Stress Relief Tip 10 April 2009

Today's video is a little longer than usual because I teach you a powerfully effective qigong breathing technique that you can use anytime, anywhere to instantly reduce stress!

(If you would like to know more about qigong or the Eight Healing Sounds, please send me a note at bewellwithmichelle@gmail.com. Private lessons are available. I will also be leading the opening breathing exercise and demonstrating the Eight Healing Sounds of Yin Style Ba Gua for World Tai Chi & Qi Gong Day on April 25 from 10 to 11 AM in Compass Park, 2500 NW Crossing Dr. in Bend. Everyone is welcome, so come and join me and other fine qigong and taiji instructors, and take advantage of this opportunity to sample a few different styles of qigong and taiji!)



Here is your Heaven On Earth Stress Relief Tip for this week!

Breathing! You all know proper breathing is great to relieve stress, but breathing is obviously such an automatic thing that doing it in a mindful, conscious manner is not something that we often think to do.

Today I'm going to combine breathing with some simple motions that will make it mindful, that will make it conscious, that will make it "in the moment," and that will keep you in the moment.

Even thought it seems like a very simple and easy thing to do, this is a very powerful stress-relief technique. It is actually the first move in a qigong style called the Eight Healing Sounds of Yin Style Ba Gua.

What we’re going to do in this practice is breath all the way down into our abdomen. Abut four fingers width below your navel is a spot called the dan tien. This is one of the major energy centers in your body.

When we inhale, I want you to imagine you are inhaling all the way down into that dan tien. When you exhale, I want you to think of and imagine you are relieving stress; you are breathing the stress out while making the sound "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh."

Just imagine how you would feel or what you would say if you were relaxing into the biggest, fluffiest, most comfortable recliner you have ever sat in, in your entire life. You just think, "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh."

Really let that sound come through. That's what sets the vibration going, that's what gets your energy moving, that's what brings you back into harmony and balance. So, inhale again, all the way down into your abdomen, and exhale while breathing "Ahhhhhhhhh."

Now I’m going to explain a very simple hand motion to go along with that. (See the video for a demonstration!) Follow along while we do the first position from the Eight Healing Sounds of Yin Style BaGua.

Remember, the dan tien is four fingers width below your navel. Inhale into the dan tien while you reach your arms out from your sides like wings, and raise your arms up over your head, palms facing upward. At the top of your reach, turn your palms to point forward and hold your hands bent at the wrist as if you were wiping down a wall while you exhale and vocalize the "Ahhhhhhhhhhh" sound.

Repeat: inhale as you reach your arms out from your sides like wings. Again, raise your arms up over your head, palms facing upward. At the top of your reach, turn your palms forward and hold your hands bent at the wrist as if you were wiping down a wall while you exhale and vocalize the "Ahhhhhhhhhhh" sound.

Remember to imagine the stress leaving your body as you exhale.

Repeat as needed to relieve stress!


Don't forget, if you would like to know more about qigong or the Eight Healing Sounds, please send me a note at bewellwithmichelle@gmail.com. Private lessons are available. I will also be leading the opening breathing exercise and demonstrating the Eight Healing Sounds of Yin Style Ba Gua for World Tai Chi & Qi Gong Day on April 25 from 10 to 11 AM in Compass Park, 2500 NW Crossing Dr. in Bend. Everyone is welcome, so come and join me and other fine qigong and taiji instructors, and take advantage of this opportunity to sample a few different styles of qigong and taiji!



Have a heavenly weekend!

Michelle