As a healthcare practitioner for over 26 years, I am well placed to observe clients/patients breathing patterns. One thing has become obvious over that time and it is the fact that most people now seem to have a baseline of chronic stress that has become normalized. I observe this in their; demeanour, muscle tension, speed of speech, symptoms reported and most importantly, by how rapid and shallow their breathing has become. This breathing pattern has become their set point i.e., ...  read more

In your first class at JinLi-Wushu Tai Chi you will hear the word “Qigong”. A brief explanation usually follows. The word “Qigong” has two parts to it; firstly ‘Qi’ which is briefly described as vital energy or sometimes life force (and the topic of our discussion); secondly the word ‘gong’ meaning work, skill, labour, cultivation, or effort. So loosely translated, Qigong means energy work/skill. More specifically Qigong (pronounced “chee-gung” and sometimes spelt ‘chi-kung’), is translated from Chinese to mean “Energy ...  read more

Many people come to class and ask the question, “What is the difference between Taijiquan (Tai Chi) and Qigong?” This usually after first asking, what is ‘quee gong’ (qigong)? And the former is a great question.Many schools, like ours, teach Qigong as an integral part of Taijiquan training. Both are body-mind-breath exercises. Both involve gentle movement, good posture and integrating the breath with movements. But only one has a martial arts application. Both practices cultivate gentle and present mind focus. ...  read more

Can’t Sleep? You aren’t alone. Research by the Sleep Health Foundation, “Asleep on the Job: Counting the cost of poor sleep”, 2017 highlights that poor sleep is affecting 39% of Australian adults that are regularly struggling with their sleep. The 2017 study found that the number of sleep problems among Australians are 5-10% higher than when the Foundation published its first survey on sleep health in 2010. Sleep disorders contribute to diseases and injuries such as heart disease, obesity, diabetes, ...  read more

Want to feel like a beginner again? Go and train in China.   Remember that night back when you started your Taiji journey? For most of us it happens somewhere around the fourth lesson. You finish a class feeling like it’s all too much, you’re legs are aching, and a little voice in the back of your head is saying “maybe this isn’t for you”, but you push on because you are going to crack this thing, no matter how ...  read more

Many people question the need for an International Duan Wei (Grading) System for Health Qigong. “Isn’t Health Qigong about the physical and mental health of its practitioners?” they ask. The Chinese Health Qigong Association would most definitely agree that the whole focus of Health Qigong is on wellness, but who is teaching it and are they suitably trained to teach to an internationally recognised standard? The Chinese Health Qigong Association (CHQA) was initiated with the support and endorsement of the ...  read more

Qigong is an ancient Chinese health practice dating back 3000 years that aligns the breath and physical activity to promote mental, emotional and physical wellbeing. It includes aspects of Traditional Chinese Medicine and the Martial Arts but its main emphasis is on preventing illness. A literal translation of the term Qigong is “breath work”. The Chinese character Qi meaning air or breath is the energy that circulates within the body. Gong means work or self-discipline. Gong is the term used ...  read more