Seven Slow Minutes
Here is a post from my ExerciseSlow site. Before starting the 18 slow movements of Shibashi qigong (Chi-Kung) I do a few of these warming and loosening exercises. Those of us who are well into middle age need to keep flexible and maintain our balance. (By the way, you don’t need to wear pants that are three sizes too big.)
[If the video below is not working, you can see it here.]
Please be careful when starting these exercises. Find some flat ground, at least flatter than I have in the video. It is important not to overdo it. For example, the leg-swinging exercises require a fair amount of balance. Start by doing each exercise well within your capability. I don’t believe in no pain no gain. Gentle and easy is the way to go. There is no competition here and you can do a little as you feel you want to. But it is through time and regular practice that one feels the benefit.The slower you do these exercises, the more demanding they can be. Go gently, go easy.
What a convenient post; as I’ve been looking to get into Tai Chi Chuan again.
Modern,
If you go over to http://www.ExerciseSlow.com there is a sign-up form. If you put your email in, I’ll let you know when I finish the qigong video. There are 18 exercises, and I’ll be releasing them for download in six segments containing three exercises each. There is an intro video on that site too.
Shibashi is a style of qigong (Chi-Gung, sometimes Chi-Kung). Chi-Gung, or however you want to approximate the word in English means energy-work. Tai Chi is a martial art, but Chi-Gung isn’t, but both share similarities. Both can promote calm, concentration, and flexibility.
Thanks for the comment.
[...] Christopher put an intriguing blog post on Seven Slow Minutes.Here’s a quick excerpt:Before starting the 18 slow movements of Shibashi qigong (Chi-Kung) I do a few of these warming and loosening exercises. Those of us who are well into middle age need to keep flexible and maintain our balance. … [...]