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yoga, meditation, living arts. Expand your spiritual horizons. Explore alternative approaches
to health. Discover a unique collection of books, audios, and videos, clothing, music,
and lifestyle accessories that bring pleasure and quiet beauty to your life.
yoga, meditation, living arts. Expand your spiritual horizons. Explore alternative
approaches to health. Discover a unique collection of books, audios, and videos, clothing,
and lifestyle accessories that bring pleasure and quiet beauty to your life.
Hello. My name is David Dorian Ross. Welcome to AM Chi for Beginners. Like oceans, lakes,
and rivers, the flow of energy in the human body rises and falls like the tide. The ancient
Chinese called this energy Qi. Imagine a form of liquid energy flowing through the body,
moving through long channels called meridians. The practice of Qi Gong uses powerful exercises
that manipulate and improve the flow of Qi through your body, which can help you lead
a more healthy and peaceful life. In the morning, the tide of Qi within your body is rising,
so this is the perfect time to practice exercises that open up your meridians and dissolve the
stagnant Qi. The morning is also a time when the Qi of nature is fresh and abundant, a
time to drink in the Qi from the environment and re-energize yourself for the day ahead.
Your AM Chi practice is designed to absorb the fresh Qi of the morning, get your life
force moving in the body after a night of sleep, and to prepare your thoughts for a
calm and balanced day. This Qi workout is made up of three short movement sequences.
We begin with gathering Qi from the six directions and mixing it in the cauldron of the body.
These exercises will help you recharge your spirit at the beginning of the day with fresh
morning Qi. The second sequence is called the Eight Pieces of Brocade, a centuries-old
routine which will harmonize the internal organs, align the energy meridians, and release
toxins. The final segment of our Qi workout is called Opening the Heart, a simple yet
powerful set of movements designed to open the energy gate located at the heart center.
This will help you focus the mind and soothe your emotions. Before we begin, there are
four simple instructions to remember to make your Qi practice more enjoyable and effective.
First, bring attention to the alignment of the spine. This is the major channel for the
flow of Qi through your body. Second, guide your breath so that it flows in concert with
the movements of your body. Third, relax both your body and your mind. As the ancient classics
say, where there is tension, the Qi cannot flow. Finally, open yourself to the visualizations
I'll be suggesting during the workout because the use of the imagination is the real key
to improving the flow of Qi. As you follow along with this AM Qi program, you'll notice
that the movements are relatively simple and easy. Such ease will make your practice of
Qi Gong an exercise you can do forever. AM Qi for beginners will help you to prepare
yourself to meet the challenge of the coming day with balanced energy, a calm heart, and
a peaceful mind. Stand with your feet hip-width apart, arms relaxed by your sides. Your head
top suspends upward as if your head is filled with helium, like a balloon rising into the
sky. Your arms and shoulders are heavy. Let gravity pull them down into the ground. With
your arms and shoulders heavy and your head light, your neck should feel very long. Relax
your chest so that you feel it sinking into the abdomen. Open your belly. Drop your pelvis
down toward the earth as if you had a long heavy tail like a dinosaur. And that long
heavy tail relaxes down into the ground. Using your imagination, visualize your spine extending
upward over the top of your head toward heaven and downward into the earth. To complete the
internal energy circuit and allow the Qi to flow unencumbered through your body, lightly
touch the tip of your tongue to the roof of your mouth just behind your front teeth and
keep it there for the rest of the workout. Begin with sinking the Qi. Inhale, arms float
up. At about shoulder height, bend your elbows and bring your hands over the top and then
float down the center, guiding the Qi down to just below your belly to a spot called
the lower dantian, a major gathering place for Qi energy. Slowly your arms float out
in front to shoulder height. Flex your wrists and tilt your hands up, pressing your palms
out. Then bend your elbows and slowly draw your hands in slightly. Then press out again,
expelling old Qi. Your breath should match the movement. Inhale as you draw your hands
inward and take in fresh Qi. Exhale as you press out, pushing out old Qi. One more time.
Inhale and withdraw. Exhale and push out. Flatten your hands and spread your arms out
to your side. Flex your wrists and press your palms out to your sides, expelling Qi east
and west. Inhale, bend your elbows and flatten your hands and draw in fresh Qi. Then exhale
and press out again, expelling old Qi. Inhale, draw in. Exhale, press. One more time. Inhale,
taking in fresh Qi first thing in the morning. Exhale, press out, getting rid of the old
stale blocked Qi. Relax your wrists, let your hands float down by your sides. Leave a little
space between your arms and your body to let the Qi circulate. Turn your palms to face
behind you and press your arms out to the back, expelling Qi now to the south. Raise
up on your toes, draw your hands into the sides of your waist as you press your hands
out in front of you, drop down on your heels. Open your hands, palms reach out in front,
up over the top of your head, gathering in Qi from heaven. Interlace your fingers, turn
your palms up. Use your arms to frame your head like a halo. Roll your shoulders once,
twice, last time, and pause. Now press your arms up overhead. Relaxing your knees, bend
forward at your waist, dropping over and down. After drawing in Qi from the heavens, you'll
now draw it in from the earth. Just hanging, let your arms draw in Qi from the ground between
your feet. Release your hands, cross your right hand over your left. With your knees
bent, slowly round up. Make a circle shape with your hands. Slowly step your left foot
out into a small lunge, your left hand comes out in front, your fingertips pointing straight
up toward heaven, your right hand down by your hip, palm down. Gaze into the middle
of your outstretched palm. Now that you've gathered Qi from the six directions, you will
mix it in the cauldron of the body. Smoothly move to the opposite side by turning your
left toes forward, dropping your left hand down, step up with your right foot. Make the
shape of a ball with your hands, right foot steps out to the corner, right hand extends,
fingers pointing up toward heaven, left hand flat by your hip. Eyes looking into the middle
of your palm. It is said that the spirit of the eyes leads the mind, and the mind leads
the Qi. Turn your right toes forward, dropping your right hand down in front of your belly.
Step up with your left foot parallel with your right, hold your hands just in front
of your belly button, fingertips dangling down toward the earth. Slowly press in toward
your belly, raise your hands up slightly and sweep them out and around to your sides, pressing
your hands all the way down along the length of your body. Sink the Qi one time. Inhale,
as you sweep your hands down, preparing for the eight pieces of brocade. Turn your hands
palm up and slowly lift them up the center line of your body. At your sternum, rotate
your hands outward and press up overhead. Keep your arms straight and look up between
your fingers, then slowly relax your arms out and down to your sides. Repeat the movement,
inhaling as your hands float up your body. Exhale, as your hands gently drop down to
your sides. Allow your breathing to occur naturally within the rhythm of the movement.
This movement is called holding up the heavens like a pillar. Press and exhale down. Last
exhale up and exhale all the way down. The next movement is called drawing the bow to
shoot an arrow. Step your right foot out wide, make your hands into loose fists, sweep your
hands out to the right up to shoulder height and raise the index finger of your long arm
straight up. Bend both knees and sit down into a horse riding stance, at the same time
pulling your left hand back across your chest as if you're drawing a bow. Your eyes sight
far out past the raised index finger, as far as you can imagine seeing. Straighten your
legs and raise up, turning your head and sweeping your arms across to the opposite side. Again,
raise both arms out to shoulder height, point your index finger up, squat down and draw
the bow across your chest, looking far out into the distance. This movement not only
opens your chest and shoulders, it also opens the energy gates that cross over your hip
joints to allow the chi to travel freely from your upper body, down your legs, through your
feet and into the earth. Inhale as your arms rise, exhale as you squat down and pull the
bow up. Inhale, exhale. As you finish this last drawing of the bow, smoothly come back
to center. The next move is called penetrating heaven and earth. Raise your hands palm up
along the center line of your body. At chest height, your hands turn in opposite directions,
your right hand turning up toward heaven, your left hand turning down toward the earth.
Fully extend in both directions, then gently float your hands back to meet at your chest
where your hands change directions, your left hand continuing up overhead, your right hand
pressing down toward the ground. Inhale as you come back to center, exhale as you press
out in both directions. Inhale, exhale. Last time on both sides, draw your breath in, press
out, opening up the sides of your body. Move back to center. Other side. Press out. Bring
both hands back to center and then gently lower them down to your sides. The next movement
is a simple standing twist called the dragon. With your feet firm on the ground, gently
twist at the waist to the right, your arms following your shoulders. Your breath follows
the movement. Inhale as you come to the center, exhale as you turn away. Inhale, center, exhale,
exhale. Like in drawing the bow, your eyes look far. Use your imagination to look as
far out into the sky as you can. The twisting action of this movement will help you open
the energy channels of the spine and revitalize the nervous system. As you finish, come back
to center, sinking the chi one time. Inhale as you lift your arms over the top, exhale
as you drop down in front. Step out wide to the left and squat down into horse riding
stance. Place both hands on your knees and lean over slightly. For this wag the tail
movement, rotate your tailbone to the right and allow your head and upper body to turn
to the left and lift up. Hold the pose and then drop your chest down and wag the tail
back to the other side. Raise your chest up, relax down, turn, inhale, exhale. Drop your
chest, wag the tail. Inhale, raise your head up and exhale down. Last time both sides.
Exhale, drop down, wag the tail over. Inhale up, exhale as you return to center. Bring
your feet together and stand up straight. Sink the chi. Step your right leg out and
sink down into horse riding stance. Make your hands into loose fists again, bend forward
slightly and bring your fists up to your waist. Beginning with your right hand, push your
fist out in front of you like you're punching. Tighten your fist, tighten your forearm and
open your eyes wide looking angrily and then relax your eyes, relax your fist and draw
your arm back. Slowly punch out with your other hand. Tighten up your fist, open your
eyes wide. Your eyes are releasing chi as you open them wide and then as you relax them
they allow fresh chi to flow into your body. Exhale, tighten and punch. Open your eyes
wide and then relax your eyes, relax your fist as you draw your arm back to your waist.
Inhale, exhale as you punch. Relax. Inhale, exhale and punch out. And relax. Last one.
Inhale, exhale and punch. Relax your arms to your sides and step back to center. Sinking
the chi. Place your hands on your hips, your knees slightly bent. Tilt your head back and
arch into a slight back bend. Then with your knees still soft, drop over and down into
a forward bend. Cross your arms and hold on to your elbows and let everything hang heavily.
Release your arms, letting your fingertips softly brush your feet. Slowly roll back up
to a standing position, leaning back, letting your chest open up to the sky, head drops
back and then lean forward again. Releasing your hands from your hips, cross your arms.
Release your arms, brush your fingertips over your feet. Slowly roll up again. One last
time, lean back, open your chest up to the sky, inhale, exhale, come forward over and
down. Keeping your back straight, embrace your arms. Release and brush the tops of your
feet. Hands back to your hips and slowly roll up. Drop your arms down to your sides and
raise way up on your toes. Hold this position and as you exhale, drop down onto your heels.
This breaks up any loose, stuck chi in your body. Once more, sink the chi. To balance
the heart, raise your arms out and up. At shoulder height, your elbows bend, your hands
fold in over the top and float down the center of your body as your knees bend. Stand back
up and raise your hands to the region of the heart. Bend your knees and lower down and
float your hands out and down and around to your waist. Slowly stand up again and raise
your hands back up to the heart. Bend your knees and lower your hands and raise your
arms overhead again and once more float your hands down the center of your body. Finally,
your knees straighten and your hands rise up to the heart where you make a diamond shape
and push out and down. Inhale as you raise your arms again. Exhale as you bend your knees
and float your hands down. Inhale as your hands rise up to the heart. Exhale as you
bend your knees and stroke out and down and around and under. Inhale as you come back
up and raise your hands. Exhale as your knees bend and your hands drop down. Inhale as you
stand and sweep your arms up and over. Exhale down. Inhale up and making a diamond shape
with your hands float out and down. Let's do that whole sequence one more time. Balancing
the heart prepares you for a day that is calm, a day without strife, a day in which you can
address every person and every event with a joyful heart, an open heart. Press your
hands out in a diamond shape and this time keep your knees straight as you lower your
arms to your sides. Inhale up, arms over the top, exhale down to bring all your chi fully
into your center. One last time, sink the chi. Bow humbly to the heavens.
Inhale up, arms over the top, exhale down to bring all your chi fully into your center.
Inhale up, arms over the top.