Category: Coaching

Posted on

Ok dear “trainer”

Josette has emailed a progress report on her practice. Read it below.

“Ok dear “trainer”, not every day but 4 times this week!

How did it go? I try to do every exercise as well as I can but many of them less than 8 times not to tire myself out before the end of the session..

My personal problems:

1) For the past couple of years I “inherited from my husband” painful knee joints! Not as bad as his but definitely arthritis.. it comes and goes..some day better some day worse. So the squatting is not easy but, in a way, I think the regular soft exercise helps a little, if not to soothe my knees, at least to reinforce the muscles of my calves. (and that is very needed!)

2) Lately, my right shoulder started hurting, particularly at night when I lay down in bed!! Honestly, I think the exercise seems to help

3) Finally my lower back hurts often and sweeping floor or raking leaves have become unpleasant but… no hurting when following Tommy along, or after!

Oh! One last detail: at about half way through the program…I start ..yawning deeply! – no offense to Tommy! – but Marianne said she was told it was normal reaction and a sign of relaxation! True?

Sooo dear friend…how do you like this report on my aging process!”

Julia, being the great coach and loving person she is offers Josette the following encouragement.

“Good Girl! It is great to hear you are staying with the program!

Continue to be gentle with your practice: do ALL 18 of the movements but do fewer repetitions of each while you build your strength and stamina.

Being aware of your body and it’s responses is very good; and it is good to hear that you think the regular gentle exercise helps with some of your aches and pains.

When I first did this 18 Style Qi Gong with Tommy, I was surprised how weak my legs were (and I did yoga!) – I could not do the squats very well and my thighs were very sore. You will build strength in your legs!

A few points to be aware of:

1)Make sure you are squatting (like sitting on a chair) rather than bending over. You want to keep your head above your waist level.

2)Keep your knees over your ankles (instead of letting them go over the toes for balance) this will be more work but will help you build strength.

SO – even if you just barely ‘sit’ or squat, it is better to stay in alignment. Pay attention to your body, go to your comfort level and then challenge yourself to go just a little further each day or even weekly.

It is OK to have little cracks and pops in your joints—that is normal.

Any exercise helps with circulation and 18 Style Qi Gong is especially good for the circulation, so you will notice other areas responding (sometimes with twinges, sometimes soreness,). Trust that your body is eager to repair and get back into balance (from the inside out!) I think you will be surprised how those new discomforts will disappear, but if they get a lot worse and become more uncomfortable, be sure to have them checked out.

NOW – LOW BACK PAIN:

It is very important that you support your low back in everything that you do. Be aware at all times of how you stand and bend over. When you stand, BEND your KNEES ever so slightly, tucking your tailbone under and lifting up with your pelvic muscles. The muscles in the front of our bodies are not as strong as those in the back (and especially the Back muscles themselves), so it is easy to over use and strain the back. You may be feeling more now, because you have started using all the muscles a little differently. By doing 18 Style QG, in the slow rhythm, you allow the smaller muscles to build strength. When we do thing quickly, the bigger (stronger) muscles automatically take over and do the work and get overused.

AND YAWNING! –a normal reaction to relaxation AND to getting more oxygen into your system…more balancing stuff! 18Style QG is very relaxing and meditative, AND you are definitely oxygenating your blood and brain.

You are doing GREAT – great awareness and paying attention to your body! Be patient with it and perceiver! We believe Yoga has its benefits but Qi Gong 18 Style is more balancing overall. I think my mother would enjoy the Qi Gong with us!”

We will keep posting the exchange of information between Josette and Julia.

Posted on

Slow Easy Movements

When practicing Qi Gong 18 Style your slow easy  movements are to be  deliberate. Your practice should take you 18 – 20 minutes to complete. If you are faster than this you need to slow down and focus on slow movement. To take longer than 24 minutes means you are moving too slow.

Why slow movement? As we go through life, we tend to be efficient and expend only the minimum energy required. Thus we use the fewest muscles required in performing a task or perhaps we have a repetitive action that we perform leading us to over develop certain muscles. This way of moving and living shapes our bodies and affects our alignment. We over- use some muscles and others just rest, being used infrequently if ever. The slow deliberate movement causes us to use each muscle in our body which increases the flow of blood through the tissue, feeding our bodies. This allows the tissues to become elastic and open. By performing the Qi Gong 18 Style ritual over time, you will notice that you can move easier and your balance, eye-hand coordination, posture, skin color and ability to move all improve.

Keep moving with Slow Deliberate Movements

Posted on

Reactions and Results I have Observed as a Qi Gong Instructor

Results I have Observed as a Qi Gong Instructor.  Qi Gong 18 Style is a relatively easy form to learn. Although it takes time to master, most people can effectively practice this form after a 5 session class or a week of using the video, however most still need to use a “cheat sheet” for sometime.  It took me almost a year to do the form with confidence.

Qi Gong 18 Style is so simple and easy to learn. A lot of people do not comprehend how something as simple as this could have any effect on their well being.  Well, if a student will commit to doing the practice for 90 days they will understand what can happen in their body and their life. Many people have, within the first few days of practice, had very positive and remarkable awareness of changes in their bodies.

When I was teaching in the Chronic Pain Clinic at Kaiser Permanente in Denver, I would have 16 new students every 6 weeks.  We would meet once a week for an hour and fifteen minutes. Many times students would come to the second class and having practiced each day between classes they would exclaim how much better they were feeling after such a short time.  Some would say they had less pain than they had had for years.  When the 6 week session was completed, all of the students who accepted the challenge to practice daily for 90 days reported noticeable improvement.  These were all individuals that had been through all of the other programs of pain management (drugs, physical therapy, etc) offered at Kaiser Permanente and Qi Gong was their last resort.

Another reaction that I always enjoy is from the student who is physically fit, has a regular workout routine and is usually in class to support a spouse. They come into the second class and say, “I can’t believe how much I felt that in my muscles the next day, it didn’t seem like we were doing that much.”

I still struggle with getting students to see how something so simple can be life changing and that making the commitment to practice for 90 days they can improve their life and live from a better place.