Chi gong, also spelled qigong or chi kung, means "energy cultivation." What makes chi gong different from other forms of exercise is the way you do it--by totally relaxing and focusing your body and mind. Consult your doctor before trying chi gong exercises, and it's best to learn chi gong from an instructor who can help you do it correctly.
Basic Standing Exercise
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and parallel to each other. Allow your feet to spread out. Keep your knees soft, not locked. Push your feet into the floor and allow the push to straighten your spine fully, so that you are as tall as you possibly can be. Relax everything back into the floor. Don't collapse the spine; contract it straight down. Repeat, expanding and contracting the spine slowly. Breathe naturally, fully and deeply as you work. The key to chi gong movement is to use the push from the feet rather than pulling with your back or stomach muscles. Focus your mind on what you're doing. If thoughts about the rest of your day intrude, let them go and refocus on the exercise.
Supporting Heaven
Take the same stance as in the basic standing exercise. Bring your hands in front of your navel, palms up, fingers pointing toward each other. As you draw the hands up toward your chest, turn the palms away from you, thumbs down, pinkies up. Push your feet into the floor to expand your spine, simultaneously pushing your arms up over your head, so your palms are facing up, fingers pointing together. Contract your spine, allowing the contraction to bring your hands out to the sides and all the way down, thumbs pointing in front of you. Repeat. According to Eric Steven Yudelove, author of "A Guide to Taoist Yoga & Chi Kung," this exercise relieves fatigue, improves balance and massages internal organs.
Chi Stretching
Taking the basic stance, place your hands in front of your stomach, palms facing toward each other, fingers pointing away from you. Your hands should be 2 or 3 inches apart. Pushing from the ground to expand, slowly draw your hands about 1 foot apart. Contract, relaxing back down into the ground, allowing the hands to come back to the starting position. Note any sensations you feel between your hands. Many people feel pressure, heat or tingling between the palms. If you feel any of these things, you're feeling your chi. Continue to practice and note the increasing intensity of the sensations.
Standing Meditation
Taking the basic stance, hold your arms out in front of you as if you're hugging a tree. Drop your elbows slightly so that they are not pointing directly out to the sides. Keeping your eyes open, focus your mind on an invisible point 3 feet ahead of you. Relax fully. If your mind wanders, bring it back to the invisible point. Aristide Esser and Paul Dong, authors of "Chi Gong: The Ancient Chinese Way to Health," suggest that five minutes of meditation is appropriate in the beginning. Slowly increase as you become comfortable with the exercise. According to Chris Jarmey, principal of the European Shiatsu School and author of "The Theory and Practice of Taiji Qigong," we naturally draw energy from our surroundings at all times. Practicing standing meditation and other qigong exercises will help you to draw energy more abundantly, increasing your vitality.
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