6 exercises to help with happiness this summer

I’m a big fan of http://theschooloflife.com and they would argue that the goal of life is not to be happy. It’s an unrealistic goal, they say. We should apparently aim for contented. To some degree, I am on board with this. I get it. But, in Traditional Chinese Medicine, which is the foundation of qigong practise, summer is the best time of the year to connect with our joy and happiness, and so maybe it’s ok to aim for feeling joyful at this time?

It’s said that the body and mind is most open to feeling joy at this time of year and that we can cultivate healthy joy (not excess joy as this can lead to mania). With Summer Solstice here in a few days (21 June), we are at the peak of summer, the peak of openness and receptiveness to joy in our hearts. Below I list 6 movements that we do in our qigong classes that can help boost healthy joy and happiness. You can also find a video of these movement in my instagram video here: https://www.instagram.com/p/CtjFUe4ooh4/

1 Shake the hands and arms, to relax the muscles into the heart

2 Squeeze the palms into fists and open wide again quickly several times in row to pump the blood around the heart

3 Open your arms wide up to the sky and visualise the abundant light of the sun flowing into your heart

4 Visualise bringing the light of the sun into your heart as you put your hands on your chest

5 Breathe in and move the arms as if you’re gathering the light of the sky, and then bring the hands down in front of the body, as if you’re receiving the light of the sun into all your cells. Make a ‘haaaaaaaaa’ sigh as your breathe out to help relax the heart

6 Make a silly face or make yourself laugh in some way, it’s good for the heart and helps you relax.

These are all tips I’ve learned along the way and I’ve found to work for me and my students. If you feel inclined try them for yourself and let me know how you get on. And if you’re in Brighton and want to do these with me and a group of others on the summer solstice, click here to book for my 5-5.30pm class on Brighton Beach. https://www.eventbrite.com/myevent?eid=649646639587