Descripción del proceso productivo industrial

If you would like to develop and strengthen your qigong practice, I highly recommend that you experiment with a short daily sequence. How you start your day has a deep influence on your physical, mental, and emotional state throughout the day’s events. A short morning routine will help clear your internal energy pathways, so that your energy is naturally able to absorb any anxiety, fear, or other strong feelings you might have during the day.

You could experiment with the following qigong energy- strengthening sequence before you get carried away with the day’s worries— even before you reach for your phone or your computer. Of course, you may have many thoughts and worries while you do this, but just let all those thoughts and feelings arise as you do your qigong. The fol- lowing sequence, drawn from the practices in this book, will take you less than ten minutes a day.

Begin in bed. Lie flat on your back, arms resting beside you. Stretch your toes up and lift your head to look at your toes. (“Overwhelmed, Lying Down,” part 3)

Sit up on the edge of your bed. Place your feet flat on the floor. Sit still for about a minute. (“Sitting Up,” part 1)

Get up. Use the toilet if you need to. Make yourself a cup of warm water (not tea or coffee, and not too hot) and drink it.

Stand still, preferably where there is some fresh air coming in. Practice arm swinging. One hundred arm swings will take you less than two minutes. You can do more if you wish! (“Arm Swinging,” part 2)

Slowly move your arms to your sides so that you are standing in wu ji. Practice the relaxation sequence, starting with your eyes and scanning down through your body to release any overnight tension. Remain in wu ji for two minutes as you do this. (“Starting Wu Ji,” part 1)

Remain standing. Slowly move your arms in front of you to hold the golden ball in front of your belly. Relax your shoulders. Hold this position for a minute. (“Holding the Golden Ball at Your Belly,” part 3)

Practice twisting, tensing, and then relaxing your hands twelve times. This will take you about a minute. (“Tensing and Relaxing,” part 2)

Stand in the “Gathering Your Energy” posture for a minute to close the routine. (“Gathering Your Energy,” part 1)

110 The Qigong Workbook for Anxiety

Frequently Asked Questions

What do I do if I can’t stand still in wu ji or hold the golden ball long enough?

Please don’t overdo any of these practices. You are not in a competition— either with yourself or with others. Please don’t strain yourself. At the beginning, you will experi- ence many different sensations. Some people get impatient. Some people get bored. Some people experience aches and pains. Some people feel nothing. This is all part of the way qigong works on your nervous system. Set yourself a clear target for your prac- tice. But if you feel you need to stop sooner, that’s fine. You need to pay attention to your own experience and be guided by your own natural wisdom.

Is it normal to shake while doing qigong?

Shaking is perfectly normal. As you hold the positions, your muscles slowly tire. The parts of the muscles that you normally use may reach the limits of their endurance and call on the remaining parts of the muscles to help. This is the point— a stage beyond tension— at which you may begin to tremble. The shaking may then become more vig- orous. That’s natural. Don’t try to stop shaking. You will gradually find yourself shaking less and less. For long periods, you may not shake at all. Relax in the position as much as you can. If you relax as much as you can, you will have taken your body and mind to a new level of development.

Is something wrong if one side of my body feels different than the other?

Nothing at all. As you stand, one leg may feel longer than the other. One finger can be hot; another, cold. In the qigong tradition, these are signs that your internal energy is beginning to rebalance itself. At first you notice imbalances of which you may have been completely unaware. Normally, your body naturally rebalances itself. The initial experi- ence of asymmetry is a sign that your training is working.

Is something wrong if my feet feel odd?

This is natural. Our lives are so busy that we rarely have time to be still. When we sit or stand still for a little while, our nervous systems react. Some people find that their feet feel hot when they first stand in qigong postures. Sometimes they get pins and needles.

Developing Your Inner Strength 111

These are the natural sensations of your feet bearing the relaxed weight of your body and making a powerful connection to the energy of the earth.

Does qigong affect my digestion?

Qigong improves the flow of energy throughout your entire body, including all your internal organs. Sometimes people are surprised to find their stomachs rumbling or to experience burping and flatulence when they are doing these exercises. This is all part of qigong waking up your system. I recommend that you drink a glass of warm water before doing qigong training, especially if you start a daily routine. Never overeat. Chew your food thoroughly before swallowing. That helps your digestion— whether you are doing qigong or not.