Have you tried Qi Gong? Last Friday was my first time experiencing the healing energy of Qi Gong. I did very little research beforehand, so I had no idea what to expect. This class combined Qi Gong with sound healing meditation.
I arrived at Harmony Yoga Studio about 5 minutes before the class started, and there were already 7 people there preparing for the class by setting up pillows and blankets, or sitting on some of the already set up chairs. Deva Premal was playing in the background, and I automatically felt a warm and cozy welcome.
Jignesh Panchal led the class. He started off by introducing himself and discussing the practice of Qi Gong. He explained how this practice along with Panchakarma (an Ayurvedic treatment) was the healing force for him during a time when he experienced illness, which included tremendous pain and suffering. This illness is also what led him to studying holistic medicine, and he is now a licensed Acupuncture Physician.
I am always fascinated and inspired when I hear stories about how ancient practices can be so transformative and healing.
He started off leading us in a few exercises to warm up the body and to get the energy flowing. The warm-ups weren’t too tough, but not super easy either.
Next, we sat on either a chair or pillow, and he led us through some breathing exercises. We did the Breath Of Fire, which is loud and rapid breathing at the naval. The breath is always done through the nose, and it purifies the blood and expands lung capacity among other benefits. The tricky part is to keep the pace and pattern. Breath of Fire takes effort, but with practice the pace can flow naturally.
Jignesh explained that Qi Gong is a practice of energizing and balancing the endocrine system, and he led us through the practice while he played the crystal bowl for sound healing.
We started building energy through our breath, and then moving that energy with our mind and awareness down to the sexual centers. He explained this is the most important part of building the energy, and then we use our awareness to move it up through our body into the adrenals, the pancreas, the heart, the thyroid, the crown of the head, and the Pineal glad, which is located at the third eye.
After a few rounds, we meditated with the awareness and focused on the crown of the head while he played the crystal bowl. I could feel the vibrations moving throughout by body and swirling at the crown of my head.
This past week I’ve been having some shoulder pain, and during the meditation I could feel the energy moving through my arm. Sometimes it was really intense, but towards the end it felt lighter. Definitely powerful.
After he talked us out of the meditation and slowly brought our awareness back, he explained how as we continue to practice, we will notice a difference in our energy and health. Just like a yoga practice, or anything really, it takes dedication and devotion, and a consistent practice.
I can’t believe it took me this long to try Qi Gong. I look forward to continuing and experiencing all of the healing benefits along the way.
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