Appreciate the comments. Congratulations on the reduction of medication.
I used to wake every morning with creaks and sore joints. They instantly went away the first night I slept on my new Tempur-Pedic mattress about four years ago. (That's the Swedish foam mattress you may have heard about; it's displayed in Brookstone stores; I highly recommend it.)
Back to Qigong, a friend of my age, 45, complained this week of not wanting to bend over, or stoop down, or get up from sitting later in the day, because his joints hurt a little.
I knew of what he spoke, because I was there a few years ago, even though I worked out on a regular basis, saw a chiropractor twice a month, ate well, etc. Last spring I noticed that I no longer had those discomforts, that I quit thinking about whether to pick something up at night.
I finally understood one of the benefits I had written in the promotional material: Lubricate your joints for pain-free movement and greater flexibility.
I actually got the idea to include the benefit from John Du Cane of Dragon Door Publications. He has been a longtime business friend who publishes and distributes Qigong materials.
I never truly understood what it meant until I my joints were pain-free. I could not identify with the benefit until I had completely experienced it.
