Chi Cong blends meditation and exercise.
Chi Cong, also spelled Chi Gong or qigong, refers to a type of Chinese exercise that focuses on breathing. There are many forms of Chi Cong, all of which originated in Chinese culture. Traditional Chinese medicine uses these exercises for curative as well as preventative benefits. Additionally, though it is practiced non-aggressively, Chinese martial artists employ Chi Cong in their training routines. Learn these exercises by practicing some of their basic breathing exercises.
Basic Breathing
Stand in a comfortable position with an erect spine. Don't lock the spine in place as that will interfere with breathing. Keep your head straight and your eyes looking forward. Aligning your head as such will elongate your torso to allow for deeper breaths. Inhale and exhale deeply, filling and emptying your torso with air completely, from top to bottom. The flow of air resembles water being poured into and out of a pitcher and is therefore sometimes called "filling the vessel."
Concentration with Breathing
While breathing exercises are commonly associated with the exercise portion of Chi Gong exercises, the breathing lends itself to the meditation component as well. By practicing meditation, focusing on breathing helps develop the correct breathing patterns that will transfer to all aspects of chi gong. During meditation concentrate on visualizing the chi, or the breathing and energy, as a bright substance that moves the body. Through time this process will become natural and can be accomplished without conscious thought.
Advanced Breathing
Taking the basic breathing exercise further, visualize the air filling your left leg instead of your lungs. Then when you exhale, visualize that same air leaving the leg. Continue this process but visualizing the air entering and leaving different parts of your body. Move through the right leg, hips, abdomen, right chest, left chest, right chest, right arm, left arm, neck and head. This will improve your control of breathing and your visualization and awareness of different parts of your body. This technique is called "directed breathing."
Torso Breathing
Take a deep breath, but fill only the lower portion of the torso. Exhale very slowly but make sure to completely empty the torso of air. Inhale once more, but fill the middle section of the torso. Exhale as you did for the first breath. Inhale again and fill the upper portion of the torso. Exhale slowly and empty the torso. Compete this full cycle several times. This will build awareness of the way air enters and leaves the body.
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