Happy Thanksgiving !（感謝祭）

 Thanksgiving Day

I made a motion graphics with Apple Motion and Logic Pro.  Please enjoy my "Turkeys Parade".

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We teach Qigong（養生気功) and martial arts exercises（武術基本功),  Traditional Yang Style Taichi(伝統楊式太極拳), and Taijiyuangong(太極元功) for health, beauty, and longevity.

Visit Hawaiian Relaxation Qigong and Taichi Class in Tokyo.

Anti-aging Health Qigong 12,13

Eight Direction Qigong 陰陽八方功

Movement 12 &13

12.  Turning Ankles (for better Qi circulation and helps preventing ankle injury)

Place hands on knees.  Rotate them in a circular motion, first in, then forward, than out, finally returning to the original position.  Rotate the knees in the reverse direction.  Return to fully standing position. 

13.  Lower Back Massage (helps preventing back pain)

Place hands on lower back, thumbs on side, with four fingers on lower back.  Inhale,  rotate the hips to the left, placing pressure on the left lower back with the fingers; rotate hips forward, pushing forward with the hands; Exhale, rotate hips to the right, pushing on the right lower back with the fingers; rotate hips backward, returning to the original position. Revere the direction of motion.

Qigong for Anti-aging and Health 10, 11

Eight Direction Exercise

Movement 10 & 11

10.  Exercise for Preventing and Improving Hemorrhoid

 Inhale Interlace fingers in front of the chest.  ExhaleBend down to the floor, lowering the hands as far as possible.  Bend knees and bring them together, sitting down as far as possible.  Inhale Stand up, extending legs, still bending forward at the waist.  Inhale Contract glutes and Exhale relax 3 times. 

11.  Hip joint and knee Exercise
Place hands on knees.  Rotate them in a circular motion, first in, then forward, than out, finally returning to the original position.  Rotate the knees in the reverse direction.  Return to fully standing position. 

Qigong for Anti-aging and Health 9

Eight Direction Exercise 

Movement 9

9.  Stretching the back

Bring hands in front of the chest with fingers interlaced and palms facing down.  Bend down at waist, getting down as close as possible to the floor, stretching the lower back and legs.  Inhale, lifting torso parallel to the ground, rotate at the waist in the direction of the left foot.  Exhale, lowering the hands down to the left foot. Perform on the right side. Place hands behind the ankle, relaxing the knee joints.  Inhale, stand up, hands tracing up the back of the legs, and up to the Ming Men (lower back area). Rotate palms outward on Ming Men.  Raise hands up along the back as high as possible, and trace the hands through the under arms, and up to the eye level, palms facing inward.  Think of chi flowing through the arms into the hands. Exhale, relaxing knees, and lowering hands to the waist, Chi flowing down to the Dantian, palms facing upwards. Inhale, palms facing down, raise the arms up parallel to the body. Exhale, bringing hands in front of the chest, interlacing the fingers.  Bend down to the floor, extending arms to the ground.

Qigong for Anti-aging and Health 7, 8

Eight Direction Exercise 阴阳八方功

Movement 7 and 8

7.  Energy come in from Danzhong　膻中穴
Bring forearms together in front of the chest, palms, facing the chest, hands in a fist, elbows and forearms tight to the body.  Inhale, rotate arms outwards, keeping elbows pinned to the ribcage and rotating the fists outwards towards the shoulders, stretching the muscles around the scapula.  Exhale, 

8.  Open the window

Returning to the original position in a reverse motion.
Place hands together in a praying posture in front of the chest. Push hands out from the body in a horizontal circular motion until they are parallel to the body.  Fully extend the arms as much as possible to stretch the chest and arm muscles.  Return arms to original position. 

Qigong for Anti-aging and Health : 5 and 6

Eight Direction Exercise Part 2 

Movement 5 and 6

5. Earth Energy and Sky Energy Flowing inside the Body

Return feet to shoulder width apart.  Inhale, imagining opening your body to new chi気, and raise your arms up to the sky.  Imagine a beautiful natural scenery; ocean, mountains, and sky.

As the hands reach the sky, exhale, imagining bai hui百會 (crown of the head) receiving chi energy天気 from the sky and going down from head to the chest to the abdomen and then to the legs.

Press the hands down while exhaling, bending forward at the waist and reaching the hands down to the feet.  When fully bent forward, draw circles on the ground with the hands, imagining earth energy地氣 inside the ground.

Inhale, stading up, imagining earth energy rising up through the legs into the dantian丹田.

Standing erect, draw arms in front of the abdomen in a horizontal circular motion; imagining chi氣 circling through the internal organs and returning to the belly button.  Exhale, placing  the backs of the hands together in front of the chest, then rotating hands inwards towards the chest in a vertical circle.  

Continue to rotate the hands down pointing towards the ground while simultaneously lowering them toward the ground; imaging chi going down through the body.  With the arms fully extended, inhale, rotating the arms upwards at the shoulder until the arms are pointing the sky.  

Look up at the fingers with the chin pointing up as well  Exhale, lowering the hands to the side of the body, imagining chi氣 going down to the dantian丹田

. 

6.  Pushing the Wall Behind

Standing with feet at shoulder width on the balls of the toes, bend wrists back as far as they can.  Inhaling, tighten the glutes, standing up on the balls of the toes, and rotating arms backwards at the shoulder.  Exhale, lowering the heels, relax wrists and returning arms to original position.

Qigong for Anti-aging and Health 1 to 4

Try Eight Direction Exercise for Health and Longivity

Yin Yang Bafang Gong 陰陽八方功

Note: perform each movement 3x

Starting position:

Start with  feet spread shoulder width apart and hands resting at side ofbody.  Stand erect with back straight, lifting the crown of the head to the sky, and relaxing the chin.  Stand in a relaxed position; specifically, with the knee and hip joints relaxed.  Your mind should be concentrated on the Dantian 丹田region, four finger widths below the belly button. 

Part 1
Movement 1 to 4

1. Breathing Gently and Relaxing

Inhale, lifting the arms in a circular motion with the palms facing 

upward.  When the hands reach above your head with palms facing down, 

exhale, starting to press down towards the ground.

2. Turning and Pointing Back

Raise your arms to shoulder height, pointing the index fingers of each 

hand.  Inhale, rotating at the waist to the left, your eyes following the index 

fingers.  Imaging chi going to the tip of the index finger.  As you turn, 

pivot on the ball of the big toe on the foot opposite the direction turned.  

Exhale, rotating at the waist back to the original position.  Facing forward, 

lower the hands to waist level, imagining chi sinking  down to the dantian.  

Perform for the right side. 

3. Stretching the Side of Your Body

Inhale, bending at the left waist towards the ground.  Left hand is flat 

on the side of the body, extending down, while the right elbow is simultane

ously rising up along the body towards the shoulder, stretching it.  

4. Stretching the Thighs and Relaxing the Hip Joints

Spread feet wide apart, with feet parallel towards the front.  Bend the 

left knee, while maintaining the right leg fully extended.  Press down with 

the right hand on the right hip joint and inhaling raise the left arm up to the 

sky.  Exhale, bending at the right waist, keeping the left arm near the left 

ear and your weight on your left heel.  Extend the upper body, stretching 

the right inner thigh; do not collapse your upper body.  Perform on the right

 side.

Lower Back Pain Relief Exercise

Improving and Preventing Lower Back Pain

So many people experience acute(short-term) back pain.

When acute(short-term) back pain occurs, it generally lasts for a few days to a few weeks.  Sometimes, the pain may be very strong that a person cannot stand straight or walk.  Three of my students had experienced it before.  They felt  stabbing pain when tried to go back to the standing position after bending forward.

I noticed what three people have in common.  Their back muscles are tight.  Because of the less flexibility, they cannot round their backs like Yoga cat pose when they bend forward.  Their back of the legs are also tense. 

To relief the pain and prevent the future injury, I recommended them to practice Ying Yang Bafang Gong 陰陽八方功 as it is a very moderate exercise that can relax the body, stretch to improve the flexibility and strengthen the muscles.  Also, the martial arts swinging arm exercise (Shuiashou甩手) and kicks may help improve flexibility and strengthen the back and abdominal muscles to support the spine.  I showed the self-massage on back and stretch exercise for spine on the chair.  

Qigong for Lungs Prevents Cold and Flu

益氣養肺功 Qigong for Lungs

Yi Qi and Yang Fei (益氣, 養肺) means replenishing Qi and nourishing the lungs.

Practicing Lung Qigong is for strengthening the lungs 

in the Autumn.  The breathing exercises will replenish your Qi and 

strengthen your respiratory system.  Replenishing Qi can also 

make your immune system stronger.  So, practice the Lungs 

Qigong to prevent catching colds and flu during cold season.  After 

a long hot summer, the temperature suddenly dropped down and 

many people are finding themselves catching cold and flu now.   

Try to keep your body warm, eat nutritious food, and sleep well 

may help prevent cold and flu infections.    

It is also important to reduce the stress because stress may 

weaken your immune system.  Qigong help many people to relax  

the mind and the body and reduces the stresses.  Qigong also may help strengthen the immune system.

Higanbana is an Autumn flower.  Higan means three days before and after Spring and Autumn Equinox.