Happy Year of the Dog ~ Qi Gong for pain relief & relaxation...

[BadHare]

We learned this on the pain management courses I took part in. A lot of the exercises can be done seated, so it's suitable for those with mobility & balance issues, though it improves both.

taichination.com/userfiles/...

Lots of other articles & videos available on't'interweb.

[Madlegs1]

Thanks - and Happy New Year to you too. Tashi!

[deejames]

Thanks for posting this badhare but may i add a caveatbfrom someone who did Tai Chi and Qi Gong for more thsn a decade.

Qi Gong is wonderful for balance, flexibility, joint care etc. Sadly I can't cope with the movements any more but have practiced many of tge forms. I would advise a proper teacher if you can access one. Sometimes the untrained teacher is merely teaching a form of ' waving hands in the air so that it looks like Tai Chi'. I've seen this in the popular Body Balance classes.

It won't do you any harm done thisl way but properly taught the precise breathing with each move for instance will make the practice much more beneficial.

Likewise following a YouTube video. That's good for reminding yourself of moves but please get a teacher first. Very few sports can be learnt from youtube. Tai Chi is the same.

[BadHare in reply to deejames]

You’re quite right deejames !

We had an amazing Tai Qi teacher for Qi Gong on my first PMP, who had trained in China. Then a completely crap physio on my second PMP. I shut my eyes & ignored her, as she had no idea about breathing or posture, & acted as though it was an aerobics class for fit people. Everyone hated it & went home poorly. 🤢 Her Acupuncture skills were positively dangerous, & would have been an instant fail on my course.

There are some great videos available, but I didn’t post any as they had accompanying ads, & i’n not sure what’s acceptable on this forum.

[deejames]

Tai Chi and Qi Gong are high on my list of things that it was misery to stop. Occasionally I try a worm up or the first parts of say the Muscle and Bone form but pay for it the next day.

We used to practise in the park every Saturday morning and occasionally on the station platform ( only a few trains a day) if it was very wet. Hard to keep a straight face with tourists taking pictures. Especially since we were often all over the place. Happy days.

I did used to laugh though at Body Balance when they said ' and now we come to the Tai Chi section of the class'. We then proceeded to wave our arms and sway from side to side. It was a good class for flexibility though.

[BadHare in reply to deejames]

What a pity you had to stop!

I never got the hang of Tai Chi as the only class I went to left me beridden for a fortnight as the chap in charge was a twit. I try to et Qi Gong in whilst waitinffor the kettle to bol, or something to cook. I'm sure you looked great on the train platform, & why just stand there & do nothing!

I found some similarity with movement & helping balance in a good Hatha yoga class, but not when it was taken over by a dance teacher who was dangerous. Her "Tai Qi" class bore no resemblance whatsoever, & had no benefits, just a week in bed after.

[chairbasedIns1]

I am a trained chairbased Exercise Instructor with Age UK with a health rather than aerobics background and had a Tai Chi trained Instructor train us in a short programme for those sitting down,which is most of my clients.It is very popular.I do it at the end of my session. I have had some very good results with Stroke patients, as I go slowly.I have personally attended a Tai Chi gigong programme which is basically the arthritis form. This is ideal but it is difficult to get that form exclusively. I believe that Dr Paul Lam does a DVD. My Tai Chi Instructor is fantastic on her breath control and it makes a big difference.

As with all these sessions-it is try it and see what is suitable for you.

[BadHare in reply to chairbasedIns1]

That's excellent!

Breathing is so important, as we found out the hard way!

I'll look up Paul Lam's DVD, thanks for the tip!