The Exercises I Keep Coming Back To
Three mornings a week, before I pick up the dumbbells for strength training, I usually spend ten or fifteen minutes doing Qigong.
I begin with two exercises called Constant Bear and Reverse Bear. I do each for a minute or two, enough to get my torso moving and begin to feel warmed up. Then I go through the Eight Brocades, a familiar series of movements I've practiced and taught for many years.
I move at a comfortable pace, usually repeating each exercise a handful of times. I don't count very carefully. Some mornings I spend a little longer; others, a little less.
It's a small routine, especially compared with some of the Qigong I've practiced in the past. But it's the one I keep coming back to.
Back in the late 1990s, when I was developing what became the ChiFusion program, I spent quite a bit of time exploring Qigong exercises that would work well for beginners.
Many students found traditional Tai Chi difficult, not only because they had to remember sequences of movements, but because the coordination, twisting, and shifting were unfamiliar to their bodies. I wanted to give them something more accessible from the start.
The Eight Brocades fit that purpose nicely. Much of the movement is in the arms and legs, with stretching and joint movement that's easier to recognize and learn. The Bear exercises introduced more movement through the torso. I liked the Bears so much that I once wanted to teach them first, but they turned out to be a little too demanding for absolute beginners. Eventually they moved to the next level of the course.
Those exercises became part of the foundation of ChiFusion. They were useful preparation for more complicated practices, but they could also be worthwhile on their own.
I've learned and taught plenty of other Qigong since then. Sometimes I'll spend a few weeks with 36 Qi Drills, or a heart-meridian or Spiraling Qigong practice. I enjoy the change.
But I eventually find myself returning to the Bears and the Brocades.
Part of their appeal is familiarity. I don't have to think much about what comes next. I can pay attention to the movement itself, to the way my joints and muscles feel, and to the sense of energy that comes as I settle into the practice.
Familiar doesn't mean there's nothing left to discover, either.
For years, I disliked the fifth Brocade, Wag Head and Tail. I used to joke with my classes that I wished the Eight Brocades were just the Seven Brocades.
These days, I actually look forward to that one. I don't think I do it especially well, but I've come to enjoy it. I'm not entirely sure when that changed.
The routine also happens to be a very good beginning to my strength training.
The Brocades get my arms and legs moving, while the Bears bring more movement into my torso. Together they help me loosen up, especially around the joints, before I start lifting weights. On a cold morning I may feel physically warmer, but even when it's warm outside, I finish feeling ready to move.
And the strength training seems to have changed the Qigong in return. The familiar movements now feel a little more powerful and stable, while still remaining relaxed.
There's no need for me to make the Qigong session longer simply because I know more exercises. For what I want from it most mornings, ten or fifteen minutes works well.
Sometimes I practice the same routine without doing any weights afterward. When I take a break from strength training, I may do the Qigong by itself, or add a little Tai Chi. It still leaves me feeling better for having moved.
After all these years, I could choose something quite different for my daily practice. And sometimes I do.
But most mornings, I begin with the two Bears, follow them with the Eight Brocades, and then go on with my day.
Some days that means picking up the dumbbells. Other days it simply means I've had a few good minutes of movement.
Either way, it's good to return to these old friends.