Dragon Spring Living Taiji & Qigong
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Students share their experience of the benefits of their practice.

Time Well Spent

How long did it take for the health benefits of Taiji to become apparent? During my first experience of Qigong (Shibashi Set 1), my neck and shoulders were noticably moving more easily. Push Up To Heaven (from Eight Strands of Brocade) was a revelation. My neck and shoulders would have complained and refused to move to the degree that they did then. They’re even better now. It has taken 3 years of Short Form, Long Form completed once and half way through for a second time, and some Push Hands to make me believe that the health benefits are real. It doesn’t happen straight away, it’s gradual. Very gradual, Soft Limits, learning to know my feet, learning to know how my body moves, has brought improvement. I have no hip pain now, shoulders much more loose and legs much stronger. This has made Fell Walking much easier and more enjoyable. The benefit that really is mine is an improved ability to cope with life. This yin and yang points to the type of person you are and offers choices to change or remain as you are. I feel that I have changed. It’s good! Anne M

Lost and Found

Whilst playing the Long Form I have become aware of something that I haven't experienced since childhood. It is the ability to see familiar things as if for the first time. When I was a child this awareness happened spontaneously and for no apparent reason I could not consciously make it happen. I would see familiar every day objects such as the pattern on a bathroom tile or wallpaper or a tea cup in a totally new light which made them look fresh and vibrant as if seen for the first time but more so. As I grew older this awareness happened less and less and by my mid teens stopped altogether. Now, on occasions, when I play the Long Form I get flashes of that same awareness. Peter

Pain Relief

It was a Friday, and I was lost in my own world of cycling and peddling like billy-o, when bang. A bus got in the way! As you can imagine the pain from my injuries (broken bones etc) was excruciating. Lying on the tarmac, no one daring to move me, the wait for an ambulance was a testing moment. I needed to quickly think of something that would focus my mind away from the pain. The answer was a simple, but effective one. I began to play the Taiji long form in my head. I can’t pretend that the pain disappeared but it was more that I was removed from it and I was aware of it in a more abstract way. Ten minutes then seemed like one and I didn’t manage to get very far through the long form when the ambulance arrived. I was offered morphine in the ambulance but thought better of taking a full dose as I had an alternative! During my recovery, I went back to Taiji classes as soon as I was able to walk again and with the aid of the form and the exercises very quickly regained full mobility. Best thing I ever did! (Taiji, not the accident) Chris O. read more >>>

Can Taiji and Qigong

Help?

Time Well Spent

How long did it take for the health benefits of Taiji to become apparent? During my first experience of Qigong (Shibashi Set 1), my neck and shoulders were noticably moving more easily. Push Up To Heaven (from Eight Strands of Brocade) was a revelation. My neck and shoulders would have complained and refused to move to the degree that they did then. They’re even better now. It has taken 3 years of Short Form, Long Form completed once and half way through for a second time, and some Push Hands to make me believe that the health benefits are real. It doesn’t happen straight away, it’s gradual. Very gradual, Soft Limits, learning to know my feet, learning to know how my body moves, has brought improvement. I have no hip pain now, shoulders much more loose and legs much stronger. This has made Fell Walking much easier and more enjoyable. The benefit that really is mine is an improved ability to cope with life. This yin and yang points to the type of person you are and offers choices to change or remain as you are. I feel that I have changed. It’s good! Anne M

Lost and Found

Whilst playing the Long Form I have become aware of something that I haven't experienced since childhood. It is the ability to see familiar things as if for the first time. When I was a child this awareness happened spontaneously and for no apparent reason I could not consciously make it happen. I would see familiar every day objects such as the pattern on a bathroom tile or wallpaper or a tea cup in a totally new light which made them look fresh and vibrant as if seen for the first time but more so. As I grew older this awareness happened less and less and by my mid teens stopped altogether. Now, on occasions, when I play the Long Form I get flashes of that same awareness. Peter

Pain Relief

It was a Friday, and I was lost in my own world of cycling and peddling like billy-o, when bang. A bus got in the way! As you can imagine the pain from my injuries (broken bones etc) was excruciating. Lying on the tarmac, no one daring to move me, the wait for an ambulance was a testing moment. I needed to quickly think of something that would focus my mind away from the pain. The answer was a simple, but effective one. I began to play the Taiji long form in my head. I can’t pretend that the pain disappeared but it was more that I was removed from it and I was aware of it in a more abstract way. Ten minutes then seemed like one and I didn’t manage to get very far through the long form when the ambulance arrived. I was offered morphine in the ambulance but thought better of taking a full dose as I had an alternative! During my recovery, I went back to Taiji classes as soon as I was able to walk again and with the aid of the form and the exercises very quickly regained full mobility. Best thing I ever did! (Taiji, not the accident) Chris O. read more >>>

Can Taiji and Qigong Help?

Dragon Spring Living Taiji & Qigong
Students share their experience of the benefits of their practice.