Swimming Dragon Qigong

Improve your balance, flexibility, coordination, breath and mood with one easy, brief exercise!

What you'll learn

Improve your breathing, flexibility and balance.

Use the demands of the exercise to practice your mindfulness.

The spinal flexibility and strength gained reduces back pain.

The breathing exercises and internal organ massage will improve your overall health and mood.

Requirements

Students should be in good health - only commence a new exercise regime if your physician thinks it is wise.

Description

Swimming Dragon Qigong is an easy to learn exercise that will improve your balance, flexibility, coordination, breath control and mood.  It feels great and takes only a few minutes to perform.  Do more repetitions if you have more time!  This treasured exercise can also serve you as an entry into the vast field of Qigong, or "life energy" exercises originally from China.  The course is composed primarily of videos to follow.  Learn the core Swimming Dragon sequence as well as several related exercises that will further enhance your flexibility and breathing.  These exercises are particularly good for spinal flexibility and will teach you how to create waves of motion through your spine with precise and delicious coordination.  This can reduce chronic back tension and pain.  Allowing and releasing this natural movement of the spine will bring you more embodied delight whether in daily life, on the dance floor, …or in the bedroom.Focus first on learning the movements, next the coordination with your breath, then make the movements isometric.  Isometrics (moving against self-created resistance) is often not taught in Qigong, but you will find that it greatly enhances the impact of the exercise, both in terms of your energy and in building your strength and coordination.The fourth step is to make the movements emotionally evocative.  By cultivating and maintaining a positive attitude during the exercise; marked by appreciation, gratitude, generosity and curiosity; you can deliberately train yourself to access that state more easily. The content is accessible for beginners and is taught step by step.  More advanced students will be able to learn the material quite quickly.  All the movements are brief and easy to learn which allows you to memorize them more quickly.  It is much more fun to do the movements without video guidance!  Then you can just relax and follow your wisest movement teacher, your own body.  Memorizing the movements permits you to pay deeper attention to subtle physical sensations and allows you to bring more attention to maintaining a harmonious emotional state.Your instructor, Nando Raynolds, a Psychotherapist and Life Coach,  has more than 35 years experience teaching movement, including T'ai Chi, Qigong, Karate and Contact Improvisation. 

Overview

Section 1: Welcome

Lecture 1 Preview

Lecture 2 Welcome!

Lecture 3 Predictable benefits of practice

Lecture 4 Predictable benefits of practice

Section 2: Getting ready…

Lecture 5 Overview

Lecture 6 3 Principles of qigong

Lecture 7 3 Principles of qigong

Lecture 8 4 stages in learning qigong

Lecture 9 4 stages of learning

Section 3: 3 Swimming Dragon "Strokes"

Lecture 10 Breast Stroke

Lecture 11 Breast Stroke

Lecture 12 Butterfly Stroke

Lecture 13 Butterfly Stroke

Lecture 14 Side Stroke

Lecture 15 Side Stroke

Section 4: Swimming Dragon

Lecture 16 Counterbalancing

Lecture 17 Counterbalancing

Lecture 18 Swimming Dragon Overview

Lecture 19 Swimming Dragon Overview

Lecture 20 Swimming Dragon Practice

Section 5: Wrapping up

Lecture 21 Ideas for building your practice routine

Lecture 22 Ideas for building your practice routine

Lecture 23 Thanks and closing

People who want better health, flexibility and balance. People who enjoy an interesting and beneficial coordination challenge.