Dear students,
Some of you have asked me to explain more about Qi Gong and why I practice and teach it. Being a teacher of somatic education, instructing in Yoga / movement & meditation and practicing therapeutic body work........ I'm very interested in health and well being. I have noticed over the many years of my own practice how these different body/mind modalities have affected my health and impacted my life. The continued study of Qi Gong and Tai Chi has played a very positive role in my development as a teacher and practitioner. I've noticed significant improvements in my health, mental and emotional clarity and energy level. To my surprise and delight my understanding and practice of yoga also deepened. It was this awareness that inspired me to call my classes "INTEGRATED MOVEMENT PRACTICES". I realized that I was drawing from many of the different arts that I have studied in the teaching of all of my classes. I hopes this creates a little context before I go on to talk more about QI Gong.
Qi Gong has been practiced in China for thousands of years and continues to be a popular method for self -healing and disease prevention. It is not by accident that it is becoming increasingly popular in the west among people of all ages and lifestyles. Qi Gong practice integrates body and mind and has many benefits physically, mentally and energetically. It can help one to slow down thinking and calm the mind reducing stress and anxiety. It is a form of meditation which incorporates both graceful flowing movement and rest or stillness. It has many health benefits including helping to lower blood pressure, improving balance and agility and also promotes deeper breathing and better circulation. Perhaps the most impressive benefit of Qi Gong practice is that it supports and bolsters the immune system and we all know that this is our first defense against all disease [prevention] and our biggest and most potent weapon to fight it!
Qi Gong is gentle and graceful and can be practiced by everyone, young and old alike. It is appropriate for those who are fit as well as those who are out of shape. It can also be beneficial and safe for many persons who are fighting illness and disabilities. It is precisely because of its gentle and quiet approach that it is often over-looked or under-estimated. Especially in this culture where there is a bias toward exercise which is difficult and intense. There is a false belief that the harder we work the more we gain. However in this fast paced and over stimulated world, it is very important to nurture and restore ourselves. This is exactly what Qi gong helps us to do! Relax deeply so we can re-charge and access our natural healing abilities which allow our body and mind to be calm, clear and vibrant.
