Breathing is such an underestimated function and activity that, unless you are dealing with some sort of respiratory issue, most people will not be paying much attention to their breath. This will often lead to developing the habit of breathing shallowly. This means exponentially less air, exponentially less oxygen. Oxygen – out of all the essential nutrients our bodies require to function – is THE most important nutrient of all, and we can readily and immediately increase the amount of oxygen we take in by becoming more conscious of HOW we continue to breathe.
Qi Gong guidelines
The practice of Qigong directly specialises in accessing and exploiting your full lung capacity to fuel cellular respiration and thereby tap in to your full potential. Part of the ‘trick’ is to not right away start to simply breathe deeply, but instead to first prepare your body to be able to do so.
The following guidelines serve to access this capacity and start to support your body on a deeper level:
- Step 1: Relax your shoulders
- Step 2: Relax your hands
- Step 3: Relax your stomach
The above guidelines serve to minimise resistance in your torso, that will otherwise continue to restrict space and thereby access to your lungs’ and body’s capacity. That way, before commencing with any kind of breathing practice, you and your body will already benefit simply by continuing to breathe naturally. So when you do engage in any such exercises, you are already primed to benefit more fully from the beginning.
The way to use these prompts is to apply them on a regular basis throughout your day, as our human tendency is to hold tension throughout our lives whilst busy with life, which inevitably contributes to a reduction of quality and possibly quantity of life. After all, your breath is the fundamental bridge between your body and your consciousness. Strengthen that bridge, you strengthen your body and mind.
This is especially noticeable when it comes to emotional states. We all breathe uniquely to the current state we are in. Whether you are actually relaxed, fast asleep, upset, sad, anxious, concentrating, etc., you will be breathing a certain way. by noticing and then changing how you are breathing you are able to influence how you continue to feel. This is one very powerful way to gain command over your mental and emotional state, rather than having your mental and emotional state take charge of you.
Group Qi Gong classes
KOMMETJIE 8:00 – 9:30am Wednesdays @ St Joseph’s Church; either in the hall or outside next the big boulder beneath the large pine tree. Alternatively in Summer we train in the main parking lot of the church to avoid direct sun.
GARDENS 7:00 – 8:30am Thursday @ The Labia (in Winter) / Company Gardens in Summer
R150 cash, no previous experience needed.
Contact Thomas +27 0795178544 for more info.
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