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Backpain can continue to plague you and make your life miserable long after you have recovered from the initial back injury. Even if the back problems are recent, do not expect instant results from any back exercise. Introducing the third qigong/chi kung lesson for eliminating backpain and building a strong healthy back.

For chronic pain to develop, it takes more than just one injury to result in a weak back, but a lifetime of poor posture and bad habits. Fortunately, qigong/chi kung can produce relatively fast results, usually within several months of regular practice. The qigong/chi kung horse stance is no exception.

If at first you have difficulty with the qigong/chi kung horse stance and find that the backs of your thighs and buttocks are tight instead of relaxed, go back to the first lesson sitting down. (It is easier to relax them when you are sitting down).

Slowly rise from the sitting position. As you raise your trunk, feel the back of your thighs. They should continue to be relaxed and shake like jelly when you pat them. If you have correctly followed all the steps thus far, you should already feel less pressure exerted on your vertebrae, and any backpain significantly alleviated.

Try sitting down and rising again several times, until you can maintain the same posture standing up almost as easily as when you sit down. Each time as you rise, you should feel the back of your buttocks and thighs to ensure they are relaxed and shaking like jelly.

Don't worry if you don't get the posture correct right away; just consider this repetitive sitting and rising as part of your exercise routine in building a strong healthy back.

If you continue to experience back spasms at any time during this exercise, you know that you are still assuming an incorrect posture! Continue to sit and rise until the backpain begins to ease.

Here are the major points to keep in mind when practicing the qigong/chi kung horse stance:

• Indent the kua, bending the knees slightly.

• Keep your spinal column straight, with the tailbone tucked in.
• Visualize your head suspended by a single thread, with your trunk or center of gravity sinking down.
• Pat the back of your buttocks/thighs to ensure they are relaxed.

And that's it, an excellent qigong/chi kung exercise that lends back support, eases pressure from the spinal column, and creates perfect alignment for chi energy to flow uninhibited. In fact, if you are maintaining proper stance, you should experience immediate relief from back spasms and pain.

Practice this stance often. If you have back problems, keep your practice time short, until your back becomes stronger and you experience fewer back spasms and backpain. Then extend your practice time to as long as 20 minutes per daily practice session.

One month of qigong/chi kung practice should eliminate most of your back spasms and resulting backpain. Six months of practice will ensure that you don't experience any more back problems. And regular practice of qigong/chi kung will maintain a strong healthy back, in addition to many other health benefits as well!

As a teenager, H. Wei Williams trained intensively in qigong/chi kung and tai chi chuan for health, self-defence and spiritual growth — several hours a day, 365 days a year! Her 30 years of extensive knowledge and teaching experience in martial arts, Chinese medicine, meditation, and yogic breathing is reflected in the wide range of topics offered on her website. Readers can visit Chi Kung Unlimited at http://www.chikung-unlimited.com to see how qigong/chi kung can best meet their individual needs.