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Yaga Zen • May 3, 2022 8:15
Qigong is the most famous practice, due to its effectiveness, aimed specifically at maintaining health in the body and mind. Qigong has been around for thousands of years and is a gymnastics for both body and mind. It developed along with martial arts - those who attended karate, taekwondo or aikido for at least six months as a child will immediately notice this. The word "qigong" itself consists of the characters "qi", which means "energy", "breath" or "flow", and "gong" - "work" or "action". Thus, qigong is energy work or energy work.
Who is Lee Holden and why should we thank him?
Lee Holden, despite his characteristically Chinese name, is originally from America. He is a master of the ancient practice of traditional exercises.
Lee Holden has come a long way to get there. He used to be an ordinary guy who played American football. After being seriously injured while playing football, he began to look for ways to rehabilitate. It was thanks to the qigong technique that Li was able to recover. He became a master and traveled around Asia for a long time.
Qigong is gaining popularity among ordinary people who want to be healthy and stress-resistant.
Lee Holden learned the practice of qigong, or Chinese morning exercises, during his travels. He became famous thanks to his own training program in ancient methods and its broadcast on TV.
Lee Holden did not stop there, he studied other eastern wisdom and practices. Owner of his own practice center in California, where he regularly practices.
A little history of Qigong and biography of Lee Holden
The origins of Qigong go back to Asian antiquity. Eastern gymnastics was not so popular among Europeans. Although it is considered one of the subsections of yoga.
Lee Holden introduced the world to a set of exercises that became popular due to its practicality.
Thanks to a self-composed complex, Lee recovered from his injury.
There is no longer a place for football in his biography. Holden abandoned his football career due to circumstances that led to a balance of inner peace and well-being.
True Qigong practice is difficult. Master Li improved the system of exercises, making it easier and more accessible for beginners.
By practicing for a long time, you can achieve self-healing.
This is interesting! Lee Holden developed exercises for individual physical performance.
Qigong for Beginners
Qigong is a whole complex of complex exercises for healing, which is aimed not only at healing the body, but also at restoring energy and good spirits. It is quite difficult to perform qigong exercises without prior preparation or without adjustments from a mentor, especially for older people; for them there is a special exercise complex for every day.
Lee Holden adapted this complex in such a way that a person even with the lowest level of training and capabilities is able to perform these difficult exercises.
After watching a video with Lee Holden and doing qigong exercises, morning exercises for 10 minutes will seem easy and enjoyable even for a beginner. The master demonstrates movements using the qigong technique in as much detail as possible, in a simple home environment, in his master classes. This is the universality of the technique. The fact is that every beginner is able to do ancient gymnastics and benefit from it, but it differs from daily exercises for vigor and lifting the mood.
Reviews about gymnastics
I am impressed by techniques that combine not only physical activity and muscle development, but also the development of the respiratory tract and filling the body with energy. It energizes the body and invigorates the mind. Lee Holden's morning ritual for 20 minutes makes it possible to achieve good results and tighten the body. After training in the gym, I always do an additional qigong complex. In the future I want to combine this exercise with the study of oriental martial art.
I often hear this name, but literally until last night I didn’t know who it was. A magazine about men's health caught my eye and there was a long article about the biography of this trainer. Right now I’m sitting and watching the video: “Lee Holden’s morning exercises 10 minutes.” I want to do it tomorrow.
Health-improving gymnastics Taiji Qigong, basic principles
The fundamental principle is the movement of energy, which occurs sequentially.
Exercises using the technique in question must be performed in such a way that energy flows through the body slowly and gradually - from bottom to top or top to bottom.
For example, after training for the knees, you cannot begin to do exercises for the cervical spine or for the head, since the energy will move unevenly throughout the body and “jump.”
Exercises help not only to tidy up the body, but also to calm the nerves.
Another principle of doing exercises is that all parts of the body should work equally intensely. In every technique developed by Lee Holden, this principle is necessarily observed. It is forbidden to increase the load on any specific area of the body; it is necessary that it be distributed evenly throughout the body. Thus, in the health-improving gymnastics of Tai Chi Qigong, two principles are strictly observed - consistency and uniformity. If you have back problems, then it is better to practice a morning set of exercises for the spine.
When performing the complex, the following rules must be observed:
- It is important to adopt the correct posture.
- You should strictly monitor the correct breathing technique during gymnastics.
- It is necessary to concentrate on internal energy and not be distracted by external stimuli.
Indications for starting to use Lee Holden exercises
Anyone can start practicing qigong with Lee Holden using educational videos. There are many indications for starting classes using this technique:
- general development and healing of the body;
- improvement of metabolism;
- elimination of oxygen starvation in tissues and cells;
- weight loss (special weight loss technique using qigong technique). For more effective weight loss, it is better to do these exercises in the morning;
- fat deposits, cellulite;
- hypertension;
- hypotension;
- some types of cancer;
- diseases of joints, bones;
- improving the functioning of the nervous system;
- prevention of a healthy lifestyle.
Smooth movements, combined with the breathing rhythm, normalize the functioning of the nervous system, provide the blood with oxygen, and warm up the joints and muscles.
Contraindications to performing Lee Holden exercises
Despite the many indications for performing morning exercises and gymnastics using the qigong technique, these exercises are contraindicated for some categories of people. For osteochondrosis of the cervical, thoracic or lumbar spine, this complex of morning physical exercises is recommended.
Contraindications include:
- menstruation;
- pregnancy;
- pathologies of the kidneys, heart;
- vascular diseases;
- liver pathologies;
- condition after operations;
- dizziness.
What Science Says
In 2011, Korean scientists analyzed Qigong for healthcare: an overview of systematic reviews of scientific studies on the health benefits of qigong. Five reviews confirmed the effectiveness of the practice, and the remaining five had no specific conclusion. In addition, scientists noted that the bulk of the reviews were not credible due to the low quality of the studies.
Other reviews also highlight research weaknesses:
- The Effects of Qigong on Anxiety, Depression, and Psychological Well-Being: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
- Qigong for Hypertension.
- Managing stress and anxiety through qigong exercise in healthy adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
In all reviews, the seven-item assessment of The Cochrane Collaboration's tool for assessing risk of bias in randomized trials Cochrane found that the risk of error and bias in trials is quite high.
The latest systematic review, A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Baduanjin Qigong for Health Benefits: Randomized Controlled Trials, conducted by Chinese scientists in March 2017, showed that the Ba Duan Jing (8 Pieces of Brocade) exercise set improves sleep quality and sense of balance. and flexibility of the body, normalizes blood pressure and pulse at rest.
The review analyzed 19 randomized controlled trials, 13 of which had high reliability scores on the PEDroPEDro scale, and six had moderate to low reliability scores.
Thus, there is no ironclad evidence of the health benefits of qigong, but many studies confirm the positive effects of this practice.
Basic set of exercises Lee Holden
Qigong, developed by Lee Holden, is different from the classical one. Qigong Holden developed and adapted it specifically for those who have just begun to engage in their health improvement, for people who do not have special physical training. Excellent for elderly and frail people.
When should you expect results from Lee Holden's exercises?
Performing Chinese morning exercises, a set of exercises using the Holden technique, as in any other activity, requires consistency. The future result depends on regular exercise. Daily implementation of the complex will not only improve your health, but also give you vigor, energy, and improve your mood.
However, a positive effect can be observed after the first implementation of the complex - the body will be invigorated, recharged with energy, the flow of oxygen to the blood and tissues will improve, and the person will begin to feel much better.
Qigong gymnastics with Lee Holden will not take much time, but it will refresh the body, prevent many diseases and fill you with energy.
Doors of life
Torso turns are performed to the right and left, swaying the hips and waist. When rocking, your hands should clap your lower back and lower abdomen. The exercise is accompanied by deep breathing.
Benefits: Cardiovascular activity improves, the body receives energy and warms up.
Tiger
They stretch their arms up above themselves, while exhaling they squat, bending their knees, and lower their arms down. As you inhale, you need to rise up again. The exercise is performed at a slow pace. In this case, breathing should not be interrupted. You should squat to the best of your ability - deeply or just a little.
Benefits: the muscles of the back, hips, legs, lower back are strengthened, kidney activity is normalized, and with deep squats, the leg muscles are stretched.
Qi massage
Qi is a light rhythmic massage. Initially, tap with the fists of two hands in the area of the kidneys on the back, then with the palms above and below the level of the kidneys, passing through the kidneys. The next stage is a smooth lowering of the body down while patting the outside of the legs, slowly lifting the body up while patting the inside of the legs. The patting moves to the chest. Then pat on both sides of the shoulders and neck. Gradual tapping should be done from the wrist to the neck.
Benefit: blood circulation and movement in the body improves, the body strengthens, the body is saturated with oxygen and energy. In particular, Qi has a positive effect on the lungs and heart.
Buddha holding the Earth
Hands are rounded, as in a ballroom dance, and placed in front of you at chest level. As you inhale, raise your arms above your head. At the same time, the palms look up, and the thumbs are moved to the side, making an angle of 90 0C. As you exhale, lower your arms. Continue at a slow pace, repeating several times.
Benefits: strengthens the muscles of the arms and shoulders, improves pulmonary activity.
Exercise for harmony of soul and body
Take the starting point - arms are lowered down and slightly extended forward. Without lifting up, the arms are moved to the side and lowered again to the lowest point, but with the backs of the palms. The arms are raised to chest level and, figuratively pushing out the air, pushed forward. Then the hands fly up, describing a circle. Repeat the above movements several times. Lee Holden calls this exercise: “Tame the tiger and get back to the mountain.”
Benefit: relieves tension in the spine and arms.
Exercise for balance and attention
Feet are placed together. The right hand is placed on top of the stomach, the other is drawn in a semicircle in the air. As you inhale, the hand outlines a semicircle, and as you exhale, it lowers. Circles are performed with each hand in turn. At the end of the exercise, the arms are crossed on the stomach, the eyes are closed, and the body relaxes.
Benefit: energy accumulates.
Morning exercises by Lee Holden in 10 minutes
According to the qigong technique, Lee Holden recommends morning exercises for beginners to perform for 10 minutes. Holden's adaptation of the ten-minute gymnastics is quick and easy. It should be performed as a warm-up every morning. By performing qigong during the day you can also get healing effects. It is especially useful for those who have a “sedentary” job, but if you have problems with your back and lower back, this set of effective exercises is suitable. By doing a 10-minute warm-up between breaks at work, you can get rid of many existing pathologies and prevent the emergence of new ones.
Qigong is a comprehensive system of knowledge and methods from Taoist teachings and Buddhist psychopractices, which includes exercises, meditation and breathing methods that influence personal development, healing and expansion of consciousness.
A simple complex, in addition to a healing effect, has a healing effect due to the normalization of internal energy. After such exercise, your general well-being will improve, your breathing will become easier, there will be a surge of strength and energy, your mood will improve, your blood circulation will improve, and your posture will normalize. Lee Holden's 10-minute gymnastics is performed strictly in compliance with breathing techniques, thanks to the correct implementation of which the effect of the exercise will be enhanced.
Beginners and less prepared people are advised to become familiar with qigong techniques by doing morning exercises every day.
After mastering it, they move on to a more complex stage.
Qigong Li Holden morning exercises 20 minutes
A twenty-minute warm-up is suitable for more prepared individuals. Such gymnastics involves, in addition to a 10-minute warm-up, various bends, stretches, etc. 20-minute morning exercises using the qigong technique are more complex.
At the same time, not only exercises are performed, but also imagery of thought is activated. According to Lee Holden himself, training should take place in such a way that the body, heart and mind are balanced into one whole. At the same time, the body should relax emotionally. As a result, a person gains vigor, health and balance.
Useful tips for patients
Lee Holden, whose morning and evening ritual (20 minutes) allows you to improve the health of the entire body, requires the correct implementation of exercises that strengthen muscles, restore energy balance and relieve psycho-emotional stress.
Before starting independent practice, while in a gym, a special room equipped for meditation, or at home, it is recommended to carefully study the exercise technique. If gymnastics is performed with gross violations, then the person will not receive the expected therapeutic effect.
You also need to pay attention to the following aspects:
- balance your diet, saturating it with fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs, boiled meat, cereals, lactic acid products and ocean fish;
- stop drinking alcohol, smoking tobacco, taking narcotic drugs and medications that suppress or stimulate the activity of the central nervous system;
- sleep at least 7-8 hours a day, go to bed no later than 22-00, since it is during this period of time that the body is provided with maximum rest, vital resources and energy are restored;
- avoid stressful and conflict situations;
- maintain sufficient physical activity, if possible, travel on foot rather than by car;
- drink enough fluid (2-3 liters per day).
Daily implementation of the above recommendations will enhance the beneficial effect of Lee Holden’s exercises, improve your well-being and normalize the functioning of your internal organs.
These tips will be especially useful for people whose work activity is associated with a sedentary lifestyle, constant physical or mental stress, and prolonged stay in a closed space without access to fresh air (production workshops, office buildings, basements).
Consolidate the result
The result with regular and correct performance of qigong gymnastics according to Lee Holden will not take long to arrive. However, it is important to preserve it. To do this, you must not only exercise regularly, but also adhere to the following recommendations:
- Correct breathing. It is necessary to breathe correctly during exercises and exercises. Breathing should be deep, slow, abdominal, coming from the lower abdomen.
- Qi energy. It is important to be able to attract energy by being able to concentrate on your own internal sensations, which will allow you not only to absorb a positive charge, but also to relax.
- Massage. By supplementing morning qigong exercises with massage, all the vital forces of the body are activated. The effect of doing the exercises will be achieved faster.
- Nutrition. During the period of training in the Lee Holden technique, it is important to eat properly and rationally. It is worth giving up junk food, including a lot of plant foods in your menu and drinking enough water.
Gymnastics using the qigong technique with Lee Holden is an excellent choice for those who want to improve their health not only in body, but also in spirit.
Features of the Chinese technique
Before starting the 15-minute complex, you need to learn simple truths. Firstly, breathing is perceived not as a process, but as a link in the life of the body and nourishment for the inner world.
Therefore, the calmer and deeper you can breathe, the better for the effectiveness of the process.
Inhalation is done through the mouth, and at the same time the abdominal muscles are compressed in order to inhale more. Exhalation occurs through the nose and at the same time the stomach relaxes, like the whole body.
Proper breathing will help calm the body and tune the mind to Qi - the energy of life and prosperity.
Secondly, each workout should end with vigorous, sharp and patting massage treatments to rid the body of fat deposits. Next, you need to give up dead food, that is, foods with added preservatives and chemicals. Try to eat more vegetables and fruits and foods containing fiber. Every day you need to drink a lot of water to speed up your metabolism and cleanse your body.
How to start practicing
You can practice qigong with an instructor or start on your own, taking information from videos and books. We will look at both methods.
How to find a good teacher
By choosing a bad instructor, you risk your health even with such a gentle exercise system as qigong. So, the instructor must:
- Look good . Qigong is a system of self-healing, and practitioners, and especially teachers, must take care of their health. If the instructor is overweight or unhealthy, it's worth considering whether you really have anything to learn.
- Answer your questions . A good teacher will be able to answer all your questions. If instead of an answer you get a condescending “You’ll understand later” or “You don’t need to know that,” walk away.
- Pay attention to your problems . If you or other students experience pain or discomfort in class and report this to the teacher, he should not ignore the complaints. Especially if the episodes are repeated.
- Have a lot of experience . Ask how long your teacher has been teaching and where they received their education. If his experience is not much more than yours, is it worth paying for training?
Rate the instructor, ask his students whether the classes help them, and only then make a decision: study with him or find another.
