Establish a regular practice morning and evening. You will soon find that even a brief time of between 10-15 minutes will help engender those feelings of calm and ease in the body and mind.
Spend a few moments both before and after the practice standing in stillness whilst observing the breath.
Prior to starting your session, set an intention for the practice itself. This helps focus the mind and direct the energy.
Qigong loves a smile! Seat a lotus flower in your heart centre. Allow the corners of your mouth to turn upwards as you visualise the flower gently opening.
Practise only one or two short movements. If possible, follow the pattern of one movement with one breath. Starting with the arms at the sides of the body then gently raising and lowering the arms (keeping a slight bend in the elbows) is a simple way to integrate the breath with movement.
Remember that qigong can be done seated or standing so choose whichever best serves your mood. It is better to be seated and relaxed than standing with tension.
Remember to keep movements small or modify movements if you have injuries.
Always perform your Qigong movements gently and without strain.
Enjoy!
