One of the many positive things that Qigong can do for you, is reduce your blood pressure. It can do this via targeted techniques and meditations, but it also does this naturally. That’s because Qigong focuses on slow, methodical movements and on deep, relaxing meditations, all of which will naturally reduce your blood pressure and make you a calmer person. Even the additional courses offered by the SFQ (including their massage techniques), can help to lower your heart rate and decrease your blood pressure.
In this article we’ll take a look at key meditations that you can do to improve your health and lower your blood pressure, and if you’re struggling to meditate properly, we’ll also lend a helping hand with that. All of these meditations and guides come courtesy of the Spring Forest Qigong Centre, one of the biggest Qigong schools in the world, and one that offers all of its courses as home-study courses.
Meditation Guides
All of the following meditations can be taken at the Spring Forest Qigong Centre and can also be downloaded as MP3s or purchased as CDs directly from the SFQ website. Some of these are tied to specific level and are tailored for a certain level of experience, others are included in the main courses offered by the SFQ, but many of them are simply separate courses that can add some extra tools to your belt.
- Small Universe: This meditation is aimed at level 1 students, which is why it is included on the SFQ Fundamentals course. The purpose of this meditation is to open two of your biggest energy channels and to keep these open, thereby freeing you of illness and disease and ensuring that you remain healthy.
- Sun Meditation: This is a level 3 meditation, and one that is often taken in conjunction with something known as the Moon Meditation. These complementary meditations aim to tap into the abundance of energy that you have inside you, using this to lift your spirits, and to make you more confident and energetic. These meditations teach you how to use your third eye, which is something that advanced Qigong practitioners are well versed in.
- Cancer Healing Meditation: As its name suggests, this meditation is all about healing one of the most damaging and common diseases known to man. The Cancer Healing Meditation is not included on any of the main courses at the Spring Forest Qigong Centre, nor is it exclusive to a certain level. This is something that is aimed at a certain group of students though, specifically those whose lives have been affected by cancer, whether directly or indirectly.
How to Meditate Properly
If you’re struggling to meditate properly in the beginning, then don’t worry, it does get easier. A lot of students wrongly believe that meditation is incredibly easy, so when they begin and find that it’s not as easy as they thought, they get frustrated and give up easily. Therefore, you should never assume that it’s going to be easy, and that you’ll be able to master it immediately.
You should also stick at it, because while the benefits may not be obvious immediately, they will become clear later on. Before you get to that point though, you need to know how to meditate properly. Many of the basic meditations mentioned above will help you with this, but you can also follow these basic meditation tips:
- Get Comfortable: You don’t need to sit in the lotus position or on the floor. Cross your legs or sit on a pillow if it is easier. If you have a problem with your posture or spine, you can simply sit on a chair. As long as your body is straight, then it doesn’t matter. In fact, many practitioners choose to lie flat on their backs.
- Focus on Your Breath: Your breath should be the only thing that you focus on to begin with. Inhale deeply and exhale slowly. In through your mouth; out through your nose. Focus on filling your lungs and then emptying them.
- Discard Thoughts: Your brain will try to throw random, pointless thoughts in your way, but don’t get frustrated and don’t lose focus. Carefully file these thoughts away in a place where they can’t be reached and they can’t do harm, and then continue as you were.
- Listen to Music: Silence is often best for your practice, and most music is a distraction, but if you are struggling, then there is specially composed music that might help. You can find such compositions at the Spring Forest Qigong Centre, with music CDs such as Inner Beauty and Back to the Universe.