Relaxation Techniques
for Stress Relief

The secret to stress management is in the shoulders and how you breathe. If you are suffering from tension pain and need instant and long-term stress relief, try the following qigong relaxation techniques.

Qigong (also phonetically spelled "chi kung") is all about relaxation. When beginning students have problems relaxing, I teach them this exercise. Easy to learn and even easier to master, just five minutes of practice every day will provide immediate relief.

Here's how:

Before practicing these relaxation techniques, you should have already mastered qigong diaphragmatic breathing.

You should also have read the Disclaimer before attempting any of the exercises on this website.

The following relaxation exercise is the first of a set of qigong exercises best practiced together.

1. For our purpose, you can sit or stand for this exercise. If you are standing, you need to know how to do the qigong horse stance properly, because you need to know how to "relax" into the stance. If you are a beginning student or new to qigong relaxation techniques, it would be easier to sit.

   If you are sitting, do not lean or slouch, but neither should you keep your spine ramrod rigid. (See Sitting Postures for more information). The idea is to keep your back straight without being stiff. Think song — relax!

2. Inhale using qigong diaphragmatic breathing. As you inhale, bring your shoulders up, tensing as much as possible. This is important if you are to know true relaxation.

3. Next, pause in your breathing before exhaling. As you release your breath slowly, begin to lower your shoulders again until they are totally relaxed.

4. Pause in your breathing, then inhale and begin the cycle again.

5. Practice this exercise for a total of eight breaths: inhale and tense the shoulders, pause, exhale and relax the shoulders, pause.

And there you have it — a very simple relaxation exercise.

Some of my beginning students are so used to having tense shoulders they have trouble relaxing them, and don't even know when their shoulders are tense.

Problem: How can you relax your shoulders when you don't even know when they are not?

If you are one of these people, and find yourself tensing automatically, try doing this: Tense your shoulders as hard as you can and hold them in this position for about two or three seconds. Then release them and feel how relaxed they are now.

To know relaxation, you must know the opposite. That is why these qigong relaxation techniques are so effective. By tensing your shoulders, you become much more aware of the opposite.

Try these two qigong relaxation exercises. They are short and simple and take little effort. Yet they are so effective. No other relaxation exercise work so quickly. Practice these exercises regularly and you should encounter fewer problems with stress.

Coming Soon:

If you found these stress management techniques useful, look forward to learning the entire set of qigong relaxation exercises. Easy to learn with detailed descriptions and step-by-step instructions.




Please read Disclaimer
Basic Qigong Diaphragmatic Breathing
Qigong Horse Stance
Return to Free Qigong Lessons
More Free Qigong Meditational Exercises
Applying Qigong to Specific Needs
Suggested Qigong Training Program for Beginning Students
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