Focus Meditation 9: Qigong #DoMagick

Meditation Title: Qigong

Technique: Qigong is similar to Tai Chi, except, IMHO, it’s a LOT easier to learn. Tai Chi, to me, is like trying to learn to dance because, it seems, the sequences move incredibly fast and there’s a LOT of choreography. Qigong, however, puts more emphasis on the rhythmic breathing, energy movement, relaxation, calm mind, and being able to do all of this while gently moving and stretching the body. Gently! That’s the key word for me.

Now, there is a lot about qigong I do not know. I am a novice. My first introduction to a qigong meditation was back when I was doing Budokon (mixed martial arts and yoga for fitness not to be confused with Budokan Karate) back around 2005. At the end of each session (that included an intense yoga warm up and a half hour to an hour of karate), the instructor would end with a 10 minute qigong meditation to get us to refocus on our breathing and the energy flowing through us. Great workout, btw, I highly recommend it.

That said, we stood for the meditation, feet apart, knees slightly bent, arms rounded, hands like they were around someone’s neck (haha) and focused on our breathing.

My Meditation: I like to start by heating up my core with a gentle 15 minute qigong sequence and then I move into a standing meditation where I become very aware of how my energy moves through my body. I focus on my breathing and movement. Also 15 minutes.

Meditation Resources: Here is a sample video to illustrate some very basic qigong.

Thoughts: Felt a little distracted today and had a hard time focusing the first 20 minutes, but finally got into it, and just as I did, my phone started going off. I need to turn off all my sounds again. Now I remember why I turned them off to begin with. My phone, if I left it on, would go off constantly, 24 hours a day, if I didn’t have the quiet hours programmed.