Chi Kung Warmups

Chi Kung Warmups

Taoism can be practiced as a philosophical path. It can also be practiced as a religious path. For me, it is a physical, energetic, and spiritual practice. This path focuses on absorbing, circulating, and storing the energy of nature in the body. The energy of natural bodies, such as forests, lakes, trees, the sun, and moon are of a different and higher frequency than our body.

To absorb the energy of nature, we need to practice chi kung, meditation, and Taoist yoga to prepare our body to handle the frequency—or the energy may be too much. An analogy is that, as beginners, we are like a 10-Watt light bulb and we are downloading a 100 or 1000 Watts into our body. The bulb or our body will strain, blow, or short-circuit under the strain of the intense energy.

Warmups for chi kung, meditation, and tai chi are extremely important so the body can fill with blood and chi to prepare for the increased energy from our practice. These warm-ups are especially important for areas that don’t get stretched very often; such as the hips, sacrum, and hamstrings. Even if we are fit in a cardiovascular or strength sense, the preparedness for chi kung requires training of the nervous system.

The goal of warming up is to loosen the joints of the body, stretch and soften the muscles and tendons, and supply the body with oxygen and awareness. We don’t want to strain or overdo it at any time; this path is about longevity and gradual improvement. Please honor any limitations you have and learn to soften and ease into the body. This will pay greater ‘dividends’ of health and well-being in the future. Progress will happen sooner when we don’t force the issue. Smile and have fun!

The Alchemist’s Tao Te Ching:
Transforming Your Lead Into Gold

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