Six practices with video lessons<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Six practices that make up the whole foundation: three from yoga, two from qigong, and meditation, which the two systems share. You can learn them at home, with no studio and no equipment beyond a mat and a couple of yoga blocks. Each practice has its own page with a detailed technique and a video lesson.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
3 yoga practices \u00b7 2 qigong practices \u00b7 meditation \u00b7 15-20 minutes a day<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Route<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The number on each card shows the learning order. Click a card to open the technique and the video lesson.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A straight back without pain in the knees or lower back. How to choose a seated pose that suits your body, what to sit on and how to build the spine from the bottom up. Everything else starts with the asana: both pranayama and meditation rest on it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Four techniques that will last you the first year: ujjayi, belly breathing, kapalabhati and nadi shodhana. Pranayama teaches you to breathe less often but more deeply and calmly, and a trained breath helps both on the mat and under load.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A 15-20 minute routine, also known as the Eye of Revelation or the Five Tibetans. Five exercises strengthen the core muscles on every side and bring mobility back to the upper back. Each one can be done at one of three levels of difficulty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ten exercises from the \u201ccanon of strengthening muscles and tendons\u201d. Slow movements, strength holds and breath work train the whole body in half an hour, with the focus on the spine, shoulders and legs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe Tree\u201d, or standing like a pillar. You stand still and learn to relax without losing the vertical. It strengthens the legs, trains balance and attention, and the skill comes in handy in any queue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You sit with a straight back, breathe quietly and let go of tension throughout the body step by step, from the top down. No mantras and no esotericism, just clear physiology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
From support to stillness<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The practices are arranged from support to stillness, and the order is not random.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You do not have to follow this order strictly. If sitting on the floor is still hard, start with Zhan Zhuang and the 5 Tibetan Rites and learn the seated asana alongside them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Two systems<\/p>\n\n\n\n
These practices are often set against each other, but in practice they complement each other. People who do only one sooner or later hit the limits of their system: those who only do yoga often lack a steady breath in movement, and those who only do qigong lack flexibility and the ability to sit still calmly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Both systems rest on the vertical axis of the body, slow breathing and attention turned inward. That is why all six practices are described here in one language, the language of physiology, without chakras or meridians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ready-made routines<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The colour of each tag shows the system: yoga in red, qigong in blue, meditation in green.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The 5 Tibetan Rites or a few Yi Jin Jing exercises, then 5 minutes of Zhan Zhuang.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
5 minutes in the asana with belly breathing and ujjayi, then 15 minutes of relaxation meditation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A qigong-style warm-up, the 5 Tibetan Rites, pranayama, Zhan Zhuang and a short meditation at the end.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A minute with a straight back on the edge of your chair, a few belly breaths, two or three minutes standing in \u201cthe Tree\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How much time<\/p>\n\n\n\n
15-20 minutes a day.<\/strong> Enough for the first results. A short daily practice gives more than one long session a week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After a couple of weeks.<\/strong> It usually becomes easier to sit with a straight back and to breathe calmly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After a month or two.<\/strong> Posture and endurance change noticeably.<\/p>\n\n\n\n No. All six practices are designed for beginners, and each has simplified versions. Flexibility comes with practice; it is not a requirement to start.<\/p> <\/div> A mat, one or two yoga blocks or a firm cushion for the pelvis, and comfortable clothes. It is best to practise barefoot.<\/p> <\/div> Yes, as long as the load increases gradually. Qigong and Zhan Zhuang are especially gentle, and the 5 Tibetan Rites have easier versions. With serious back, heart or blood pressure problems, start by consulting a doctor.<\/p> <\/div> Yes. The video lessons show the technique, and the practice pages have descriptions, common mistakes and precautions. If you can practise with an instructor in person even once, it will speed things up.<\/p> <\/div> Five minutes of Zhan Zhuang or five minutes of belly breathing with ujjayi. You can do them anywhere, even at work.<\/p> <\/div> <\/div>\n\n\n\n All six video lessons are collected in a YouTube playlist, in the same order as the practices on this page.<\/p>\n\n\n\nQuestions and answers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Video lessons<\/h2>\n\n\n\n