Feeling the ‘qi’
~ I’ve just finished my daily Qigong practice, something I’ve been doing for several months now. But this regular practice has only developed since an unexpected and unfortunate health problem. Short story – I returned home from most recent travels with a ‘tummy bug’. The usual 3 days of symptoms turned into 5 days, then off to hospital to test and treat. No diagnosis as to the cause but a prognosis of kidney damage. Nil function on admission, no treatment indicated and no way of knowing if the kidneys would return to normal.
Instinctively I was drawn to vibrational treatment and therapies to support my body in healing itself, where regular medicine (apparently) could not. I looked to Reiki, essential oils, light therapy … and Qigong.
My journey with Qigong
My journey toward things ‘energy-related’ has ebbed and flowed over the years. Numerous encounters with Qigong, for example, in various places and with a variety of practitioners, has seen me toy with its concepts without committing to a regular practice. Whenever I did experience the movements – the physical and ‘energetic’ – Qigong has always resonated with me. I feel at one with the sequences in the exercises and the serenity of the process.
I have always wanted to do more but never did … until the next encounter at another time, in another setting. Many years ago, when living in Penang, Malaysia, I joined a class under the instruction of a pedantic Chinese gentleman. His inability to communicate in any language other than Hokkien, and his insistence on extreme precision in the exercises, (even for beginners!) meant that I progressed little and gave up quickly. My first attempt to learn Qigong was a failure.
Later, I acquired DVDs (this was in the 80s) to ‘self-instruct’ which did not prove motivating in a real way. Another failure. Years passed but connections to Qigong kept finding me. Friends in Europe encouraged me to look again at Qigong – this time because of their mastery of Zhineng Qigong. An old school friend had trained in Europe and China, and a newer friend has done the same. Both are inspirational in their dedication and expertise.
These repeated opportunities to engage with qi or energy through Qigong has made me pay attention to the idea that this was something I should be doing. I somehow couldn’t commit to doing it ‘for me’.
How I use Qigong now …
Time is something we can’t take for granted and my health issues have taught me – finally – that good health can’t be taken for granted either, and needs to be worked at. Doing Qigong makes me feel good. I believe it is supporting my body and energy on a positive way. And I am keeping it up, most days, to revive energy and mood, strengthen qi and body.
I have an online course bought some years ago and now I also use some lovely videos online that I can use whenever I can or need to. There are many to choose from but I do love following along with Marisa Cranfill’s Yoqi videos. Marisa is the founder of YOQI yoga+qigong. She has been practicing meditation, qigong, yoga and breathing techniques for 20 years, and I enjoy her easy-to-follow moves and the explanations she gives along the way.
Do follow her Yoqi Blog.
PLUS, Marisa has a TEST YOUR QI Questionnaire.
Practicing qigong is so simple and so powerful. You cannot do it wrong. You can only do it good, better, or best
CHUNYI LIN