Preparation is important in anything you do if you want to get the best benefits from it. This is especially true with the practice of Chi Kung/Qigong exercises.
So P in the PERFECT Qigong System stands for Preparation.
There are 4 elements I cover in preparation. In order they are:
- Safety First — make sure that where you are going to practice is safe. By this I mean that there are no sudden drops, no fragile objects to knock over, no furniture to bump into.
- Walk around briskly — for at least 30 paces. This is a signal that you are getting ready to start your practice. It’s like putting the needle on a record (for those of you old enough to remember vinyl). This is especially useful if you’ve climbed out of bed 20 seconds ago.
- Stand upright — with your feet close together, make sure you nose, your sternum and your belly button are in a straight line.
- Stand balanced — make sure you have 50% of your weight in your left leg and 50% in your right. Then make sure that your weight is evenly distributed 50/50 between the balls and the heels of your feet.
Being upright and balanced starts the qigong healing process. How? Because it means you have good posture.
Many of us have poor posture due to working in an environment with poor ergonomics. For example being slumped in front of a computer, or working at a desk that is too high or too low.
Another contributing factor to poor posture is slouching in chairs when at home, watching TV, or playing computer games etc.
Poor posture is a major factor in many physical blockages to harmonious energy flow through the meridians (energy streams) of the body. Just by standing upright and balanced we can start to remove these blockages.
And that’s the P in PERFECT. Simple, direct and effective.
Bye for now
Marcus James Santer