Qigong for Seniors, Fisherman Casts A Net

Moving Qi on the Beach as though we are casting a fishing net.  Circulates blood & qi throughout our shoulders, waist and back.  Massages our internal abdominal organs.  Be blessed with Qi!

Tree of Life Block Print

 Here is my (rather large) Tree of Life wood block print as a good wish to all for an adventurous 2025. I made the paper from a large fig blown over on the Edison Ford Estate in Fort Myers during Hurricane Irma. I boiled the wood pulp in lye for days and pressed out one large sheet of paper. The block took months to carve out and I did a two step press - one for the windy background using Cranfield Gold Oil then after the gold dried for a week I had just one opportunity at a hand press of the Live Oak Tree of Life press. Holding my breath when I removed the block I was inspired by the finished one of a kind print. The art is multilayered too in breath. A small swing invites one to come to the oldest of ancient life forms - plants - a tree, a Florida Southern Live Oak, Quercus virginiana. The human belief systems, from the eons of age Taiji disc & Buddha leaf & those symbols of early African-Persian times to the more nascent world views of Christianity & Social movements are all nourished, nurtured and given refuge by the Tree of Life. Plants have been the major life form on our planet for mostly 500 million years (500,000,000) whereas our homo-humans probably about 200,000 years. The Trees of Life have been around 2500 times longer than humans. I think it is an honor for a tree to be the host of our existential spiritual/cosmic art. I was blessed in doing the research for each world symbol during the preparation of the block. I literally made energy connections with peoples from around the world and from ancient of times. But I found my grounding in the tree. Perhaps this is why I love 站樁, Zhan Zhuang. May you be blessed and filled with Qi. Kevin - Yuan-Xiu Song

Unexpected Mysterious Find, Qigong on the Bay

Headed to do Qigong on the Bayfront for Aortic Dissection Survivors series and came across a mysterious holiday surprise. What a way to end 2024! 

Ischemic Stroke Risk Management with Qigong Spinal Cord Breathing

Ischemic Stroke Risk Management with Qigong Flow Spinal Cord Breathing, Lido Beach, Sarasota, Florida December Sunrise. Spinal Cord Breathing flow is one of my go-to Qigong flows for minimizing blood & Qi stasis or stagnation in the shoulder and neck area. After being on the heart-lung bypass machine for many hours during aortic dissection surgery I've been challenged with embolistic ischemia problems with symptoms ranging from forgetfulness, slurred speech, eye control and other stroke typical health patterns. Qigong gives me gentle, easy to do movements that help motivate, move and keep my circulatory & nervous system functioning as it should. Always check with your doctor before beginning any exercise program. Be Blessed with Qi! Kevin

Playful Qi, The Many Directions of Qi Flow

Playful Qi Flow. Once we tune our body to oneness with Qi flow we can playfully move along with our energy flow patterns. Qi moves in many directions! Moon in Scorpio tonight - water element! Play with the kidney & lung channel Qi flow! Our YOQI® training teaches us to be cognizant and sensitive to how Qi moves in, out & through our body. Love this fun flow that opens out Lung and Kidney Channels.

Dragon Claws the Earth, Moving Qi on the Island, Sarasota, Florida

This YOQI® Qigong flow, known as Dragon Claws the Earth dynamically energizes my Yang Qi, especially flowing through my chest area. I love this flow because of opening lung, heart, stomach, gallbladder, urinary bladder and liver channels as well as the other arm Yin & Yang channels, especially focusing Qi flow in the chest. Lido Beach Qigong for Senior Citizens and everyone else. Inhale claws come up, exhale claws push out and drop! Be blessed and filled with Qi!

Sunset on the Island

Qigong & sunset on the island. #YangSheng #Qigong #Yin #Yang #YangXiu-Song

Trauma Surgery Survivor with Shoulder Pain? Lets Move Healing Qi!

Last week we discussed the three deltoids muscles and how we can keep them mobile and manage shoulder pain. This week we discuss the four muscles beneath the deltoids - and these are commonly referred to as the rotator cuff muscles; the Teres minor, Supraspinatus, Infraspinatus and Subscapillaris.  Lets look at some easy, fun Qigong flows to help manage the health of our shoulders and their supporting muscles.

Regulating the Qi and Microcosmic Orbit, Two Qigong Flows to Start Any Workout With

Qigong for Seniors. Start moving the Qi in any workout with these two flows, Regulating the Qi and Microcosmic Orbit. Regulating the Qi facilitates the rising, expanding and falling of Qi while the Microcosmic Orbit balances Qi flow up the Du Mai, over Bai Hui and down the Ren Mai, integrating Qi throughout the Triple Warmer. These two Qigong flows are a good way for Seniors to keep their shoulders flexible and energy flowing.

Ba Duan Jin Eight Silk Brocades

Ba Duan Jin 15 min this morning here is sunny South Florida. What I am learning from videoing myself is 1. Need to work on transitions 2. Practice narratives for each flow based on a thorough understanding of the movement and how the movement affects the body 3. On Shake the Head Wag the Tail I am working on a much smoother sweeping down and up motion. Daily practice!

Healing Power of Nature Sounds

 You need these cosmic sounds! My thoughts on why nature bathing is so very important.

I go to swamp for many reasons & one healthy reason is for my body to take in the vibrations made by Frogs; mostly Leopard Frogs, Lithobates sphenocephalus, this time of year (winter solstice). Vibrations commonly associated with sound reach our brain through several different paths; through our ear's auditory canal and also through bone and body fluid vibrations. Humans evolved over time integrated into nature's cosmic vibrations. Our body uses nature vibrations for many purposes, especially for managing,-balancing moderating and healing. Filling ourselves with these vibrations on a regular basis is key to avoiding industrial revolution-type machinistic frequencies that depress parasympathetic responses and stimulate fight or flight sympathetic cortisol production. Simply put nature's vibrations usually are healing. I've written often about how frog vocals have had a part in fashioning our DNA over millennia (as long as frogs were calling out at night predators were not adjacent and our body could more easily relax). Frog's vocal vibrations (as well as night birds, crickets and other wildlife) down-regulate our nervous system. When our body is bathed in these sounds our auditory cortex within the temporal lobe processes vibrations not only from our ears but also from vibrations resonating through our bones and body fluids. This is the fundamental basis why forest bathing is so healing (as a native Floridian I like 'swamp bathing' or spring/ocean bathing'). And I'll leave you with this tidbit to stoke your wondering; try turning your head so different ears face the direction of the wildlife calls. Our right ear sends 'sound' to the left hemisphere of our brain & alternatively the left ear sends signals to our brain's right side for processing. Evolution has fine tuned this diurnal auditory processing to be practically simultaneous however my supernova-like right hemisphere constantly is at odds with the more logical approach of left brain's OCD logic. By alternately turning my left/right ears towards the frogs I can experience a multi-dimensional sound bath, infusing me with powerful cosmic frisson. Read the internet about this word frisson. Frisson is a gift form the cosmos, a process within our body similar in many ways to powerful dopamine-like healing responses we are most familiar with. Swamp bathing is healing in so many ways. Nature freely provides this medicine for us.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBd14MZzXYuS6PGJoAgMwVA/community?lb=Ugkxm1UVfgXLNbUMNE6D4OtxFG_5A1bvuPJr

Nature Sounds Provide Healing Power

Lotus Grows From the Mud Lido Beach Moon & Sunrise Qigong

Another one of my favorite YOQI® Qigong moves, Lotus Grows from the Mud flow on beautiful North Lido beach in Sarasota, Florida. Lotus flow symbolizes renewal and rebirth and I'm reminded of some of the historical Oriental art pieces depicting the lotus plant as clasping a newborn baby in its leaves. This flow balances the Chong Mai central channel Qi flow while allowing us to gather and integrate Earthly Yin Qi and Heavenly Yang Qi. The imagery of the lotus blossom opening is so beautiful and awakens my shen spirit. #YOQI® #Qigong #yangsheng #KevinSonger #sarasotaqigong #floridaqigong

Drawing Down the Heavens, Qigong on the Beach for Seniors

Drawing Down the Heavens this morning's North Lido Beach Qigong Practice. Drawing Down the Heavens is one of the basic, fundamental movements/flows of Qigong and is often used to integrate Qi and balance our Triple Warmer. We begin feet shoulder width apart in Wuji posture, beginning to gather earthly Qi with our palms facing earth. On the inhale we raise our arms, rotating palms up to the heavens to gather heavenly qi. This sunrise came to my face, balancing my Ren channel while the moonlight across my back flowed into my Du Mai. Yin and Yang dance in nature. Qigong is a such a fulfilling path to experiencing the Tao. #YOQI® #Qigong YangSheng #KevinSonger

YOQI® Qigong has healed my body.

I give credit to the gentle flowing movements of my YOQI® Qigong practice for healing much of my post surgery health issues.  Always grateful for western medicine and how my kidney cancer and aortic dissections were/are treated & managed, however surviving survival I credit YOQI® qigong with.

Resistance Band Shoulder Work North Lido Beach

I love this resistance band exercise and incorporate it into my daily #qigong routine

Why I Will Practice YOQI® Qigong Every Day, The Rest of My Life

Butter is Amazing. My Aorta approves.

 So tired after clinic yesterday I binged on butter - why? #aorta #yangsheng #healthyeating

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail in the Bog

 #3 of 6; "Eastern Tiger Swallowtail in the Bog"

17" x 16" x 2" live edge Eastern Red cedar slab (Juniperus virginiana). This piece is number 3 of 6 pieces in the Discovering Florida Seep Head Bog collection set. Fire torch, oil pigment & resin.
Florida native plants & wildflowers included in this piece are; fruiting Yaupon holly (Ilex vomitoria), Flowering White Topped Pitcher Plant (Sarracenia leucophylla), Bog Buttons ( Lachnocaulon anceps), Florida cooters, (Pseudemys floridana floridana), Bidens mitis (Small fruit beggarticks), Saw palmetto (Serenoa repens), Xyris floridana (Florida yellow-eyed grass), Marsh rosegentian (Sabatia dodecandra), Eastern Tiger Swallowtails Papilio glaucus

Florida Native Bog Plants 7 the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail