2623 – Water QiGong

Intermediate / Symposium 1-hour Pool Only

Sanibel, FL / Tuesday, June 29, 2010 – 3:10-4:10 pm – 1.0 credit hour equal to 1.0 CEC/.1 CEU

(Pool: 3:10-4:10 pm)

Faculty: Yoshiken Tanaka, ATRIC

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

QiGong movement is simple with softness and naturalness, which combine with gentle flow. QiGong is very focused on the method of respiration. It increases pulmonary function with increased oxygen intake for the blood, allowing the energy to permeate through the entire body. By practicing QiGong, there is an enhancement of the immune system. From the Chinese character of “Ki” from “Kikou”, Qigong contributes to lifting up “Kiryoku” (vigor), “Genki” (pop), “Konki” (perseverance), the mood and the spirits.

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

• Use QiGong to balance yin and yang (hard and soft).
• Discover how the 12 channels of hand and foot circulate through the body.
• Apply Shiatsu (acupressure) therapy.
• Practice QiGong breathing.

FACULTY: Yoshiken Tanaka, ATRIC, is a master of QiGong and Shiatsu massage. He is also manager of Sports Core, a well-known swim and fitness club in Tokyo, Japan. He has spent over 25 years teaching swimming to beginners of all ages, and more than 10 years teaching QiGong in water.

My Spinal Cord Was Very Close to Being Severed

by Yoshiken Tanaka

The accident took place on June 12, 2008, around three o’clock in the afternoon. I was riding my bicycle on my way home from a workshop for Tokyo Metropolitan Swimming pool managers. When I was at a pedestrian crossing, I saw a young child, age 3 or 4, running in front of me. I steered my bike to the right in order to pass the child. Contrary to my expectation, the child also moved to the right, so I instinctively steered my bike even farther right in order to avoid crashing into the child. I also applied the brake as quickly and strongly as I could. At that moment, my body was thrown forward from the bike and I hit the ground with my chin first while my body was bent backward. I could not comprehend what had just happened. I tried to get up; however, I could not move my body. Where are my hands and feet? I had lost my senses and could not feel anything.

I was hospitalized after being taken by an ambulance. The MRI result indicated that my cervical vertebrae #2 and #5 had been damaged. I was stunned when I found out that my spinal cord could have been severed if the nerves had been stretched even 1mm more (less than a quarter of an inch). I clearly remember the remarks of the doctor, stating how extraordinarily fortunate I had been, “You are as lucky as a winner of two big lotteries.” The doctor suggested that I should thank God and appreciate my life.

More than a year has passed since the accident. Last year, I practiced and experimented with various aquatic rehabilitation exercises using my own body. I would like to introduce the aquatic rehabilitation exercises that freed my hands, arms, legs and feet. I will discuss them from my own experience rather than from a medical standpoint. While I could not move my body during my hospital stay, I practiced QiGong. It certainly served to speed my recovery and the flow of keiraku in my body. Keiraku is a channel for energy in one’s body. If a channel is broken, energy gets stuck and cannot move. Enhancing the flow of keiraku increases one’s body response to rehabilitation. I would like to show you the exercises that encourage the flow of keiraku.