Surrey and Hants Tai Chi and Qigong

What's Qigong then?

You say it 'Chee Gong'

It means 'Energy (Qi)  Work (Gong)

Qigong is a Chinese energy art with a 5000 year old history. It forms a foundation of Traditional Chinese Medicine which influences the energy (Qi/ Chi/Ki/ Prana) of the body to prevent and cure diseases of the body and mind. 

This can be done with herbs, acupuncture, massage or specific exercises (called Qigong) 

It's particularly effective at combatting stress related diseases, which make up about 80% of doctor visits each year. Shocking isn't it ;( 

Now look at it another way: 

By learning a skill that helps us deal with / switches off our stress response, we can avoid suffering from 80% of sicknesses

About this class

I've chosen slow calming Qigong sets for this class to detangle the mind and unknot the body. 

Somewhat like Yoga, but performed standing up throughout, we move in and out of stretches on the natural breath. 

Applying a gradual decrease and increase of effort we follow the rule of Yin Yang theory which says that everything is in a constant state of change or flow - this is why we don't hold the postures using force, but flow between them. 

We finish with about 10 minutes of guided meditation - you can stand, sit or lie down

The setting

The studio used for this class is gorgeous - it's a purpose built space decorated in a Zen style, : Simple but soothing. 

The paper floor lights give a soft luminescence, Buddha statues and bamboo transport you to another world.....if you let your mind forget that you're on an industrial estate in Farnborough. 

But that's one of the skills you'll learn:

Getting the mind in the right place is the key to it all... and not '42' as you may have heard

About Me

You'll probably gather from the above that i like to keep things light hearted - however that doesn't mean you won't learn the real deal or that i don't take my art seriously: 

I trained outdoors summer & winter in the mountains of Shandong China, sometimes shovelling  a foot of snow before training started,  

I studied Tai Chi, Kung Fu & Qigong under a particularly grumpy ex Chinese special forces teacher who, after six months of calling me 'the stupid old foreign woman' gave me my Chinese name 'Mulan' (a Chinese heroine) .........as well as several emotional and physical scars.