Practicing Qigong for Circulation

Here is a Qigong Practice for Circulation by White Tiger Qigong Teacher, Effie. 

What is circulation?

Circulation is the movement of the blood through the heart and through the vessels. We achieve this by the pumping of the heart. Through the process of circulation, nutrients, oxygen and internal secretions are carried to and carried from our body tissues. Signs of having poor circulations usually manifest in our extremities like our legs and our arms.

What is poor circulation?

Poor circulation happens when there is restriction in the circulatory system that allows the blood, oxygen and nutrients to flow in our body. This happens when there are problems along the pathways of the blood. When the body has poor circulation, the cells in our body are not getting enough oxygen needed to function properly.

The usual causes of poor circulation are:

• Obesity

Obesity can slow down blood flow. It said that obesity can cause diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol and can also cause blood clots.

• Diabetes

Having too much sugar in the blood can harm the blood vessels. When someone has Type 2 diabetes, one cannot properly process sugar in the body. This results to high blood glucose levels. This causes fat deposits to form in the blood vessels. Overtime, this will cause the blood vessels to become narrow and hard which restricts the blood flow.

• High blood pressure

When you have high blood pressure, the flow of blood in the blood vessels forces through the walls. This restricts the blood flow.

In Daoist Medical Qigong, circulation has another layer of meaning. Circulation is the movement of qi through our body, through our organs, and through our meridians.

Qigong practice for circulation

The vlog by White Tiger Qigong teacher Effie, is a qigong practice for circulation. This practice aims to improve poor circulation. It includes two of the 8 Trigram Qigong exercises where in one may serve as the foundation of the other. Before we start our dynamic exercise, in any qigong practice we always begin with Zhan Zhuang or standing qigong. This practice may look very subtle and simply but has a very great effect on the body’s circulation.

In this blog, we will also discuss an effective breathing technique that can be applied in both the Zhan Zhuang and the dynamic qigong exercises as a good qigong practice for circulation.

Zhan Zhuang

The Zhan Zhuang or standing qigong is a very effective practice on its own. It is effective to help in circulation in so many ways. Through the Zhan Zhuang, we allow our body to relax into posture. This allows any tension in our body to ease. When our body is more relax circulation can flow more freely in the body. This posture also allows the body to connect to our energy center. 

The lower Dan Tian, one of the 3 main energy centers in the body, located in 3 fingers below the navel and 3 knuckles behind, serves as our battery storage center. By doing the Zhan Zhuang, we can connect to this energy center. This process of connecting to our energy center and life force, help us become aware of our energy.

Also, connecting to our energy, helps us allow our qi circulation to flow in the extremities of our body through the help of our breath. The Zhan Zhuang also allows our organs to hang and be in their proper places. When our organs are in their proper positions, the circulation can go to the designated organ more efficiently.

Dynamic Qigong practice for good circulation

The Wave / Dragon Back

The wave or dragon back is a good exercise to help circulation in the body. In this exercise, we use the spine to make a wave like motion. Coming from the pelvis all the way up to the chest and then reverse the wave. Through the repetitive and gentle motion of the wave, we release any tension in the body allowing blood and qi to flow more freely in the body. In this exercise, we not only exercise our spine but also, we allow circulation within the organs. It serves as a gentle massage to the organs.

Dragon Whips its Tail

Dragon Whips its Tail incorporates the movement of the wave. Aside from the benefits of the gentle repetitive wave motion of the spine, in Dragon Whips its Tail, we will be in horse stance. In addition, there is also an arm movement in this exercise. The arm movement focuses on the 3 Dan Tians. Through this arm movement, we bring in more flow as move into the 3 Dan Tians. The fingers and the toes are the farthest body parts from the heart. Therefore, these areas are the hardest areas for the blood to reach. In the Dragon Whips its Tail arm movement, we bring circulation into the arms and into the fingers. Through the deep horse stance, we also bring focus and circulation to our legs, which connects and brings circulation to our toes.

Qigong breathing exercises for good circulation

4-gate breathing

The 4-gate breathing technique can be applied in both Zhan Zhuang and dynamic qigong such as The Wave or Dragon Back and the Dragon Whips its Tail. Through this breathing, we inhale and feel through our Lower Dan tian and as we exhale, we focus on our hands and feet. The hands and feet are the extremities or farthest part of the body from the Lower Dan Tian. When we use the 4-gate breathing, we allow the qi to flow from the lower Dan Tian to the extremities and so allowing the qi to flow through the passageways in our body. This breathing technique is very good to help our body have better circulation.

There are many other qigong exercises that can help with circulation, and these are just some of them. Circulation is a very important aspect of our body. It is important that we have a constant practice to help our body maintain good circulation in the body. The 8 Trigram system is one qigong practice for circulation that is very effective. Simple practices such as the Zhan Zhuang can already have a huge help to our body’s circulation. Even breathing techniques such as the 4-gate breathing can really help a lot. It is always up to us to listen to our body to know which exercises will fit us best.