Tag: taoist yoga

Consistent Exercise Affects the Body & Mind

“My back is stiff and seems to ache all the time.”

“Stretching with yoga and qigong can help this!”

“My feet and hands are always cold.”

“Tai chi and regular exercise can improve this!”

“I get winded walking up a flight of stairs.”

“Consistent cardio exercises like walking, swimming, and tai chi increase breathing capacity!”

“High blood pressure runs in my family.”

“Deep breathing exercises help to manage stress and hypertension!”

“I feel bloated hours after I eat.”

“Exercises that move the core, like yoga, qigong and tai chi all help improve digestion!”

“I don’t have time to exercise; I will go to the doctor, sit and wait to be seen, then get a prescription to mask my root health issues.”

“Or you could take control of your own health, exercise regularly and feel better for doing so!”

Consistent Exercise Affects the Body & Mind

Stay active, eat quality food and manage emotions and stress – 3 key elements to maintaining good health. And it doesn’t cost a fortune to improve all 3; just time and self-discipline.

Pick a method – walk, run, swim, yoga, tai chi, weight training, qigong, stretch. Each has its pros and cons. JUST PICK ONE and do it consistently.

Consistent exercise helps you:

– Strengthen the immune system

– Lower risk of obesity, cancer, heart disease, diabetes and many other illnesses

– Lose, gain, or maintain weight

– Improve resistance to infections

– Gain high-quality sleep

– Help to balance emotional health

– Prevent and relieve chronic pain

– Exercise increases size of hippocampus and improves memory

– Increase blood and oxygen flow to your brain

– Release accumulated toxins through better blood circulation

– Increase blood flow supplying nutrients necessary to keep brain cells healthy

– Improve your brain function

Tai Chi, yoga and qigong are all methods that increase the flow of energy ( and blood flow) within the body improving health and well-being.

Be well, stay healthy, be wise!

Jim Moltzan

https://mindandbodyexercises.wordpres

The Meaning of the 8 Trigrams and Bagua

The Meaning of the 8 Trigrams and Bagua

The following is a very basic explanation of the The Meaning of the 8 Trigrams and Bagua. There are many books and resources that go into greater depth regarding these ancient concepts of balance and harmony.

The four phases that are generated by the two poles (yin pole, yang pole) are represented by Metal, Wood, Water and Fire. They also assume the manifestation of four strengths: greater yang, lesser yang, greater yin and lesser yin. The four phases yield the eight trigrams. Heaven-Lion, Earth-Unicorn, Thunder-Dragon, Wind-Phoenix, Water-Snake, Fire-Hawk, Mountain-Bear and Lake-Monkey. The Zhou Yi also represented the above derivation with symbols. The straight line represents the Yang phase and a broken line represents the Yin phase.

The following diagrams will help you see the progression of the development of the Eight Trigrams.

trigrams

This concept then translates into the graphical representation of the bagua, or eight- sided figure as shown below.

bagua graphic

One on one instruction is often the best option for learning more about these concepts. If interested in learning more, contact me at 407-234-0119 or info@MindAndBodyExercises.com

Be well, stay healthy, be wise.

Jim Moltzan

The Small or Microcosmic Circulation

The Small or Microcosmic Circulation

The Small Circulation, Small Circle, or the Microcosmic Orbit, is the practice of circulating one’s internal energy (Qi or chi), within the human body. The illustration below represents the awareness of energy flow throughout the Governing and Conception meridians; in this case, the fire path. These meridians are located on the center line of the body and in turn govern and regulate the other meridians. This practice has been considered to be the foundation of Internal Qigong. It was a fundamental step on the path of meditation training in ancient times. Over time, this practice has gradually been lost from many meditation traditions, and its importance diminished. Though meditation is popular today for relaxation, stress relief and general health, the ultimate goal for some people, is spiritual awareness and enlightenment. Small Circulation Meditation transforms the body from weak to strong while training the mind to be calm and focused.

small circulation

Opening of the Small Circulation

Basically, the small circulation refers to the practice of regulating and increasing the flow of one’s internal energy throughout the conception and governing channels. This increase in energy throughout the body has been known for centuries to promote health and longevity. Beginning meditation training can be started by practicing breathing deeply from the diaphragm or Abdominal Breathing. The Small Circulation can be the next stage of meditation training. Eventually, one can practice the Grand Circulation Meditation, which circulates Qi everywhere in the body. The Grand Circulation, Big Circle or Big Circulation refers to the energy flow through the Twelve Primary Qi channels or meridians. Qigong is interrelated to the energy meridians. When consistent practice reaches a certain level, the individual can feel the Qi and blood flow through the meridians. The paths of the meridians must be some-what familiar while practicing Qigong so as promote Qi to move along them.

Qigong is one way of strengthening the human body, preventing diseases and prolonging life. It includes two aspects. One being, self-training by performing postures of the human body, regulation of respiration, relaxation of the mind and body, and concentration of one’s mind. This aspect is to regulate and strengthen the physical functions of the practitioner’s own body. The second aspect is more advanced in that the spe-cialist of Qigong can send out their Qi externally to particular areas of another person in order to treat or prevent illness.

Visualize holding a weightless ball between your palms and chest, another within the pelvis. After conforming to the above body alignments, inhale while focusing just below the navel and following your center line between the legs and up the back, over the head and to the spot between the nose & upper lip. Exhale as following your awareness back to just below the navel.

Small circulation #1

One on one instruction is often the best option for learning and practicing these types of exercises. If interested in learning more, contact me at 407-234-0119 or info@MindAndBodyExercises.com

Be well, stay healthy, be wise.

Jim Moltzan

Basic Shoulder Anatomy & Low Impact Exercises to Increase Strength & Range of Motion

Basic Shoulder Anatomy & Low Impact Exercises to Increase Strength & Range of Motion

Often people experience shoulder issues such as injuries, weakness and poor range of motion. Some exercise with running, stretching and weight training with little or no knowledge of how they should proceed with improving their particular issues. By practicing low impact exercises that focus more on strength and flexibility of the shoulder joint and its components, one can improve many issues without taking more drastic options such as pain medicines or surgery.

Basic Shoulder Anatomy

Additionally, having some knowledge of how the shoulder joint is composed and the natural range of motion, can help the individual to have a better understanding of what the exercises are doing and set better goals and expectations.

8 Directions of mobility

Shoulder Exercises Using Dynamic Tension and/or Light Weights

The below exercises are fairly simple and can be performed with or without dumbbells. The main goal is to increase strength within the natural range of motion in the neck, shoulders, arms, spine, hips, thighs and ankles. Light weights can help to tone muscles as well as provide increased strength in lesser used muscle groups. Weight training, even with lighter weights, has been known to help prevent osteoporosis. These exercises take up very little space and a few minutes of time to gain benefits. There should be a deep inhale at the start of each exercise, lasting about 4 seconds, followed by a deep 4 second exhalation as finishing the exercise. The muscles should remain relaxed while moving and flexed at the end position.

exercise 1&2

exercise 3&4

Here are a few somewhat more advance exercises. Try and use a bean bag or a sock filled with small pebbles. Then you can adjust the amount of weight as you gain more strength in the muscles and joints. Lighter weight is always better than too heavy, which often can lead to more pain or discomfort.

exercise 5&6

One on one instruction is often the best option for learning and practicing these types of exercises. If interested in learning more, contact me at 407-234-0119 or info@MindAndBodyExercises.com

Be well, stay healthy, be wise.

Jim Moltzan