Empowering People through Character-based Counseling & Art Therapy
Five-Elements Qigong for balancing mind & body
We can balance our body and mind by tuning our nervous system, healing & calming our mind and removing the effect of the stress and emotional pains that are sitting on our body
About the instructor:
I started Tai Chi and Qigong practice more than 10 years ago, in a Chinese temple in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, practicing with my incredibly sharp & fit 85 years old Shifu (Master) daily. From then onwards qigong has become a tool for me to create a balance in my mind and body, release tension, and connect to the present moment. In 2018, I got a serious brain injury and concussion, which completely isolated me from any aspect of life for a whole year. I was unable to walk more than 5 meters, I could not meet people or even read books or watch TV or talk on mobile. Above all, I could not spend time with my 1-year-old son. I remember cutting a carrot without pain seemed like a dream. I tried everything swimming, yoga, physiotherapy, acupuncture, etc. and nothing really helped. Until suddenly it came to me to try qigong. Long hours of meditation and qigong helped me to come back to life again. It was then that I saw the impact that these two can have not only on my body but also on my mind and soul and learned that we can use these as a tool for healing and for creating balance. It became my mission to help others using these tools by combining them with my knowledge of human behavior and the physiology of mental health. Then, I was trained as a qigong teacher and have practiced and taught qigong since then as an instructor.
Welcome to the course! lets move some Qi!
What is Qigong
The goal of the medical Qigong is to correct the imbalances in the body and mind that have accumulated throughout a person's lifetime. These imbalances occur from deep-seated emotions (stress, anger, anxiety, depression, grief, etc.), trauma or injury, improper diet, lack of exercise, the environment that we grow up in (family, society, etc), etc.
The 'Qi' is the "life force energy" that pulsates, vibrates, and is moving in the universe and although its most vibrant form is in living creatures, it is beyond that. To have balance in body and mind, the Qi must flow properly. If there is a block, Qi becomes stagnant and prevents other parts of the body from being nourished. If the Qi flows too rapidly, it causes degeneration or exhaustion of the internal organs. Gong means refined skill. The practice of Qigong is thus mastering the techniques to create balance by filling deficiencies and removing excess. This is achieved by activating acupuncture points, meridians, and organ systems. To do this, in Qigong, we focus on physical movement and concentration
(called Wai Dan), breathing techniques, meditation, and guided imagery (called Nei Dan).
There are hundreds of Qigong forms mostly inspired by traditional Chinese medicine, Buddhism, and Taoism. The Five-Elements Qigong offered in my course is inspired by Medical Qigong and Taoism Wudang Qigong. One important element in Taoism Qigong is spirituality. It uses mantras, mudras (hand positions), sitting meditations, and prayers to cultivate self-awareness, tranquillity, and harmony with one’s environment and self.
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Five-Elements Qigong:
In Chinese traditional medicine, the Five Elements of Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water are the five basic aspects of Qi. The harmonious balance of 'the five elements are the key component of well-being. The energy of each element is more prominent or less prominent in seasonal and daily cycles. Each element is also more strongly connected with specific body organs and energy channels in the body. The focus of Five-Elements Qigong is to bring balance to the body by focusing on each element and its related body organ. In my course, the focus will be on Wudan Five Elements Animal Qigong:​
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Leopard Qigong (Focusing on liver meridian-Emotion of anger-Wood element)
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Crane Qigong (Focusing on heart meridian-Emotion of enthusiasm-Fire element)
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Snake Qigong (Focusing on spleen meridian-Emotion of worry- Earth element)
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Tiger Qigong (Focusing on lung meridian-Emotion of grief-Metal element)
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Dragon Qigong (Focusing on kidney meridian-Emotion of fear-Water element)
Please read about the details on the content of my Qigong course in the details of the course listed here.
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Physical and mental benefits of Qigong:
Qigong helps with anxiety, stress, and especially PTSD symptoms since among many benefits, Qigong reduces the nervous system's reactive response and increases the parasympathetic relaxation response.
As a level 3 Qigong instructor and a trauma-informed coach, I designed the course in a way that those who are suffering from anxiety and chronic stress, and PTSD to get safely in touch with their body and bring their mind in connection with it. The goal of the classes, ultimately, is to help reduce depressive and stress symptoms and allow for more relaxation and more connection with one’s self day-to-day experiences.
Regarding the physical benefits: medicine Qigong works with our internal organs by massaging our kidneys, digestive systems, etc. Through qigong movements, we also gently move and massage our facia. The facia is the connective tissue that surrounds and holds each organ, blood vessel, bone, nerve fiber, and muscle in place. When we are stressed, our facias in some parts of the body tighten up and cause pain in different parts of the body and nerves. Eventually, these tangles can lead to various health issues. Qigong movements, when done with high awareness, remove the tangle in the facias and prevent its entanglement.
How often to practice?
To truly reap the benefits of Qigong movements, one must practice daily even if it is 10 minutes daily. It is better than nothing.
While medical qigong is not intended to replace or stand in for other conventional medicine techniques, it can be an excellent addition to the treatment or prevention of a range of conditions.