The key ancient exercise to long lasting health that modern society has ignored

In today's world society has become overly obessessed with looks, face and body to the point where the external is all that matters. Of course, who doesn't want to be healthy and look good? Unfortunately, the perception is that this level of ultimate fitness has become a standard benchmark that everyone is judged by unfairly.

Being fit, healthy and strong shouldn't and does not mean going to gym and constantly training to be able to wear cropped top and to show off your perfectly scultured abs/muscles. It is not a real reflection on reality. It can be appreciated by all of that is governed by what goes on behind the scenes, discipline, hard work and diet.

But what if I told you, you can achieve a strong body, mental resilience, mental clarity and good posture/movement without having to go to the gym or doing strenuous exercise? It would sound like a joke, no modern form of exercise can achieve all of this!

However, many ancient exercises combined physical, mental and spritual into a set of exericises. When practiced correctly, can give you all those benefits from just 5 - 20 mins a day. What exercises am I referring to? Yoga, Qi Gong, Tai Chi to name a few. *Note: Schools and instructors dependent.

For most people in our modern society typically need to work a 9 - 5 job, so free time is scarce for juggling, family, rest, exercise and play. Being able to put aside 20 mins aside to benefit one's health is achievable anda good daily balance.

But how can 20 mins make all that much of a difference? With Qi Gong and Tai Chi, the focus and foundation is based on building utilising all of the bodies muscles, together with exercising the mind through stillness. It sounds ironic, because we have been taught that moving with full force builds power, stronger, bigger muscles and it is correct. But there is also another method, an ancient method.

In simplicity it is being able to keep the body and mind; calm and still, when external forces are applied to the body. One of these foundational excericses is called 'Wu ji' = 'nothingness' stance but it also can mean 'limitless'.

Surprisingly, in order to maintain stillness within the body, many things need to come together to achieve this:

1. A calm and still mind, no thoughts.

2. Building of awareness within the body to recognise where the body needs strengthening as well where the body is struggling.

3. Maintaining steady normal breathwork - when the body starts to lose its compsure, our breath starts to quicken and when pushed, we start to hold our breath.

4. Endurance - When stressed the body and mind can be pushed to the edge, so like a marathon, it is trained to endure for longer.

The Wu Ji Stance

1. Feet: Stand with your feet parallel, about shoulder-width apart, distributing your weight evenly between the heels and balls of your feet.

   
   

2. Knees: A slight bend your knees—"soft" or "springy," but not deep like a squat. Keep them aligned with your toes, if possible keep the knees outwards.

   
   

3. Hips & Spine: Relax your tailbone (coccyx) down as if you are gently sitting on a high stool. This lengthens your lower back and opens the hip joints.

   
   

4. Torso: Relax your chest and shoulders. The body should feel suspended from the crown of the head by an invisible thread. The lower abdomen (Dantian) should feel relaxed and full.

   
   

5. Head and Neck: Keep the head upright and balanced, chin slightly tucked back to lengthen the back of the neck.
   

6. Arm and Hands: Keep them straight by your side, with elbows pointing outwards. Fingers against the thighs, pointing downwards. Good Tip: Keep the middle finger as if running down the seam of your trousers.

   
   

7. Breathwork: Stay relaxed and breathe normally, In through the nose and Out through the mouth.
   

8. Eyes: Face forward - straight as if you are looking towards the horizon. Best to try this in front of a window or if possible outside.

At the beginning, try to maintain this position for about 5 minutes. Clear your thoughts, gaze ahead but do not aimlessly think or look at other objects.

At the beginning your mind may wander without realisiing it, muscles within your body may start to ache or strain. The goal is to not allow that to happen. If 5 minutes becomes comfortable, add a minute the next e.g. 6 mins and add until you start to notice the mind easily wanders or your muscles start to struggle to stay still.

After 4 weeks of daily practice, you may notice something will have changed. People have observed the following:

• Calmer in stressful situations

• Feeling overall physically stronger in daily life e.g. Climbing a set of stairs, being more stable

• Shoulders and neck being more relaxed

• Better posture

• Stronger core muscles

With deeper training, longer duration a higher level can be achieved; all through low impact exericse. Of course there are different levels of progression and naturally require discipline, hard work and a healthy diet.

At an even higher level, it is possible to feel Qi / Chi - AKA your lifeforce energy.

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