tag > Health
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A Brief Study on the Fitness Effects of Standing Exercise - by Chen Gang
Health can be said to be an eternal subject of human development, and health preserving is a widespread concern. In the thousands of years development process in China, a large number of health methods have been formed, which have some common characteristics, namely the basic operation contents including regulating body, breathing and mind (three regulations), the basic standard of being relaxed and nature, as well as the core of training qi.
Among many fitness methods, standing exercise can be said to be a simple, practicable and effective method. Standing still of the standing exercise is a kind of intensive exercise. To stand firm and steadily, the bones and muscles need to maintain the appropriate nervous coordination state, including the consumption and supplement of energy. It consumes biological energy and chemical energy, and replenishes the "vitality" of human body. "Huangdi Neijing" (The Inner Canon of Huangdi) said, "Support heaven and earth, grasp yin and yang, breathing essence qi with single-leg stance and mind concentration, and the muscles and bones incorporated into one". The single-leg stance and mind concentration aims to "looking inward". There is also a saying that "Standing exercise is a hundred times better than practicing". I will explain the fitness effects of standing exercise from the following three aspects.
"Three regulations" of the standing exercise
First, the regulation of body:
Feet shoulder-width apart, toes forward, do not slant outward nor inward, and stand naturally. Bend knees slightly with upright body, keep chest inward, and relax lower abdomen. Lift hands to the front of abdomen and slightly spread fingers. The distance of hands is about 10 to 20 cm, and both hands are away from abdomen about 20 to 25 cm. Hands encircle into an oval shape with the height of between shoulder and crotch. Exercisers should keep head and neck straight with head upward, lower shoulders and elbows, empty axillas, stretch wrists and fingers, keep chest inward and stretch back, erect spine and lower hips, buttocks in, tongue touches the palate, toes grip, and look forward (eye closure or semi-closure are all ok) with a faint smile on the face.
Second, The regulation of breathing
The mouth is apparent close. Give priority to the nasal natural breathing and gradually increase the depth of breathing, transforming to abdominal breathing.
Third, The regulation of mind
Start with the "three lines relaxation method":
The body can be successively relaxed though three lines, namely the front, back, and both sides.
- The first line: both side of head→ both sides of neck → shoulders → forearms →wrists → hands → fingers.
- The second line: face → neck → chest → abdomen → thighs → knees → shanks → feet → toes.
- The third line: back of head → back of neck → back → waist →back of thighs→ popliteal space→ shanks → feet → soles.
Keep mind concentration on a part and meditate "relaxation", while leaving this part, and then keep mind concentration on next part and meditate "relaxation". Start from the first line and step by step, after finishing the relaxation of the first line, and then relax along the second line and third line.
After finishing the relaxation of each line, keep mind concentration on the cease point of the line gently. The cease point of the first line is the middle finger, the cease point of the second line is the big toe, and the cease point of the third line is the heart of the center of foot. After finishing the relaxation of three lines, that is a cycle, focus on the navel, and gently mind concentration on the navel for 3 to 4 minutes in the quiet state. Usually, exercisers should practice 2 to 3 cycles every time, quiet down, and then complete the exercise. In the meditation, if exercisers have not obviously experienced the feeling of "relaxation", do not be impatient and let nature take its course, and continue to relax the body according to the order and meditate "relaxation", properly grasp the speed and strength, and do not too fast nor strong.
To the appropriate extent, "three lines relaxation" gradually transformed to the method of mind concentration and looking inward, such as looking-inward the lower Dantian, and imagining the fever and bloat of Dantian, etc. When feeling the warm, the hotness gradually spread to the entire abdomen. The process must be natural and not artificial, keeping the upper body empty and lower body solid.
Here more on the "Three Lines Relaxation" method - and here a training video.
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Towards and Ecological View of Health
Extending the Biopsychosocial View of Health
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Precision Medicine for Breath-Focused Mind-Body Therapies for Stress and Anxiety: Are We Ready Yet? - by Helen Lavretsky MD and Jack Feldman PhD
In this viewpoint, we present an argument for transdisciplinary “precision medicine” approaches that combine studies of basic neurobiology of breathing in animal and human models of stress that can help characterize physiological and neural biomarkers and mechanisms of breathing control and emotion regulation in humans. Such mechanistic research is fundamental for the development of more effective and mechanism-based mind-body therapies. The potential for this research to positively impact public health is high, as breathing techniques are inexpensive, accessible, and cross-culturally accepted, with fewer complications then observed with other standard therapies for stress-related disorders.
Mind-body Interventions for Brain Health in Older Adults - talk by Dr. Helen Lavretsky
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“Sea Swaying” - a Qigong exercise that can be practiced daily, both in the morning and evening.
- Sit relaxed on the floor, chair or bed. Rest your hands on your knees, with thumbs pressing lightly on your “xue hai” acupoints at the interior of your knees. Rest your other fingers on your knees.
- Bend your body forward slowly, making sure your buttocks remain in contact with the surface. Do not lift your body
- With your body bent forward, move slowly in a circular motion anti-clockwise, using your “hui ying” acupoint at your buttock area as the pivot point of contact with the surface.
- After swaying in a circular motion 9 times anti-clockwise, repeat 9 times clockwise. When the circle is drawn to the back, tuck in your abdomen as much as possible and do likewise with your chin.
- Finally, return your body to the upright sitting position and take a few deep breaths.
More info
Most people have time only in the mornings or evenings. Hence, you should choose an exercise that is suitable to be done in the mornings and evenings. Qigong fits the bill.
“Sea Swaying Technique” practiced in the morning catches the right timing for the opening of the Gateway to the Land (“di hu”), and also for defecation through the anus (“gang men”). The sleeping patterns of many people are in disarray, sleeping late and getting up late, resulting in a person not being fully awake, his large intestines not fully awakened, his biological clock not synchronised. However, when he starts to do “sea swaying”, it helps to regulate the biological timing of the “di hu” and resets it to its opening and closing state, thus assisting with defecation.
Morning is the best time of the day for defecation, to get rid of solid body waste from the day before, and to start the day afresh. Once the body has emptied out its defecation, breakfast tastes more delicious, as the body signals its need to supplements its nutrients. Having a meal at this time is for eating better and improved digestion, having defecated earlier, regardless of absorption, breaking down of food, or secretion of stomach acid.
The biggest benefit of practising “Sea Swaying Technique” at night is to relax the waist. Recently in Japan, the most popular theory is that the lumbar vertebrae being askew is the cause of poor sleep quality. “Sea Swaying Technique” is divided into two parts — anti-clockwise and clockwise directions. After “swaying”, minor misalignments of the lumbar spine caused by poor sitting and standing postures, too much walking and exerting too much force while walking, will be corrected. Sleep quality will improve, too.
#Qi #HealthIt is a simple Qigong exercise, with no expense involved, and needing only a small space. Swaying for only a few minutes in the morning and at night is an easy way to maintain your health.
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Think of the current time as the world’s largest ever bullshit experiment..
Related: Largest ever human IQ test - #Culture #Politics #Health #Military #Narrative
