Importance Of Releasing The Mid Back In Qigong

Sages in ancient China developed qigong -- a form of meditation, movement and breathwork -- to enhance longevity, peace of mind and mental focus. One key to good qigong practice is stretching and contracting the spinal column. Releasing tensions in the mid-back maximizes your ability to stretch the spine, which, in turn, moves the qi, or vital life energy, more abundantly throughout the entire body.

History

Qigong came to ancient China when migrating Buddhist monks brought meditation techniques from India, sometime before the 12th century B.C. For the last 3,000 years, Buddhist and Taoist sages refined these techniques to achieve spiritual insight, increase martial prowess and pursue physical and mental fitness, according to Jwing-Ming Yang, qigong teacher in Lexington, Mass., and author of "The Essence of Taiji Qigong." In the terms of traditional Chinese medicine, allowing the spine to move freely in both upward and downward directions allows the qigong practitioner to merge the energies of the heavens with the energies of the Earth.

Technique

To move the spine fully during qigong, you must relax the mid back across the base of the rib cage, just below the kidneys. Once you've relaxed this area, push from the feet to expand the upper back up, while relaxing the low spine down. If you hold tension in the mid back, you will find it difficult to stretch the spine completely. You'll know you've completed an expansion when you feel a stretch through the entire length of the spine and you feel as tall as you possibly can be. Allow the spine to contract completely, without slouching, and relax down into the feet, before you move into another spinal expansion.

Theory

As the spine expands and contracts, it acts like a pump that circulates cerebrospinal fluid, the clear liquid that fills the spinal cord and surrounds your brain. Circulation of this fluid removes waste materials from the central nervous system and supports optimal mental performance. This pumping motion also activates the connection between the cerebrospinal fluid and the lymph system, according to David Rakel, director of the University of Wisconsin Integrative Medicine Program, and co-author of "Complementary Medicine in Clinical Practice." Enhancing the circulation of lymph can help increase immune function.

Benefits

If done correctly, qigong has a wide variety of benefits. A 2010 review study of the benefits of qigong and tai chi, published in the "American Journal of Health Promotion," noted that these spine-stretching practices increased cardio fitness, mental health, and quality of life, according to HealthFinder, the website of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.

Try This

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Straighten your spine by relaxing your lower back down and tucking in your chin slightly. The goal is to create a straight line from the tip of your tailbone to the crown of your head. Place your hands on your back, just below the bottom of your rib cage. Inhale and expand the spine. Relax your mid back completely as the lower and upper parts of the spine stretch away from your hands. Exhale, allowing the breath to drop down the front of the body into the feet as your spine contracts. Repeat. This exercise is called the "microcosmic orbit." It circulates qi through the major yang and yin energy channels of the body, according to Ken Cohen, qigong master and author of "The Way of Qigong."