Welcome to the Weekly Qigong practice group!

This is a LIVE weekly webinar, held via Zoom, every Tuesday morning @ 8am Pacific / 9am Mountain / 10am Central / 11am Eastern, for 45ish minutes.

We are meeting weekly through the near end of 2025. You may come to all or part of any of the classes at any time, join at any time and leave at any time, this is a practice group only. We will not be learning any forms in this class, so there are no prerequisites. Beginers and Advanced practitioners alike are welcome!

Please, Join the Zoom Meeting (on Tuesday mornings) here:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83634821760?pwd=24zrCaBcrqvJDo4rmq1m6pUJAdIaKR.1

Meeting ID: 836 3482 1760

Passcode: 807638

For those of you who decide to committ to the whole year of practice, it will be an amazing process!

But, weather you come once or a few times, for a few months or for the year, you are going to feel the benefits of qigong practice and come into deeper relation with your embodiment!

I have included a bit of basic information about our weekly practice together. I hope you enjoy it and find it valuable.

Here, in the course hub, you will also find a set of resources that I encourage you to use! You have some very basic guidence about starting and ending your practice, as well as a foundational guided breathing exercise, and some basic qigong information. I think this will help to keep you engaged with practicing between our weekly meetings, as much or as little as you have the inclination towards that. May it be supportive!

Finally, you will have the option to make "student comments" in any of those sections. As we go along, I may add resources based on your needs. So, please let me know how it's going.

Let's get started!

So, What is Qigong?

There is no description that really captures the essence of qigong. Even the word qigong (meaning losely - to cultivate energy) has only been in consistent use for about 60 years. It could be said, that it is a way to communicate with the natural flow of the universe and find many possibilities within yourself. Because all people are unique, the possabilities are truely endless. As well, qigong is a philosophy of life that encourages balance, moderation, tolerance, understanding, stillness and calm. It is also at the foundation of the practice of Chinese Medicine. In the name Qigong, the idea of Qi is present. Here again, there is not a direct english translation for this word, so it can seem mysterious, but I think you will find, with practice that you begin to Feel it, and your body begins to give it greater "meaning." Gong is also present in the name. I like the word cultivation, because this word implies care over time and being present to needs and changes as they arise. In qigong or qi cultivation practice we learn to give our attention to the very lifeforce of our life and cultivate a relation to this deeper aspect of our embodiment, right here, right now. Our practice together is a moment for that which is as wide as the universe and as full of surprises!

In this group, we also cultivate a consistent practice field that supports our "self" healing process, through the pathway of Qigong. There are over 70,000 forms of qigong known today. Some of these are classical forms with many practitioners handed down over many lifetimes. Some are specific to a family or community of practice. Some are simplified foundations for cultivating essential principles of living in harmony with life. There are so many ways to approach qigong and we will engage with many.

Qigong, regardless of form, includes 4 important schools or styles of practice, that were deveoped over thousands of years. We will include all of these aspects into our weekly groups, over time. These are (loosely translated):

1. Dao Yin - Movement
2. Tu Na - Breathing
3. Nei Dan - Internal Alchemy
4. Chan / Zen - Emptiness Meditation

Qigong, has often been subdivided into "specializations" as well. We usually see this as 3 sects or aspects of focused practice.

1. Martial
2. Medical
3. Spiritual

I have been trained mostly in the Ling Gui system, an ancient family lineage. Ling Gui Qigong forms are focused in the Medical and Spiritual aspects of qigong practice. Thus, we will not spend any of our time together focused on the Martial aspect of qigong practice.

So, Why Practice Qigong?

As my teacher has said, we practice to "reconnect with the Universe, harmonize heart and mind, circulate and store qi in our bodies, and reach physical and spiritual peace." ~ Master Liu He

Qigong, when practiced consistently, becomes a resonance field that points us to realignment with the natural flow of life. From here we see healing benefits like:

1. the gentle cleansing of our insides, similar to the way a shower cleans and refreshes our outside.
2. the maintaining of our good health over time so that less dis-ease arises in life
3. a stronger, more robust immune system
4. longevity for our inheritance of the essence of life (some translate longevity as a long healthy life and a short healthy death, where health implies a deep alignment with one's nature and the cosmic flow of creation)
5. the capacity to process and release stress - preventing build up and blockage, which can lead to a life with less pain and dis-ease and greater capacity and resilience in dealing with them when they do arise
6. the capacity to regulate the seven emotions and the nervous system
7. the harmonization of heart and mind
8. the capacity for stillness, calm, rootedness, and the cultivation of emptiness, which leads to spiritual enlightenment

I am so glad you have decided to join us and I look forward to practicing with you!

See you soon :)