| Practitioners who make qigong a part of their | | | | |
| everyday routine seldom get backpain if at | | | | 1. Find a chair or bench to sit on that is |
| all, because qigong and back problems are a | | | | the right height for your legs. For a chair |
| contradiction in terms! | | | | to be the right height for you, you should be |
| | | | able to sit comfortably with your feet |
| If you suffer back spasms or other back | | | | planted flat on the ground and your knees |
| problems, just one month of daily qigong | | | | bent 90 degrees. |
| practice will alleviate most of the pain. Six | | | | |
| months of practice will eliminate most if not | | | | If the chair is not ergonomically correct, |
| all of the problem, and 20 minutes of daily | | | | incorrect posture, inadequate support and |
| practice will keep backpain away. | | | | resulting back problems will continue to give |
| | | | you varying degrees of backpain. |
| Qigong, (a.k.a. chi kung) is a 5000-year-old | | | | |
| Chinese meditative yoga that incorporates | | | | 2. Sit on the edge of your seat, so that only |
| both still and moving forms. Integral to all | | | | your buttocks, not your thighs, touch the |
| qigong exercise are breathing techniques to | | | | seat. Your back should be straight, not |
| help cultivate the vital chi energy, an | | | | slouching forward or leaning back on the |
| intrinsic lifeforce that we believe is | | | | support of the chair. Though your spine is |
| responsible for all life and health. | | | | straight, it should not be ramrod rigid, but |
| | | | relaxed. |
| When we practice qigong, we generate healing | | | | |
| chi energy that circulates through all parts | | | | 3. This far into the exercise you should |
| of the body, realigning posture, healing | | | | already begin to feel your backpain easing. |
| wounds and injuries, detoxifying the body and | | | | Plant your feet flat on the ground about |
| gradually alleviating pain stemming from | | | | shoulder-width from each other, toes pointing |
| imbalances, injury and poor health. | | | | forward, knees bent 90 degrees. |
| | | | |
| Qigong also teaches correct posture in all | | | | 4. If you are sitting properly, you can pat |
| positions, standing up, sitting down, and | | | | and feel the back of your thighs wobble like |
| even in recumbent poses. Back problems may be | | | | jelly. |
| due to all kinds of injury to the back, but | | | | |
| the main reason why anyone would continue to | | | | If you are currently experiencing backpain |
| suffer back spasms long after the injury is | | | | and you try this qigong sitting position, |
| healed is poor posture and a weak back. | | | | your pain should ease almost immediately. If |
| | | | you have been suffering frequent bouts of |
| Poor posture creates little support in the | | | | back spasms or a recent back injury, it may |
| back and puts all the weight in the wrong | | | | be painful for you to sit up for long |
| places, creating pressure on the spinal | | | | periods. Practice for brief periods, until |
| column. Misalignment makes the chi flow | | | | your back grows stronger, then gradually |
| sluggishly, which further aggravates the | | | | extend your sitting time. |
| situation. | | | | |
| | | | In fact, if your back is healthy, you can sit |
| On the other hand, when you practice qigong, | | | | for hours in this position and not get |
| you become sensitive to the generation and | | | | backpain or feel fatigued, because your back |
| circulation of chi energy. When the chi | | | | is getting proper support, there is no undue |
| energy becomes stuck and unable to flow | | | | pressure on the spine, and you are relaxed |
| properly due to blockages created from | | | | and aligned properly, so that the chi energy |
| misalignment, pain results. In qigong, you | | | | is able to flow uninhibited. |
| automatically correct your posture, knowing | | | | |
| that when the energy moves the pain | | | | You can assume this position any time when |
| disappears at the same time. | | | | you are working at your desk, eating or even |
| | | | watching television - in fact, any time you |
| Even if you have never experienced back | | | | need to sit down. With practice, this |
| problems, practicing qigong will maintain a | | | | position should become automatic every time |
| healthy strong back. If you ever look at some | | | | you are sitting. |
| of the old qigong masters, even at eighty or | | | | |
| ninety years of age, they have strong healthy | | | | Try it for yourself and see what wonders it |
| backs that are not bent over with age! | | | | can do for your backpain. If you get used to |
| | | | sitting like this every day, you'll find much |
| There are several qigong positions you can | | | | of your backpain will ease significantly |
| assume to remedy back spasms and other back | | | | within a week, even when you are not doing |
| problems. The first position is a sitting | | | | this exercise. By then, you should be ready |
| position. Here are the steps: | | | | for the next qigong lesson: providing support |
| | | | for your back in a standing position. |
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