New Moon and New Year Blessings – December 30, 2024
An Invitation to Practice Qigong
Are you looking to strengthen your resilience for 2025? Then consider tapping into your qi energy.
The practice of qigong works with the flow of qi energy (the universal life force) in and around our bodies. It invites us to be fully present in our bodies, sensing and cultivating this energy, and helping it flow smoothly. When there are blocks to this flow of energy, stress and illness result.
With qigong practice we focus on listening to our bodies and tap into the awareness of flowing qi. Even though we may be moving, it is an internal art form.
If you are curious about qigong, you are invited to join me on New Year’s Day on Zoom for ½ hour of practice – 10 AM Mountain Time. Scroll to the bottom of the blog post for more information.
What I love about Qigong
One of the things I love about qigong is that many of the practices are easy to learn and accessible to almost everyone. Yes, there are also complicated forms that require physical strength and agility, but the simplest forms still embrace the key principles of gigong. They are not only easy entry points to the practice, but if engaged in with focus and dedication can be quite profound.
I also love that the practices are grounded in an understanding that humans are PART of the natural world, not separate from it. As a gardener, I have found many parallels between gardening and qigong. Many of the practices embody movements that mimic other animals, plants, and the elements. The philosophy of qi energy identifies five elements (wood, earth, fire, metal, and water) that shape our world, our bodies, and how we interpret what is happening around us. (More about those in a later blog.)
Lastly, I love that qigong encourages us to step up and participate in our own health on every level – body, mind, and spirit. Qigong works well for managing stress and building resilience, helping to ward off illness. If you do have a serious health condition, cultivating qi energy can help your body harness its natural healing abilities and enhance whatever treatment you are participating in.
Challenges
There are a few challenges with practicing qigong. The first is that when something is simple to access, many people assume it cannot have much to offer. We live in a culture of “no pain, no gain.” Again, not all qigong is simple, but it can be easy to begin and people may dismiss it because of that. However, with a little dedication, those same individuals may be surprised at how quickly one can sense qi energy. I would encourage anyone who is interested to devote some time to these practices before deciding they are not for them.
The second challenge for many people is making a commitment to practice. Whether it is qigong that you choose or some other healing modality, sporadic practice will not get you very far. Committing to a regular schedule is best. If you cannot manage every day, then find a schedule that works for you. But even on busy days, it is usually possible to touch this practice for 5-10 minutes and ground oneself in balance and health.
An Invitation
I lead qigong and mindfulness walks at Bluff Lake Nature center in Denver during the warmer months and have decided to offer some short
Zoom qigong sessions at least until we begin outdoors again in the spring. The first one will be on New Year’s Day, January 1st, 2025, at 10 AM Mountain Time. The first day of the new year feels like an auspicious time to begin! Please email me if you’d like to join and I will send you the Zoom link.
And whether you join us or not, there are tons of qigong videos online to check out. Here are some resources to get started from Roger Jahnke and the Institute of Integral Qigong and Tai Chi (IIQTC) where I have studied:
- Healer Within Medical Qigong Video Program with videos, e-books, and printable guides
- Breath Medicine video workshop
- The Healing Power of Qi (book)
- The Healer Within (book)
Bright Blessings for a New Year of Health and Resilience!
About this Blog Post & and Qigong Practice
This post is part of my lunar blog series. For the time being I’ll be posting on each new moon as that is a great time to begin projects and set intentions with the increasing light. Topics are related to related to plants and ideas featured in my book, Growing Mindful. or on other topics related to mindfulness, gardens, qigong, and intentional living. For more details and a list of past lunar blog posts, click here.
An invitation to healing circles. I have partnered with other graduates of the IIQTC (Institute of Integral Qigong and Tai Chi) to offer virtual HeART of Body Compassionate Self Care Practice Circles based on qigong and tai chi. Check out the information here: Global Healing Circles or contact me if you need more information.
