Pronounced “Chee – gong”, Qigong is the gentle practice of coordinating the body, mind and breath; with the aim to have them working harmoniously. ‘Qi’ can be loosely interpreted as vitality, life-force or energy. ‘Gong’ is a skill or cultivation. The regular practice of Qigong can feel like a moving meditation.
The benefits include:
- strength;
- helping circulation;
- improve flexibility;
- weight loss;
- increased health & fitness levels;
- improve mental & cognitive functions;
- tonify the immune system.
So how does it work?
Imagine over 100km of blood vessel that run through the body. When the blood is flowing freely there is good health when this doesn’t happen there is going to be stagnation, where there’s stagnation in the body there is likely to be pain, disease or illness.
‘Free flow’ is achieved by relaxing, lengthening and releasing tension. The aim is to move or stand without tension hence softness and posture alignment is important.
This gentle exercise is suitable for all ages. We attempt to re-set the body by releasing old patterns of stress and tension by slowly changing the body. This can be achieved with breath work – the cultivation of slow breathing with movement ( known as the “rest & digest state”). When combined with a mind that is fully-present, this is more likely to lead to mind and body repair.
