Why Pay for Botox Or Cosmetic Surgery – Preserve & Enhance Your Looks With External Qigong
What I am to suggest is not a quick (or temporary) fix type solution, nor does it involve any surgical procedures, chemicals or outlay whatsoever except in terms of perseverance, time and effort. Nor is there any chance of disfigurement in any (let alone scarring)way for those who perform these exercises–indeed they have been performed successfully in China for thousands of years by various groups and they enjoy an enduring popularity.
The exercises originate from that body of work known as External (or Wei Dan) Qigong and the selection I intend to present focus upon the head, the most important part of the body,where the consciousness is located, as it is this we principally refer to when we speak of another person’s (or our own) ‘looks’. ‘Headquarters’ is where General Consciousness is based and all soldiers know this has to be in good condition for her/him to function properly. Thus, these exercises’ benefits are not merely aesthetic but also have health and fitness and self-improvement potential as well as potential for enhancing life in general. In fact, many serious Chinese Martial Artists (including myself) practise them on a regular basis (daily, for over 20 years in my case).
Hair Combing.
This prevents/retards hair loss and greying and helps the hair to retain its original colour. Simply crook your fingers and comb from the middle of your scalp outwards with them 50 times moving from the front of your head to the rear and then vice-versa. Then repeat the exercise this time combing straight backwards 20 times.
Teeth Gritting.
Knocking the upper and lower teeth together strengthens their roots. Incidentally, the ensuing vibration penetrates the skull and helps clear debris from the brain stem. This is also considered a useful adjunct to longevity training. Firmly and gently knock your upper and lower sets of teeth together 48 times.
Massaging the Temples With the Thumbs.
Use the broad area at the tip of your thumb (sometimes called the ‘thenar’) to massage each of your temples 20 times in an anticlockwise direction. This will, over time, prevent and reduce lines and wrinkles there.
Massaging the Forehead With Both Palms..
Open up the fingers of both hands as wide as you can, making sure the ‘V’ between your second and third fingers is as broad and well-defined as possible. Simultaneously, push the fingers and both palms upwards through your eyebrows and across the brows until they reach the hairline before pulling them outwards and downwards in a continuous circular motion. When you begin ensure the aforementioned ‘V’ is firmly in the centre of each eyebrow–this healthy massage will ensure they never droop. The massage of the forehead will reduce wrinkling and furrowing over time.
Keeping a Smile on Your Face.
Frame your lips in a gentle smile and take care to maintain this smile throughout the following exercise. Rub your upper and lower lips together gently, moving them back and forwards in opposing directions horizontally 20 times. Eventually, you will find that a pleasant friendly smile has become your natural expression. Even when surprised by, say, a sudden tap on the shoulder from behind your quick turnaround will reveal a confident faintly smiling individual to whoever it was who tapped. This kinds of first impression is very important and can help to decide outcomes positively in your favour in a range of encounter types.
The preceding 5 Exercises are only a selection of the many designed to preserve or regain youthful and healthy appearance which are part of External Qigong practice which relate to the head. Needless to say, there are also many that apply to other areas of the body as well. Hopefully, further articles will explore some of these in more detail.