Cultivating Qi

How is your energy today?

Qi is life force energy, that which brings sparkle to our eyes and movement to our body. As babies, toddlers and teens, most of us didn’t think much about how much energy we had. We played baseball, took ballet classes, ran outside in the backyard, climbed fences and swam at the local community pool. As we grow older we think more about our energy, particularly when our energy is low and we feel like we tire more quickly than we used to.

Why is it that one 50-yr. old person looks like she’s in her 60’s and another 50-yr old looks like she’s 30-something? To answer that we need to look at where our energy comes from. We receive energy through breathing in the air around us, through the foods we eat, the water we drink, through keeping our body active and moving, and through ancestral Qi, the energy we were born with. Sometimes when a person ages well we say it’s in the genes and that could be part of it. However, how we live, our daily practices can be huge factors in the amount and quality of energy we have, and therefore how vital we feel. Our lifestyle is a big contributing factor to the amount and quality of energy that we have.

The nutritional value and type of foods we eat, daily exercise (not sitting for hours), emotional well-being, purpose, feeling of belonging all contribute to healthy energy and well-being. And. . . we we can purposefully cultivate calm, positive energy through centuries-old practices. As a Tai Chi teacher for 25 years and personal recipient of its health and Qi enhancing benefits, I feel passionate about sharing it with others.

In his book “The Healing Promise of Qi”, Roger Jahnke says the first promise of Qi is that “it is everywhere, and everyone has direct access to it through simple methods that are easy to learn and practice.” Dr. Jahnke has been teaching QiGong and Tai Chi for many years.

He explains that “ancient Qi masters developed a formula for health and longevity based on the Qi”: Inner Harmony + Qi Flow = Health and Longevity. This formula is the foundation of all Chinese medicine, acupuncture and herbal medicine. When the masters added the purposeful cultivation of inner harmony, the formula expanded: Practice + Intention = Inner Harmony = Qi Flow = Health and Longevity.

That’s why we embrace and practice Tai Chi – bringing intention to moving our energy in ways to relax, be in the moment, coordinate mind and body, all to enhance health and well-being. It takes commitment, willingness to learn new ways to move our energy and most importantly, show up. Getting out the door, showing up is the first step. An important step. In all my years of teaching, the biggest block for potential students is moving from thinking about taking a Tai Chi class to walking out the door to a class.

Take the first step. You deserve it. The promise of enhanced Qi may be yours. And for you who are now involved in regular Tai Chi practice and classes, your mind, your body, your energy thank you!

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