Release Tension + Pain in the Neck, Shoulders + Back
The most common area that people hold stress and tension is undoubtedly the neck, shoulders and upper back. If you need some comic relief, just take a look at the way some people drive with their shoulders up around their ears while they hold on to the steering wheel for dear life! However, it’s not only moments of intense, accute stress that causes this reaction, but all the micro-movements in reaction to minor inconveniences and setbacks while we stare at computer and television screens. In the following how-to video, I demonstrate a...
read moreTai Chi + Qigong Exercise for a Healthy Spine
Poor posture and repetitive movement using improper body alignments have resulted in back, neck and shoulder pain that has become a pandemic in the West. It’s not only affecting adults, but our youth as well. The symptoms are caused by prolonged sitting, usually starring at computer or television screens, and recurring micro-movements operating keywords, remote controls, clicks on the mouse and more. With each passing year, we are only becoming more reliant on technology, so although prevention is key, the solution (at least in part)...
read moreFixing Imbalances in the Body with Qigong, Tai Chi + Bagua
A few months back I posted some how-to videos to help you balance your body in your qigong, tai chi and bagua practice, which I elaborated on in a course I offered on Tai Chi Circling Hands and Gods Qigong in Crete last year (see below). 3 Steps to Addressing Imbalances in the Body First of all, many people are unaware of just how imbalanced their body may be. It could be that one side (left-right) or one half (upper or lower) of the body is more bound, less flexible or has a limited range of motion, or is generally less comfortable than the...
read moreGuided Breathing Practice
The following 10-minute breathing practice was recorded while on retreat in Crete earlier this year. It’s an easy breathing practice, particularly good for beginners to the Energy Arts System, that covers some of the primary points you want to focus on when you come to sit. To learn more about the theory that underliesLongevity Breathing techniques, click here. Happy practising, Paul To learn more about Paul’s next Longevity Breathing course in Kentish Town, click here! © 2011 Paul Cavel—All rights reserved. Links are...
read morePartner Exercises: Getting Real about Your Internal Arts Practice
The video snippet below was filmed on Crete earlier this year as part of my Five Elements in Qigong retreat. The discussion was focused on ways to restore balance in and revitalise the body. One method for fretting out imbalances and getting real about your practice is training with a partner. Partner exercises accomplish three important goals: Engages the Part of Your Mind that Wants to Achieve The observer effect dictates that the sheer act of observation will influence the phenomenon being observed (Wikipedia). This is true for science and...
read moreQigong, Tai Chi + Bagua for Beginners
How Much Practice Is Appropriate for a Beginner? Okay, I’m going to make this short and sweet because this has got to be one of the most popular email questions of the year: I advise new students to mind their 70% of effort in mind-body-chi, and save 45-minute to hour-long practices for many months (or even years) down the line, once you have a solid foundation in neigong. Otherwise, you may injure yourself or build up too much internal resistance and stop practising. Go with the flow and do whatever “clicks” for you yet try to build...
read moreWhat Beginners Learn at Qigong, Tai Chi + Bagua Classes
After 16 years of teaching the Energy Arts System of courses, I’ve learned that it can actually be quite difficult for a beginner to get in the game because there is just so much material and practices from which to choose. Also, it can be difficult to understand which classes are appropriate for beginners, and how a new student might join an on-going class or jump into training a subject matter that advanced students are also studying. Paradox of the System Although it may sound counter-intuitive, new students learn almost exactly the...
read moreTai Chi Intensive, London
14 January-14 April 2012 | Camden-Kentish Town, Saturdays 11 am- 6 pm. Senior Energy Arts Tai Chi Instructor Paul Cavel—I will teach a core group of 16 people the 27-step Wu Style Tai Chi Short Form in four sessions over three months. Between classes, I will offer content (neigong) courses to infuse your form with internal power for health and high-performance. Beginning, intermediate and advanced tracks of study will be offered in all classes, so everyone is welcome. Groups will be split depending on the individuals who attend, and their...
read moreInternal Energy Exercise to Contact the Subtle Energy Anatomy
(Part 2 of 2) Re-educating Your Body The first step to living pain-free or improving your health is re-educating your body about how to move and perform even minor daily tasks, such as typing on a keyboard. In fact, most people have never received health or physical education that includes information about correct and sustainable body alignments and movements. Internal energy exercises are designed to provide you with an experiential physical education so you learn how to align your body and refine your movements. This will not only prevent...
read moreInternal Energy Exercises for a Healthy Back, Neck and Spine
(Part 1 of 2) Most people will experience back, neck, spinal or repetitive strain injuries at some point in their lives. For many, it will limit the mobility they experience for the rest of their life. Learning what you can do now will help you prevent needless suffering from chronic aches and pains. Startling Health Statistics An EU-wide study (by The Work Foundation www.theworkfoundation.org, reported by www.backpain.org.uk on 13 February 2010) found that musculoskeletal disorders, such as back pain, neck pain and...
read moreLearn Gods Qigong
Gods Playing in the Clouds Qigong Gods Qigong is from Lao Tse’s school in ancient China, offering a unique feature not found in other qigong systems. Typically qigong sets are practised with the purpose of learning particular strands of neigong, each with a distinct flavour, which can then be applied in deeper practices, e.g. bagua and tai chi. However, Gods serves as a container for all 16 neigong where practitioners can unify the internal power grid into one coherent whole. A supreme movement art, skillful Gods training can evolve qigong...
read moreCircling Hands Qigong Video: A Guided Practice Lesson
Hiya, You can watch and follow along to the Circling Hands video below. It’s a great practice for deepening neigong and improving your qigong, tai chi and bagua forms. In Circling Hands, kwa exercises go deep into the body to create a powerful massage for the internal organs and further increase blood and fluid activation. In combination with the C-curve, kwa exercises generate strong hydraulic activity, so you can get a good workout while remaining extremely relaxed. Make gentle, smaller circles to help release your nerves, allowing the...
read morePulsing the Body’s Cavities in Qigong, Tai Chi & Bagua Circle Walking
My last blog introduced the concept of pulsing, and provided an overview of how to pulse the joints in qigong, tai chi and bagua for health benefits. However, the more dramatic, broad-ranging and long-lasting results come after the tuning in period, when you can go deeper than only pulsing the joints and gain some faculty in opening and closing the body’s cavities. Pulsing the Joints: The Middle Ground Activating the joints is only the beginning stage. Whether you only pulse the joints in the limbs (arms and legs) or the entire skeletal...
read moreQigong, Tai Chi & Bagua Teachers
My friend and fellow tai chi instructor, Dan Kleiman, wrote the following blog. It has some great pointers for teachers and students alike, so I thought I’d share it with you… So You Think You Can Teach? By Tai Chi Instructor Dan Kleiman The desire to teach and share what you’ve learned over time is a natural outgrowth of your own personal practice. In fact, being able to articulate principles you feel in your own body by explaining them to someone else can be a really important learning stage for you. Every time I have the...
read morePulsing the Joints of the Body in Qigong, Tai Chi & Bagua
This article is Part 2; see Part 1 on Essential Neigong Exercises. Pulsing is a naturally occurring phenomenon replicated time and again throughout the universe as an essential aspect of every living organism, including human beings. Pulsing (also known as “opening and closing”) is little more than a synchronised, alternating rhythm of expanding and condensing energy. Paul Cavel Teaches Pulsing in Qigong In terms of qigong, tai chi and bagua, the concept of pulsing is simple: You want your entire body and its energy to pulse as one...
read moreEssential Neigong Exercises
The system of internal power for generating health, healing and an overriding feeling of well-being that has existed in China for at least 4,000 years is driven by 16 neigong components. Each one represents cosmic potential for developing your body, mind and chi—capable of producing seemingly mysterious and enigmatic results. Wherever it may take you, the neigong system is rooted in extremely concrete, tangible and specific training techniques that start with the physical body. Two introductory methods that can take the average human being...
read more