back pain gone qigong

7/31/2019 Back Pain Gone QIGONG

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Back Pain Gone with

QIGONG

Help Your Back Using

Natural Healing Methods

2 with 10

Two full sets of routines,

each with ten exercisesBy Art Stalbow


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Back Pain Gone with QIGONG

www.weebooklets.com [email protected]

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Table of ContentsImagine ....................................................................................................................... 4What is Qigong?...........................................................................................................5How Can Qigong Help with Back Pain? .........................................................................6What Causes Back Pain? ............................................................................................... 6Qigong Exercises for Relief and Prevention of Back Pain .................................................9

Abdominal Breathing ................................................................................................ 9Four-Step Qigong Breathing ................................................................................. 10

The Mental Aspect ..................................................................................................11Standing Movements ..................................................................................................12Set Number One 3 by 3 .......................................................................................... 13

Breathing ............................................................................................................... 13Your Mind ............................................................................................................. 13First Section Warm-up......................................................................................... 14

Arms Above Head ............................................................................................... 14Arms Forward.....................................................................................................14Turn To Look at the Moon ................................................................................... 14

Second Section Four Main Movements Each.......................................................... 15Start in Wuji Front-Side-Front-In..........................................................................15Four Bends .........................................................................................................15Thighs-Sky-Ankles-Front..................................................................................... 16

Third Section Big Stretch ..................................................................................... 17Up and Down......................................................................................................17

Front Stance Stretch ............................................................................................ 17Front Lean .......................................................................................................... 18

Set Number Two Distal Points ................................................................................19Kidneys Taps .........................................................................................................20Kua Circles ............................................................................................................ 21Elephant Takes Water............................................................................................. 22Snake Wraps Around Tree Limb ..............................................................................24Up Easy Down Hard ............................................................................................... 24Side Stretch To Ground ........................................................................................... 25Side Swim.............................................................................................................. 26Elbow to Knee ........................................................................................................27Up Down ............................................................................................................... 27Qi to Brain ............................................................................................................. 28

Closing Thoughts.....................................................................................................29


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Imagine

Imagine being pain-free. Imagine having the mobility to dopretty much what you need to do or want to

do.

You can help your back using the ancient

healing techniques found it Qigong. The

gentle movements and breathing used in

Qigong can help your body to activate itsown magnificent healing capabilities. And

it is completely natural and drug-free.

It will take some effort on your part, but it will be worth it.

The effort will be mostly mental, though there will be nice,

gentle movements to do.

Be patient. It might have taken a while for the ailment tomanifest itself. It could take some time to eliminate it.

As you do the movements contained in this ebooklet, keep in

mind that you should not hurt yourself. Listen to your body. If

the message is pain, stop what you are dong. We will

describe a number of Qigong movements for you. If you dont

feel that a certain exercise is for you right now, dont worry.There will be others that you can use. Take good care of

YOU.


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5

What is Qigong?

Qigong is an ancient Asian healing modality. Developed overmany centuries, Qigong uses gentle movements, proper

breathing techniques, and the incredible power of ones mind

to promote healing.

The QI in Qigong is a term with many meanings. For our

purposes, think of Qi as the internal energy that flows through

your body. If the energy flows correctly, you will be healthy

and vibrant. When the Qi is blocked or stagnate, ailments can

occur.

Gong can mean effort, work, or cultivation. Thus, one of the

meanings of Qigong is energy work. You are working with

the energy of your body.

Qigong exercises can help move the Qi, your internal energy,

in such a way as to help promote pain reduction or painelimination. Qigong is not only curative, it can be

preventative. One does Qigong to promote health, in addition

to using it to cure various ailments.


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How Can Qigong Help with Back Pain?

Qigong can help eradicate of back pain in a number of ways.The movements will be good for your bones, muscles and

connective tissue. The breathing will help to oxygenate your

cells so that they can do their work properly. The mental

aspects can help you prevent the situation from happening

again. Thus you can eliminate back pain from your life

entirely, rather than temporarily putting it aside. The

exercises are so pleasant, that they might become part of your

daily routine to the point where the back pain has become a

thing of the past.

What Causes Back Pain?

Back pain, especially lower back pain,

will afflict 9 out of 10 adults sometime

in their life. Many have reoccurringincidents of back pain.

There are a number of reasons why

you might have back pain. Poor posture. Weak abdominals.

Did you lift something the wrong way? Did you twist your

back in a strange way? It could be aging. As you age, bones

loss some strength, and muscles lose flexibility.


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It could be something else. The answer might be two or three

feet away from your lower back. Your brain.

Think about the power of your mind.Have you ever seen a touching movie

for the 20th time? You know exactly

what is going to happen, yet you still

shed a tear at the end. Even though they

are just actors on the screen, and what is

happening isnt real, your mind can

cause you to be sad, and create a

physical reaction the tears.

Or picture yourself driving alone in your car. A song comes

on the radio that reminds you of someone from your past.

Depending on your relationship with that person, you could

start to feel happy, melancholy, or even angry. As with the

movie, you might even shed a tear or two. Even though you

are only hearing sound waves coming from the radio, yourmind can help produce definite physical feelings or reactions.

There is a school of thought that says that your back pain is

totally caused by your thoughts. One theory is that financial

problems are manifested in the lower back area. Why?

Many of us carry money in our pockets with are near the

hip/lower back area. Some of us carry money in purses that

might be held close to the hip area. This area is the center of

our body, and a source of physical support. In our society,

money is an important means of financial support.


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You might think this makes some sense, or you might believe

that this is just too far out there. Either way, in addition to

trying to remember what you might have done physically to

prompt a back pain, consider the stress, whether it befinancial, personal, job or school related, that might also

contribute to back problems.

Of course, for most of us, the most important thing is getting

rid of the pain now regardless of the causes. That is one of

the main purposes of this ebooklet. However, knowing what

might have led to the back pain in the first place might help to

prevent it from happening again.


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Qigong Exercises for Relief and

Prevention of Back Pain

There are three main parts to Qigong exercises:

The Movements

Breathing

Your mind

Abdominal BreathingMost of this ebooklet will be devoted to the movements. We

will get into the movements in a few pages. Right now, a

brief introduction to proper abdominal breathing is in order.

As you are reading this, you can practice the breathing

methods. Eventually, you will be able to coordinate the

movements with the breathing. However, as you are learning

the movements dont burden yourself with trying to do toomuch. You can easily learn the steps involved in the breathing

techniques. Spend most of your time learning the movements.

Later you can add the mental component.

Here is a simple four-step breathing method you can practice

throughout the day, even when you arent doing your Qigong.


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Four-Step Qigong Breathing

1. Inhale slowly, deeply, smoothly,

evenly, calmly through the nose.

2. Pause.

3. Exhale slowly, deeply, smoothly,

evenly, calmly through the mouth.Make the exhale a bit longer than the inhale.

4. Pause.

As you inhale, permit your belly area to expand outward. On

the exhale, gently bring the belly area back in to the normal

position. Be sure to add the pauses to your breathing. Theywill help to regulate your breaths, as well as adding a little

rest for your system.

A few words of caution: Take it easy with your new

breathing. Many people arent used to good, deep, breathing.

It is possible to become a bit light-headed at first, so proceed

slowly and easily. Listen to your body.


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The Mental AspectHere is a little bit of information for you about the mental

aspect of Qigong training. Though it is intangible, thethought process can be a powerful component of your healing.

Once you feel proficient with the movements and the

breathing, you can add the mental side of Qigong to your

routines. In its simplest form, all you would do is to put your

mind on the area of your body that needs help. If you feel that

your lower back is the place of most pain, as you do your

movements and breathing, think about your lower back. Putyour thoughts there. See your lower back. See and feel

the bones, muscles, connecting tissues. See the healing

energy flowing there. See and feel the pain slowing

dissipating.

It will take some practice on your part to add the mental side

of Qigong. It is rather alien to our Western culture. However,you should find that it is not only effective, but also

interesting and enlightening. You will be working on a true

body-mind healing for yourself.


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Standing Movements

These Qigong exercises done standing. The basic standing

position is called Wuji. Spend some time getting comfortablewith this position, as it will form the physical foundation for

most of the movements.

Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart.

Your toes can point straight ahead or slightly outward.

Bend your knees slightly.

Have your knees over your feet, pushed slightly to the

outside.

Dont let your knees come toward each other.

Sink your buttocks downward, almost as if you were

getting ready to sit down.

Your shoulders should be rounded forward.

Dont stand erect as if you were a soldier at attention.

Let your chin drop down a little bit.

Open your mouth slightly to reduce tension on your jaw.

Your eyes can be closed or open. If you decide to keepyour eyes open, open them about halfway, as if you were

drifting off to sleep.

Feel your head as being very light, as if it was being

gently pulled upward by a silk cord.

Your arms may simply hang at your sides.

Think of your feet as roots of a tree, sinking deep within

the earth. Think of your head as being in the heavens, receiving

celestial energy.


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Set Number One 3 by 3

This set will consist of nine sections. The first section has

three movements to help you warm up. The second sectionhas three routines, each of which has four main movements.

The third section consists of larger, upward movements.

Each movement will be explained, usually for one side of

your body. Remember to do the movements for both sides,

even if you feel the pain on only one

side. Balance! To start, do each

movement three times. If you feel

that you can do more, increase the

repetitions to six.

BreathingOnce you know the movements, try

to coordinate your deep, abdominal

breathing with the movements.Basically, exhale on the exertion.

Inhale prior to exertion. Remember

those pauses!

Your MindIf you are comfortable with the

movements and the breathing, place your mind on your lowerback, especially on the inhale.

Standing or Sitting

The movements in SetNumber One are donein a standing position,Wuji. However, they allcan be done in a sittingposition as well. Youwill find that most of themovements are almostexactly the same,

whether done standingor sitting. The last threemovements will have tobe altered a bit on yourpart if you do themsitting, but most of thebenefits will still bethere.


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First Section Warm-upStand in Wuji.

Arms Above HeadGently raise your arms to above your

head, at about shoulder width. Palms face

front. Your hands can be in loose fists.

Bring hands back to starting position.

Arms Forward

Gently raise hands to just below yourshoulders. Hands in loose fists. Send your

arms forward until the elbows are almost

straight. Allow a very slight bend in the

elbow. Bring hands back to starting

position.

Turn To Look at the MoonBring hands to above head as you did in

#1. Turn your torso to the left. Turn

your head and look up and back high

over your left shoulder. Reach high up

to the left with your right hand. You

can go up on your right toes. You

might feel a stretch on your right side.

Slowly come back to the starting

position. Repeat to the right.


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Second Section Four Main Movements Each

Start in WujiFront-Side-Front-InBring your hands to shoulder level, palms facing forward or

in loose fists. Let your hands go forward as they did in

Warm-up #2. Keep your hands there, and then

turn your torso to the left, as far as it will go,

comfortably. Your arms now are still in front of

your shoulders, but to the left side of your

body. Turn back to the front. Bring your handsback in to the shoulders. Repeat going to the

right.

Four BendsBring hands to just in front of the shoulders. Option: for this

routine, you can interlace your fingers and place your hands

on the back of your head. Lean back a few degrees. Let youreyes and head start the backwards movement. Go back only a

little bit to start. Be aware of your bodys capabilities and

needs. Come back to straight. Next, bend forward. Come

back to straight. Next. Lean to the left, letting your left elbow

lead the way. Come back to straight. Next, lean to the right,

letting your right elbow lead the way. Come back to straight.


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Thighs-Sky-Ankles-Front

Bring your arms in front of you as you did in Warm-up #2.Let them drop to your thighs. Keeping the arms straight, but

not locked at the elbow, raise your arms to above your head.

Palms will be facing forward, or be in loose fists. Bending

your knees, and keeping your arms straight, slowly reach

down to your ankles, or as far as you can go down while

being pain-free. Unroll your spine as you stand up, bringing

your hands to the starting position.

Again, coordinate the breathing and the mental aspects tostrengthen the effectiveness of the routines.


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Third Section Big Stretch

Up and DownBring hands to shoulder, palms facing

forward or in loose fists. Bring hands

to above head as you did in Arms

Above Head. As you do that, do a

knee bend, moving downwards as if

you were about to sit. Both

movements, hands up and lower body

down, are done together. Your mindis on your lower back.

Front Stance Stretch

This movement uses a Front Stance.

Start in Wuji, then bring your left

leg forward and out to the left.

Bend your left knee. Your left heelwill be well forward of your right

toes. Your weight is evenly

distributed between right and left

legs. Bring your hands above your

head as you did in Up and Down

previously. As you do that, lean

forward so that almost all of your

weight is on your left foot, and you are on your right toes.

Your mind is on your lower back.


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Front LeanFrom Wuji, step forward into a left front stance as you did in

#2. Bring your hands to shoulder height, palms facingforward or in loose fist. Lean your body weight forward until

you have most of your weight on your left leg, and are on the

tips of your right toes. As you do that, bring your arms

forward and up at about a 45 angle. Hold this position for a

few moments. The next part of this is quite a challenge, so

only do this if your body will

permit it. Lean forward a little

more until you have 100% of yourweight on your left leg and your

right foot is off the ground. Slowly

come back to Wuji.

Done correctly, there is almost a

straight line from your right toes

up through your body to your

hands. When first trying this, yourmind will be on your balance. As

you get comfortable with the

balance aspect, bring your mind to your lower back.

Extra Section Back Rub Stand in Wuji. Bring your hands

around to your lower back. Make ever-widening circles at

your lower back. Then make smaller and smaller circles. Next

rub in an up and down motion. Let your arms come back to

your side, or keep them lightly on your lower back. Stand

quietly in Wuji, eyes closed, breathing properly, with your

mind on your lower back. Smile.


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Set Number Two Distal Points

You will notice that some movements that benefit the back

seem to be working areas away from the back. We must keep

in mind that one area of the body is closely related to other

areas. For example, you can work the abdominals in order to

help the lower back. Or, you can do leg exercises which also

help the lower back. There is a major

acupuncture point on the hand that is used

to eliminate headaches. Of course,

working on the mind can influence all

parts of your body.

In some of these movements you will

be touching, pressing and holding

points on your body. Qi flows along

channels called meridians. Eachmajor organ has a meridian

associated with it. Along the

meridians are specific points that are

used in acupuncture and acupressure.

There are hundreds of these points

throughout the body. These points

can positively influence the flow ofQi. Since we are mostly dealing with

the lower back area, you will be activating a number of points

along the kidney meridian.


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Kidneys Taps

This is an excellent exercise to increase your energy flow. Itcan be used as part of this set, but it is also a terrific warm-up.

Try this prior to doing other exercises to help get the Qi and

blood circulating. It is also a nice exercise to do at the

beginning of the day.

Stand in Wuji. Slowly and carefully,

bend as far to your feet as you can.

Using your fingertips, tap the insteps ofyour feet if you can reach that far. If not,

start tapping at the lowest point of your

stretch. Continue tapping up your inner

ankles, inner calf, inside of the knee, inner thighs, to your

waist, around your waist to your lower back/kidney area.

Continue gently tapping your kidneys. Pause. Take a few

good, deep, abdominal breaths. Repeat the tapping.

REMEMBER

Never go to a pointof pain when doing

your Qigong.

Enjoy it.


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Kua CirclesKua is the pelvic area. This is an important area of physical

support for you. A good flow of Qi in thisarea is important for curing or preventing

lower back situations. As always, once you

learn the movements and add the breathing, do

your best to keep your mind engaged in the

routines.

Start in Wuji. You will be moving your Kua

in a figure-eight type of movement.Gently move your left hip forward and a bit to

the left.

Next, go straight back to a point back and to

the left of your starting position.

Moving on a slight angle forward and right, bring your right

hip forward and a bit to the right.

Next, bring the right hip back to a point back and to the rightof your starting position.

Moving on an angle forward and to the left, bring your left

hip to the front, left position that you were in the first move.

Continue this circular movement for a total of nine times.

Coordinate your breathing with the movements. Bring your

mind to your Kua. Visualize strong, healthy bones supporting

your lower back as well as you entire upper body. You are

going a long way toward a life of excellent health when

you build your strength and flexibility in your core.


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Repeat until you have done six

repetitions, if your body will

permit. As always, do the other

side of your body.

Your inhale should be done

as you are getting into

position #4. Exhale as you

are bending into position #5.

Pause. Inhale as you move

back up to position #4.

Remember to place your mind in your lower back area once

you have become comfortable with the movements and thecoordinated breathing.

Position #4

Position #5


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Snake Wraps Around Tree LimbStart in Wuji. Move to a left front stance. Turn your left foot

to the left about 45. Turn your torso tothe right. Place left palm on right front

hip. Place the back of your right hand

on your left kidney area. Turning your

body to the left, move downward in a

coiling motion. Tap the outside of the

left knee with your right palm. Tap the

right kidney with the back of your left

palm. Slowly uncoil, moving back upward. Repeat and doboth sides.

Up Easy Down HardIt has been said that this simple exercise can cure one hundred

illnesses. That might seem to be quite a claim, but it is a good

exercise for stimulating first kidney energy point on thebottom of the foot. It also is good for sending energy along

the spinal column. Therefore, maybe it can help with one

hundred illnesses.

Start in Wuji. Place your hands on your kidney area. Slowly

rise up on to the balls of your feet. Pause. Come down

medium-hard on to the soles of your feet. Repeat.

To get thedownward,

bending motion,

use your big thigh

muscles rather than

your smaller back

muscles.


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Side Stretch To GroundUse caution with this, and all exercises. Be careful not to

overextend your bent knee. If you havent done this

movement previously, please dont try to go down too far.You are trying to help your body to heal and be strong. This

is not the time to be competitive with yourself.

Start in Wuji. Stretch left leg out to the side. Turn torso to the

left. Keep most of your weight on to your right leg. Bend

your right knee and go downward, as if you were about to sit.

If you are flexible enough, reach your right hand to your left

knee, or even further to your left ankle. Hold position for a

few moments. Slowly return to Wuji. Repeat other side.


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Side SwimStart in Wuji. Turn your feet to the outside a few degrees,

always remaining comfortable. Turn your torso to the left,

putting about 60% of your weight on the left foot. Bring yourright hand across your body to the left, palm facing down.

Reach to the left with the right arm. Left foot and left arm are

just about parallel. If you can, bring your left arm straight

back behind your back, palm up. Arms are now parallel.

Pause. Come back to Wuji. Repeat other side.


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Qi to BrainThis is more meditation than movement. You might

remember that we mentioned the power of the mind in the

healing process. Now that you have Qi flowing, we willconcentrate the energy in the brain area. You can use this time

as quiet meditation, perhaps focusing on either the reasons for

the back pain, or the healing process.

Stand in Wuji. Taking a good, deep Qigong breath, slowly

bring your hands up to your head. Have your palms facing

your head, with middle fingers almost toughing, just above

the mid-point on the top of your head. Your hands should bean inch or two above your head. Hold this position for as

long as you can do so with comfort. Focus your mind on

your mind. Visualize a strong, healthy, flexible back as well

as overall excellent health. Come back to Wuji when you are

ready.


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Closing Thoughts

Here are ten final reminders for you:

1. Only do what you can do without stress or strain.

This is Qigong. It is to be enjoyed.

2. Pain does not equal gain in Qigong. Take it easy.

3. Do both sides.

4. Do an equal number of repetitions on both sides.

5. Once you are comfortable with the movements,

coordinate the breathing.

6. Add the mental aspect to increase your healing power.

7. If you can do an entire set, do so. However, you might

find a few exercises suit you very well. Focus on those

for a while, and then add others as your feel able.

8. Watch your weight. Weak abdominals, or an out-of-

shape belly can lead to back problems

9. Turn problems in to situations. Turn situations

into challenges. Turn challenges intoopportunities.

10. If you have questions, feel free to send an email. We

would love to help.

Breathe deeply, smile, and live well.

Art


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