I'VE BEEN DEALING WITH QIGONG,
WHICH IS A POSITIVE ENERGY RELAXATION.
IT ALSO HELPS YOU DEAL WITH DIFFERENT GATES OR KEYS
THAT HELPS DIFFERENT PARTS OF YOUR BODY.
I DEALT WITH A LOT OF RESPIRATORY PROBLEMS,
WITH RHINITIS.
ONE OF THE KEYS WAS ACTUALLY
GOING TO THE MIDDLE OF YOUR MEATY PART OF YOUR HAND,
AND YOU ROTATE IT 5 MINUTES, BOTH HANDS,
AND IT ALSO STIMULATES YOUR LUNGS,
WHICH HELPED OUT TREMENDOUSLY.
SOMETIMES IT'S VERY HARD FOR ME TO BREATHE AT NIGHT.
AND JUST LAYING IN THE BED,
YOU KNOW, JUST RELAXATION, BREATHING,
UTILIZING THE MEATY PART OF MY HAND, ROTATING IT,
BREATHING, EXHALING, MEDITATION AS YOU'RE DOING IT,
RELAXATION, IT OPENS UP MY AIR LUNGS, MY AIRWAYS,
AND THAT ALLOWS ME TO GET MORE RELAXATION.
IT ALSO HELPS ME GO TO SLEEP.
DIFFERENT RESULTS HAPPEN TO DIFFERENT PEOPLE, OKAY?
SOME THINGS MIGHT HAPPEN OR WORK FASTER FOR YOU
THAN THEY WORK FOR ME.
ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS JUST TRY IT,
GIVE IT A TRY, BE OPEN-MINDED ABOUT IT,
LISTEN TO YOUR INSTRUCTORS,
BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, YOU HAVE TO BELIEVE IN YOURSELF
THAT YOU ARE THE KEY TO HEAL YOURSELF.
AND THAT WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING.
AS YOU KNOW, AS A SOLDIER,
WE WERE TAUGHT ON MENTAL AGILITY,
HELPING US TO KEEP OUR MIND FOCUSED FOR OUR MISSION,
AND ANYTHING THAT WILL HELP TO KEEP YOU FOCUSED
FOR YOUR MISSION, IT'S THE SAME THING WITH QIGONG.
YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT IT
AS A POSITIVE FORM OF RELAXATION,
A POSITIVE FORM OF HEALING YOURSELF,
WHICH IS VERY IMPORTANT, YOU JUST GOT TO GIVE IT A TRY.
AS SOLDIERS, WE ARE TAUGHT TO DEAL WITH MENTAL AGILITY,
BEING PREPARED FOR THE MISSION.
ALSO STAYING FOCUSED FOR THE MISSION,
BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY,
WHAT DO WE DO WHEN WE GET TO THE POINT OF BEING OVERTAXED,
SO TO SPEAK, WITH STRESS?
AND THAT'S WHERE YOU HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT DO COMMIT SUICIDE
BECAUSE OF STRESS, YOU KNOW?
AND HAVING SOMETHING LIKE THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT TO RELAXATION.
IT'S NEEDED, IT'S NEEDED. IN BASIC TRAINING, IT'S NEEDED.
NOW, UNDERSTANDING THAT I AM A NATIONAL GUARDIST,
WE LIVE DUAL LIVES.
WE HAVE MILITARY, AND WE HAVE CIVILIAN.
SO THAT'S EQUAL, IT'S EVEN MORE STRESS,
BECAUSE WE HAVE TWO DIFFERENT ENTITIES IN LIFE.
SO WE DEFINITELY HAVE TO STAY FOCUSED AND BE A SOLDIER 24/7.
ALL THE TIME, MY CHILDREN GIVE ME STRESS ALL THE TIME.
I HAVE 3 CHILDREN, YOU KNOW, AN 18-YEAR-OLD,
A 16-YEAR-OLD, AND A 6-YEAR-OLD.
AND THEY GIVE ME STRESS ALL THE TIME, YOU KNOW?
IS IT EASY SOMETIMES TO REMEMBER THESE TECHNIQUES?
IT'S NOT ALWAYS EASY.
YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES YOU DO [INDISTINCT]
THEN YOU SAY, "OH, WAIT A MINUTE,
LET ME REEL MYSELF BACK IN."
THAT'S THE KEY OBJECTIVE, REELING YOURSELF BACK IN, OKAY?
JUST LIKE YOU CAST A LINE OUT IF YOU GO FISHING,
YOU MIGHT MISS A SPOT, THEN YOU GOT TO REEL IT BACK IN
AND GET BACK TO THE SPOT.
BUT THE KEY OBJECTIVE IS YOU HAVE TO KNOW YOU MISSED IT.
WE'RE HUMAN BEINGS,
AND BECAUSE WE'RE HUMAN, WE DO MAKE MISTAKES.
BUT THE KEY THING IS TO COME BACK IN
AND THEN RECUPERATE, RECOUP.
"OKAY, LET ME JUST START DOING THIS
"A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT NEXT TIME.
"YOU KNOW, I'M NOT GOING TO YELL THIS TIME,
I'M GOING TO EXHALE, COUNT TO 10, INHALE."
YOU KNOW, POSITIVE ENERGY COMING IN,
NEGATIVE ENERGY COMING OUT AS I BREATHE OUT.
YOU KNOW, START DOING MY TECHNIQUES.
YOU KNOW, IT DOESN'T COME OVERNIGHT.
BUT THE KEY OBJECTIVE IS TO FIND WHAT WORKS FOR YOU.
IT'S IMPORTANT.
BECAUSE ANXIETY HAS NO COLOR, NO BARRIERS, NO AGE.
IT KNOCKS ON EVERYBODY'S DOOR.
AND BECAUSE IT KNOCKS ON EVERYBODY'S DOOR,
YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE KEY TO LOCK THE DOOR
OR TO UNLOCK THE DOOR.
IN THE BEGINNING, I WAS KIND OF SKEPTICAL.
I WAS, IN THE BEGINNING.
UNTIL I STARTED UTILIZING THE KEYS,
IT HELPED OUT A LOT.
I SEE MORE AND MORE USES OF IT.
I FEEL THAT I WILL BECOME MUCH BETTER IN BREATHING.
I'M NOT SAYING I DON'T WANT TO SEE MY DOCTOR AGAIN,
BUT HOPEFULLY I WILL NEVER SEE HIM AGAIN, YOU KNOW?
THAT'S THE KEY OBJECTIVE, TO HELP YOUR BODY HEAL ITSELF.
THE MOST IMPORTANT PART ABOUT IT IS THAT YOU HAVE A CHOICE
TO HOW YOU THINK ABOUT YOUR LIFE,
HOW YOU THINK ABOUT YOUR SCENARIOS,
YOUR CONDITIONS THAT YOU'RE DEALING WITH.
IT'S NOT THE END.
ANXIETY COMES, ANXIETY GOES.
YOUR KEYS, YOU'RE LEARNING, YOU LIVE IT,
AND YOU CONTINUE TO USE IT, NO MATTER WHERE YOU'RE AT,
DON'T BE ASHAMED WHEN YOU HAVE TO STOP AND COUNT TO 10.
DON'T BE ASHAMED
WHEN YOU HAVE TO START DOING YOUR YOGA EXERCISE
IN THE BATHROOM OR SOMETHING, JUST TO GET SOME RELIEF.
WHATEVER YOU'VE GOT TO DO
TO GET TO YOUR NEXT LEVEL IN LIFE IS IMPORTANT.
SO I ENCOURAGE YOU TO UTILIZE EVERYTHING
THAT THE VA IS TRYING TO TEACH YOU, IT'S IMPORTANT.
IT'S GOING TO HELP YOU, YOUR FAMILY,
BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY,
YOU'RE GOING TO SEE A BRIGHTER DAY.