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Tai Chi exercises for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Seated Tai Chi exercises for Chronic Fatigue - 3

All of these seated exercises can be done standing up (feet at shoulder width, legs straight but not locked) but work almost as well seated. However pay attention to getting the right seating position. You should sit forward in a chair without arms and with your back straight. Your legs should be at least at 90 degrees to the ground, possibly with the knees slightly lower than the hips encouraging your back to stay straight. This is so the Chi (energy) will sink down into the Dan Tien (the major storage point for energy in the body), just below the navel and to help the Chi flow down into the legs.

With this basic position right there are a number of variations for gathering in and strengthening energy.

1. Gather Chi from the side

Hold palms at Dan Tien, then open the arms out at waist level, like a pair of swing doors, whilst breathing steadily in. The palms may turn down or even outwards as you open up. Open up to around 90 degrees to the front, but less if it is uncomfortable. Turn the palms to face forward and bring them back in on the same line as you breathe out steadily. Hold for a moment with your hands in front of Dan Tien let your mind dwell there.

1.

2.

Do anything from 8 to 40 repetitions of this.

If you've not done Tai-chi or meditation before the direction to 'let the mind dwell' in one spot may seem odd. But it is a principle of Tai-Chi and Qi-Qong that the Chi follows the mind. So concentrating on Dan Tien helps Chi to gather there. However do this with a degree of detachment - you are not conciously trying to force or even move Chi here, rather you are doing an exercise to move the Chi and just observing the result.

2. Move Chi up and down

Start with palms at Dan Tien, middle fingers an inch or two apart. Turn the palms up and as you lift the hands in a line straight up the front of the body breathe steadily in. Once the arms reach the height of the sternum, (arms and elbows are level) turn the palms down, bring the hands back down in a straight line to Dan Tien as you breathe out. Rotate the wrists so the palms face up again and repeat. Again anywhere from 8 to 40 repetitions should do here.

1.

2.

When done standing, both this and Gather Chi from the side would involve bending the knees slightly as you breathe out. This slight sinking helps to bring Chi to the Dan Tien. To get that effect seated you should allow yourself a slight upward stretch of the spine as you breathe in and a downward sinking into the spine as you breathe out. It should be fairly subtle, ie you're not bending your spine forwards as you sink, instead you are going with the natural expansion and contraction of the body that takes place during breathing as you alternately fill and empty the body of air, increasing and decreasing the volume of your torso.

3. Draw the bow

This exercise brings energy to another major accupoint, in the throat. Start with hands at Dan Tien, turn the palms up and bring them up the front of the body to the neck. With the palms facing the throat now tuck the right thumb into the right palm and close the other fingers forming a loose fist. At the same time turn your head to look 90 degrees left and extend the left hand at shoulder height, with the fingers up, palm pushing out to the left (pic 1 and 2). The right arm is bent just beside the shoulder. This posture resembles an archer, but of course it is without the tension of drawing a bow - so the left arm is extended but not locked or tense.

1.

2.

3. (left)

Now turn both palms to face forward as you turn the head to face the front and extend the right to the side. As you breathe in bring the arms in at shoulder height towards the middle of the throat, drawing Chi in to this point. This is one repetition, so now turn to the right and extend the right arm to do the other side. Do an even number on each side and bring the hands from the throat down the front of the body to Dan Tien when you finish the set.

Take care to avoid tension in the shoulders. Although you are bringing Chi into the throat area, keep the body straight and as you bring the chi in through the throat let your mind dwell in the Dan Tien, as this is where the Chi will gather. You can also do the breathing the other way round with this one, because the movement is a mixture of expansion and contraction - you'll probably find you body will adopt a pattern that feels most comfortable.

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