Each and every Qigong school has its own way of doing things, its own practices, preparations and teachings. One of the most unique, the most accessible and the most beneficial is the Spring Forest Qigong Centre and when it comes to unique teachings and practices, there are plenty on offer here.
One such practice is known as “Bouncing”, which is something that makes a regular appearance at the Spring Forest Qigong Centre, performed during retreats and seminars, and taught in online courses. If you have been lucky enough to attend one of these retreats then there is a good chance that you have performed this beneficial practice already. If not, then we’ll show you how you can use bouncing to improve your daily practice and to get your body moving and your mind stimulated.
How to Bounce
As mentioned above, bouncing is something that is done prior to exercise sessions performed during retreats, but it is also performed at the beginning of guild meetings and practice groups. To practice this, you simply need to raise your arms in the air, bend your knees slightly and then begin to jump, ever-so-slightly. Your feet should not actually leave the ground though. Instead, you should just focus on “bouncing” on your heels, finding a steady rhythm that is gentle on your joints.
Bouncing should be easy to perform and it was designed so that nearly everyone could perform it. If, however, you are not able to stand or to jump, then there is an alternative and one that may be just as beneficial. In Master Lin’s own words, you simply need to, “Visualize yourself jumping. Take 30 seconds and in your mind’s eye really see yourself jumping.”
Why to Bounce
There are several times in which it may be beneficial to bounce. And the beauty of this practice is that it is so short and so easy to perform that it can easily be added to any other practice or worked into your daily routine. The Spring Forest Qigong Centre recommends that you bounce during some or all of the following times.
- Prior to a meditation session and/or an exercise session.
- Before you perform a healing session, such as those taught in the Qi-ssage Healing program.
- As soon as you wake up in the morning, stimulating your body.
- As a way of breaking-up sessions of inactivity, keeping your blood flowing and energy moving.
- Before going for a walk, a run or a session at the gym.
Whenever you perform it, the benefits of bouncing remain the same. This is a practice that aims to stimulate your body, to help you to loosen up and to ensure that your blood and your energy is flowing freely. Think of it like a warm-up session prior to a workout, in the sense that it helps you to move you gently from a position of inactivity to one of activity, ensuring you are limber, agile and ready. Failure to do so could mean that you are ill-prepared when you do exercise and it will mean that you won’t get as many benefits out of that exercise as you would if you bounced prior to performing it.
What Master Lin Has To Say
Master Lin has made many comments on the subject of bouncing. After all, he was the one who created this practice in the first place and he is the one who asks students to perform it prior to exercises and meditation sessions.
In one of his Monthly Message discussions, which he creates for the SFQ newsletter, he discusses the important of keeping your body active and in particular your legs. He has the following to say, “You want to keep your legs as active as you can… Bouncing, like we do in our classes, is very good for you”.
Master Lin is all for this practice and its benefits. For many students, that’s the only thing they need to convince them that this is a beneficial practice. After all, if it works for one of the most respected Qigong masters in the world, then why can’t it work for you?
This is a good way to see bouncing and it is a good reason to perform it, but not the only one. You should practice it yourself, using it to prepare yourself for a session or simply as a way of boosting your activity. And then, when you see just how beneficial it can be and just what it can do for your health, you will have the only reason you need to perform this practice.