Qigong: Cultivate Safety, Joy, and Vitality in Your Body

If you were to ask Quest founder Myra Goodman what to include in a “Homo Sapiens Owner’s Manual,” at the top of her list would be the practice of qigong (pronounced “chee gong.”). “Qi” means life force energy, and “gong” means to cultivate. The practice of qigong is the practice of consciously tapping into and cultivating the life force energy of the universe.

Developed thousands of years ago in China, qigong is a self-care branch of traditional Chinese medicine that keeps us emotional, physically and spiritually thriving is in so many ways. Utilizing gentle movements, conscious breathing, self-massage, sound, and visualization, qigong efficiently and effectively (and enjoyably!) accomplishes the following:

  • Releases tension from our body

  • Transforms stress into vitality

  • Calms our nervous system 

  • Quiets our mind

  • Grounds us in the present moment

  • Keeps our body flexible and supple

  • Stimulates our innate self-healing capabilities

  • Reconnects us to the peaceful energy of the natural world.

Because qigong is performed standing up in comfortable clothing and is easily adaptable for people of all ages and body types, it can be done virtually anywhere by everyone.

We collaborated with internationally renowned qigong master Lee Holden on this content. Lee is a Chinese medical doctor and acupuncturist who has been a pioneer in bringing the gifts of qigong to Westerns for over 25 years and has certified over 1,600 qigong teachers. Lee is an exceptionally powerful, wise, and engaging teacher who brings joyful enthusiasm to all of his classes and makes qigong fun to learn and easy to incorporate into our daily lives.

 
 

Lee says, “We all need to be good caretakers of ourselves and prioritize our own health and inner peace, no matter what’s going on around us. While it isn’t always possible to remove an outer problem, we do have the ability to change our response and our inner state of consciousness. When we feel stress, we can do what our body is designed to do naturally: move it through our system, discharge it, and replace it with a calm, centered feeling. Qigong returns our entire system to a state of peaceful equilibrium—a dynamic balance where we feel both tranquil and energized.”

Lee Holden led the Quest community in an enlightening live workshop, "Find Safety, Joy & Vitality in Your Body with Qigong.” We hope the workshop inspires you to embrace the practice of qigong for health, peace and vitality. Below you will find a link to the entire 75-minute workshop and a YouTube video of just the 30-minute qigong routine from the workshop, which ends with a lovely inner smile guided meditation. 

 
 

30-Minute Qigong Practice

 

Recommended Resources from Lee Holden

We highly recommend all of Lee’s offerings that we link to below, and we encourage you to read the article Myra wrote for Spirituality & Health magazine, “Qigong: An Ancient Antidote to Modern Stress”—Qigong master Lee Holden teaches how to return to the body for balance, peace, and vitality.” It also includes powerfully relaxing and healing 16-minute meditation, Dissolving into Energy.

“30-Day Qigong Challenge” Receive a new 7-minute routine in your inbox every day for thirty days that you will have access to forever. These short and effective routines are designed to reduce stress and boost energy as efficiently as possible. The series is extremely affordable, a perfect introduction to qigong, and an easy way to experience the boundless gifts of these practices every day.  We can’t say enough good things about this offering!

Holden Qigong YouTube channel has over 250 free videos to explore, with practices of varying length and many different themes. Myra loves this 6-minute practice for stress relief as a great way to get a taste of what qigong has to offer.

Lee’s online class subscription offers three new classes every week which can be attended live or viewed any time as recordings.  Lee’s full-length classes are one hour long, and each one is offered as a shorter 20-minute routine. 

Lee’s website is packed with informative articles and links dozens of his wonderful offerings, such as routines that focus on healing anxiety, depression, back pain, high blood pressure, and much more!

Quest Blog Posts on Qigong

Featured
Finding Safety
Finding Safety

When I was 28 and pregnant with my second child, I engaged a hypnotist to help me cope with my escalating fears around giving birth and the health of my unborn baby. Far from feeling more confident after having completed this momentous act once before, I had post-traumatic anxiety because my first birth had been extremely difficult for me, both emotionally and physically.

Qi Gong: An Ancient Antidote for Modern Stress
Qi Gong: An Ancient Antidote for Modern Stress

Today I’m sharing an article I wrote for Spirituality & Health magazine about the many benefits qigong offers, especially in relation to stress management. Because Qigong enhances my life in so many ways, I want to share its gifts with as many people as possible.

Transforming Stress into Vitality
Transforming Stress into Vitality

As human beings, we’re incredibly complex, so it’s challenging not to arrive on this planet with an owner’s manual explaining how to take care of ourselves emotionally, physically, and spiritually. What we learn from our families, formal education and society is incomplete, and much of it isn’t conducive to our long-term well-being.

More Resources from Quest

Start Your Mindfulness Practice

Practicing mindfulness can help us to focus, be in the present moment, deal with stress skillfully, and develop compassion.

Take a Moment

Tiny pauses to be right here, right now can have big results. Our series of micro-meditations—all under two minutes long—invite you to access the calm that is always within you.

Mindfulness in Nature

When we’re outdoors, it is often easier to slow down and let our attention be captivated by the richness of the present moment.