Qigong Exercises

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The Swimming Dragon
Introduction

The Swimming Dragon is an ancient exercise from the Taoist tradition. It is a self
contained exercise practiced by repeating a short cycle of movements which his easy to
learn, pleasant to perform and brings beneficial results quickly.

Benefits

The benefits of regular practice of the Swimming Dragon include : weight loss, regulates
the intestines, increased flexibility especially of the spine, stimulates the endocrine
system improving skin tone and the ability to relax. Above all these specific benefits, the
main benefit of the Swimming Dragon is the production and circulation of qi, leading to
longer life and increased vitality.

Description of Movements

Stand with feet together, hands by your side, relaxed, with long spine. Bring you
attention to the tan-tien. Breathe deeply to relax the body.

Slowly bring your hands together in front of your abdomen. Rotate your hands outward
and upward so you adopt a prayer position with the fingers pointing upright, thumbs
against your body.

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Push hands out to the left side, fingers leading. Follow the hands with your eyes. Once
fully extended, move hands in an arch over the head to the right side, following the
movement with the eyes.

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Keeping the hands together, turn them over on themselves so the fingers point to the left
with your right elbow extended to the right. Move your hands slowly to the left, leading
with the fingers. As the hands come under the chin your spin should be in an upright
position with your head also upright and chin slightly tucked in.
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Your hands continue to the left while your hips shift to the right and you turn your head to
look to the right. Gently bend the knees to lower the centre of gravity.

When your arms are fully extended, turn your hands over so your left palm is pressing
on top of the right. Bring the hands back to the centre to be near the solar plexus, at the
same time moving the hips back to the centre. When your hands are central, the spine
should be upright again and the head facing forward and down slightly.

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Continue to move your hands to the right in a downward arc, moving the hips to the left,
turning the head to look to the left and the knees bending further to lower the centre of
gravity even further.

He hands now move back to the centre as your head and hips also return to the centre.
Your centre of gravity is now at its lowest point and the body is in a half squat position,
completing the top-to-bottom movement.

Next begins the bottom-to-top movement which is a reversal of the top-to bottom.

When you hands reach a fully extended position to the right, level with the chin, arc you
hands up above you head and centre the hips and head. You are now in a full standing
position with your hands palm to palm directly over your heads.
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Shift the weight to the balls of the feet, heels raised up as your arms become fully
extended. Stretch up without straining while maintaining your balance on the balls of
your feet and toes. Hold this position for a few seconds then slowly lower your hands
passed your face to a prayer position beneath your chin. As you do so, lower your heels.

Repeat the cycle several times. After your final cycle, bring both hands down to youre
your palms over your lower tan-tien, mind focused on your palms and tan-tien until your
breathing becomes normal. Relax your hands and bring them to the sides to stand in a
relaxed position.

Photos taken from The Swimming Dragon by T.K. Shih

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"Vetina Plivajueg zmaja je jedinstvena stara kineska vetina specifinih rotacionih i

lepih gracioznih jednostavnih pokreta koji ujedinjuju um i telo, aktiviraju ga, i dovode do
fleksibilnosti svih zglobova, tetiva, miia, kime i celog tela. Ova vetina u isto vreme
pokree i aktivira kritine i ugroene take ljudskog tela: dno kime lumbalno-sakralni
deo, vratni deo kime, struk i dijafragmu, i srednji deo tela. Vetina Plivajueg zmaja
istovremeno aktivira funkcije obe hemisfere mozga, jaa esenciju i vitalnu energiju,
pomae pravilne funkcije svih organa, pomae detoksikaciju i regeneraciju tela, dovodi
do lepote koe, otklanja bore i celulit, otklanja suvine kilograme, dovodi do radosti i
dugovenosti. Ova vetina jaa i opravlja funkcije mozga i nervnog sistema, jaa
imunitet, regulie funkcije metabolizma i endokrinog sistema, pomae ukorenjivanje i
centriranje uma i tela. Vetina Plivajueg zmaja moe pomoi da se brzo iskljui
blokirani impuls stresa i emocionalnih problema, te da se ponovo uspostave normalne
funkcije mozga i nervnog sistema. Ova vetina pokazuje veliko poznavanje prirodnih
zakona i harmonije izmeu oveka, Neba i Zemlje. U kineskoj mitologiji je Zmaj
simboliki prikazan kao bie iji rep dodiruje dno mora, a glava se kree meu oblacima.
Ovo je poreenje sa centralnom ovekovom osom. Telo Zmaja se u pokretu kree i
istee levo-desno, isteui i uvijajui svoje telo u beskonanim krugovima (osmicama),
koje predstavljaju znanje o pulsaciji univerzuma. Ta simbolika bi u prevodu znaila da
rep Zmaja dodiruje zemlju ima koren i stabilnost zemlje, a vrh glave mu dodiruje
nebo, to jest ima konekciju sa prostorom (Poljem), i da njegova centralna osa rotira u
beskonanim osmicama krugovima, da mu telo i um pulsiraju u neprekidnom irenju i
sakupljanju.
U vebi Plivajueg zmaja fiziki lagano pokreemo telo levo-desno u tri nivoa, ili tri
beskonane osmice, onako kako je prikazano na crteu. Imamo gornji nivo koji
predstavlja um svesnost, srednji nivo koji predstavlja srce oseanja, i donji nivo koji
predstavlja vitalnu silu energiju i ukorenjivanje, pa se opet istim putem vraamo u
poetnu poziciju. Glava i telo se pokreu u jednom pravcu, a ruke lagano isteemo u
suprotnom pravcu. Ovo je zaista odlina veba istezanja celog tela. Disanje u ovoj vebi
je polagano i prirodno, telo oputeno, a um miran, samo oseamo na plivajui pokret i
nita vie. Ova veba moe da se veba svuda i u svako vreme, bez posebnih priprema,
bez specijalne opreme treba vam samo mesto gde moete smestiti svoja stopala. Da
bi se postigao dobar uinak ove vebe, potrebno je ceo komplet vebe uraditi minimum
9 puta, a to traje od 7 do 10 minuta. Jo vei pozitivan uinak je ako ovu vebu uradite
20 puta na dan. Na poetku vebe treba da prislonite lagano vrh jezika uz nepce i tako
ga drite sve do zavretka vebe. Ta pozicija jezika spaja i aktivira energetske funkcije
dva centralna meridijana tela, Ren prednji i Du leni. Ako ovu vebu radite pravilno,
ubrzo ete osetiti toplotu, naroito izmeu dlanova. Na malo viem nivou mogue je
osetiti gustinu energije Polja i njenu pulsaciju. Na poetku vebe, kada se sastave
dlanovi, aktivira se i harmonizuje vitalna ivotna sila koja se na taj nain zadrava u telu.
U toj poziciji se ostaje oko 30 sekundi, a u toku nje bi trebalo oseati kako se dodiruju
vrhovi srednjih prstiju; nae misli bismo trebali usmeriti na mladost i lepotu, zdravlje i
dugovenost bez obzira koliko imate godina i u kakvom su stanju va um i telo. To isto
treba uraditi i na kraju vebe Plivajueg zmaja. Zaista je veliki pozitivan uinak ove
vebe kada spojeni dlanovi prelaze iz jedne polovine tela na drugu, crtajui beskonane
osmice savijajuim i isteuim pokretima tela kroz tri nivoa kruga. Na taj nain stvaramo
veliku aktivnost istovremeno u obe hemisfere mozga, stvaramo veliku koliinu impulsa
informacija o pokretanju tela, koji se prenose preko corpus callosum-a, aktiviramo i
popravljamo blokirane ili oteene funkcije receptora, mozga i nervnog sistema Na taj
nain uimo, stvaramo nove mree neurona, popravljamo i regeneriemo celo telo! Da li
ima neto lepe i vanije na tom svetu!?"

Preuzeto iz knjige Maria Topoleka "Spontani krug - put zdravlja i vetine"