Chi Gong for Old/arthritic People

[Seth Ananda]

Hi Tao Bums! Big love to you all and a question.

I have an old friend with bad arthritis, very little balance, but would like to do something that would help heal and then help start to maintain her health and body.

It would have to be very soft and gentle, and easy to learn. Book or video-dvd are fine.

Suggestions?

Thanks, Seth.

[sheng zhen]

Hi Tao Bums! Big love to you all and a question.

I have an old friend with bad arthritis, very little balance, but would like to do something that would help heal and then help start to maintain her health and body.

It would have to be very soft and gentle, and easy to learn. Book or video-dvd are fine.

Suggestions?

Thanks, Seth.

Yea, Sheng Zhen healing qiqong, the seated healing version. Very easy, very gentle, very nice

 

Here is a youtube clip:

Edited July 23, 2008 by sheng zhen

[Sahaj Nath]

i'm stuck with dail-up until my dsl line is fixed, so i can't see the video sheng zhen linked here.

 

 

but probably the most well-known practice for such people is the 8 pieces of brocade. should be extremely easy to find.

 

one the few people know about, but is very simple and well performed is bamboo mountain chi kung. sometimes i use it with my elderly clients.

 

easy and graceful. and it's an older woman perfoming it on the video. not elderly, but probably in her mid- to late-50's. her state of relaxation is contagious.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Bamboo-Mountain-Chi-...5044&sr=8-2

[joeblast]

YMAA's Eight Pieces book/dvd is good to learn from

[Fire Dragon]

An easy exercise for the hands.

 

 

Rub your hands together vigourosly at the hight of the navel. In the mean time press your buttock and perineum and send qi to the hands, so that they got hot.

 

 

Hold out your right hand with the fingers straigth and together, the palm down. Take your right hand and cross it on the top of the left and move it against from the the fingertips and up and back again a few times.

 

This exercise is realy nice for the joints in the hand. And is warming the hand and fills it with qi.

 

 

 

F D

[qijack]

I would reccomend level 1 of fragrance Qi Gong (Xiang Gong).Level one is very easy to learn.There is no special breathing involved, the mind is kept in a naturall happy state through out the form, not focusing on anything in particular.Each excersise is done 36 or more times and are well suited for elderly people

 

The purpose of level one is basically to bring your body to a optimum state of health and balance and to lay the foundation for level 2 which is a little bit more strenuous and deals with alot more energy

 

http://www.taichi-qigong.net/qigong/tuition.php This DVD looks pretty good

 

Sheng Zhen Healing Qigong looks pretty good to

Edited July 24, 2008 by truth

[Wun Yuen Gong]

Any exercise is good doesnt have to be chi kung but for a gentle exercise i teach a system called Dragon body which is loosening up the joints but the focus is the spine and internal organ massage. The lims (joints etc) all work in harmony with and from the spine movements. Look at something that can be done seated or standing!

[Lighttime]

Hope this helps.

 

http://www.earthclinic.com/Supplements/DMSO.html

[SiliconValley]

I would reccomend level 1 of fragrance Qi Gong (Xiang Gong).Level one is very easy to learn.There is no special breathing involved, the mind is kept in a naturall happy state through out the form, not focusing on anything in particular.Each excersise is done 36 or more times and are well suited for elderly people

 

 

Is Xiang Gong safe to be practiced? Or sage if practiced without direct instruction? The exercises do seem simple but here is what a website says:

 

 

The creator of Fragrant Qigong, Tian Ruisheng (田瑞生) claimed that this exercise was a classical Buddhist exercise. From the names of the movements of Fragrant Qigong, and it's movements, it seems that they are created by a person who are not familiar with Buddhist philosophy or Buddhist scriptures. Many qigong exercises are created recently and are attributed to Buddha to draw attention or as a advertising gimmick.

 

Mr. Tian said that Xiang Gong (Fragrant Qigong) has 3 parts and the 3rd part is advanced part and you can only learn it from the grandmaster, (him) but he died died in September 30, 1995 of liver cancer. We do not know who has been appointed by him as the next grandmaster to teach the 3rd part of Xiang Gong.

 

Fragrant qigong is suitable for older people to use as a physical exercises but in a strict sense it should not be classified as qigong.

 

A friend who studied with Ken Cohen said that Ken expressed a similar view.

[qijack]

Allot of negative crap was created back in the 80's to discredit xiang gong and to make it look like a cult because it had become so popular. Millions of people practiced it due to its effectiveness in bringing about health of body and mind. The government didn't really like these type of schools/movements as you can see with what has happened with falun gong and prolly many other practices

 

And Tian Rui Sheng dying from cancer a few years after he introduced xiang gong to the public didnt help that at all heh.But maybe his destiny was nothing more than to spread Xiang Gong to the world, which he did very well.

 

From what i have experianced my self from practicing Xiang gong and what my teacher has taught me about it i have come to the conclusion that it is the real deal

[Mal]

[Loke]

Depending on the age and mobility of your friend it perhaps could be wise that he try some breathing technique. On the other hand I dont know any but perhaps the ki breathing from Ki-Akido (K. Tohei's) could work.

[Dainin]

Hi Seth,

 

 

Dr. Yang, Jwing Ming has a book and DVD called "Simple Qigong Exercises for Arthritis Relief":

 

YMAA Publishing

 

Dr. Paul Lam has a number of tai chi DVDs focusing on the health problems of older people:

 

Tai Chi Productions

 

Another one is Mark Johnson's Tai Chi for Seniors DVD. I saw this one a few years back. He seemed to have a good sense of humor.

 

There are a lot of senior citizens in my city! Regards --Ken

Edited July 25, 2008 by Dainin

[Seth Ananda]

Great! This looks like many excellent sources to follow.

Thanks Heaps Everyone!

Seth.

Sat Chit Anand!