Health and Fitness

The most commonly used Shaolin stance is mabu or horse stance which I wrote about here . In this blog post, I focus on the second most commonly used stance which is: Gong Bu.  Benefits: Strengthens the legs. Strengthens the spine. Is the key to unlocking the Shaolin forms. Centers and grounds the mind and body. Step by Step: 1) Stand straight. Draw your fists to your waist and turn your head to the left. 2) Step your left leg out to the side so your feet are wider than your shoulders and slowly squat into Ma Bu. 2) Turn both legs and bend your left leg as much as you can , keeping your right leg straight. Turn your body to face the left. 3) Remain here for six breaths. Check list: It's a good idea to check your stance in the mirror. Your back foot should be slightly turned in, it shouldn't be completely straight. Your back foot needs to be in line with your left foot. Your front knee should be over your front foot. Is your neck tucked in and your shoulders relaxed? Are you knee...

At The Beijing College of Traditional Chinese Medicine & Institute of Qigong Science, EEG results on Qigong practioners showed a predominance of alpha brain waves indicating that Qigong induces a relaxed and focused mind. After just three or four minutes there was a measurable shift of alpha and theta concentration from the rear occipital regions to the frontal lobes. This corresponds to a union of the mind and body from which feelings of peace and harmony arise.   If you can, it's good to do some of your Qigong training outside. If you live in the city then get up early and go to the park, preferably a place where there are some trees. Just as we spring clean our house we can also spring clean our body, being outside helps us to clear our stagnant energy and breathe in fresh air. It also reinvigorates our practice. The important thing is to be awake to the practice. It is important not to do Qigong by rote but say to yourself: For these next twenty minutes I'm going to ded...