" Learn How to Boost Your Positive Ki Energy Using Deep Breathing, Relaxation, Stretching and Mind Focus "
Stretching exercises lengthen muscles and help them to work more efficiently. Joints are encouraged to maintain and increase their range of movement, and the internal organs are stimulated. Learning how to relax and soften your body is of great benefit to your general health. Studying Aikido, Chi Kung, Ki massage, Shiatsu, Acupressure or Makko Ho, practices help you to gain more from your training. The idea of Ki energy or Chi is fundamental to Chinese medical thinking. It's regarded as neither matter nor energy, which fills everything that exists. A Chinese doctor will talk about a person having strong Chi, weak Chi, stagnant Chi, collapsed Chi etc. These conditions manifest themselves in ways they can recognize, diagnose and treat if necessary. Meridians and blood vessels are the pathways through which Ki energy circulates around the body. They consist of fourteen major and six minor meridians. These channels are associated with the major organs of the body, though these organs do not always coincide with western anatomical ideas. Certain points, or cavities, along the meridians are associated with beneficial therapeutic effects. Stimulating these cavities with acupuncture needles, or simply by finger pressure as used in ki energy massage and shiatsu have specific physiological effects. Knowing where the main points are, and how to stimulate them, can add a new dimension to your warming-up exercises. For example, rather than just rotating your ankles, you can be pressing one of several potent points of the kidney, liver or spleen meridians that pass through the foot. Rather than tapping your body in a random fashion during warm-up, you can follow the line and direction of the meridians and thus stimulate them more effectively. Even a superficial study of shiatsu and other similar oriental systems can be of great benefit in your normal practice. We already make use of at least one of the cavities in our normal practice. Yonkajo uses the points located on the inside of the wrist. The three arm yin meridians pass through the inside of the wrist (Lung, Pericardium and Heart meridians) and yonkajo exerts pressure on one or more points. These same points can be used in shiatsu and acupuncture to cure ailments. It is possible to press many different cavities when performing ordinary Aikido techniques. This suggests that we could learn how to stimulate the healing energies of our partners as we practice. The technique of Cavity Press, or Tien Hsueh, is well known in Chinese martial arts and is regarded as probably the highest accomplishment of Chi Kung in the martial arts. They have identified 108 cavities that can be attacked by striking with a finger, palm, fist, foot or elbow, or by grasping. Ultimate Stretching - A Boost To Your Energy Levels
Chi Kung or Qigong is the study of how Chi circulates in the body and many of the exercises involve slow stretching movements that are coordinated with the breathing. The stretches are aimed at stimulating particular meridians as well as exercising joints and muscles. When performed correctly, they help to make the body more balanced and healthier. |
