Starting up and Meaning of Qigong

Warmly welcome to this first session in Qigong. We will do a very simple start. We will look at the position, do one movement, and then close. What does Qigong mean? It consists of two parts. Qi means life energy — the force that moves things in the body, mending, warming, and holding. Gong means labor or work. So the whole word means to work with your life energy. From a Western perspective, energy can feel subtle. We often say, “She has such a strong energy,” or, “I can’t stand her energy.” We feel it, but since it’s subtle, we can’t touch it, which makes it hard to understand. The best way is to work with the body to connect to this concept. In Chinese medicine — which Qigong practice is built on — when you have free, open circulation of this life energy, the body is healthy. When there are obstacles blocking this energy, we may feel unwell. This free circulation of Qi is a key concept. Feet are parallel, about shoulder-width apart. Too narrow is difficult; too wide creates tension. Toes point forward, not outward. Knees are slightly bent, not locked — bouncy and soft. When you move deeper, the knees bend more; when you come up, they straighten a bit. Hips are loose and relaxed. The lower back is important. With bent knees, let your tailbone drop down as if it’s heavy. Place one hand on your lower back — when the tailbone drops, you’ll feel movement there. The lower back moves slightly backward, about half a centimeter, not too much. This creates a better position and stronger connection with the small muscles along the spine, helping to hold your center without tension. The tummy stays relaxed. Chest is wide — not open forward or closed in. Shoulders relaxed, chest open sideways. First Movement Start with hands, palms facing upward. Let your hands separate and move to the sides. Palms turn upward, reaching toward the sky. Then fingers drop down and palms follow the center line of your body downward. Repeat: Breathing in — hands rise up. Breathing out — hands follow the midline down to hips and thighs. Again: Breathing in, palms upward, spreading out. At the top, closing back, palms downward. Breathing out and down. Breathing Pattern The most natural way is to breathe in as the hands move up, and breathe out as they come down. You might add a small inhale when you reach the chest level, and then exhale again to return down. Let’s try that two more times, syncing breath and movement. Opening the hands sideways, thumbs up. Breathing in — palms upward, collecting energy. Hands close, palms downward, breathing out. Breathing in at the chest level, and breathing out. One more time: Breathing in — arms over your head. Palms downward, breathing out. Small inhale on the way, and exhale. Once more — knees straighten slightly. Breathing in, breathing out, following your center line. Small inhale, and exhale. Closing Stay still for a few seconds. Let your hands drop naturally toward the ground. Feel your feet anchored and connected with the floor. To close, circle your hands smaller this time. Breathe in up to chest level, let hands meet in front of your chest. Take a breath there. Drop the fingers down, palms open, thumbs together. Let the thumbs find your navel and rest your hands on your lower abdomen. Take a few breaths, feeling movement underneath your hands. Thank you so much for this session.