Yesterday evening i did the unthinkable and did something totally random. I agreed to attend a Qigong class [pronounced Chi Kung] with J. Originally skeptical and worried that there would be physical contact involved, i of course hesitated.
I'm still not in top shape and the last thing i need is to injure myself. And although i know there's a lot of health benefits from being more active, more than often i choose the couch potato route.
I was also concerned that my German was not good enough to understand the instructor. It's all good and dandy if i can learn how to breathe properly but if i'm given instructions in German to visualize things so i can channel my Chi but i don't know what is actually being said, it kinda defeats the purpose and makes the whole experience rather stressful.
So two hours before the class was to begin, J and i were googling and watching videos on Qigong and Chi on YouTube.
Intrigued by the power of Chi, i still managed to pull out every excuse not to go. And like many other times blatantly said, "I don't want to" without even giving a reason for my "disinterest".
But as J continued to persuade me with his puppy-dog-sad-eyes so i would change my mind, i eventually gave in.
After all, i didn't want my lack of involvement and motivation be another reason for us to argue. Plus it would mean we could spend more time together since last week J tried out Kung Fu and liked it. And that would mean twice a week he would be gone for the training all evening and would be home by the time i was getting ready for bed. He also had intentions of going to Qigong on two extra days of the week, so that would definitely mean less time together and more strain on our relationship.
...
The class is held at a Sports Academy which focuses on Kung Fu, Tae Won Do, Thai Boxing and Qigong classes. Located in a neighboring city about 25 minutes away, we realise if we are serious about this, there needs to be commitment and a regular schedule.
So anyway the instructor was kind enough to throw in a few English words to help in the visualization part for my benefit of course but for most parts of it i stitched together what i understood and kept my eyes open so i could just mimic what she was doing.
However there were times when she didn't translate the important words and i found myself rummaging through my brain trying to figure out what object or animal she wanted the group to visualize. And later i found out from J i had in fact pictured something totally different.
Oh well.
At the end of the class i was feeling quite relaxed and good. It must have been all that oxygen!
By the time we got back home it was 11pm and it was way past our bedtime. I'm usually passed out by then but last night my mind was active and found it difficult to sleep. I woke up feeling unrested and by the time it was 5am, my body was urging me to get up. I read that it could be because the activities i engaged in were too stimulating [source].
So in an act to improve our relationship and more importantly ourselves, we're trying out Qigong and seeing where it takes us. It's not like we have anything to lose and anyway, it's not like we've got much of a social life.
So as J simply put it, why not?
...
I managed to stumble upon this amazing site that explains in detail the health benefits of Qigong and i've taken the liberty to list the points below. Here is the link for those of you who are interested.
Benefits of practicing Qigong [Chi kung];
The site even describes the Basic Qigong Yogic Breathing exercise [click] and is similar to one of the exercises we did in class yesterday. Basically it follows the principles of all diaphragmatic breathing techniques and was actually harder than i thought.
Apparently not only will you feel more relaxed, but it claims to promote mental clarity, better concentration, a stronger immune system and longevity.
I'm still not in top shape and the last thing i need is to injure myself. And although i know there's a lot of health benefits from being more active, more than often i choose the couch potato route.
I was also concerned that my German was not good enough to understand the instructor. It's all good and dandy if i can learn how to breathe properly but if i'm given instructions in German to visualize things so i can channel my Chi but i don't know what is actually being said, it kinda defeats the purpose and makes the whole experience rather stressful.
So two hours before the class was to begin, J and i were googling and watching videos on Qigong and Chi on YouTube.
Intrigued by the power of Chi, i still managed to pull out every excuse not to go. And like many other times blatantly said, "I don't want to" without even giving a reason for my "disinterest".
But as J continued to persuade me with his puppy-dog-sad-eyes so i would change my mind, i eventually gave in.
After all, i didn't want my lack of involvement and motivation be another reason for us to argue. Plus it would mean we could spend more time together since last week J tried out Kung Fu and liked it. And that would mean twice a week he would be gone for the training all evening and would be home by the time i was getting ready for bed. He also had intentions of going to Qigong on two extra days of the week, so that would definitely mean less time together and more strain on our relationship.
...
The class is held at a Sports Academy which focuses on Kung Fu, Tae Won Do, Thai Boxing and Qigong classes. Located in a neighboring city about 25 minutes away, we realise if we are serious about this, there needs to be commitment and a regular schedule.
So anyway the instructor was kind enough to throw in a few English words to help in the visualization part for my benefit of course but for most parts of it i stitched together what i understood and kept my eyes open so i could just mimic what she was doing.
However there were times when she didn't translate the important words and i found myself rummaging through my brain trying to figure out what object or animal she wanted the group to visualize. And later i found out from J i had in fact pictured something totally different.
Oh well.
At the end of the class i was feeling quite relaxed and good. It must have been all that oxygen!
By the time we got back home it was 11pm and it was way past our bedtime. I'm usually passed out by then but last night my mind was active and found it difficult to sleep. I woke up feeling unrested and by the time it was 5am, my body was urging me to get up. I read that it could be because the activities i engaged in were too stimulating [source].
So in an act to improve our relationship and more importantly ourselves, we're trying out Qigong and seeing where it takes us. It's not like we have anything to lose and anyway, it's not like we've got much of a social life.
So as J simply put it, why not?
...
I managed to stumble upon this amazing site that explains in detail the health benefits of Qigong and i've taken the liberty to list the points below. Here is the link for those of you who are interested.
Benefits of practicing Qigong [Chi kung];
- It's an excellent way to keep fit.
- It is also a good way to lose weight.
- Very relaxing.
- Qigong heals both the practitioner and the person to whom the healing is directed.
- It encourages long-term health and longevity,
- It builds invigorating energy.
- It gives an overall sense of well-being.
- It helps improve coordination and balance.
- Helps build confidence and self-esteem.
- Teaches pain management.
- It balances right- and left-hemispheric brain activity.
The site even describes the Basic Qigong Yogic Breathing exercise [click] and is similar to one of the exercises we did in class yesterday. Basically it follows the principles of all diaphragmatic breathing techniques and was actually harder than i thought.
"Most people take quick shallow breaths when they breathe. When they breathe from the top half of their chest they are actually wasting more than half of their lung capacity."
Apparently not only will you feel more relaxed, but it claims to promote mental clarity, better concentration, a stronger immune system and longevity.
