* New and Ongoing Classes
* Qigong Resources Section
* My internal Arts Blog
* What is qigong?
Qigong can be interpreted as the cultivation of our consciousness and energy. It has its roots in ancient China and India where healers, scholars, martial artists, and monks sought effective ways to expand their awareness, increase longevity, and raise the quality of their life experience.
While there are countless techniques and systems of qigong, they tend to serve one or more of the following broad purposes:
- Health and longevity
- Healing support for specific imbalances (self and others)
- Martial arts skill development
- Spiritual enlightenment
Some approaches to qigong can be very specific in their objective such as healing disturbances in the heart or lungs while others can fall into more than one category. For instance the Eight Pieces of Brocade, while designed for health and longevity, also assists in healing, supports martial training and can lead to higher levels of authentic self-awareness.
Morning practice... beginning the baduanjin...
In practice, Qigong involves the study and application of certain natural principles and how through their use we can realize higher states of our own true nature.
Five of the most important principles are the following:
- Balanced Posture
- Conscious Breathing
- Dynamic Relaxation
- Mental and Emotional Focus
- Coordinated Movement
These principles, and others, work together to strengthen and refine our chi circulation and the more subtle energy fields that surround us. It is an effective, enjoyable, and creative way to deepen our relationship with our higher human qualities while producing significant health benefits in the process.