QIGONG SCHEDULE
Fridays
4:00 pm - Basin Recreation Fieldhouse
Saturdays
9:00 am - Park City Community Church
always check the classes calendar in case of changes
*Online Zoom classes resume on November 8
*Promontory classes resume in December |
Sweet Friends of Qi,
September and October classes have been focused on cycles and seasons and how they impact our bodies and psyches. September included two weeks of Qigong for Late Summer and the Earth Element. I had several requests to turn that class into a video. Scroll down for the YouTube link.
Last week we enjoyed some Seasonal Qigong for Fall. If you missed it I will be running that class to clear and strengthen the Metal Element and Lung System one more time in October. Read about the underlying theory below.
Please also take a moment to peruse the upcoming events this month and next!
With Hope & Courage,
Layla
|
Cleanse & Strengthen Metal Qi
for Optimal Organ Function/Immunity |
The Seasonal Elements are metaphors to describe what the qi is doing, how the energy is behaving in the environment.
Right now the atmosphere is getting more like Metal 💎
• Sharper, Denser, Heavier, Sinking, Contracting, Condensing
• Quality of “discernment”, a refining down to protect what is most pure and essential
Our bodies & psyches mirror nature. |
|
|
|
🛡️ The Metal element rules the Lung System, which also functions with a high level of discernment, drawing sharp boundaries between what is good and not good for you to keep you protected:
- Lungs: Respiration ➡️ Filters out Carbon Dioxide
- Large Intestine: Elimination ➡️ Removes Waste
- Skin: Detoxification ➡️ Expels via Sweat
- Immune System: Defense ➡️ Destroys Pathogens & Damaged Cells
We can also release difficult emotional states associated with the Metal Element that we may have acquired and hold in the body => 😟 Sadness, Grief, Depression, Low Self-Esteem
To restore the gifts of the metal element within => 😊 Hope, Optimism, Confidence/Courage, Self-Honor |
|
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the emotion of grief is closely connected to the Lung system. According to TCM's Five Element Theory, this system is governed by the Metal Element and associated with the season of Fall.
An emotion is energy in motion. It is meant to float in to your experience like a cloud, be witnessed, be felt, and eventually float out. When you meet the reality of loss from a place of acceptance and non-resistance, the pain is felt and then it is released.
We all respond to grief differently and there is said to be no timeline for it; however, if we're resisting its presence, or after the passage of time still wishing the past were different, we're not processing grief, we're rehearsing denial. That can put us at risk of the emotional energy stagnating, and harming the lungs and our bodies defenses. Qigong is a somatic approach to processing emotions like grief, depression or anxiety. |
|
|
|
JOINING US THIS SATURDAY 9AM |
The Intermountain chapter of the Professional Ski Instructors of America-American Association of Snowboard Instructors (PSIA-AASI) will be holding their pre-season kick-off event this year at Park City Community Church to provide indoor education, professional training, and community connection for snowsports instructors ahead of the winter season.
We will be welcoming some of these instructors to our Saturday morning qigong class on 10/10
Come join the fun and the flow. |
|
|
|
NOVEMBER 15th AT THE SHOP |
CATCH THE EARLY BIRD SPECIAL
Just $88 before 10/15
Such a great value | Food too | I would love to have you join usSu |
What is a Cacao Ceremony? |
A cacao ceremony is a beautiful opportunity to slow down, turn inward, and create space for greater clarity, connection, and self-awareness.
Ceremonial-grade cacao is traditionally used as a heart-centered plant beverage and can help you settle into the present moment, becoming more connected to your body and emotions. Combined with breathwork, sound, gentle movement, reiki healing and meditation, the experience can support you in:
- Quieting the mind and stepping away from the noise of everyday life
- Connecting with your emotions and creating space to feel what may be asking for your attention
- Gaining clarity around a question, decision, relationship, or intention
- Releasing tension through breath, movement, sound, and embodied practices
- Deepening self-connection by listening more closely to your body, feelings, and inner wisdom
- Cultivating presence and calm, leaving you feeling more grounded and centered
- Opening to connection with yourself and, when experienced in community, with others
Come with an intention—whether it is to receive clarity, let go of something, reconnect with yourself, or simply slow down and be present.
You don’t need to know exactly what you’re looking for. Set your intention, drink the cacao, breathe, move, listen, and allow the experience to unfold. You may leave with a new perspective, a sense of emotional release, or simply a deeper connection to yourself.
|
UNDERSTANDING YOUR PRACTICE |
Qigong is a relatively new term, about 1,000 years old. It was coined as a way to bring together all the thousands of ancient traditional Chinese energy exercises under one name.
For example, forms like the Ba Duan Jin (8 Silk Brocades), ShiBashi (18 Movements), Tai Chi (choreographed movements) and Zhan Zhuang (standing meditations) are all very different. But they are all classified as Qigong because these forms all comply to 3 important principles, known as The Three Regulations. They all regulate the Body, the Breath, and the Mind at once.
Qigong trains you to align the body, locate the breath low at the Dan Tian, and focus the mind. As a result your softens, your breath becomes natural, and your mind settles. No matter what style you choose to train in, integrating all 3 principles achieves a calm, easy, natural state and increases the effectiveness of your practice and the flow of your qi.
|
|
|
|
Qigong is designed to cultivate healing and vitality, first by removing what is inefficient with our energy, such as stress & chronic tension. It takes a lot of energy to keep our muscles tight, to worry, to be stressed, angry, anxious, or fearful. Part of qigong is just removing the things that are wasting our energy or blocking its free flow. Just that alone will give us more energy.
Once blockages are cleared we can refill our reserves of energy and build energy. In general there are two ways for doing that. Certain exercises are better for building yin, the kind of energy that helps us feel rejuvenated, calm and peaceful; and others are good for building the yang energy, the more active, alive, warm energy of the body.
Finally qigong helps us move energy, circulating it through the body, encouraging a smooth, balanced and harmonious flow of life force. |
|
|
|
By request, you can now practice at home with this August recording of Qigong for Late Summer. This is not on my website. You need to go directly to Youtube. Just click on my image or here.
These videos are offered at no charge to support you in adding additional practice sessions into your routine between classes. Remember, "gong" means skill developed thru time and repetition.
If you enjoy this option please do me a favor by clicking "Like" and "Subscribe".
*It doesn't need to be late summer for you to do exercises to support the Earth Element within you. |
|
|
|
Just a word of thanks to those who responded to the Basin Recreation Instructor Survey. Your reviews are very much appreciated. Thank you for taking the time!
And much gratitude to all the students that make up our Qigong Community. Thank you for trusting me enough to invite your family members and friends.
Thank you for your continued participation over the years and for sharing yourselves and your energy so generously.
I am always delighted to hear from you. Feel free to reach out with any comments, questions or concerns.
Layla |
|
|
|
What the Heck is "Chi Gong"? |
Qigong is a series of ancient techniques that improve joint mobility & longevity,
relieve chronic pain, regulate the nervous system, and increase energy and overall vitality.
Click below to learn more about Qigong, how it works,
and what to expect in a 60 minute class |
|
please support my YouTube channel by subscribing |
|
|
|
