44

Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 2, Issue No. 3

Organizing Daily Practice
by Yang Yang, Ph.D
From The Master
II you have limited time Ior your daily Taiji
practice, can you still beneIit? The answer is yesiI
you practice eIIiciently. This training tip describes
how.
Most Taiji and Qigong practitioners have a busy
schedule and do not have two hours a day to prac-
tice. Many people are lucky iI they have 30 minutes
a day to exercise. Some may not even have 30-
minute blocks oI time, and instead may have to di-
vide those 30 minutes into several smaller blocks,
spaced throughout the day.
But even short periods oI exer-
cise can make a big diIIerence, ac-
cording to a recent study Irom the
University oI Missouri. A team led
by exercise physiologist John P.
ThyIault reported that when Iit,
physically active young adults
stopped exercising Ior three days,
their blood sugar spiked more aIter
mealsa condition that over time
raises the risk oI heart disease and
Type 2 diabetes. To remain
healthy, we should keep moving
throughout the day, and even short
periods oI moderate exercise can
make a big diIIerence, ThyIault
told the New York Times. Taiji
and Qigong can help.
So, iI you have just 30 minutes
a day, how can you structure your time to practice
most eIIiciently?
To answer that question, we need to consider the
diIIerent components oI our training. Here is one
way to break the practice down:
x Standing meditation
x Sitting meditation
x Lying-down meditation
x Moving qigong
x Agility qigong
x Taiji Iorm qigong

Stanaing meaitation can improve strength, body
alignment, quality oI sleep, balance, and our ability
to relax as we move. It reIers to two primary pos-
tures: Wuji and Santi. It can be practiced alone or
with a partner to help get the Ieel oI it.
Sitting meaitation can eIIectively train our brain
and engage our mind. It cultivates Ling energy
improved intuition and a quick,
alert lightness. For a detailed dis-
cussion oI sitting meditation,
please read this article in the De-
cember 2011 issue.
Lying-aown meaitation includes
still meditation and moving exer-
cises. It can enhance Ilexibility,
relax the body and mind, prevent
and rehabilitate injuries, and im-
prove sleep.
Moving qigong reIers here to
our stand-alone drills, such as
Grand Opening and Washing Or-
gans. Each moving qigong exercise
cultivates energy and each has a
diIIerent Iocus. For example,
Grand Opening helps with chest
opening and closing, shoulder
range oI motion, and side-to-side weight shiIting.
The Strike Shoulders exercise enhances shoulder
range oI motion and trains Iorward and backward
weight shiIting.
Agility qigong reIers to exercises meant to move
the body quickly without compromising alignment,
Iootwork, rooting, and integrity oI the whole body.
They include cai, lie, :hou, kao, and others.
May-June 2012
45
Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life)
Taiji Iorm qigong reIers to individual Iorms or part
oI an entire routine.
Let`s assign Iive minutes to each segment, and
assume we have ten-minute stretches to practice in
the early morning, during the day, and in the even-
ing. Here is one way to organize the practice:
Early morning:
x Sitting meditation: 5 minutes, then
x Moving qigong: 5 minutes
During the day:
x Taiji Iorm or agility qigong, moving slowly: 5
minutes, then
x Agility qigong, moving briskly: 5 minutes
In the evening, before going to bed:
x Standing meditation: 5 minutes, then
x Lying-down meditation: 5 minutes, just beIore
going to bed
I recommend sitting meditation in the morning
and lying down meditation beIore going to bed.
Avoid moving qigong, especially agility qigong, be-
Iore going to bed because these exercises tend to
generate a signiIicant amount oI energy. II you have
a very tight schedule in the morning and evening and
more time during the day, practice sitting meditation
in the morning, lying down beIore going to bed, and
do the rest during the day.
Use these instructions as general guidelines, but
please be Ilexible and adjust based on your speciIic
situation. For example, iI you have sleep issues, it is
a good idea to do more standing and lying down
qigong. II you have a lot oI stress, you`ll beneIit by
spending more time on sitting meditation. And al-
ways remember to do slow movement to warm up
beIore you do agility training. Even Ior the agility
training, you do not need to move too Iast.
II you`re lucky enough to have one hour a day to
practice, double the time Ior each oI these activities.
Always keep in mind that what matters most is
not quantity but quality. And be gentle. Gentle prac-
tice can provide powerIul, long-lasting beneIits.

<DQJ <DQJ Ph. D is one oI the Iew
individuals who are recognized within
the traditional Taiji and Qigong com-
munity as a master practitioner and
instructor, as well as an academic re-
searcher who`s using western science to
explore evidence-based Eastern philos-
ophy and healing arts. He is author oI
the highly acclaimed book 'Taijiquan:
The Art oI Nurturing, The Science oI
Power, and in 2006 was honored as
the 'Qigong Master oI the Year at the 9th World Congress on
Qigong and Traditional Chinese Medicine. Yang trained in
China under several oI the 18th generation grandmasters oI the
Chen style Chen Zhaokui, Gu Liuxin, and Feng Zhiqiang. He
was a three-time Taiji champion at the Shanghai collegiate
tournament and Iormer instructor at the Shanghai Chen Style
Taiji research association. To understand the power and me-
chanics oI Taiji and Qigong beyond traditional explanatory
Irameworks, Master Yang completed a doctorate degree in
kinesiology at the University oI Illinois, where he remains as
an adjunct Iaculty. Dr. Yang is currently the Director oI the
Center Ior Taiji and Qigong Studies in New York City.
www.centerIortaiji.com