« Qigong To Help Back Problems | Main | The Mechanics of Living: Qigong, Katrina, Being Prepared and The Art of Crisis Management »
August 29, 2005
Qigong Methods for Quick Energy - When The "Devil's Cup" Won't Cut It Anymore
Question: Are there any other "quick" methods to wake you up or enliven you? I don't like relying on coffee when I am tired. I used to use a form of quiet breathing exercise I came up with, where I pictured drawing energy from around me, and then near the end I would sort of psych myself up a little, snap open my closed eyes, and would be good for a few more hours. Problem is, it took 20 minutes.
Answer: Despite my qigong, I still drink coffee. My preference is a couple of shots of neat espresso, perhaps with a thin slice of lime or lemon.
I used to suffer from moderate apnea, which I seem to now have mostly eliminated thanks to a combination of alternative bodywork and iron shirt qigong throat practices.
Basically, my throat was relaxing too much when I slept and was closing off the passageway. I would wake up frequently gasping for a breath. The apnea would leave me groggy in the morning and I would jump-start myself with coffee, then do my qigong. (The lazy qigong guy’s way to enlightenment, I guess!)
(It also helped to start consciously keeping my mouth closed with my teeth together at all times – a tip from one of my own qigong teachers.)
I thanked God for my qigong in those days, in that it helped me counter the oxygen deprivation I was experiencing at night. I am glad I seem to have figured out how to get rid of it.
When I went in to get a physical checkup recently… from a grossly overweight, preoccupied and generally unhealthy looking MD at my clinic, he remarked on the apnea history. When I told him I had dealt with it through various alternative means he harrumphed and commented, “Well whatever works…” in a disbelieving way.
So, I understand about the coffee and have noticed how often it is counterproductive if I try to use it for tiredness, especially when I am essentially already operating on fumes.
I console myself that coffee was the drink of choice for the mystical Sufis, as a spiritual intoxicant/catalyst. Hah! (For more on this, read a fascinating history of coffee, one of all time favorite books in fact: “The Devil’s Cup”.)
Anyhow, back to your exact question: Your technique above is excellent but as you say it takes a while.
Five of the fastest qigong pick-me-ups I have experienced are these:
Basic Iron Shirt Qigong Breathing: Inhale deeply while standing in Horse Position, hands in prayer position at chest. Snort half your breath out, tighten your whole body, concentrate your attention in the abdomen, press the hands hard together and hold this for five to ten seconds. Repeat about eight times.
For those of you in Minnesota, I urge you to come and take my Enduring Strength Qigong class, starting September 11, where you will learn almost the whole of this Iron Shirt system.
Qigong Fire Breathing: Two rapid inhales through nose, one strong exhale through the mouth, while swinging the arms from side to side across the body. Turn the head to your side on each exhale. One or two minutes.
Enhanced Qigong Neck Rotation: Tight fists, do the first neck technique from Qigong Recharge, vigorous inhale (nose) when the head goes back, vigorous exhale through mouth coming down. About twenty reps. (I originally learned this enhancement from Stephen Co in a Pranic Healing seminar.)
Red Dragon Qigong Heart Strengthening Method: you will learn this if you come to the next Unlock! Seminar. In Horse Stance, bring hands above head and then circle arms 360 degrees while fluttering hands from the wrists. Repeat a couple of times in both directions, nine circles at a time per direction.
Whole Body Dipping Qigong: again you can learn the subtleties of this either in my Enduring Strength Qigong course or at Unlock! Low Horse Stance, circle hands in thrusting motion away from and then back in to the abdomen area, while vigorously pushing the butt back out and down. Breathe naturally while doing. One or two minutes.
Any or all of these together should get you going. Let me know on the forum if they help!
See all of John Du Cane’s qigong resources.
Posted by james at August 29, 2005 7:24 AM
Comments
it by this statute. The statute of the twelfth of the present lesbian dyke first time supposed extent of those powers, or, in other words, according to the hsnrihvjdrj
Posted by: Jennifaer at April 11, 2008 12:13 AM
it by this statute. The statute of the twelfth of the present lesbian dyke first time supposed extent of those powers, or, in other words, according to the hsnrihvjdrj
Posted by: Jennifaer at April 11, 2008 12:13 AM
drought are much more dismal. Even in such countries, however, creative wedding scrapbook layouts revenue. Of all parts of the stock, either of an individual or of a society, jevbuaumpp
Posted by: Katherine at March 29, 2008 5:28 AM