Tai Chi Breathing during a Pandemic

By Catherine Whelan, LMT CST-D

THE DISCLAIMER WE HAVE TO ADD - GET YOUR MEDICAL ADVICE FROM YOUR DOCTOR

I have had extra time on my hands over the past week because of Covid-19. I listened to an interview of the health care professionals who worked in China during the 2003 SARS epidemic.
 
One of the most interesting parts of the interview was a doctor talking about the holistic treatment approach they used in China to help people recover from SARS. They used the same medicine and treatments we are currently using to help people with Covid-19 but they also used Acupuncture and Tai Chi breathing exercises. I immediately looked up what Tai Chi breathing exercises might include, since my response to the current crisis has been to over prepare and do, instead of sitting with the unknown.
 
I have always wanted to try Tai Chi but I have never found the time before now.

So, I tried a few YouTube videos which I will link to below. The videos are similar, some focus on breath, some focus on movement, some combine the two. I began doing the exercises and I felt a calm in my system. I had not realized how stressed I was. I felt my body relax and energize. I did not realize how much I had been craving breath and movement. I felt more grounded and relaxed. The links I am including are not going to prevent anyone from getting Covid-19, they will not ‘heal’ anyone if they have it. That’s not why I am sharing. I am sharing because they reminded me to stop and take a few minutes to care for myself during this time. I am sharing because I want to help others even when I cannot work. I am sharing because doing feels better than worrying.
 
If any of these resonates with your system feel free to join me in some beginner Tai Chi. If it feels too much for your system or you’re sick of people on the internet telling you what you should or should not be doing feel free to disregard this all together. We will get through this in time until then I will be coming back to my breath.
 
The first video is explaining the Tai Chi breath: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFqrO5GkepM
 
This video is Tai Chi breath seated:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLjryZfnIbw
 
This video is a Tai Chi movement series that does a nice job of incorporating breath:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEOS2zoyQw4&app=desktop
 
Qigong videos
 
This video is about Qigong for when you are under the and immune boosting:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGpqjxkbx3E
 
This is the same Qigong women for lung and immune boosting:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lT-1tTnw8Vk
 
This is a lung cleansing Qigong video:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JDq8YziZVx0

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