This article offers guidance on warm-up routines for a Qigong practice session. It stresses the importance of calming and warming up the body and mind before engaging in active Qigong exercises and highlights the significance of “Harvesting the Qi” after completing these exercises.
Pre-Qigong Exercises
You must prepare your mind and relax your body before starting Qigong. Skipping warm-up exercises can increase stiffness and tension. Spending a minute or two on calming exercises is recommended to enhance Qi flow.
Qigong Bouncing Warm-Up
In the Spring Forest Qigong School, students start with a bouncing exercise. Raising your arms with hands dangling above your head opens the lung channels, promoting energy activation. Bouncing helps loosen various parts of your lower body and activates the stomach meridian, aiding digestion and metabolism.
Entering a Comfortable Position
After the bouncing exercise, settle into a comfortable position with your hands near your sides. You can enter the “Formation of the Universe” pose or use visualization techniques from another Qigong school to calm your mind further. The visualization involves imagining each part of your body disappearing, starting from the head down to the toes, repeated three times.
Qigong Closing Exercises
Harvesting the Qi
After completing active Qigong exercises, you must “Harvest the Qi” to close the practice session. The closing exercises help distribute the generated energy evenly throughout your body. The process involves clapping your hands together and rubbing them to create warmth. Lightly rub your face to relax and activate meridians and muscles. Comb your fingers across your head and tap from the top to the back, repeating the motion three times. Pat your arms, sides of your torso, chest, and back, moving from the kidney area down to the tailbone. Perform a final motion similar to the initial bouncing exercise to direct energy downward.
Time and Simplicity for Warm-Ups
Although these sequences may seem extensive, each takes only 10-20 seconds once you become familiar with them. These opening and closing exercises are crucial for any Qigong practice, especially in the Spring Forest Qigong system. Spring Forest Qigong prioritizes simplicity, making these exercises accessible to anyone without needing special instruction from masters.
In summary, these pre-Qigong warm-up exercises, the bouncing exercise, and the closing exercises play a vital role in preparing your body and mind for Qigong practice. They promote the flow of Qi and ensure that the energy generated during the practice is distributed evenly throughout your body for optimal results.
