What you will learn?
Thank you for joining this course!
Starting with this class, we learn Qigong practices to help recover from burnout. The first six lessons are short seated Qigong routines. These are meant to provide a moment that helps the body pause and recharge; and help calm thoughts and emotions.
No matter how brief, we are capable of capturing these moments and use them to stablize ourselves, creating a foundation for recovery.
Take this first lesson and then practice the postures when you can (with the video or on your own). There is no set schedule for when to move onto the second lesson, but I recommend staying with this first lesson for at least a couple of sessions.
Lesson Two
This session builds on the previous class by introducing two additional postures at the end:
1: Raising & Lowering Palms
2: Microcosmic Orbit
This class introduces the idea of trusting in the potential within ourselves. This is part of Qigong's ideas of Qi & Blood, Yin & Yang. By allowing the body to actively rest, we create an opportunity for this potential to be nurtured.
The Microcosmic Orbit is a very old Qigong practice practiced for health cultivation and as a foundation for many other traditions.
This class continues the restorative Qigong practice and introduces Open and Close of the Lower Dan Tian.
The Lower Dan Tian is considered the area that stores the Yin, Yang and Original Qi of the body. And therefore acts as a foundation. But this area is a place of activity and transformation. Open and Close of the Lower Dan Tian is a posture to help regulate & coordinate this movement.
This lesson also introduces the idea of starting from where you are rather than from where you feel you ought to be.
Lesson Four
With this lesson we lengthen the practice just slightly, bringing back channel massage into the routine. I also introduce the idea of Wu Wei. This translates into English as "without action" and means making the shift from doing to sensing. Our minds are very skilled in both thinking/analyzing and sensing/reflecting. But we tend to only focus on the active thinking/analzying activities. Qigong is an opportunity to rebalance this dynamic
Lesson Five
With the lesson we re-introduce Raise & Lower Palms as a preparation for the Microcosmic Orbit.
At this point it is good to remember that one of the key benefits of the Qigong practice is to pause and engage fully. When we shift from doing to sensing (Wu Wei) we take away internal pressure and have the opportunity to find reassurance in ourselves and the Qigong practice.
Lesson Six
This is the last lesson in this Recovery Phase. In this class we practice a new posture: Integrate the Qi as a preparation for the Microcosmic Orbit.
Qigong is a process that uses movement to create space and stillness to culitvate health. As a process it has its own rhythm and timing that can't be rushed.
Congratulations on completing Phase One of the course! This material provides you with a foundation for recovery from burnout.
Thank you for joining this class!
The next six lessons are the re-training phase of the course. The goal of this phase is to remove stiffness from your movements and build an understanding of how there are different ways to initiate movement and intent.
By replacing negative habits and ways of motivating ourselves with more positive ones we can recover from burnout and avoid future burnout.
This lesson introduces Qigong practices that will form the core of this phase:
Mountain Standing and Open & Close of the Lower Dan Tian;
Elbow Rotation;
Natural Respiration; and
Balance the Heart Standing
Lesson Two
This class includes the classical Qigong posture, Draw the Bow to the Left & Right. This posture in part of the Eight Silk Brocades (Ba Duan Jin) routine and helps to regulate and strenthen the Lung Channel and Organ.
The Lung Channe and Organ is said to function like the Prime Minster within the Body (the Heart is the Monarch). Through the respiration, it sets the rhythm for the rest of the organs and channels to follow.
Lesson Three
This class includes the posture Phoenix Spreads Its Wings, which helps to regulate the Heart channel. The Heart Channel is said to open and close and requires a stable pivot at the center for this dynamic to be balanced.
Lesson Four
This lesson includes the posture Open & Close with Coiling Palms. The rotation and twisiting of this mve helps to regulate the Liver channel.
The Liver Channel is involved with take action when required and to be patient when required. It is trained and is manifest in smooth and responsive movements like Open & Close with Coiling Palms.
This lesson's routine brings back the posture Raising and Lowering Palms as a method to regulate the channels involved with digestion.
We also dicuss the link between digestion of food and digestion of ideas.
This class covers the four exercises that will form the core postures of this phase:
Hun Yuan Zhan (Primordial Qigong Standing)
Natural Respiration
Raise & Lower the Palms
Regulate and Integrate the Qi
This lesson incorporates two postures for the Lung Channel:
Draw the Bow, Left & Right
Silk Reeling
Draw the Bow comes from the classical Qigong routine, The Eight Silk Brocades. Silk Reeling is a training exercise from Chen style Tai Chi.
This lesson includes two posture for the kidney channel:
Deer Bending Posture
Xingyi Travelling Hands
The Deer Bending Posture comes from the classic Qigong routine, The Five Animals Play (Wuqinxi). Travelling Hands is an advanced training practice from the internal martial art Xingyi.
This class includes two postures to traing the Liver Channel:
Punching with Left & Right Fists
Tiger Pounces
Punching with Left & Right Fists is a posture from the Eight Silk Brocades (Baduanjin). Tiger Pounces is a movement from the Five Animals Play (Wuqinxi).
In this class we introduce two postures for the Heart Channel:
Wind Blows the Lotus Leaf
Chen Tai Chi's Louxi Aobu
Wind Blows the Lotus Leaf is a posture from the Double Nine Yang Qigong routine. This version of Louxi Aobu is from a special branch of Chen style Tai Chi. This version includes the posture described the classic text, Chen Xin's Illustrated Canon which standarized forms have altered.
Congratulations on completing this course!
In this final class we look at postures to support the channels of digestion (Spleen channel):
Hold Knee & Support Heavens
Outward Bracing
Hold Knee & Support Heavens is a posture from the modern Qigong routine: 18 Postures for Daily Practice (Lian Gong Shi Ba Fa),
Outward Bracing is a fundamentals training drill from the internal martial art Baguazhang.
This final class also includes a short discussion on how to continue your practice beyond this lessons.
About the course
Recover from burnout with Qigong.
This three-part course is designed to provide a practical program to help you build back. Each lesson is a short (10 - 25 minute) qigong session, each session building on the previous ones.
Starting with restorative qigong exercises in the first Recovery Phase, the course progresses with the Re-training and Re-engagement Phases through a range for exercises to rebuild your physical, mental and emotional well-being. Each lesson concludes with a short discussion to help build your understanding of burnout and how to avoid it in the future.
This is a self-directed program, meaning you can start whenever you are able and follow the lessons on a schedule that will work for you.
Note: Registration is in US dollars with payment via Paypal. Alternate methods of payment are available. Contact me for more information,
About the teacher
James Saper R.TCM.P
Instructor
While living and studying Traditional Chinese Medicine in Victoria, I had the good fortune to meet & train Chinese Martial Arts with Shane Watson & Andrea Falk. I began a serious study of Yang & Chen styles of Taijiquan (Tai Chi Chuan) in Victoria under Andrea's vigilant eye. I also was able to learn the Qi Gong form, Lian Gong Shi Ba Fa (18 Postures for Daily Practice), in Victoria from Sue Jiang. I graduated from Oshio College with distinction in 2002 & was among the first group of registered practitioners recognized by British Columbia's College of TCM Practitioners & Acupuncturists.
Since moving to Guelph, Ontario, I have been able to deepen my Chen Taijiquan studies with Master Jack Yan, one of the eighteen inheritor disciples of Grand Master Chen Zhenglei. And since 2004 expanded my training with Andrea Falk to include Bagua & Xingyi.
Since 2004 I have been teaching internal styles & since 2002 operating a solo Traditional Chinese Medicine practice in Guelph, Ontario.
