“Beating the Heavenly Drum” –Qigong Exercise

I discovered this exercise only a few weeks ago after I did a frantic research on tinnitus for my patient. Turned out to be this “Beating the Heaven Drum” is an age-old Taoist Qigong exercise, practiced mostly by Taoist monks in northern China. This exercise is refuted to be a valuable tool in aiding and maintaining a healthy ear, hearing mechanism, and maintaining a clear mentality. There are two ways to do this exercise.

  1. Method 1

Take a moment to relax by breathing slowly and deeply sitting on a chair or on the floor. When ready, close the ear canal by pressing on the tragus (stick-out part in front of ear canal) with your index finger. tragus

Tap gently on your index finger with the same hand’s middle finger, in a slow steady rhythm. Tap 12, 24 or 36 times and then release the fingers from the ears and rest. Tap both ears simultaneously or alternatively on each ear. Repeat the cycle three times. Ideally, you need to do this exercise one to three times a day, depending on the severity of ear ringing.

beating the heavenly drum2

When tapping on the index finger, make sure you hear a hollow metallic drum-like sound. The pressure shouldn’t be too hard, but firm enough to elicit metallic sounds. The key is to maintain a relaxed state of mind, not rushing through the exercise, focusing on the maximum benefit not only for the ears, but for the entire body.

  1. Method 2

Take time and relax for a few minutes breathing in and out slowly. Close your ears by placing your palms over them, with your fingers facing towards the back of the head. beataing the heavenlydrumTap the back of your head with all eight fingers, OR place your index fingers right underneath the occiput (the pronounced protrusion of skull, slightly above the base of the skull), and then put the middle fingers over your index fingers and snap them down on the occipital bone.posterior-view-of-the-skull-parietal-bone-occipital

The best results can be achieved through a steady pulse of beating. Again, tap 12, 24 or 36 times using either the alternating or simultaneous tapping. Repeat the sequence 3 times a day.  

Some people report immediate relief with this exercise, while for some, it takes a few days to see a real impact. Repeat the tapping as long as ringing persists.

Note: Another excellent relief can be found by placing heated salt pouch (2 Tsp of heated salt in a cotton pouch) over the ears for about 10 minutes.

 

Ringing in the Ears? Try Qigong Exercise

A few months ago, a patient came in, complaining about clogged/blocked Eustachian tube, which she thought was caused by having a cold on a plane. A few days after her flight, she started experiencing ringing in both ears, which was getting worse daily.

rining in the earsHer ENT doctor has prescribed antibiotics, but neither clogging nor ringing was getting any better. We tried acupuncture, modified her diet, and used nutritional supplements, all of which helped only marginally. Then, she became dramatically better after I asked her to practice simple Qigong exercises called “Beating the Heavenly Drum.” First day, she said tinnitus went away about 50%; and it took about another 10 days to resolve ear-ringing all together. If you have ringing in the ears, you should definitely try this amazing Qigong exercise.

Extreme Fatigue That Doesn’t Go Away?

Four Point Technique can do a wonder in addressing chronic fatigue

Extreme fatigue or tiredness that doesn’t go away can be quite debilitating. The causes of chronic fatigue aren’t well-understood in conventional medical science. fatigue 3Chronic fatigue can be caused by viral/bacterial infection, overgrowth of parasites,  psychological stress, nutritional deficiencies, and/or thyroid issues. Although fatigue can affect anyone, women in their 40s and 50s seem to get hit most often.

The good news is that you can deal with chronic fatigue quite effectively just by massaging two different acupuncture points (actually four points including both left and right side of the body), one in the hands and the other in the feet. For centuries, martial arts, Qigong, Nei Gong, or Taoist meditation practitioners have used the same technique revitalize themselves. Specifically, I use these four points to resolve exhaustion among chemotherapy patients.  

Qigong Breathing for Fibromyalgia Symptom Relief

Qigong breathing means breathing fully from your abdomen or from the bottom of your lungs. It is exactly the reverse of the way you breathe when you’re anxious or tense, which is typically shallow and high in your chest. This is the way we breathe when we were a baby. All mammals breathe this way whenever they are in a state of relaxation, i.e., when there’s no clear and present danger in their environment.

quigong breathing

Qigong breathing helps center your awareness in your body, rather than in your head, so that you feel more physically and energetically grounded. It helps you to relax your neck, shoulders and arms. It improves the circulation of blood and the flow of Qi in your internal organs.

Belly breathing provides a wonderful massage for your internal organs and increases the blood circulation throughout your internal organs. It expands our oxygen intake to a maximum, and releases accumulated toxins rapidly.

quigong breathing 2

Steps of Qigoing Breathing

Qigong breathing can be done sitting down, laying on a floor, or walking. To practice abdominal breathing, follow these steps:

  1. Take several slow and deep breaths through your nose, focusing your mind only on your breaths.
  2. Place the tip of your tongue on the roof of your mouth.
  3. Inhale slowly and deeply through your nose from your abdomen in a circular motion, as if you’re drawing a circle with your breath. You will see your stomach rises (inhale for 5 counts, and gradually increase to 10 to 20 counts).
  4. When you inhale fully, pause for a moment and squeeze your sphincter muscle (around your anus) slightly.
  5. Exhale slowly through your nose for 5 counts which can increase at a later point. (Some prefer to exhale through the mouth and/or a longer exhalation, but they are not critical). Imagine your belly flattens all the way back to your spine, when you exhale.
  6. Repeat the above process as long as your feel comfortable, up to 30 minutes to an hour.
  7. Resume your Qigong breathing when you are about to sleep.

quigong breathing3

This will induce a peaceful and restful sleep.