Dropping the Post
Drop tension
The animated GIF shows the option to do the Dropping the Post exercise seated with the raised arms dropping quickly as you exhale.
Quick Qigong for Centering: Dropping the Post
The simple Qigong I have been doing a lot to find my bearings and ease my nerves (especially after reading world news) is “Dropping the Post.” This Qigong practice is like landing after jumping up in the air, and you can do it seated, standing or lying down whenever you actively and consciously sink your body weight and energy beneath you. It’s like coming back down to earth or coming home after being out and about. Dropping the Post can be a moment of remembering that being alive is precious and amazing. It can be a relief and a setup for gratitude in the middle of the stressors and big energies.
Here’s a simple way to do it:
If you are sitting, gently and swiftly drop your shoulders into your hips as you exhale. (Lower the shoulders and sink your weight into the supporting surface.) Do this exercise three to five times, coordinating with your breath (inhale as you extend your spine and raise your shoulders, exhale as you lower your shoulders and breastbone).
If you are standing, drop your bodyweight beneath your feet as you exhale. (Bend the knees and sink your weight downwards under your feet as you exhale.) Do this exercise three to five times.
If you are lying down, gently inhale as you lift your breastbone to the ceiling and slightly towards your face (you will be bending backwards slightly and extending your spine) and exhale as you let your chest sink towards the supporting surface and towards your lower body. If you add the detail of raised arms, be sure the arms fall at your sides rather than on your body as you exhale. Do this exercise three to five times.
Option: If it’s okay for your shoulders and wrists, raise your arms near or above your head so you drop them as you exhale as shown in the animated GIF above. Dropping the arms down can be a fast movement of the arms, which can quickly stretch the wrists and arms, so use care when you do this and avoid it if you are hypermobile in the joints.
The most salient feature of the Dropping the Post exercise is the conscious return of the bodyweight back down to earth. Think of this conscious sinking into the chair or the floor or the bed or the ground as a kinesthetic reminder of being aware of the moment and being present on the earth. It is a moment of acceptance and being a part of all that is.
Do the Dropping the Post exercise three to five times, coordinating the movement with your breath. Afterwards, simply be on the earth for a few seconds or a whole minute before you go on to the next thing.