Two Qigong Exercises for my students.

This exercise is to be done with very little tension and no locked joints. Please check with your health provider before trying these exercises to ascertain if they are appropriate for you.

OPENING AND CLOSING WINGS LIKE A DOVE
Posture Checklist
1. Hold a 'balloon' in front just above the navel.
2. Shoulders always sinking down to the hip joint, elbows slightly lower than hands.
3. Feet under hips pointing straight ahead
4. Slight bend in the knees
5. "Sitting on an invisible high chair"
6. Lift from the crown ( back of the head) and slight tilt to the pelvis to drop the tailbone.
Active Movement:
1. Breathe in and expand the balloon, until the arms and shoulders RELAX and fall back and down,
2. Feel the scapulae roll inward to meet each other. Breathe out slowly while relaxing this move.
3. Start to breathe in again slowly as you let the (still softly curved) arms come back to hold the balloon in beginning posture.
4. Breathe out as you press the balloon into your body and relax the shoulders and chest again and allow the chest to slightly sink inwards.
Repeat slowly 4 or 5 times taking rests frequently and shake out gently if you feel tension.

PRESS DOWN BEHIND THE NECK AND LIFT TO HOLD UP THE SKY
Posture same as first exercise, Breathe as necessary do not hold your breath.
Active Movement:
1. Hold balloon under the navel fingertips almost touching palms facing up.
2. Raise the arms up overhead in this postition, palms facing the head, arms curved (like a ballet pose)
3. Press the palms down behind the head to the shoulders near the neck.
4. Turn the palms facing up, straighten the arms about 80% and hold up the sky, elbows stay bent, try to drop the shoulders and breathe out here.
5. Pull the fingers straight up lifting the hands and bring them back to back, elbows still bent.
6. Imagine parting the curtains to shoulder width with the fingers, and then drop the shoulders, then the elbows and the fingers will slide down the curtains on either side of your body, right down to the floor.
7. Relax the arms, shoulders completely and then softly curve the arms in front to hold the balloon again as in beginning movement.
Repeat slowly 4 or 5 times taking rests frequently and shake out gently if you feel tension.

Chilled milk from martial art

Chilled milk from martial art By Emily Allen
A herd of cows is living a stress-free life thanks to one farmer's new Tai Chi moooves!

Organic milk producer Miles Saunders, of Step Farm, Faringdon, has taken up Tai Chi, an ancient Chinese martial art, to help his cows relax.

The 44-year-old regularly performs a series of moves in the field in front of his 300-strong herd, in an attempt to spiritually uplift them.

He is hoping to boost the quality of their milk by increasing the levels of well-being in each pint.

Mr Saunders, who is three weeks into his new regime, said: "Tai Chi promotes well-being, health and a good lifestyle and as an organic milk producer, we like to keep all the cows calm, quiet and well-balanced with their diet and housing.

"We thought Tai Chi correlated nicely with this. It's just an extra thing really.

"I go out when I get the chance, about three or four times a week. I do a series of slow moves in the field and the cows find it interesting.

"The most important thing is it gives us happy, quiet cows. Anything that keeps them quiet is a good thing.

"It's hard to say at this stage if it's beneficial or not but the interest the cows show you, shows they enjoy it. They look very inquisitive too, which is a sign of healthy cows. They like to come up to me and have a good look."

An article in a trade magazine inspired Mr Saunders to test the technique about a month ago.

He began referring to the organic milk producers' website love-om.comcorr which lists seven different moves for farmers to try each day of the week.

Mr Saunders's five-minute routine begins when he moves his arms up and down as he imagines stroking his cows.

This is followed by a move to the left to symbolise cradling a calf before he widens his arms to part the hay.

The move is completed with outstretched arms, as if to survey the field, before pushing an imaginary fork into the ground.

Mr Saunders, who believes he is the longest-standing organic milk producer in the country, said: "The bottom line is we're trying to produce really good quality organic milk and with the benefits of Tai Chi, this will filter through to the consumer.

"That's the most important thing.

"It has many benefits for me. It gives me a chance to have quiet time and be among the cows. It also gives me a chance to have a really good look at the cows and make sure they're all healthy.

"Ten years ago, people dismissed tai chi, but now a lot of people are realising it works."

7:20am Saturday 10th May 2008



By Emily Allen