Since this year is the year of the Wood Dragon, let’s take a moment to talk about one of my favorite Qigong Methods the Swimming Dragon Qigong. Perhaps practicing our Swimming Dragon Qigong will help to attune the pulse of the upcoming Wood Dragon Year!
Swimming Dragon Qigong is a simple but profound moving Qigong. Swimming Dragon only has a single action that basically looks like swimming the crawl stroke with your arms and standing with feet firmly planted shoulder width apart. When learning the movement, we often first practice a single arm with the other hand pressing the belly or the lower back. Then we practice the other hand by itself. Then after having warmed up by practicing each arm individually, we shift to do both arms simultaneously. Although simple there is some subtly to how the arms are moved creating a supremely graceful flowing gesture. This subtly of movement enhances the circulation of blood and qi and refines one’s body method and coordination.
Once learned the Swimming Dragon Qigong is easily remembered and can be practiced without warming up each arm separately. Practicing the Swimming Dragon Qigong can be completed in a few minutes or stretched out to 15 or 20 minutes with determination and sufficient strength. Practicing longer than this becomes repetitively straining on some small muscle groups and the tendons of the shoulders and elbows. Because both arms work continuously neither arm gets a resting moment. Typically, most people practice about 5 – 10 minutes as part of the session along with other Qigong methods or preceding Tai Chi practice.
The Swimming Dragon Qigong can be regarded as a foundation practice for Tai Chi Chuan practitioners. Swimming Dragon Qigong makes a great compliment to Tai Chi practice because the flowing moving of the arms in the Swimming Dragon Qigong is identical to the movements called “Brush Knee, Push Hand”, “Brush Knee, Twist Step”, “Repulse Monkey” and “Push”. The way the arms flow and align in both the qigong and the Tai Chi are identical.
The Swimming Dragon Qigong is an effective way to practice the sequence of how one’s fingers, palms, wrists, forearms, elbows, and shoulders work together to create graceful flowing movements. Swimming Dragon Qigong is wonderful for developing the gracefulness of the gestures with hands, wrists, and fingers during Tai Chi practice. Swimming Dragon Qigong helps you to learn how to relax and round the shoulders, sink your elbows, and smooth your wrists in accordance with guidelines on posture during Tai Chi practice.
Swimming Dragon Qigong teaches synergistic body method including proper alignment and proper sequence of moving all the parts of the body together. Qigong exercises like the Swimming Dragon Qigong help develop the synergy and power of fundamental movements and inspire understanding of techniques in classical martial arts.
The health benefits of Swimming Dragon Qigong are obvious as soon as you start. It’s wonderful for relaxing the arms and shoulders. The simple flowing movement and deep breathing relax the mind and body. As you practice you can easily calm your mind and focus your energy, becoming incredibly centered, peaceful, and fearless. Swimming Dragon Qigong takes little room to perform and can be done next to one’s desk or in a typical office space. Getting some fresh air and away from the office is always more refreshing but only a few minutes of this exercise can help reduce stress and relieve mental fatigue by stimulating blood flow to the brain and re-oxygenating the body rapidly. Swimming Dragon Qigong helps open the lung meridians and strengthen and sooth the heart and pericardium meridians.
Of course! Detailed lessons on the Swimming Dragon Qigong are found in the 10,000 Victories Online library. I learned this Qigong from a Taiwanese Tai Chi and Qigong Master Tsou Chin Tsai in 1993.