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Qigong has a special place in my heart. With its roots in Traditional Chinese Medicine, Qigong exercises have been practiced and passed down through many, many generations.
I first experienced Qigong during a ‘Tai Chi, Poetry and Meditation’ retreat in the early 2000’s. To my surprise, by doing these seemingly simple exercises I could experience my body’s natural energy flow in new ways. I felt a vitality I hadn’t experienced before. It left quite an impression on me.
Following that retreat, I couldn’t find a suitable teacher in my area who I could learn Qigong from (I found a few unsuitable teachers though). So I explored other forms of healing and holistic health practices.
Qigong has recently returned to my life after years spent learning yoga. It feels like reuniting with an old friend. I am older now, more grounded, and I suppose more ready to fully learn these Qigong practices. Last year I studied the methods of ‘Daoyin Yangsheng Gong’, with the teachers at Daoyin Scotland https://daoyinscotland.com. This rekindled my passion for Chinese healing art forms.
Following this, I now study Qigong with Des Lawton through his school based here in Scotland https://sanbaoschool.co.uk/. I love Des’ approach, emphasising the internal awareness in Qigong practice. My experiences with Des take me back to my special first introduction to Qigong twenty years ago at the ‘Tai Chi and Meditation’ retreat. I have waited a long time to experience this kind of Qigong again, and I am delighted to have it in my life. I am soon to commence the ‘Shibashi Teacher Training’ course, and look forward to sharing the natural benefits of these wonderful and simple practices with others.