As evidenced by the comments in my previous post about summer camp, I used my breath training to help manage the stresses of that environment. So this week, I asked the students to pay attention to their breath. There are many ways to breath during training, you will hear in the nose and out the mouth, in the mouth and out the nose, in the mouth and out the feet... Yes, the feet... Keep the tongue to the roof of the mouth behind the teeth and breathe through the nose and so on... Each have their value and place but when you are just starting Tai Chi and Qigong training, I prefer to keep things very simple. Just breathe... As you get more comfortable with learning to breath in a calm and relaxed manner then you can get "fancy with it".
Breathing in sync?
During our Qigong training we work hard to synchronize breath and movement, however, during our Tai Chi training we want the breath to be independent of the movement. This may seem counterintuitive at first, however, I have found that if you introduce connected breath work while the student is still learning the Tai Chi Forms, there is a strong potential for significant confusion and tension to build up. I have found that allowing the movements to find their natural rhythm and then allowing the breath find its own natural, relaxed rhythm creates a more relaxed and functional training environment. Then, over time, the breath and movements will find each other, naturally, With no specific effort you will find that your breath will flow in and out of the movements in a calm and gentle way.
Dan Tien Breathing
Deep breathing effectively increases the richness of oxygen in our bloodstream, relaxes the body, awakens our mental clarity and promotes physical and spiritual healing. In addition, it enhances the lymphatic system’s ability to remove toxins from our bodies thus increasing our health from the cellular level up. The most efficient breathing technique is called Dan Tien or Abdominal Breathing. We are born abdominal breathers and typically lose this natural breath pattern around the age of 6 or 7 when our physical activity levels increase and we tend to move to a chest-breathing pattern. This results in a shallow breath pattern that takes twice the energy to maintain. Abdominal breathing takes half the energy and typically increases our oxygen transfer efficiency by up to 30 percent.
Dan Tien Breathing is a slow, deep breathing style that coordinates your breath with the movement of your diaphragm and abdomen muscles. Breathing from the nose with the mouth closed is ideal for managing a slow, gentle breath, however, it is not necessary to attain benefit from this training. In addition, proper posture also plays an important role in maximizing the efficiency of this breathing pattern.
As you inhale, allow your abdomen to expand and relax in a downward flow. This will release the diaphragm, relax internal organs and allow the lungs to expand more fully in a downward direction. As you exhale let your abdominal muscles contract to effectively “squeeze” the abdomen, diaphragm and lungs thus expelling more of the used air in preparation for the next inhale cycle. Allow your breathing pattern to move at a steady, relaxed pace.
Circular Breathing
As you become comfortable with this breathing pattern try adding the concept of circular breathing to further enhance your training. This is done by listening to your breathing pattern and working to eliminate the spaces between the inhale and exhale cycles. This should not accelerate your breathing pattern but it will increase your concentration and release tension from your body. Repeat this breathing set as you focus your attention on the words... Breathe in – Breathe out
Start with 5-minute sets and increase your practice time in 5-minute intervals until your breathing pattern is smooth and comfortable. Here is a quick tip – Use a small, quiet alarm to set your practice time. This will allow you to concentrate on the practice and not the clock. If you begin to feel dizzy or light headed, stop the exercise and shorten your practice time by half until you can sustain the practice without these effects.
During your training AND the rest of your week, I encourage you to listen for your breath. Are you holding it? Is it shallow and tight? Then try to get a relaxed, deep breath going and see if it changes your physical, mental and spiritual space. Smile and have fun with it...
Friday, June 29, 2007
Some thoughts on Perspective...
Last week I was deep in the woods of south central Kansas with my son Kamin and so did not have an entry to post regarding the classes. However, due to many challenging circumstances and missteps by our hosting staff at the scout ranch, I was given many opportunities to breathe, find a smile and release my stress productively. Our motto for the week at camp was "adversity is inevitable, misery is optional". Several of the Scoutmasters visiting the camp found every opportunity to berate and verbally abuse the staff for their missteps and issues with managing the program. Many of us found this approach to be very unproductive and "un-scout like". We learned much later in the week that one of the camp directors had lost his house in a fire three weeks before the camp started. I cannot help but wonder if that little bit of knowledge would have changed the attitude and approach of those aggressive Scoutmasters.
We had many frustrations with the staff and although none of our Troop leadership took an aggressive approach to resolving the problems we faced with them, each of us seemed to have a little more forgiveness in our hearts once we learned this tragic news. For myself, as I reflect back, I can see how my perspective clearly shifted from judgment, annoyance and frustration to one of understanding and forgiveness. As part of my spiritual training, I have made it a goal to think of others as doing the best they can in that moment we cross paths. whether it be on the freeway, at the grocery store or summer camp, each of us is doing the best we can at any given moment in time. If we are stressed, frustrated or angry, our best may not look or feel very good to an outsider but it is none the less our best at that moment in time. When I am able to let this concept permeate my heart and thoughts in a given situation, I find that I have significantly more patience, compassion and a sincere caring for the person I am interacting with.
As the staff made it easy to find fault, I found it harder and harder to find compassion for them as the week worn on. There were many times that I found myself falling into the "poor us, bad them" game. I started looking for fault and placing it on a pedestal of shame to prance in front of my peers; each of us did this, in effect, commiserating in our misfortune. Late in the evenings, when all was quiet, I found myself with a bitter taste from these thoughts and actions. In my spiritual training, I have learned that when I become angry, annoyed, frustrated or perturbed, I am drifting away from a pure connection with spirit; effectively losing connection to my compassion and understanding. I found that learning about the fire tragedy helped me to reconnect with this positive energy and I immediately felt better. Then why had I spent most of the week in a stated of disconnect? I had very little sleep and was very tired, it was hot and humid, I felt bad for the boys not getting what they expected...yada...yada...yada... In retrospect, there are many reasons I can conjure up but it all boils down to just being human.
Next time, I will try hard to keep my perspective and trust that each person is doing the best they can in a given situation; just like I tried to do all week at camp. After all, I am only human...
We had many frustrations with the staff and although none of our Troop leadership took an aggressive approach to resolving the problems we faced with them, each of us seemed to have a little more forgiveness in our hearts once we learned this tragic news. For myself, as I reflect back, I can see how my perspective clearly shifted from judgment, annoyance and frustration to one of understanding and forgiveness. As part of my spiritual training, I have made it a goal to think of others as doing the best they can in that moment we cross paths. whether it be on the freeway, at the grocery store or summer camp, each of us is doing the best we can at any given moment in time. If we are stressed, frustrated or angry, our best may not look or feel very good to an outsider but it is none the less our best at that moment in time. When I am able to let this concept permeate my heart and thoughts in a given situation, I find that I have significantly more patience, compassion and a sincere caring for the person I am interacting with.
As the staff made it easy to find fault, I found it harder and harder to find compassion for them as the week worn on. There were many times that I found myself falling into the "poor us, bad them" game. I started looking for fault and placing it on a pedestal of shame to prance in front of my peers; each of us did this, in effect, commiserating in our misfortune. Late in the evenings, when all was quiet, I found myself with a bitter taste from these thoughts and actions. In my spiritual training, I have learned that when I become angry, annoyed, frustrated or perturbed, I am drifting away from a pure connection with spirit; effectively losing connection to my compassion and understanding. I found that learning about the fire tragedy helped me to reconnect with this positive energy and I immediately felt better. Then why had I spent most of the week in a stated of disconnect? I had very little sleep and was very tired, it was hot and humid, I felt bad for the boys not getting what they expected...yada...yada...yada... In retrospect, there are many reasons I can conjure up but it all boils down to just being human.
Next time, I will try hard to keep my perspective and trust that each person is doing the best they can in a given situation; just like I tried to do all week at camp. After all, I am only human...
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Principally speaking, the Tai Chi Forms are not the point...
Over the past month or so we have worked hard on understanding posture, opening joints (we focused on the shoulders) and developing spinal and core strength. Will all that focus on the mid and upper body, it was time to move back down to the foundation, Grounding Energy and Separation; creating emptiness in every movement. Needless to say, my legs are tired.
Qigong Training, Principal Focus...
Grounding energy and separation, can be approached from many different training perspectives, I wanted to work to better understand weight shifting. When to shift, how to shift and why to shift. As I have mentioned before, Qigong training is a fantastic way to practice your principal training therefore, I chose some Qigong exercises that I knew would challenge the student's understanding of grounding and separation on a physical, mental and spiritual level. (Insert evil laugh here) MUHUHAHAHAHA! We started out slowly by doing simple Qigong with a focus on breathing, good posture and three solid points balanced on the ground. Then we worked on "Holding the Ball" Qigong, moving from the Dan Tien while keeping our weight balanced, 50/50. Then, with the same exercise, We added a weight shift to the side we were turning into; then we added a push to the side with the top hand to further challenge good posture and concentration. I noticed that as the movements became more complicated, students were having more trouble keeping their feet firmly grounded and their postures would suffer as a result. There were several other Qigong exercises I introduced based on the students in a specific class but these were the primary ones for this principal focus.
Exploration and understanding of weight shifting...
I observed that many students, when weight shifting, would place their mental focus into the foot that was pushing off. For the ones that pushed hard enough, this left them feeling off balance and unstable in their movements. In order to effectively develop strength in Tai Chi, momentum must be eliminated from the movements. This means that every weight shift must become a conscious, focused, decision and NOT a simple result of gravity. There were several things suggested this week that addressed the elimination of momentum.
* Smaller Steps - This allows students to reduce the load-bearing element and it becomes easier to create emptiness on one side.
* Mental Focus - I asked them to visualize filling the "soon to be" weight bearing leg with water from the "soon to be" empty leg.
* Attention towards the strength - Effective Tai Chi weight shift requires a fair amount of strength. By drawing attention to what I call the "Column of Strength" you are "allowing" the other side to become empty, only noticing when it is fully so.
* Attention towards posture - All the strength in the world cannot save you from poor postural alignment. If your body is not in good posture, you cannot be well grounded for effective, stable weight shifting.
* The slower the better - Because good principal training can get very detailed, the slower you move, the more time you have to pay attention. Yes, I know it is harder that way so no emails please. ;-) Think of the difference between sitting near a flower bed and appreciating all the smells, colors, life and sounds of that lovely place versus blowing past it in a car...Which will provide you more understanding, peace and strength? NO! it is NOT the car!
12 Principals on the Playground...
I realized another thing this week. Many Tai Chi Students are focused on learning the movements of the form thinking that is the goal of Tai Chi training. 1) Learn the form; 2) Do Tai Chi form everyday; 3) Have it all; 4) GET IT, GOT IT, GOOD! 5) Move on. NOT QUITE speedy. Generally speaking, the 5 primary styles of Tai Chi and all Qigong training are based on the same 12 principals which address posture, alignment, focus, breath, balance and so on. These principals are based on Taoist philosophical influence (flowing with, not against nature) and work to create a harmony of Spirit, Body and Mind. Keeping this in mind, the principals BECOME the point of training. THEY are the universal truths that translate to ALL parts of our lives; physical, mental and spiritual. Tai Chi forms and Qigong exercises are simply "playgrounds" for training the principals. So next time you are frustrated at not getting a movement "just right" ask yourself; Where are the principals in this movement? Find the principals and find the true nature of your Tai Chi form.
Qigong Training, Principal Focus...
Grounding energy and separation, can be approached from many different training perspectives, I wanted to work to better understand weight shifting. When to shift, how to shift and why to shift. As I have mentioned before, Qigong training is a fantastic way to practice your principal training therefore, I chose some Qigong exercises that I knew would challenge the student's understanding of grounding and separation on a physical, mental and spiritual level. (Insert evil laugh here) MUHUHAHAHAHA! We started out slowly by doing simple Qigong with a focus on breathing, good posture and three solid points balanced on the ground. Then we worked on "Holding the Ball" Qigong, moving from the Dan Tien while keeping our weight balanced, 50/50. Then, with the same exercise, We added a weight shift to the side we were turning into; then we added a push to the side with the top hand to further challenge good posture and concentration. I noticed that as the movements became more complicated, students were having more trouble keeping their feet firmly grounded and their postures would suffer as a result. There were several other Qigong exercises I introduced based on the students in a specific class but these were the primary ones for this principal focus.
Exploration and understanding of weight shifting...
I observed that many students, when weight shifting, would place their mental focus into the foot that was pushing off. For the ones that pushed hard enough, this left them feeling off balance and unstable in their movements. In order to effectively develop strength in Tai Chi, momentum must be eliminated from the movements. This means that every weight shift must become a conscious, focused, decision and NOT a simple result of gravity. There were several things suggested this week that addressed the elimination of momentum.
* Smaller Steps - This allows students to reduce the load-bearing element and it becomes easier to create emptiness on one side.
* Mental Focus - I asked them to visualize filling the "soon to be" weight bearing leg with water from the "soon to be" empty leg.
* Attention towards the strength - Effective Tai Chi weight shift requires a fair amount of strength. By drawing attention to what I call the "Column of Strength" you are "allowing" the other side to become empty, only noticing when it is fully so.
* Attention towards posture - All the strength in the world cannot save you from poor postural alignment. If your body is not in good posture, you cannot be well grounded for effective, stable weight shifting.
* The slower the better - Because good principal training can get very detailed, the slower you move, the more time you have to pay attention. Yes, I know it is harder that way so no emails please. ;-) Think of the difference between sitting near a flower bed and appreciating all the smells, colors, life and sounds of that lovely place versus blowing past it in a car...Which will provide you more understanding, peace and strength? NO! it is NOT the car!
12 Principals on the Playground...
I realized another thing this week. Many Tai Chi Students are focused on learning the movements of the form thinking that is the goal of Tai Chi training. 1) Learn the form; 2) Do Tai Chi form everyday; 3) Have it all; 4) GET IT, GOT IT, GOOD! 5) Move on. NOT QUITE speedy. Generally speaking, the 5 primary styles of Tai Chi and all Qigong training are based on the same 12 principals which address posture, alignment, focus, breath, balance and so on. These principals are based on Taoist philosophical influence (flowing with, not against nature) and work to create a harmony of Spirit, Body and Mind. Keeping this in mind, the principals BECOME the point of training. THEY are the universal truths that translate to ALL parts of our lives; physical, mental and spiritual. Tai Chi forms and Qigong exercises are simply "playgrounds" for training the principals. So next time you are frustrated at not getting a movement "just right" ask yourself; Where are the principals in this movement? Find the principals and find the true nature of your Tai Chi form.
Friday, June 8, 2007
Flexibility, energy channels, Tai Chi and opening your joints...
We touched on an exercise last week that I personally find wonderful for opening the shoulders. The feedback was so good that I decided we needed to explore deeper levels of this shoulder exercise series in this week's classes. That made for a very interesting week.
Stretching effectively...
In my many years of martial training, I have been shown SO MANY way to stretch my body. Do you do it before or after a workout? Both you say? I heard a new study showed that stretching did not do any good! Do you push hard into pain to get that "deep stretch" Do you throw your body around violently? Is 15 minutes a day enough? I heard that professional hockey goalies (known for their flexibility) have a minimum of 1 hour, daily stretch routine to keep themselves limber.
Personally, I think that the amount of stretching one does depends greatly on what they are involved in on a daily basis. What does your body need? For many of my students, the needs are relatively simple; range of motion without pain. So let me focus attention there. If you want to read a bit more detail about flexibility training please, CLICK HERE
Pain, tightness and shoulders...
The tightness we feel in our shoulders typically comes from several factors. Stress, over working the area, poor posture and pain. I want to break these out and explore them individually.
Stress - The best "Western minded" description of stress I have ever heard goes like this - Stress: Suppressing that uncontrollable urge to choke the "living &%*#" out of someone who really deserves it!
In our culture, we hold a lot of things in, repressing our true feelings, attaching deep emotion to other people's actions (road rage is one example), feeling overwhelmed, you name it, "&%it happens". This tension tends to reside in the upper back, neck and shoulders. A couple of students asked me this week if massage therapy can help with this situation. The answer is Yes and No. (Roll your eyes here) Yes it can give you some immediate release and a sense of relaxed, calm but unless you change the environment / attitudes / issues that made you so tense in the first place, massage is a short term (band-aid) on a long term (chronic) problem.
Suggestion: Become aware of the things in your life that cause you to feel tense, stressed, helpless. Look for ways to minimize their affect on you. (This does not include buying a baseball bat!) After all, it is completely your choice as to how something or someone affects you. Here is link to an article I did on Clutter.
Over working the area - Some of my students have jobs that cause them to work their neck and shoulder area very hard, all day long. This most often leads to muscle fatigue, poor circulation through the affected area and restricted range of motion; typically with localized pain and tightness. For these students it is even more important to begin the process of releasing tension, opening the joints and increasing circulation through the affected neck and shoulder area.
Suggestions: Treatments of moist heat, massage and most importantly becoming aware of and trying to modify how you use your upper body during your work day are very effective for supporting the healing process.
Poor Posture - This is a biggie! All of us have bouts of poor posture; some more often than others. When I ask (especially new) students to stand up in good posture, more often than not, they use their shoulder muscles to help hold up their upper body. In Tai Chi training, we are taught to develop and use our deep spinal muscles to hold the upper body allowing the shoulders to sink down and away in a relaxed manner. (Supporting the Sky) Without these deep spinal muscles being strong enough, the shoulders will stay involved to protect the spine. This can lead to severe blockages in the upper spine and shoulder area and can cause Postural Kyphosis (Dowager's Hump).
Suggestion: Fayne and I have a signal we use to help each other remember to be in good posture. If one of us sees the other slumping the other will come up and GENTLY rub the area that needs positive, postural attention. This non-verbal tool is a very effective and loving way to become more aware of your posture. If you are slouching alone, then listen to your body, it will (at first) gently tell you that you are slouching and then it will start to complain more feverently with aches, spasms and even pinched nerves if you a really choosing to ignore its signals. Become more aware of the postures you favor in your daily routines and work to make them more balanced and stable. you will most likely not be comfortable at first but in a short time your strength will improve and your new posture will be come more comfortable than your old posture.
Shoulder, neck and upper back pain - Each of the above conditions often cause levels of tightness, discomfort and/or pain. Pain increases the tightness in the affected area; if a joint is involved that often leads to restricted range of motion and decreased circulation. When dealing with pain, your body is telling you there is some sort of imbalance in your body. Beit physical, mental or spiritual in nature, the imbalance and resulting pain are very real. In our Tai Chi training we work to identify the imbalances and work with students to resolve them, permanently if at all possible. There are no short cuts or magic pills here, just a dedication to making your body stable, strong and healthy.
Opening the shoulder exercise...
It is very hard to describe an exercise in words and have it translate into something you can use but I will try. For this exercise to work several things have to be in place.
1) A strong focus to your spinal "Supporting the Sky" posture.
2) Deep, relaxed breathing
3) Mental Concentration and visualization
4) Patience
I know, that last one probably ruled out most of you but try it anyway. ;-)
It is VERY important to warm up your upper body with some gentle Qigong exercises BEFORE attempting this training set. In addition, some students felt light headed, nauseous and a bit weak in the knees while working this exercise set. This is mainly due to the stirring and possible opening of blocked channels of energy so pace yourself and take it as slow as you need to.
Get into a soft kneed, strong stance with feet parallel and hip width apart. Place you hands by your side (at your pant seam) with palms facing forward, arms and fingers are extended but not tight, just fully extended. (Do not use force to extend your arms and fingers) Begin your deep, relaxed breathing and start focusing your attention to sinking the shoulders down and away from the spine. Make the spine fully responsible for supporting the upper body, let the shoulders sink down and away from the spine while exhaling. (One student said it felt as if she was trying to gently make her arms longer) Once you are able to feel the shoulders release, take a deep breath and, while exhaling, move your hands up about an inch. Keeping the hands by your sides, palms facing forward. Settle in, relax and begin the process of releasing the shoulders again. ONLY once you feel the release can you move up another inch while exhaling. Continue this until you feel you can no longer be relaxed or if you start to feel any pain. Discomfort in this exercise is common, especially if you are tight in the shoulder area already, but do not create pain as this will set you back instead of moving you forward. Once you have had enough, soften the elbows and move your hands into center and down the body. Take at least two or three deep, relaxed breaths before you stop altogether.
Some students felt tingling sensations in their fingertips and hands, a few felt it into the arms and some felt nothing. It depends on how tight you are to start, how well you can manage your shoulder muscle relaxation, how strong your spinal muscles are and how well you can visualize that sinking energy. At higher levels the tingling will fill the arms from finger tips to shoulders and typically speed up until the point where it fades away and is replaced by calm, warmth. This means the channels have been opened. The more you practice this exercise, the easier it will be to open the shoulders. In my training, I have noticed that some days they open easily and on others they may not open at all or very little. All of the things mentioned above can play a part in how well you can perform this shoulder opening exercise.
As always, Smiling from the Heart helps a lot.
Stretching effectively...
In my many years of martial training, I have been shown SO MANY way to stretch my body. Do you do it before or after a workout? Both you say? I heard a new study showed that stretching did not do any good! Do you push hard into pain to get that "deep stretch" Do you throw your body around violently? Is 15 minutes a day enough? I heard that professional hockey goalies (known for their flexibility) have a minimum of 1 hour, daily stretch routine to keep themselves limber.
Personally, I think that the amount of stretching one does depends greatly on what they are involved in on a daily basis. What does your body need? For many of my students, the needs are relatively simple; range of motion without pain. So let me focus attention there. If you want to read a bit more detail about flexibility training please, CLICK HERE
Pain, tightness and shoulders...
The tightness we feel in our shoulders typically comes from several factors. Stress, over working the area, poor posture and pain. I want to break these out and explore them individually.
Stress - The best "Western minded" description of stress I have ever heard goes like this - Stress: Suppressing that uncontrollable urge to choke the "living &%*#" out of someone who really deserves it!
In our culture, we hold a lot of things in, repressing our true feelings, attaching deep emotion to other people's actions (road rage is one example), feeling overwhelmed, you name it, "&%it happens". This tension tends to reside in the upper back, neck and shoulders. A couple of students asked me this week if massage therapy can help with this situation. The answer is Yes and No. (Roll your eyes here) Yes it can give you some immediate release and a sense of relaxed, calm but unless you change the environment / attitudes / issues that made you so tense in the first place, massage is a short term (band-aid) on a long term (chronic) problem.
Suggestion: Become aware of the things in your life that cause you to feel tense, stressed, helpless. Look for ways to minimize their affect on you. (This does not include buying a baseball bat!) After all, it is completely your choice as to how something or someone affects you. Here is link to an article I did on Clutter.
Over working the area - Some of my students have jobs that cause them to work their neck and shoulder area very hard, all day long. This most often leads to muscle fatigue, poor circulation through the affected area and restricted range of motion; typically with localized pain and tightness. For these students it is even more important to begin the process of releasing tension, opening the joints and increasing circulation through the affected neck and shoulder area.
Suggestions: Treatments of moist heat, massage and most importantly becoming aware of and trying to modify how you use your upper body during your work day are very effective for supporting the healing process.
Poor Posture - This is a biggie! All of us have bouts of poor posture; some more often than others. When I ask (especially new) students to stand up in good posture, more often than not, they use their shoulder muscles to help hold up their upper body. In Tai Chi training, we are taught to develop and use our deep spinal muscles to hold the upper body allowing the shoulders to sink down and away in a relaxed manner. (Supporting the Sky) Without these deep spinal muscles being strong enough, the shoulders will stay involved to protect the spine. This can lead to severe blockages in the upper spine and shoulder area and can cause Postural Kyphosis (Dowager's Hump).
Suggestion: Fayne and I have a signal we use to help each other remember to be in good posture. If one of us sees the other slumping the other will come up and GENTLY rub the area that needs positive, postural attention. This non-verbal tool is a very effective and loving way to become more aware of your posture. If you are slouching alone, then listen to your body, it will (at first) gently tell you that you are slouching and then it will start to complain more feverently with aches, spasms and even pinched nerves if you a really choosing to ignore its signals. Become more aware of the postures you favor in your daily routines and work to make them more balanced and stable. you will most likely not be comfortable at first but in a short time your strength will improve and your new posture will be come more comfortable than your old posture.
Shoulder, neck and upper back pain - Each of the above conditions often cause levels of tightness, discomfort and/or pain. Pain increases the tightness in the affected area; if a joint is involved that often leads to restricted range of motion and decreased circulation. When dealing with pain, your body is telling you there is some sort of imbalance in your body. Beit physical, mental or spiritual in nature, the imbalance and resulting pain are very real. In our Tai Chi training we work to identify the imbalances and work with students to resolve them, permanently if at all possible. There are no short cuts or magic pills here, just a dedication to making your body stable, strong and healthy.
Opening the shoulder exercise...
It is very hard to describe an exercise in words and have it translate into something you can use but I will try. For this exercise to work several things have to be in place.
1) A strong focus to your spinal "Supporting the Sky" posture.
2) Deep, relaxed breathing
3) Mental Concentration and visualization
4) Patience
I know, that last one probably ruled out most of you but try it anyway. ;-)
It is VERY important to warm up your upper body with some gentle Qigong exercises BEFORE attempting this training set. In addition, some students felt light headed, nauseous and a bit weak in the knees while working this exercise set. This is mainly due to the stirring and possible opening of blocked channels of energy so pace yourself and take it as slow as you need to.
Get into a soft kneed, strong stance with feet parallel and hip width apart. Place you hands by your side (at your pant seam) with palms facing forward, arms and fingers are extended but not tight, just fully extended. (Do not use force to extend your arms and fingers) Begin your deep, relaxed breathing and start focusing your attention to sinking the shoulders down and away from the spine. Make the spine fully responsible for supporting the upper body, let the shoulders sink down and away from the spine while exhaling. (One student said it felt as if she was trying to gently make her arms longer) Once you are able to feel the shoulders release, take a deep breath and, while exhaling, move your hands up about an inch. Keeping the hands by your sides, palms facing forward. Settle in, relax and begin the process of releasing the shoulders again. ONLY once you feel the release can you move up another inch while exhaling. Continue this until you feel you can no longer be relaxed or if you start to feel any pain. Discomfort in this exercise is common, especially if you are tight in the shoulder area already, but do not create pain as this will set you back instead of moving you forward. Once you have had enough, soften the elbows and move your hands into center and down the body. Take at least two or three deep, relaxed breaths before you stop altogether.
Some students felt tingling sensations in their fingertips and hands, a few felt it into the arms and some felt nothing. It depends on how tight you are to start, how well you can manage your shoulder muscle relaxation, how strong your spinal muscles are and how well you can visualize that sinking energy. At higher levels the tingling will fill the arms from finger tips to shoulders and typically speed up until the point where it fades away and is replaced by calm, warmth. This means the channels have been opened. The more you practice this exercise, the easier it will be to open the shoulders. In my training, I have noticed that some days they open easily and on others they may not open at all or very little. All of the things mentioned above can play a part in how well you can perform this shoulder opening exercise.
As always, Smiling from the Heart helps a lot.
Thursday, June 7, 2007
What is effective exercise? Aerobic, Anaerobic, Cardio? Tai Chi?
I have been doing some research to help me better understand what healthy exercise looks like. Like with diet plans, there is not a lack of ideas on the subject of exercise. For some 30+ years we have been told that in order to stay healthy you have to have cardio and weight training to keep your strength up and you bone density in tact. If you are not sweating and your heart is not racing, you are not exercising.
The problem is that we tend to overdo everything; taking them to the extremes.
I like to use the term "Bigger, better, faster, more" to describe the typical western consumer mentality. For example: If a 42" TV is good then an 80" projection screen is better. If an "econo-box" car is good then a luxury sedan is better... If a 1/4 lbs hamburger is good then a full pound has to be better right? Just one (1) hamburger patty, NO WAY I need three (3) patties to be happy oh, and BIGGIE SIZE that fry for me!
In this system of "consumer programming" driven by market study groups and some very sophisticated marketing science, it only stands to reason that we hear "exercise at 50 to 80 percent of your maximum capacity" (American Heart Association Standards)
and we translate that to "run till your drop!" "Push as hard as you can"; "FEEL THE BURN!" and even "PAIN IS WEAKNESS LEAVING THE BODY". If I have not heard these myself I have seen them on popular gym t-shirts.
The problem with this programming is that we are taxing our bodies beyond designed functional limits. Do you really think we were designed to dead lift 800 pounds? What about professional athletes? They are the epitome of good health right? According to some insurance companies the average life expectancy of a professional football player is between 55 and 56 years of age! READ THE ARTICLE Not that they are in poor health they just push their bodies so hard for so long that they get damages and burn out. Is that what we want? In my 29 years of martial training I came up in this "push hard" mindset and can tell you from personal experience that I have paid dearly for doing such physically demanding training. If it were not for my Tai Chi and Qigong training I would be in MUCH worse shape right now, especially if I had continued on that path.
Fight or Flight Mechanism...
Stress. the body's natural reaction to stress is to stimulate a "Fight or Flight" response. Here are some of the symptoms of that response mechanism...
* Acceleration of heart and lung action
* Inhibition of stomach and intestinal action
* Constriction of blood vessels in many parts of the body
* Liberation of nutrients for muscular action
* Dilation of blood vessels for muscles
* Inhibition of lacrimal glands (responsible for tear production) and salivation
* Dilation of pupil
Notice any similarity with this list and how you feel during and after a grueling workout? it is not a coincidence, you are stimulating this fight or flight mechanism by pushing too hard in your training routine! The idea behind health exercise is to work the body not wear it out. There have been many studies showing that weight training increases bone density. It is true, the body will respond to the demands placed on it as part of the survival mechanisms we have in place. If we live a very sedentary life then our muscles and bones will get more fragile. Move it or lose it!
So, back to the original question...What is good exercise?
If your personal fitness goal is to be generally healthy with energy and vitality then you will want to exercise 30 to 60 minutes, at about 50% of your maximum capacity at least 4 or 5 times a week. This will stimulate all the important systems for health without taxing them to the point of triggering a survival mode response. If you can swim 20 laps in a pool and end up exhausted for 2 days then swim 10 laps everyday you can and feel good about it. Tai Chi and Qigong training are both very good at working the cardio, muscular, nervous and respiratory systems while creating a demand on the skeletal structure as well through its slow, demanding movements. The most important points to a good exercise program are;
* You enjoy it enough to do it frequently (at least 4 or 5 times a week)
* You work to 50% of your maximum capacity
* Incorporate deep breathing to exercise your lung capacity
* Listen to your body, if you are feeling weak or stressed after a workout then you are doing too much for your current fitness level
By all means, whatever you chose to use as a way to stay healthy, please enjoy it! Life it too short, Smile from the Heart!
The problem is that we tend to overdo everything; taking them to the extremes.
I like to use the term "Bigger, better, faster, more" to describe the typical western consumer mentality. For example: If a 42" TV is good then an 80" projection screen is better. If an "econo-box" car is good then a luxury sedan is better... If a 1/4 lbs hamburger is good then a full pound has to be better right? Just one (1) hamburger patty, NO WAY I need three (3) patties to be happy oh, and BIGGIE SIZE that fry for me!
In this system of "consumer programming" driven by market study groups and some very sophisticated marketing science, it only stands to reason that we hear "exercise at 50 to 80 percent of your maximum capacity" (American Heart Association Standards)
and we translate that to "run till your drop!" "Push as hard as you can"; "FEEL THE BURN!" and even "PAIN IS WEAKNESS LEAVING THE BODY". If I have not heard these myself I have seen them on popular gym t-shirts.
The problem with this programming is that we are taxing our bodies beyond designed functional limits. Do you really think we were designed to dead lift 800 pounds? What about professional athletes? They are the epitome of good health right? According to some insurance companies the average life expectancy of a professional football player is between 55 and 56 years of age! READ THE ARTICLE Not that they are in poor health they just push their bodies so hard for so long that they get damages and burn out. Is that what we want? In my 29 years of martial training I came up in this "push hard" mindset and can tell you from personal experience that I have paid dearly for doing such physically demanding training. If it were not for my Tai Chi and Qigong training I would be in MUCH worse shape right now, especially if I had continued on that path.
Fight or Flight Mechanism...
Stress. the body's natural reaction to stress is to stimulate a "Fight or Flight" response. Here are some of the symptoms of that response mechanism...
* Acceleration of heart and lung action
* Inhibition of stomach and intestinal action
* Constriction of blood vessels in many parts of the body
* Liberation of nutrients for muscular action
* Dilation of blood vessels for muscles
* Inhibition of lacrimal glands (responsible for tear production) and salivation
* Dilation of pupil
Notice any similarity with this list and how you feel during and after a grueling workout? it is not a coincidence, you are stimulating this fight or flight mechanism by pushing too hard in your training routine! The idea behind health exercise is to work the body not wear it out. There have been many studies showing that weight training increases bone density. It is true, the body will respond to the demands placed on it as part of the survival mechanisms we have in place. If we live a very sedentary life then our muscles and bones will get more fragile. Move it or lose it!
So, back to the original question...What is good exercise?
If your personal fitness goal is to be generally healthy with energy and vitality then you will want to exercise 30 to 60 minutes, at about 50% of your maximum capacity at least 4 or 5 times a week. This will stimulate all the important systems for health without taxing them to the point of triggering a survival mode response. If you can swim 20 laps in a pool and end up exhausted for 2 days then swim 10 laps everyday you can and feel good about it. Tai Chi and Qigong training are both very good at working the cardio, muscular, nervous and respiratory systems while creating a demand on the skeletal structure as well through its slow, demanding movements. The most important points to a good exercise program are;
* You enjoy it enough to do it frequently (at least 4 or 5 times a week)
* You work to 50% of your maximum capacity
* Incorporate deep breathing to exercise your lung capacity
* Listen to your body, if you are feeling weak or stressed after a workout then you are doing too much for your current fitness level
By all means, whatever you chose to use as a way to stay healthy, please enjoy it! Life it too short, Smile from the Heart!
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