How Qigong has helped me
Physically:
When I first started Qigong I had shoulder issues – intense pain lifting my arm above my head. I had rotator cuff and tendon problems. The gentle flowing movements, together with mindful awareness has really helped guide me through healing this injury. I slowed everything right down and really listened to what was going on, found how I could move safely and comfortably and slowly slowly found my way to recovery.
It also flagged up injuries I was not even aware of. Several years ago I nearly fell off my ramp to my front door, and badly sprained my wrist. Quite an odd injury as usually the bones would break before damaging these ligaments. I had really forgotten about it, but as my practice unfolded I noticed movement in this hand and wrist had been compromised. For this I worked with tendon exercises from the Yi Jing Jing, working with spirals to help release old tensions and regain the movement that I had lost. Sometimes it just seems our brains can “forget” about a certain part of the body – and this is what that felt like! Reestablishing the connection here with my brain was the key.
The practice helps to keep my lower body healthy too! We do not skip leg day in Qigong class. Exercises include stretching , tapping, shaking and massaging – all providing improved range of motion, flexibility and circulation to our lower legs. I do quite a lot of work to keep my legs healthy, and Qigong plays a vital role. When the blood and circulation flows to our legs – it helps reduce swelling and improve healing, which can often take a long time in the lower extremities without a little extra help.
Qigong and meditation has also helped me with my digestion, bladder, bowels and elimination. Everybody with SCI knows that this can be an issue. We use self-massage practices and medical Qigong to focus our awareness on what’s happening inside. It’s very normal to store tension, stress and anxiety in our gut. If I am stressed I certainly feel that inner clench happening! These practices have taught me to tune into my gut and let go of tension I am holding here. I often “meditate” my digestion. This is simply the act of focusing my awareness on my gut…and doing “nothing” other than looking there, with kindness and compassion. I feel my gut unwind, gurgle, release, everything moving down. It has also helped me deal with my menstrual cycle and period pains. This was the one thing that got my reaching for the ibuprofen, without fail each month. I can now get through my cycle without any meds and without too much pain. Happy days!
The gentle movements are also great for releasing pain and tension in the body. I have a lot of spasticity in my legs, and sometimes they can cause me havoc at night, shaking with spasm every 30 seconds for hours on end. For the spasticity I have found meridian tapping, using a bean bag, incredibly helpful. It can sometimes trigger spasms whilst I do it, but it seems to “get the spasms out” and allow me to get a restful nights sleep.
The practice also just make me feel great!! It gets rid of that icky toxic feeling, leaves me feeling fresh and focused, relaxed and energized. We work softly and gently – but do not underestimate the power of this gentle flow!
Emotionally:
In Qigong everything is connected - the mind, the body, the breath, the emotions. We work with the 5 Element Theory of Traditional Chinese Medicine, which connects specific emotions to specific organs in the body. The first stage is tuning in to what is there right now in the present moment. This is acceptance of yourself, your beautiful body as it is, scars and all. Once we have tuned in, we use exercises and affirmations to help release any negative emotions and transform these into positive virtues. Every practice includes Gratitude, which in my experience is the most powerful tool for living a happy, contented and fulfilling life. Although the practice is gentle, it has become a powerful motivational driving force in my life. It teaches me to be the best version of myself!
Spiritually:
To be honest I couldn’t even say the word “spiritual” or “energy” before this practice. I definitely felt it during my yoga practice, it just wasn’t really something I thought about or spoke about. As an engineer, I guess I was always a very logical, evidence based kind of person. I hated all the wafty “woo” stuff that came alongside yoga, and preferred to focus on how it made my feel. Well, things have changed! I now want to shout about energy, and would describe myself as a spiritual person. For me this means connection to something much bigger, a conscious connection between each of us, with nature and the wider universe.
