What is qi gong?
CERTIFIED TEACHER CLAUDIA CAHALANE EXPLAINS…
PHOTO BEN THOMPSON
QI GONG
“The moving meditation helps you feel connected to yourself”
Look on the itinerary of many a wellbeing retreat these days and you’ll see the words “qi gong” or “chi kung” pop up (different pronunciations for the same thing). This is what happened five years ago when I went on a silent meditation retreat.
Every day after our first meditation we were led in a session which involved getting on our feet, throwing our arms in big circles, shaking our ankles out, circling our hips and more. At the time I found it a bit cringe-worthy but I had to admit that I also found it massively energising. As a burgeoning wellbeing geek, I was excited to be able to do some simple moves which felt amazing physically and made me feel quite upbeat mentally. The routine released any stiff bits, felt strengthening and gave me a buzz.