tai chi

My Favourite Qi Gong Routines For Recovering From Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

For the past few months I’ve been practising Qi Gong (almost) every morning that I don’t have college. I find the gentle meditative movement helpful and appreciate the light exercise it offers. I recently saw a Facebook post where Ashok recommended it as a good adjunct to The Gupta Programme too.

I generally get up just before sunrise every day and practise down near the beach which has helped shift my sleep pattern to match the sun more closely. I’ve also been switching off lights earlier and avoiding late night TV so that I can fall asleep before 10 PM most nights. I tried a couple of times doing Qi Gong in the evening, but even with Lee Holden’s evening routine I found it hard to sleep afterwards, so I find it better done in the morning.

I find Qi Gong easier to practise than it’s brother Tai Chi, as the movement sequences are simpler. I took a Tai Chi class a couple of years ago, but the routine was long and complex and we only covered a portion of it. I tried learning Tai Chi from YouTube videos, but again it’s tricky to master.

With Qi Gong it’s easier to follow along to a YouTube video. I bought a pair of Sony Wireless Bluetooth headphones so that I can put my iPhone on the ground a couple of metres in front of me and still hear the commentary. One of the reasons I like the videos below is because of the soothing, reassuring commentaries they have.

I have often found strong emotions arising during or just after practising Qi Gong, so remember to take care of your inner child when doing this. Witness the emotions arise and let them go. If they’re particularly strong and/or persistent, find someone to talk the feelings over with.

There are heaps of Qi Gong tutorial videos on YouTube, and you can start with shorter ones and work your way up to longer routines as you feel able. There’s plenty of variety so you don’t ever get bored with the same old routine every day. Get ready to meet your new YouTube friends Lee, Jeff and Marissa!

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By Graham Stoney, ago

How To Learn Tai Chi For Free

I’ve been learning Tai Chi lately, because I find the gentle movement more engaging than sitting meditation. It’s relaxing, and since it’s a very light form of exercise, I find that I don’t overdo it. I did some local classes early in the year, which was good in terms of getting out and meeting other like-minded people, but I found the teacher frustrating and nights still aren’t great for me.

So I decided to learn at home using this YouTube video Chris Pei. Tai Chi For Beginners:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfm75f1zkjo

At four hours long, it’s an epic undertaking; but remember that learning Tai Chi is a life-long process, and it’s not like something you just master first time. I suspect that my old attitude that life was about pushing through to the next accomplishment is part of what made me sick, so now it’s more about enjoying the learning process.

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By Graham Stoney, ago
silhouette of man holding hands above head against colourful sunset sky

I Continue To Recover… Gradually

It’s been quite a while since I last posted here, as my continued recovery means I have more time and energy to engage in the life that I want, and less desire to talk about how hard recovering from CFS can be. But I get occasional emails from people who have been following this blog asking how I’m doing, so I thought it was time for an update.

My physical symptoms now resemble a fairly mild cold, and the occasional cough. I no longer push myself into stressful situations that make the cough worse, so it doesn’t bug me so much. I still feel a weird sort of tiredness with a background sense of anxiety that varies from mild to moderate. It’s kind of like the tiredness and the anxiety are playing some kind of dance. It might feel like I need a lie down, but going for a leisurely walk along the beach can work just as well. Other times, I really need the lie down and so I take it.

The other weird symptom I have is a tense feeling in my head, which moves around. Right now it’s in my upper jaw and temples. It’s not exactly painful; sometimes it’s just unpleasant, and other times I can be so engrossed in something I’m doing that I don’t notice it. Perhaps it’s boredom and truly disappears when I’m thoughtfully and physically engaged in some task. It seems to get stronger when I’m feeling angry, and turns into a debilitating headache when I’ve been overdoing things… which I take pains now not to do.

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By Graham Stoney, ago