Qi Gong exercises

explained

Carry a rod

With the exercise "Carrying a pole" you balance your fire element and thus a total of 4 meridians - heart, pericardium (cardiovascular system), small intestine and 3-fold warmer. Through the meditative and slow execution of the movement, your mind (=Shen) calms down and thus your heart also comes to rest.

The exercise provides inner and outer balance.

Exercise description

Starting position is the shoulder to hip width qigong stance. Inhale first, raising your arms up in front of your chest. Exhaling bend your legs slightly and bring your hands close to your chest. The palms of your hands face up.

With the next inhale, stretch your arms out to the sides and lift your heels off the floor. The gaze can be directed to a point in front of you to keep the balance.

Exhaling, pull both hands back to your chest. With the next inhale, stretch the arms out to the sides again and begin a new repetition.

Frequently asked questions

I always fall over when I take off my heels - what can I do?

Then simply lift your heels just a few millimeters off the floor and increase this over time. Also try to fix a point on the floor with your eyes. This will make it easier for you to keep your balance.

Can I do the exercise faster because I can't breathe so slowly?

Yes, of course, this is possible and also important. Even though I always point out a conscious and slow execution of the movements, it should never degenerate into "stress". You should never feel like you have too much or too little air. If you feel that you can't breathe as slowly as I show in the video, then feel free to use the Adapt movements to your personal breathing rhythm.

Portrait of Wolfgang Stemer for my TCM Qi Gong Academy, Simply Live Better

Pro tip from Wolfgang

If you have problems with balance during this exercise, you will be like many practitioners at the beginning. Try to lift your heels only a few millimeters off the floor, especially in the beginning. It also makes it easier to balance if you fix your eyes on a point on the floor.

Qi Gong Exercise Carrying a Rod - Element Fire

Most common errors

The hands are not brought close enough to the body.

The arms are stretched too far back, creating a hollow back.

You forget to breathe or hold your breath because you are so busy balancing.

Training tips

If possible, train again and again in front of a mirror or record yourself with your smartphone and then study this video for mistakes.

Practice Qi Gong as regularly as possible.

Cultivate the inner attitude that Qi Gong with joy to be exercised, entirely without performance thoughts.

Assistance

What can you do if the exercise is too difficult?

If you have a problem with this exercise, it's usually balance. Simply lift your heels just a few millimeters off the floor and increase this over time. Also try to fix a point on the floor in front of you with your eyes. This will make it easier for you to keep your balance.