Qigong: 5-Min Daily Ritual for Joints & Calm
Daily 5-min Qigong ritual with Ilya Barinov. Clear brain fog, free your joints, calm your nervous system. Ancient Chinese method, modern body. This is a 3-week video course with 11 lessons designed for women. Created by Ilya Barinov. Twenty-session Qigong protocol from yoga, Qigong, and Daoist practice instructor Ilya Barinov (20+ years of experience, specialises in physical rehabilitation and adaptive movement). Each session is roughly five minutes. No equipment, no mat required. Suitable for chronic pain, joint problems, and older adults — built from classical Chinese tradition, adapted for modern bodies.
Topics covered: what is the eight brocades qigong sequence, how to start qigong as a beginner, short qigong practice for stiff joints, qigong practice, baduanjin.
Course Outline
Module 1: Foundations
Set up your stance, your breath, and the first two Brocades. You'll learn the foundational horse-stance alignment, then practice 'Supporting the Heavens' and 'Separating Heaven and Earth' — the gentlest entry points into the complete set.
- Welcome to Qigong for Beginners (1 min)
- Learn the well-known Eight Pieces of Brocade complex
- Practice simple movements suitable for any fitness level
- Connect breath and movement without any special equipment
- Building the Foundation With Horse Stance (16 min)
- Position feet two foot-lengths apart and parallel
- Soften your knees and sit back slightly
- Tuck your chin to elongate the back of the neck
- Supporting the Heavens With Both Hands (16 min)
- Breathe into your knees to create a soft bounce
- Maintain a straight back as you lower your hands
- Push palms upward without locking your elbow joints
- Separating Heaven and Earth for Balance (15 min)
- Shift your weight smoothly from one leg to the other
- Push one palm up and the other palm down
- Turn your head to look over your lowered shoulder
Module 2: Building the Eight Brocades
Work through the middle Brocades — 'Drawing the Bow', 'Wise Owl Gazes Back', 'The Rider Warms Up the Lower Back', and 'Two Hands Hold the Feet'. Each session adds one named movement and builds on the alignment cues from Module 1.
- Drawing the Bow to Shoot the Arrow (15 min)
- Form the leopard's paw to draw the imaginary bowstring
- Aim through the extended index finger of the dragon's claw
- Squat only as low as you can keep your spine vertical
- The Wise Owl Gazes Back (16 min)
- Rotate your palms backward to open your chest
- Turn your head from the chin to keep the neck elongated
- Avoid arching your lower back during the rotation
- The Rider Warms Up the Lower Back (15 min)
- Keep your weight on the outer edges of your feet
- Tuck your elbow behind your knee and open your chest
- Maintain a straight back as you shift your weight forward
- Two Hands Hold the Feet (15 min)
- Hinge at the hips while keeping your spine perfectly straight
- Relax your back muscles once you reach your bending limit
- Follow your hands with your gaze as you rise upward
Module 3: Complete Practice
Finish the set with 'Angry Gaze at the Fist' and the closing 'Seven Shakes — Bouncing on Heels', then weave all eight Brocades into a single flowing daily sequence you can return to forever.
- Punching With an Angry Gaze (16 min)
- Clench your thumbs inside your fists for a secure grip
- Push your fist forward with force like stretching a band
- Initiate the circular arm motion from your hip joints
- The Closing Brocade — Bouncing on Heels (12 min)
- Rise up on your toes and spread your arms wide
- Keep your knees slightly bent as you drop onto your heels
- Maintain an engaged pelvic floor to protect your lower back
- The Complete Eight Pieces of Brocade (19 min)
- Connect your breath to each phase of tension and relaxation
- Maintain the foundational horse stance alignment throughout the practice
- Gather your energy in the lower abdomen to close the session
