As a board member for the National Qigong Association, I’m thrilled by the line-up of presenters for this year’s conference which will be held virtually on September 17&18. The cost of registration is very low and if you sign up by August 31 there is a discount as well. Our featured speakers—Ken Cohen, Daisy Lee and Chunyi Lin—are three of the most well-known and loved Qigong teachers and scholars in the US. Please consider joining into what promises to be a glorious two days. This link should take you directly to the registration form but if not, just go to nqa.org to register and find more information. Best in Qi to all!

https://nationalqigongassociation.growthzoneapp.com/ap/Events/Register/zLEKkoxp?mode=Attendee

Live in-person class at Stoughton Senior Center: six week rolling sessions with usually one week off in between. The current class started September 9 but drop-ins are welcome. Class is Friday @ 1 pm. Cost $42 for the full six weeks; $9 per drop-in. Contact me or see the Stoughton Area Senior Center website or newsletter for more information.

Live in-person class at Sun Prairie Colonial Club Senior Center. Mondays @ 1pm. See above for payment amounts. This class is temporarily on hold while the room we use gets new lighting. The next six-week session we hope to start late October or early November and I will update this when I’m given a firm date. To register or get more information, call The Colonial Club or email me at jochern5@gmail.com.

ZOOM CLASS @ 9:30 am TUESDAYS. if you are interested in joining the zoom group, please contact me through this site or at jochern5@gmail.com to be added to the email list for the weekly zoom link.

Qi: Vital Energy; Life Force; the energy that runs through the veins and arteries, the nervous system and the meridians of the entire body and gives us life and energy.

Pronounced “Chee”

Gong: Working with; Mastering.

Pronounced as spelled or as “kung”

Qi Gong: Working with the life force of the body to enhance health, energy, and spirit. Promoting health both mental and physical through movement and meditation.

QiGong is an ancient form of Chinese exercise and health movement used to help promote a strong but supple body and a relaxed yet creative mind. If you’ve heard of or seen Tai Chi, you’ve seen the martial arts form that developed out of QiGong but QiGong is not a martial art, so it is much easier to learn and to practice, emphasizing not specific, precise movement but moving in a way that feels right to each individual. Because there is no special equipment or clothing needed and the practice can be done seated or standing, there is virtually no limitation to who can participate–old and young, strong and frail, all can join in with little training. QiGong teaches deeper breathing, better posture and balance, letting the body flow through movements gently and gracefully and enhanced mindfulness. In fact, QiGong is a perfect introduction to meditation because the movement takes away the stress of “just sitting.”

Research into Qigong and Tai Chi now is showing that some of the benefits of both practices include lowering blood pressure, improving balance, increasing breathing capacity and reducing stress. And since QiGong is not “performance based” as Tai Chi is, more people are able to enjoy these benefits. The practice of QiGong is truly a universal form of self-health.

As the ancients so rightly found:

“Flowing water never stagnates; the hinges of an active door never rust.”