Do you ever have a hard time falling asleep at night?
Tossing and turning in bed at night can be frustrating, and it can also lead you to feeling tired and depleted the next day. Unfortunately, certain elements in modern life can set you up for poor nights of sleep.
Chinese Medicine and Qi Gong offer important insights and practices that can help you enjoy better and deeper sleep. In this blog, you’ll discover some of those insights, and also learn a ten-minute Qi Gong routine designed to help you get better sleep so you can wake up feeling rejuvenated and inspired.
According to Chinese Medicine and Qi Gong, your body is one interconnected energy system.
When that energy system is balanced and in harmony, you tend to feel awake and energized during the day (Yang), and relaxed and ready for sleep at night (Yin).
Although your body gravitates towards this daily cycle between Yin and Yang, modern life often presents you with stimuli that can derail this natural and healthy pattern. For example, stress, bright lights, and restless thinking can all cause Yang energy to become overly dominant.
Specifically, Yang energy tends to become concentrated in your head. Therefore, some Qi Gong practices focus on moving energy downward so you can rebalance your energy system and cultivate a feeling of relaxation and peace. Not surprisingly, these energy states are conducive to falling asleep.
There are many ways to help rebalance your energy system, including avoiding screens before bed, trying to calm your mind, and engaging in a relaxing activity such as reading. This previous blog goes into much more detail about natural techniques to calm your energy system in preparation for deep and peaceful sleep.
Another effective way to improve your sleep is to practice specific Qi Gong exercises that are aimed at balancing and relaxing your energy system. Below, you’ll find a ten-minute Qi Gong routine that is designed to help you do exactly that. This routine is provided both in a video as well as written instructions.
To begin, stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart and take slow, deep breaths. Try to let go of any tension and relax your body.
After a moment or so, bring your hands upward until they're above your head. Then, move your hands down slowly with your palms facing the front of your body.
As you raise your hands upward, inhale slowly. When you bring your hands downward, release your breath with an exhale.
This exercise is called Pulling Down the Heavens. As you do the movements, visualize that you’re pulling down relaxing, nourishing energy from the heavens above you.
During this exercise, try to find a feeling of effortless flow. Move your arms in slow, fluid, flowing movements as you harness energy from above.
Now, while still doing the movement, make a “heeeee” sound on your exhale.
The “heee” sound is one of the Healing Sounds in Chinese medicine and Qi Gong. This sound helps bring heat and energy out of the head and down into the body. Continue doing this exercise for another minute or two as you make the “heee” sound.
This next exercise is called Picking Cherries.
With your feet still shoulder-width apart, bring your hands up above your head. Then, extend your right hand upward as if you’re reaching for some cherries on the vine above your head.
As you bring your right hand downward, move your left hand up as if you’re reaching for cherries with your left hand.
Continue doing this movement while alternating hands.
This is a wonderful exercise that stretches your lower back and kidney area. In doing so, it helps you release any tension you’re holding in your body, which makes it easier to fall asleep.
After a couple of minutes, sit down on the floor with your legs stretched out in front of you with your feet spread wide.
Once you’re in this sitting position, try to grab your left foot with your left hand. If you’re not able to grab it fairly easily, put your hand on your knee or another part of your leg that creates a gentle stretch in your left leg.
While you’re holding your left leg with your left hand, hover your right hand above your left leg and move it down your leg and then back towards your body. As you move your right hand, feel the stretch in your leg become slightly more intense.
After a minute or two, reverse sides and do the same movement with your right leg and left hand. This exercise really helps loosen the muscles in your legs and allows you to relax.
Next, lay down on your back and pull your knees to your chest. Rock gently forward and back.
Then, move your knees to the right side of your body and look to the left. Feel a nice gentle stretch along the side of your body. After a minute or so, move your knees to the left side of your body and look to the right to stretch the other side of your body.
When you’re ready, move your legs back to the middle and let them stretch out in front of you. Take a few deep breaths and make the “heee” sound a couple more times. By now, you’ll feel relaxed, calm, and ready for sleep.
Take that feeling of peace and stillness with you into the rest of your night.
If you’re interested in learning more Qi Gong exercises designed to help you let go of tension, balance your energy system, and improve your sleep, be sure to check out our on-demand Qi Gong for Better Sleep Workshop.
In this workshop, you’ll dive deeper into a variety of powerful Qi Gong practices that are all aimed at addressing the root causes of poor sleep. In doing so, you can transform restless nights into nights of deep and nourishing sleep.
