By Paul Cavel, Posted 8 January 2010
Here we are emerging from another period of overindulgence with all the excess food and drink courtesy of the religious and/or capitalist winter rituals. It is of course an assault on the digestive and cardiovascular systems, but the liver ultimately takes the brunt of the punishment. So the following is a few tips to help you recover and get back to moving toward more life…
All of the Taoist arts—qigong, bagua, tai chi and meditation in any of the five modalities—will help promote health and well-being. Practise will therefore help re-establish harmony and balance in your system.
If you’re pressed for time or want a focused practise for recovery, I’d go for energising your liver.
Create Space for Your Liver
Stand and separate the midriff. Let the whole pelvic region drop away from the rib cage. Raise the spine to prevent pressure on the knees. This will help you to fully open your midriff.
Don’t just do this for a few seconds, as an adjustment to your alignments, but maintain the posture for 5, 10 or 20 minutes to get the full benefits. This will open up space for your liver.
Breathe to Massage Your Liver
This can be done before or after the standing practice, but for best results do it simultaneously.
As you breathe in deeply, fully engage the diaphragm so that your belly and the sides of your ribs expand. This will provide firm pressure into the liver (right side) as well as the stomach and spleen (left side).
You may find you can more easily release and separate the midriff area as you follow your breath in and out.
Open and Close to Cleanse the Liver
The classic method is the Marriage of Heaven and Earth qigong, where you create powerful yet soft compressions in the internal organs. The bowing of the spine and the opening and closing of the joints and cavities drive blood and energy through the liver.
Powerful cleansing and repairing will take place as you practise, so don’t be surprised if you notice any feelings of frustration or anger that bubble up into your consciousness. It is quite normal to feel the negative effects of overindulgence as you clean out your system.
You may go on experiencing toxin release in the next couple weeks. Drink lots of water before and after you practise to aid and help detoxification.
If you don’t know Heaven and Earth qigong, then practise any qigong set you do know and integrate opening and closing.
Digestive Aids
Any exercises with a good kwa squat will aid and strengthen your digestion. Kwa squats deeply massage your bowls, increasing efficiency in digestion. You can also use the breathing, either separately or in conjunction with the squat (or any qigong set with a squat) to increase the effectiveness of the physical movement.
Heart Health
Dissolving, sinking chi, breathing and slow, soft motion releases the nerves and reduces the effects of stress. All of these exercises are extremely positive for the heart.
The heart is so important because tension goes directly to this vital organ, causing further strain. It’s a discouraging negative feedback loop.
To create a positive environment for the heart, practise regular sets putting in about half of your normal effort. Don’t concern yourself with what you look like. Just let the tension drop out of your body as you practise.
This is also a great method for getting back into your regular practise. Because it takes a lot less effort, the body lets go and accepts the work out. It’s great prevention against internal resistance, so you actually look forward to the next practise session.
Hope this is useful and I’ll see you in
Paul
Any physical and/or energetic exercise can carry risks. Do not attempt these exercises if you have any physical, emotional or mental conditions that may make you susceptible to injury.
© 2010 Paul Cavel—All rights reserved.
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