Whether you're working at home or elsewhere, for a paid profession or the invaluable job of caring for loved ones, it's easy to get tired and run down. You may start the week strong, but by hump day (Wednesday for many of us), your body and brain are lagging. You may feel like you just can't keep up.
Simple, mindful exercises practiced daily, even for short periods, can help keep your body and brain feeling well. The book Body & Brain Yoga Tai Chi: A Beginner’s Guide to Holistic Wellness by Body & Brain Yoga Education is a great source for these kinds of mind-body exercises. Its step-by-step descriptions with full-color pictures help you do them anytime you feel your productivity or passion waning.
Body & Brain Yoga Tai Chi is a mind-body-spirit practice founded and developed by Ilchi Lee. Unlike common forms of yoga from India, Body & Brain Yoga Tai Chi is based on East Asian energy principles and the idea that the brain is the operating system for the body and its energy system. Rather than a series of poses, it uses energy meridian stretching and rotation, vibration and breathing exercises, and energy meditations to awaken practitioners’ ability to perceive or feel their energy. This method helps students develop their mind-body awareness with the goal of improving their mindset, habits, emotional balance, and physical wellness, with regular practice.
According to East Asian healing and martial arts traditions, your lower abdomen (Dantian in Chinese, Dahnjon in Korean, Hara in Japanese) is your body’s physical power center. This is why abdominal exercises are key to the Body & Brain Yoga Tai Chi practice. They not only work your muscles, but are designed to help you build up your internal energy (Qi). Here is a simple exercise to strengthen your lower abdomen:
In the East Asian tradition, your lower abdomen needs to stay warm and your head needs to stay cool in order for you to stay well. In Body & Brain practice, this principle is called “water up, fire down.” Lower body exercises like this one are designed to keep your body's energy flowing smoothly to maintain this balance:
Your brain loves oxygen, and so do the rest of your organs. Yet, daily stress and tension can make our breathing shallow. Researchers have found that many kinds of breathing exercises can be helpful in reducing the effects of stress, and benefits may increase with regular practice. Here’s an example of a Body & Brain deep breathing exercise that you can try:
Doing what you want is hard if your body slows you down. Gently stretching your joints can help increase your flexibility and range of motion, so you can achieve your goals. Try this exercise to gently stretch your joints, especially in your shoulders and arms:
Meditation is known to slow down your brain waves, which practitioners say has a calming effect. Meditative exercises like Brain Wave Vibration can help you reduce stressful thinking and feel relaxed and focused.
To learn more, you can buy the book in the Body & Brain Online Shop.
With classes offered at over 70 locations across the U.S. and online class options, it’s easy to get started. Body & Brain instructors are trained to meet you where you are, guide you at your own pace, and create a safe, supportive space for your growth.