The Essence of Qigong
A Practice of Stillness, Energy, and Ease
I’m nearing the completion of my 200-hour Qigong Teacher Training with Yoga Farm Ithaca — a milestone that feels both humbling and deeply meaningful. Over the past several years, this practice has quietly woven itself into my life, steadying me, strengthening me, and opening new pathways of ease, presence, and awareness.
Somewhere along the way — gently shaped by my daily meditation on the Tao Te Ching — Qigong shifted from something I practiced now and then into something I lived from within. It began to inform not only my own inner landscape but also the way I guide and teach, blending seamlessly with my yoga offerings.
That’s why, this fall, I felt a powerful calling to deepen my studies and step into certification, so I can share this beautiful practice with others.
What Makes Qigong So Transformative
Qigong is an ancient Chinese practice rooted in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Through gentle, mindful movement, intentional breathing, and focused attention, it harmonizes body, breath, and mind. Qigong supports the smooth flow of Qi — our vital life energy — restoring balance, grounding, and vitality.
For many of us in midlife and beyond, this gentleness is not a limitation but a gift. Qigong meets you exactly where you are, offering strength without strain, mobility without force, and presence without pressure.
Beginning in Wu Ji: The Power of Stillness
In this short practice, we begin in Wu Ji stance, the posture of pure potentiality.
Feet grounded. Spine long. Shoulders soft. Breath natural — easy and unforced.
Here, we allow the nervous system to settle and give ourselves permission to arrive fully.
Stillness becomes the doorway into deeper awareness.
Warming the Joints with Ji Ben Gong
From Wu Ji, we transition into Ji Ben Gong — foundational Qigong exercises that gently warm the joints and awaken the body’s energy pathways. These simple movements create a sense of lubrication and ease, especially helpful for anyone navigating stiffness, tightness, or the natural shifts that come with aging.
Qi begins to flow.
The body starts to soften.
The breath becomes a companion rather than a task.
The Dance Between Stillness and Movement
As we move through the sequence, notice how each gesture rises out of stillness — and how every movement naturally dissolves back into it. This interplay is at the heart of Qigong — a quiet dance of grounding and expansion, effort and ease, stillness and flow, the gentle meeting of yin and yang.
It’s also the rhythm of life itself.
Join Me in This Practice
I invite you to explore this short video and experience for yourself the subtle yet profound benefits of Qigong. Even a few minutes can shift your energy, calm your mind, and reconnect you with a sense of inner spaciousness.
If it resonates, feel free to share it with someone who could use a moment of grounding and a touch of inner freedom.
May calm settle within you, and may clarity and strength carry you forward into a life of adventure.
— Monica
