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August 22, 2005
Qigong To Help Back Problems
Question: I am having a lot of trouble with my back. I have pulled a muscle up between my shoulder blades while doing a kettlebell workout, and always have stiffness in my lower back. I am wondering if there is a qigong practice that may be better than another for loosening the muscles of the back? I have your Qigong Recharge, Bliss Qigong, and Serenity Qigong DVDs. Though I must admit I haven't been practicing like I should!! (probably why I am in this spot!) I appreciate your advice.
Answer: I have experienced the upper back situation myself sometimes with KBs. I don't think I have ever felt stiffness in my lower back.
Some of the techniques I showed at the Unlock! seminar would help with this issue for sure, so hopefully you can come to that in the next one in February 2006.
I will answer this more thoroughly in a future blog. However in the meantime, incorporate at least five minutes of shaking every day (see one of my very earliest blogs for detail) Spend two of those minutes with your attention in the back areas, working them loose with additional attention as you vibrate and shake in that area.
Do more of the shoulder rotations, the Shoulder Spirals, Release the Spine, Recharge the Core, Invigorate the Torso from Qigong Recharge.
Do the walking crane techniques from the Crane Frolic.
The initial Bear movements on Power Qigong would help.
Then you can do a dissolving technique:
Go into the sore area with your attention. See it as "frozen". "Melt" it with a "warm" inhale. Relax the area deeply on the exhale. (Tough to do, but see if you can sometimes do it for five minutes.)
I am indebted to Kumar Frantzis for his great teaching on this process. Check out his books Relaxing Into Your Being and The Great Stillness, which you can find on Amazon.
Then, an interesting way to direct internal healing energy:
Hold your breath for ten second periods (max) while you put your attention into the sore area, with a healing and relaxing intention.
All of this will speed the healing.
On a different note: I recommend you find a very experienced Craniosacral Therapist to help you unwind in those areas. Upledger.com will help you find a good provider in your area. Chinese Tui Na bodywork would also be a good choice, as, like Cranio it concentrates a lot on releasing the fascia.
As one highly experienced Tui Na teacher commented to me recently: almost all injuries of your kind result from weak or messed up fascia.
And finally, check out Body Rolling (see www.yamunabodyrolling.com ) for another effective way to release muscle and fascia tensions. If you decide to go ahead with the Body Rolling be sure to get some lessons from a certified teacher, though.
See all of John Du Cane’s qigong resources.
Posted by james at August 22, 2005 6:56 AM
Comments
could you give a name of a teacher of chi kong in Jerusalem, Israel ,i would appreciate very much thank you eliane
Posted by: eliane jones at October 28, 2005 11:01 AM
I am really enjoying my qigong. The recharge in the morning is great! My back is getting better just from the morning recharge. I am trying to get into the habit of doing Bliss or Serenity at night. Thanks.
Posted by: Jon Frost at August 22, 2005 7:50 PM