Qigong is a practice that originated in ancient China.
The word Qigong itself means work or skill with energy,
Where energy is the living energy,
An aggregation of energy.
All the processes inside our body that make us alive.
The work,
The gong in Qigong is something we do in our practice.
We work with three main things in Qigong.
The first is our body,
Physical movement,
And this is maybe the most commonly associated visual with Qigong.
You might have seen people practicing,
Usually there's these slow flowing movements,
But they don't have to be,
They can be faster as well.
But they tend to be very soft.
Yet this softness creates a surprising amount of strength in the physical body.
The second tool that we use in Qigong is our brass.
And this we use to develop healthy,
Easeful breathing,
A fullness and a naturalness.
About our breathing that supports us as we change our physical activity throughout our day.
And the third tool that we use is mind or intention.
And here we are actually befriending the mind to help guide the energy,
The living energy internally within us.
Creating a sense of clarity,
Focus,
And a peacefulness.
In what we sometimes otherwise experience as a scattered mind.
This work.
That we do in our Qigong practice.
Then it becomes a skill in our daily life.
Leading to harmonious relationships.
Ability to more easily adapt to changing circumstances in our lives.
Ability to carry our projects through the whole cycle from vision to completion.
Ability to respond rather than react to challenges.
Mind you,
The challenges in our life,
They don't go away when we practice qigong.
But what happens is that the skill that we cultivate lets us find our center more easily,
Lets us find the path around these challenges so we can resume a smoother flow of life,
A smoother ride.
But don't take my word for it.
The best way that I know of understanding what Qigong really is about is to experience it.
So,
Invitation to try out a Qigong class.
And notice how you feel during the practice,
While you're doing the work.
And then also,
After the practice,
As you move into your day,
Notice if anything shifts and changes.
Even into your sleeping night and maybe long beyond.
