According to the Oriental medical science our body is crisscrossed by 14 meridians , a kind of channels along which flows our vital energy. These meridians link together the various internal organs and them with the skin surface, thus allowing the entire body to receive the vital energy necessary for our optimal state of mental and physical health.

Psycho-physical balance alteration such as a blow or fall resulting in contractures or a rage or a state of stress can cause a stagnation of energy along a meridian: so we speak of an energy block which, if not resolved at birth, it generates a disturbance to the organ / system corresponding to the block. If the block is resolved, the body restores the energy flow and thus the health status; if the blockage persists, the disease degenerates into an increasingly important symptom until the pathology.

The techniques of acupressure and acupuncture are effective methods to restore the proper flow of vital energy. In the Far East and particularly in China, where longevity is considered an absolute welfare, there is a widespread practice of gymnastics as a method of prevention and maintenance of good health.

The energy-giving gymnastics, that arise precisely from the Far East, is a codified set of exercises which, through postures, breathing and concentration permit to help the body to maintain proper mental and physical balance.

Unlike the common exercises in which each exercise requires a number of repetitions, in the energy-giving gym the exercise consists in acquiring a specific position and contraction of all muscles involved in the exercise area. The presence of mind during contraction is a vital aspect in the energy-giving gym, because it’s necessary to "feel" all the muscles involved that contract. The position is held for ten seconds, holding the breath. Then relax the muscles exhaling.

The contraction of muscles produces micro-strains on blood vessels in the area involved in the exercise; when you relax the muscles, blood vessels expand, letting more blood flow, which produces the release of stagnant energy.

These exercises, which at first glance may seem very simple, actually require a lot of discipline, perseverance and mindfulness. It is through daily practice that one acquires greater sensitivity to one’s body and is therefore able to better manage and release the contracture of the muscles involved in different exercises. The sense of physical fatigue after a couple of exercises means that you are performing them correctly.

It is therefore preferable to move right the first steps towards this kind of gymnastics relying on a prepared instructor, which will correct bad posture and guide the novice to concentrate on different muscles during the exercises, both during the contracture and release.

The exercises of the energy-giving gymnastics start from the upper part then arms and consequently legs. The exercise of contraction and release is accompanied by a stretching exercise of the muscles. Energy-giving gymnastics, then, besides preserving the flow of vital energy, is a good stretching exercise.


Some examples of exercises on the right