Qigong

Qigong? 

How do you even pronounce that?

It's as if you were going to say cheese, but dropped the "s." And gong is generally pronounced exactly the way you would think. So, it's Chee Gong.

You'll find many different spellings due to the translations over the course of time. Just as Tai Chi and Taiji are the same things, just a different translation from different times. 

So, what is "energy work"? Why does it always seem so mysterious? It really isn't. Energy is what animates us.

We eat food, we gain energy. Think about how you feel when you haven't eaten in a long time. Ready for that marathon?
We drink water, it carries minerals and the liquid nourishes us giving us energy. When we are dry to the bone, we don't feel as energetic as when we have ample fluids in our bodies.
The air we breathe gives us the oxygen energy we need to survive. We really can't go very long without air, water, or food nourishment.
Finally, the relationships we have - with ourselves and others - gives us energy. Just think about how you were stimulated or deflated by relationships in your life.

That's all qi.

What you'll learn from this program is a little more about the energy body in reference to the practice of Qigong. You'll learn how to use your tools (yes, you have them!) to harmonize and balance the energy you bring into your life. This sounds so simple: eat well, drink good fluids, breathe fresh air, surround yourself with great relationships. If we could all do that at all times, we'd be so balanced. But, let's be real: candy bars exist. We drink liquids that aren't always the best. We don't choose our family, the people we work with, or our neighbors for the most part. And at very young ages, we learn habits, beliefs, behaviors that don't always support those simple guidelines.

Bottom line: we're human. We mess up.

Qigong is a great tool to help bring us back into harmony, balance.  It teaches us to use the tools we have (body, mind, emotions) as advisors. We listen to them (so that the essence or spirit of who we are lives a long, rich life. In our western world it amounts to this: 

1. Building awareness of our physical, emotional, and mental centers. This is a key teaching that is pivotal in truly using the practice of Qigong to benefit energy flow. So much energy stagnates due to our mental, emotional and physical states not being in balance.

2. As we build the awareness of these centers (also called dantians) we learn to be advised by them, rather than led by them. We practice being led by our sage voice, or, what I call the Essence of who we are. 

3. Cultivating a smooth flow in and around our lives due to our practice that doesn't just rest on physical movements, but the whole of being human. This includes the rich states of emotion and thought, which aren't to be dismissed or controlled. They are to be witnessed as guides that can bring us much deeper wisdom about our own experiences.

4. Using the tools of Qigong to bring our mental, physical and emotional states into balance when we notice them begin to whirl.

5. Stretching and strengthening the body so that while we are on this earth, we treat the body we have with respect and kindness listening to what the body needs. It never lies.