5 Chi Kung techniques to use before a big presentation

To give your work its best shot, you need Chi Kung techniques to be grounded, expansive, focused, centred and connected, – all at the same time!

According to Lizzie Slowe, therapist and wellbeing expert, investing 10 minutes in the below exercises before a presentation (have a practice run before you need them) will give you superpowers of calm, full, rounded and convincing communication.

5 Chi Kung Techniques

Grounded

Sitting down, use loose fists to bang on the outside of your lower legs, between (and not on) your shinbone and the outside seam of your trousers (or where it would be). Go as hard as you are comfortable with, working from your knee down to just above your ankle.

Then with your hands over your shins and thumbs on the inside of the shin bone, squeeze and release, your thumbs going into the gap between the bone and the muscle, working back up from ankle to knee.

Repeat this, down and then up, 3 to 6 times.

Expansive

Standing up with your feet hip-width and parallel tuck your tail underneath you, relax your shoulders and have strength in your lower belly and pelvic floor. Have your hands as if holding a large beach ball against your belly.

Inhale: arms and hands rise to chest height, then uncurl – first at the shoulders, then elbows, wrists, hands and fingers – until your arms are open out to the sides at the end of the breath.

Exhale: arms curl back in as if holding a beach ball against your chest, and then sink to lower belly height by the end of the out-breath.

Move smoothly, taking the whole inbreath to rise and uncurl, and the whole out-breath to move in and down. Breathe deeply but don’t strain or force. Repeat 3 to 6 times.

Focused

Standing up with your feet hip-width and parallel tuck your tail underneath you, relax your shoulders and have strength in your lower belly and pelvic floor. Take the palm of one hand to your Dan Tien (about 3 fingers below your belly button). Take the palm of the other hand to your heart centre (centre of your chest). Imagine a flame in each location – in the centre of your body.

Energy from your palm is radiating to each flame, nurturing its light and warmth. As you inhale, the flames both expand, fanned by the breath. As you exhale, they shrink, becoming smaller, more defined and still bright.

Inhale – expanding warm flames. Exhale – shrinking bright flames.

Repeat 6 times.

Centred

Standing up with your feet wider – about hip-width and a half, have a bend in your knees, without tipping your upper body forwards. Tuck your tail underneath you, relax your shoulders and have strength in your lower belly and pelvic floor. Take the palm of one hand to your Dan Tien and the flat of the back of the other hand opposite on your back.

As you inhale and without tipping or changing your upper body posture, slowly take your weight over your right leg. As you exhale, move over your left leg. Repeat two more times, then stop in the middle. Swap your hands around – and repeat 3 more times but breathing into the left this time, and out to the right.

Connected

Standing up with your feet hip-width and parallel tuck your tail underneath you and have strength in your lower belly and pelvic floor. Arms by your sides limp and relaxed, shoulder blades moving down your back and your head balanced easily on top of your spine.

Imagine your feet can sense the Earth (even if it’s beneath the building you’re in). the soles of your feet alive and feeling the earth. Imagine the crown of your head is also alive and communicating with the sun and the stars.

Take your awareness to your Dan Tien, your centre. This is where you are connected to yourself, and able to connect to others. Energy can flow thick and fast from your belly to your heart, your head and out to other people. Imagine this energy flow in whatever colour and form that works for you.

Inhale, imagine energy flowing into you from the heavens and the earth.

Exhale, imagine the energy flowing to those you want to connect with.

Inhale – taking energy from heaven and earth: Exhale – channelling that energy to your audience

Repeat this breath 6 times.

Lizzie Slowe is a well-being expert, fully qualified Equine Therapist, Chi Kung Master and author of The Living Art of Chi Kung, available now priced at £12.00.