Qi Gong and Lower Back Pain By Lisa B. O’Shea Published in the New Health Digest, April 2004 Issue Lower in the hands and feet, shortness of breath, ceiling with the fingers pointing toward back pain is a and coughing or wheezing. Emotionally, each other. Exhale and press both your very common when the Kidney energy is out of balance hands up toward ceiling. Imagine you problem for people can feel “frozen” or fearful. are pushing against ceiling, fingers many people Sometimes depression relates to the Kidney toward each other. Keep your chin and can range energy as well (although this type of down slightly and relaxed and your from mild depression usually starts very young, before knees slightly bent. occasional puberty, or is inherited from a parent.) Breathe normally and focus your discomfort to Building and conserving Kidney energy attention on the spine opposite from chronic and has been a highly scrutinized topic in TCM belly button just below the surface of debilitating agony. Some people injure and Chinese martial arts as well as Qi Gong the skin. This point is called the themselves and know why their back training because of its relation to longevity. Mingmen point which means “life hurts, others just wake up one day and Over thousands of years of research, many door.” Pause for a moment and imagine there it is. Chiropractic and MD visits exercises and meditations have been created this point warming up or a bright can be very helpful for improving the to lengthen the life and increase the quality shinning ball of energy centered there. situation but sometimes there is an of life as well as heal the body. The Dantian Then bend forward at your waist and underlying energy imbalance that needs Meditation covered in my article on asthma hold both your legs behind the knees. correcting for lasting progress. in the February, 2004 issue of New Health Now focus your attention on the ball of Traditional Chinese Medicine Digest would be very helpful for building each foot. This point is called Yong (TCM) cannot prevent people from Kidney energy. I suggest you combine The Chuan which means “bubbling well.” injuring themselves. What it can do is Dantian Meditation with the exercise I give Pause for a moment and imagine this help the body to repair and heal itself by you below. You can find a reprint of that point warming up as you did the first correcting underlying weaknesses that article on my web page at point, Mingmen. hinder new cell growth. Problems with www.qigongrochester.com . Now, straighten back up slowly by pain in the lower back often indicate an The following Qi Gong exercise is from bending your knees first and bringing imbalance in the Kidney energy. a very ancient set called the Eight Pieces of your hips underneath you before Kidney energy is considered the Brocade Qi Gong. It was created by a very straightening your back. This helps to root of all other energy in the body. It famous and honorable commander of the reduce the strain on your lower back as governs all of the body’s growth and Southern Sung Dynasty army, Marshal Fei you straighten up. Let your arms relax development from conception through Yeuh (1103-1142 AD). He was a great by your sides. If you have low back the aging process. In effect, you could warrior, even at a young age, and he created pain and bending over makes it worse, say that the natural diminishing of the this form to heal and strengthen his solders you can skip the part where you bend at Kidney energy over time is what for battle. Today this exercise is still done the waist. When you get to the part actually causes the human body to age. all over the world to help people heal and where you lower your hands, just place Building and conserving Kidney energy strengthen their bodies for the stresses of our your palms against the back of your delay the aging process and increase day and age. I like this exercise in particular hips or thighs and continue with the longevity. Some very common drains for lower back problems because it can be visualization of the points on the feet. on Kidney energy that many people adjusted and adapted according to how your Once your back is feeling better you can unknowingly participate in are not back is feeling that day. If you are having a include the waist bend. Repeat this sleeping enough, working too many particularly painful day, you can skip the exercise two to three times per day, hours, and not drinking enough water. back bend and just move the arms and do doing as many repetitions in a row as Also smoking of any kind and drinking the visualization. You can even just do the feels good without causing any strain. caffeinated beverages place an visualization lying down until you feel additional strain on the Kidney energy. strong enough to get up and move! Other problems that relate to Kidney energy and may occur Eight Pieces of Brocade (#6) concurrently with lower back pain are pain in the knees, ankles, feet, heels, Stand with your feet shoulder width bone spurs, bone density problems, apart and your arms relaxed by your sides. dental problems, frequent urination or Turn the palms up and inhale as you raise incontinence, ringing in the ears, them up to chest level. Rotate your palms hearing problems, low libido, toward your chest then down and continue impotence, fertility problems, coldness rotating out and up until your palms face the Lisa B. O’Shea Certified Qi Gong Therapist and Instructor (585) 377-2044 Toll Free: (877) 346-4017 www.qigongrochester.com .