Two days into the return of the daylight, and I’m feeling grateful. One of the biggest gifts in my life is sharing Qigong with you. Our Zoom classes, which began as a stop-gap measure during the Covid shut-down, have become a life practice that nourishes and anchors me, just as my teachers and those before them promised.
Traditional Chinese Medicine teaches that gratitude brings balance to our meridians and their respective organs: The heart is calmed and glows with compassion and love; peace and tranquility flow through and revitalize the kidney system; and the liver is soothed as irritation and anger transform into kindness and generosity. Western medicine agrees: Its studies prove that gratitude boosts our levels of dopamine and serotonin, the “feel good” hormones that elevate mood and help us manage stress better. As we practice Qigong, we discover how to relax, move freely, and appreciate the uncountable miracles within us and all around us. As a result, our sleep quality improves and so does our immunity. Blood pressure lowers, and vitality soars. We heal faster, and recover more easily. We learn to appreciate the cycles, spirals, and changes of life, and weather them with more grace and composure.
At a party last week, I listened as one of you described Qigong to a person who had never heard of it. “It feels like you’re doing nothing much, just kind of swinging your arms around, but the next day, you’ll wake up and realize, “Wow! I feel fantastic!” I love that description! Of course, a refined and robust Qigong practice involves much more than just swinging your arms around, but basically, the only requirements are to relax, breathe, and be present. If your week is getting frenetic and pressurized, take a pause. Do those three, simple, profound things: relax, breathe, be present. Enjoy and feel grateful for our ability to cultivate this mysterious thing we call Qi.
