In October 2018, I attended a Qigong immersion for yoga teachers and have started to integrate this wonderful practice into my yoga classes. I was taught by the wonderful Mimi Kuo-Deemer who appears in the video above. She is an amazing Yoga and Qigong teacher and has books and DVD's available to buy. Please check out her website for further information.
Qigong is a practice which helps to cultivate energy through movement, meditation, visualisation and breath awareness.
It is part of Traditional Chinese Medicine which is very attuned to the cycles and changes of the year and the challenges it can bring to our minds and bodies. As such, different dietary and lifestyle practices are prescribed to help balance seasonal changes.
The changes Autumn Brings
During the Autumn, Chinese medicine focuses on releasing stagnation. Taking it's cue from nature and how the trees shed their leaves, Autumn is the perfect time for us to let go of the things that no longer serve us.
Holding onto things weighs us down but when we work on releasing emotional and mental stagnation, it also aids our clarity and aligns us to the natural flow of life.
When we let go, there is space for new things to grow.
The video movement practice and the breathing technique I am sharing with you today is perfect for releasing physical and emotional stagnation creating the space for new energy and experiences to grow.
Breathing Practice
Sit comfortably, and take a deep breath in inflating your abdomen
Then on the exhale, make the sound ‘SSSSSSSSS’ (like a gentle hissing sound), emptying the lungs of stagnation.
Repeat this 9 times
You can also combine the breathing practice with the movement practice by making the ‘ssss’ sound as you push the hands forward.
