Mind-Body Recovery Techniques

2019, Third Quarter: Curriculum

It is my aim to make health-promoting Qigong and Tai Chi accessible by teaching exercises that students can take up and use on their own between classes. (See what amounts to a manifesto in the opening lines of this website's Mind-Body Los Angeles page.) Admittedly, there is a lot of content in each class, so the challenge is to remember a few exercises (or even just one!) to start with, as you build your own practice over time. Please use this outline of our classes as a prompt to jog your memory, when you are off on your own and wanting to effect a little healing for yourself. If you would like more material, write mindbodylosangeles@gmail.com, and I will reply with links to video clips or handouts.

• Aligning between Earth and Sky (weekly opening)

  • Walking

  • Standing (to establish the basic posture)

• Vitality Enhancement Method (5 Qigong warm-up exercises)

  • 1. Flowing Motion

  • 2. Side to Side Bending Spine

  • 3. Holding up the Sky

  • 4. Forward and Backward Bending Spine

  • 5. Spontaneous Qigong

• Tracing the Qi Channels (self-applied massage)

• Misc. Qigong Exercises, Walking Meditations, Tai Chi Moves

  • ​We have been working on "Fair Lady Works the Shuttle to All Four Corners" from the Yang 108-Move Tai Chi Form: Section 3

• Guigen Qigong: "Return to the Roots" (a 5-section form, based on the Five Element Theory of Traditional Chinese Medicine)

  • Formal Opening

  • ​The Five Sections

    • ​Earth: Corresponding with the Spleen

    • Metal: Corresponding with the Lungs

    • Water: Corresponding with the Kidneys

    • Wood: Corresponding with the Liver

    • Fire: Corresponding with the Heart

• ​Closing Meditation