Qigong: The Way to Health

2.0 credits

“Qi” means energy or lifeforce, and “gong” means skillful work done over time. Qigong is a holistic mindful movement discipline that combines body, breath, movement and mind to cultivate and refine our lifeforce for greater harmony and health. This course offers an Applied Medical Qigong approach to mental and physical self-regulation. You will learn simple, accessible practices to attain the integration of body, mind and spirit. Its meditative quality makes it a fine complement to formal seated meditation practice. It also provides the dancer and athlete with concrete, practical skills for regulating and expressing the energy flow for better breathing, body awareness, focus, concentration, mental presence and imaginal capacity This is a skills-based course, so regular class attendance and practice of Qigong outside of class is a basic requirement for successful completion. In addition to the practices learned, we will cover basic energetic anatomy as presented within Traditional Chinese Medicine. We will also explore traditional Chinese cultural concepts such as Yin-Yang theory and the Five Phase theory and their relevance in modern Western culture.