Qi Gong as preparation for exercise
Internal or static Qi Gong encourages the body to call on the qi, or chi, or energy available to it. This means that we use breathing and relaxation to prepare our body for activity. The form of performance coaching called ‘creative visualisation’ that is used by some of the world’s foremost athletes is a type of Qi Gong. When you see a pole vaulter or long jumper ‘rehearsing’ their next attempt by running through the process in their mind, or when a tennis player practices shots against empty air, they are using this system to teach their body how to meet the demands that activity will place on it. Then, when they perform that movement for real, the body will be familiar with the process and will know when to release oxygen to the muscles, when to prepare for a jolt on landing, when to tense muscles and when to relax them.
External, or dynamic Qi Gong adds a form of movement to this meditation which is not the same as the movement we will make when we attempt the activity itself. Instead this is a way of focusing the body, through directing the mind and breath, to achieve its best.
Start in the Wu ji position. This is standing, with the arms and abdomen relaxed, shoulders down, weight balanced equally between the toes and heels. Breathe in a relaxed fashion. After a couple of minutes, begin to turn your waist quickly form side to side, allowing your arms to move from the shoulders in a gentle swinging motion, but do not allow the knees to move. This activates the systems of the body, telling them to prepare for exercise, and mobilises the major muscle systems and organs so that they are ready for exertion.
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