QiGong

I just realized that a blog is what I would say if I was perhaps having dinner with someone or riding somewhere with them and a subject came up. I have lots to say about lots of different subjects. So, whenever I get inspired by something or have an interesting thought, that is what my blog topic will be for that day.
To start talking about QiGong, I will explain how I became interested in relaxation techniques.
I was having some anxiety as I was teaching a few years back and one of the CHAC counselors gave me a link to a web site that is part of Kaiser Permanente, that has relaxation, meditation type exercises. I don't think of myself as a meditating person in general, but one day I was particularly anxious about the coming day and the students almost on their way into my classroom and I clicked on the site and tried one of the exercises right there at my desk. Here is the link if you are interested: https://members.kaiserpermanente.org/redirects/listen/
I spent about 15 minutes doing the beginning of the relieve stress exercise and ended it smiling as the kids were coming into my room. All day I felt like there was an inner strength that I had bolstered that helped me to be peaceful and calm for the rest of the day. Many things that would have normally gotten on my nerves did not.
Back when I was going through cancer treatments, I had a customary appointment at the doctor that was to be preceeded by bloodwork. I did not know yet to say that I was "a hard stick" and that I needed a "butterfly needle". I just knew that I hated the whole getting stuck by a needle thing and that most of the time the nurses made comments like "wow, hard to find your veins" and "I can't see anything". So I would get progressively more and more tense as the nurse tried to find my vein.
This nurse had a hard time and another nurse had to come over to try as I was almost hyperventilating. I went upstairs and started sobbing as I called the nurse person that the hospital had assigned to me to answer questions and help me through the trauma of being diagnosed with cancer. She immediately led me into her office and I sat down, she handed me tissues and told me to take deep slow breaths, from my stomach. She didn't hug me or try to really console me, other than that advice. I followed it and immediately felt relief. She told me that the increase of oxygen would calm me.
Over the years, I have realized that deep breathing is important.
I heard somewhere that QiGong, which is sort of like yoga, sort of like tai-chi, sort of like pilates was a good relaxation, healing thing to do. I had ordered a DVD from amazon, but it was so, so, so instructional and slow that I got tired out trying to do even 15 minutes and I gave it up. A while ago, I DVR'd a public television special called QiGong for Weight Loss by Lee Holden. Whenever I see something for weight loss, I become interested, and I thought I should give QiGong a second chance.
It was a 25 minute series of exercises with a lot of deep breathing and slow movements. I barely broke a sweat and other than thinking this would be a revolutionary way to lose weight, since I hate sweating, it was very relaxing. I felt my whole demeaner and day change after I completed the movements. I felt like my whole being was full of oxygen and that my insides were happy and satisfied. I wanted to do the 25 minutes every day. I didn't have to change out of my regular clothes or need to shower afterwards, so I could do it whenever.
I went online and found the DVD that this episode was a part of and it turns out that this is only one of the two routines on the DVD. There is a 41 minute routine as well. I bought the DVD and have done the 41 minute routine 3 times, but still do the 25 minute one at least 3 times a week. The 41 minute routine does make me sweat and is much more rigerous.
I don't believe that I have lost weight because of it yet. Since the beginning of the summer Fred and I have both been trying to eat better and he has lost 18 pounds and I have lost 6. I think that theh reason it is supposed to help you lose weight is because it works the core muscles a lot as well as the quadracepts and butt. Since those muscles are bigger, when they get worked, they help increase your metabolism, which helps you burn more calories. Also, Lee Holden says on the tape that relieving stress helps to keep the digestion functioning better. That weight is gained because things get stopped up inside. I buy that.
As I was just enjoying doing the 41 minute routine and my insides are all excited and full of oxygen, I thought it would be a good blog entry.