Do It In Bed

Published in Open Exchange Magazine by Stephanie Wilger, C.N.C.

Do it in bed. It’s warm, cozy and maybe someone is there to keep you company. No sweat this year—improve your health, flat on your back. You haven’t even gotten out of bed and you’ve gotten your “exercises” out of the way. What better way to begin your day!

If I had to go to the gym or hop on a special piece of equipment in my home, my exercises would not get done. I’m not that kind of gal. This is why I am still doing Chi Nei Tsang (CNT) regularly after a decade. I can do it lying down and I feel better and look better health-wise each year.

With CNT, you could spend a mere 5 minutes or close in on an hour—it just slips by under your fingertips, as they gently sink into your abdomen with each exhale allowing your energy to flow more freely. All the meridians pass through the gut and the majority of our internal organs are right there, accessible to touch.

Before you get out of bed, you’ve set your internal organs to operate better—from that first morning bowel movement, increased blood and lymphatic flow and an appetite raring to go. You can even balance your brain function for increased alertness and mental capabilities.

The 5-minute workout comes into play as you might nod off for the night when you do CNT in the evening. As your fingertips play around your navel, your back, muscles, joints relax and your day’s events are digested on a mental and emotional level.

For the over-achiever, you could then sit up, wrap a blanket around yourself and do some meditation. You will find you are already “plugged-in” as CNT also works on a spiritual level. Again, there is plenty of mileage in 5 minutes spent. Get your game plan for the day or for your dreams: relax into to that which presents itself and enjoy it because you’re good to go. I just typed “god to go”—you might want to try that too….

- Stephanie Wilger