Within Chinese medicine, one of the key factors for supporting the health is cultivating an awareness of the movements of nature, specifically as they manifest in one’s life. So what do these movements consist of? Essentially the rhythmical alternation of stillness and motion.

When we think of quietness we often think of doing nothing or the lack of activity. However, within this context, stillness and quietness are seen as the proper foundations of movement. The correct movement is the movement that begins in stillness.

Stillness is related to awareness and the clarity of consciousness. This quality of stillness is often described through the example and imagery of water. If we look at a mountain lake that is rippled over with choppy water, there is no way to see into the lake and whatever reflections that are visible on the surface are distorted. However, if the lake is quiet and calm we can see down into the depths easily and the reflections at the surface are clear and accurate.

Stillness then, in a certain sense, is the spaciousness that allows clarity and awareness. The correct movement will naturally come out of that space and clarity. The natural alternation of stillness and movement in this manner is fundamentally the proper rhythm of qi - the movement of life. It can be seen in nature and everywhere within the body and mind, from the proper functioning of the internal organs to the way that we can learn to effectively approach challenging situations around us.

For most of us having enough movement is not the problem. However, having a lot of movement is not the same thing as having the right movement. In order to have the right movement, we need to support stillness within our own lives. Again, this does not mean that we have to spend our days sitting around not doing anything (we would probably be racing around on the inside anyhow). It means that we can learn to find quietness in the middle of all of the activities of our lives. We can follow the process of what we are doing with awareness and clarity and without worry.The result of whatever we do, originating in this type of quietness, will accomplish itself.

Please see our Newsletter Archive, particularly the December 2005 newsletters, for further discussion of these ideas.

Our Linking the Channels Medical Qigong workshop is set for June 3rd. I only offer this class a couple of times a year and each class is limited in size. The class involves review and expansion of the Medical Qigong exercises with an emphasis on developing ease and comfort with the core exercises. We'll also cover the two part Second Moving Qigong.

I'll have more information on the Linking the Channels workshop in the May newsletters. You can contact me by phone (707) 763-8040 or email to reserve a spot in the class.

In the meantime, the Wednesday evening class is ongoing. The ongoing class is a good opportunity to inspire your daily practice and experience the energy of practicing with a group. There are students at all levels in the group class and it is always a relaxed atmosphere.

You can visit our class page here for more information on all of the Medical Qigong classes.