In October, Hilary Thompson led a fascinating workshop exploring how to work with gentle movement, stretching, and mindful breathing to open the spine while Lying Down. These lying-down exercises release tension and activate our main energy centre, the Dantian. Dr Shen Hongxun developed them as part of his Buqi system for health.
We practised various lying-down exercises designed to lengthen the body, gently stretch the spine and open the spaces between the vertebrae.
A fundamental principle was to stretch in opposite directions — for example, extending through the heels while lengthening through the hands and arms. Rather than forcing a movement, the aim is to balance stretching and relaxing, allowing the body to open without becoming rigid or tense.
We also explored movements involving the shoulders, arms, neck and back. The exercises increased awareness of areas that may have become stiff or compressed through everyday habits, while helping us see how relaxation and gentle movement can work together.
By combining stretching, relaxation and intention, we discovered how the body can become more open and how this relates to the opening of the Central Channel. This major energy trunk route runs through the centre of the body.
Breathing and activating the Dantian
We practised positive abdominal breathing, allowing the belly to expand naturally on the in-breath and soften on the out-breath, as well as negative abdominal breathing.
Rather than forcing the breath or counting each cycle, we focused on relaxing, following the breath with the mind, and letting it become long and deep naturally. This combination of breathing and mindful attention forms part of the practice of activating the Dantian.
We explored how breath and movement can complement each other: lengthening to open the body, and relaxed breathing to encourage us to let go of unnecessary effort. Together, they offer a way to develop awareness of the body's internal sensations and the movement of energy.
The intention is not simply to lie still, but to combine awareness, breathing and carefully guided movements to help open the body. This can provide a valuable starting point for people who find seated meditation difficult, and an opportunity for experienced practitioners to explore the practice from a different perspective.
We discussed the importance of sleeping positions and how our habits can affect the body. Sleeping on one side all night places uneven pressure on the body, and other positions create their own areas of compression or tension. It’s important to pay attention to how we sleep. Do we tend to remain in one position for long periods, and how do we feel when we wake up? Small changes in awareness can help us understand our patterns and make better-informed choices about rest and comfort.
The emphasis throughout the weekend was on allowing rather than forcing: allowing the body to soften, the breath to flow, and movement to develop naturally. Thank you to Hilary for leading the workshop, and to everyone who joined us for the weekend of learning, practice and exploration. The Lying Down weekend is part of the Buqi therapists’ training and also open to anyone studying health, healing, or qigong.
