Classes

 Qigong Class

Relax and energize!

Qi Gong (“chee gong”) is meditation, breath work, stretching and strengthening. It trains core muscles to foster balance and grace. It develops unity of mind and body. This class is focused on effective execution of the fundamentals of external qigong.

You can use Qi Gong as part of a regular fitness routine, to speed recovery from illness, trauma or surgery, and to increase energy, coordination and sensitivity. Qigong trains the mind and body together. It helps improve virtually any  complaint because it improves the fundamental processes that repair and restore health, such as respiration, circulation and peristalsis.

Practice includes whole body breathing, the 8 brocade exercises, and standing meditation. Ba Gua circle walk meditation is available for those who are capable.

Everyone can learn Qi Gong. The benefits begin right away. Come and see why 100 million people practice Qi Gong in China!

Please call or email Tom for more information.

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Take Charge of Your Health

Lifestyle Enhancement Class

This course  teaches practices that nurture health. They can be learned easily and practiced with a small time commitment.   The source material is primarily from two branches of Traditional Oriental Medicine: Qi Gong and dietary therapy.  These support the effects of any other therapy, from East or West. They help control side effects of drug regimens. They improve quality of life, immune capacity, sleep, and vitality.

A six class series is described below. A single session introductory class/lecture is also available. These sessions are appropriate for all ages.  Classes may include:

-Light warm-ups and stretches (I encourage a feeling of comfort)

-Qigong standing meditation (seated meditation for those who wish)

-Breathing exercises or breath awareness techniques

-Qi Gong energizing self-massage

-Relaxing abdominal self-massage

-Nurturing recipes with whole foods and use of a few “food grade” Oriental medicinal herbs

-Easy cooking methods and recipes using whole grains and vegetables

-Some discussion of principles useful for thinking about diet 

Herbal recipe ingredients will be available for purchase; they are inexpensive.

Syllabus

Class 1

Discuss basic ideas of preventative and therapeutic diet from Traditional Oriental Medicine.  Staples of this approach are grains, beans, vegetables and fruit.  Introduce simple cooking method for “congee” rice porridge using a crock pot (slow cooker). Give tasty recipe with Astragalus and red dates.

Class 2

Introduce the five flavors of Traditional Oriental Medicine and their associations. Discuss other congee ingredients: millet, quinoa, barley, oats, wheat, kelp (kombu), shitake mushroom, and fresh ginger. Easy ways to use vegetables in broths and congees.  Codonopsis and tangerine peel congee.

 Class 3

Review five flavors.  Cooking with beans and bean products (miso, tofu, tempeh). Discussion of salt and sugars.  Ingredients to reduce dampness in the body. Congee with aduki beans and job’s tears.

Class 4

Review fundamental principles in Qi Gong breathing and movement.  Discuss strategies for supplementing or reducing and appropriate timing for these. Congee with lycii berry and Chinese yam.

Class 5

Condiments to enjoy with grains. Umeboshi plum and its uses. Recipe for the onset of a cold.  Meridian stretches – movements to influence particular areas and functions. 

Class 6

Seasonal considerations in diet. Review meridian stretches.  Discussion, question and answer.

Please call for more information about this offering.