start with your hands out in front of you at shoulder height,
  2. Put your first knuckles together so that your palms face out
  3. Breathe in
  4. As you breathe out, bring your hands round to your sides and rise slightly
  5. Tuck your hands in under your armpits, palm up and, without pausing bring them out straight in front of you still palm up, while breathing in. While doing this sink slightly
  6. Now your arms are fully extended, repeat from the beginning

Kidneys

This is about replenishing the root of all energy in the body

  1. Start with the knuckles of your left hand in the small of your back at the waist, so your knuckles reach across the spine and run parallel to the right side of the spine
  2. Put your right hand out straight in front of you as if you were starting the Lung exercise
  3. Breathe in
  4. Bring your right hand palm out round as you turn your body to the right until it is about 45 degrees behind you
  5. Turn your right hand down to scoop with the palm up as you turn back to face forward, while you breathe in
  6. Turn your palm out to return to the starting position
  7. Repeat 5 times before changing hands.

Liver

This is to really help qi move freely in the body as the Liver suffers easily from stagnation. Learn this one hand at a time.

  1. Put right hand palm up on the side of the rib cage but not too high so that you can keep your shoulder and elbow down
  2. Slide the hand down the ribs to the waist and then bring it forward, initially palm up but twisting the arm so that it ends up palm out when the arm is fully stretched out (a screwing type of action).
  3. Turn your waist so that your shoulders move too.
  4. Now reverse the direction of the screwing as you bring the hand back in to its starting position at the upper point on the side of the rib cage
  5. When you are ready, do this with both hands in such a way that when one is stretched out in front, palm out, the other hand is at the side of the rib cage.
  6. You can also introduce some regular knee bending
  7. Last but not least, keep breathing!

Heart

The Heart is the emperor of the body, it is often stressed!

  1. Start with your hands straight out in front of you at shoulder height, wrists slightly bent back so the palms face out and the fingers up
  2. Breathe in
  3. Turn 90 degrees to the left, keeping your left arm at shoulder height and bring your right elbow across and down so that the right arm makes one side of the window
  4. Breathe out
  5. Turn back to the centre position and repeat turning to the right

Spleen

Think about engaging your mind’s eye!

  1. Start with your hands out in front of you at shoulder height
  2. Put the tips of your index fingers and thumbs together with your thumbs at the base to form an upside-down heart shape
  3. Breathe in
  4. Turn 45 degrees to the left so that you are looking down a diagonal, focus through your heart window with your right eye. Do this while breathing out and keeping both eyes open.
  5. Turn back to the centre and take a breath in
  6. Repeat turning to the right

Using qigong sensibly

Sue Dunham cannot take responsibility for your fitness to do these exercises. Tai Chi and qigong are not a substitute for regular medical care. It is the responsibility of the individual to seek advice and consent from their medical practitioner if they have any concerns.

About learning qigong

Like many other Eastern disciplines, learning qigong is as much about the journey as it is about the results - and it is a lifetime's journey because there is never an end to the learning. It helps if you can focus on enjoying every step of the way and increase your awareness of small changes in yourself. The successful student may appear the least physically proficient but they are the one who has seen that qigong is a different way of being. It is empowering, it is a way of being self-aware and it is a healthy way to be. Enigmatic - but that is the charm and fascination of qigong!