When I started thinking about offering Qigong classes at Watershed Wellness, I knew I didn’t just want to teach open-ended movement classes on an ongoing basis. That’s because I don’t see myself as a movement teacher. Instead, I see my teaching Qigong is an outgrowth of my work as a Classical Chinese medicine practitioner. I am teaching Qigong to help you reach your health and wellness goals using a different set of tools than I have available in my treatment room.
The Qigong program at Watershed Wellness will help you reach your health and wellness goals in two ways. First, the movements and sequences themselves will improve your strength, balance, circulation, flexibility and sense of ease and grace in your body. Depending on the form, some of what we practice together may contribute to specific health goals, which we’ll discuss during class.
The second way that the Qigong program at WW will help you reach your goals is through the information you learn about your body & your environment. While we learn the movements, I will be actively teaching you how the ancient Chinese looked at the world, and what relevance that has for us today. In some cases, I will provide handouts or webpages to help enhance your learning process. And because the information will be associated with the movement practice, you will be able to absorb it more deeply than you would in a traditional classroom environment.
Seasons
I am organizing these classes based on the lunar year – with the start being on Lunar New Year, or what you may know as the “Chinese New Year.” The date of Lunar New Year is different every year, unlike with the Gregorian calendar we are more familiar with in the United States. It is typically in February, this year falling on February 10.
Each year will consist of 3 seasons. Each season will consist of 10 classes all motivated and informed by a particular theme. The live class is limited to people who sign up for the entire 10 class season prior to the start of the season. In other words, I’m not allowing drop-in students to join randomly during the season. This ensures that I can keep a strong container in our limited space here at the clinic. Drop-in students are welcome any time online, where our space is virtually unlimited!
The seasons will build on one another, such that if you continue on with classes with me, you will experience progressive skill and knowledge building. That said, we will always be reviewing the forms, and for those who join a later season without having the foundation of the earlier seasons, I will be making some videos available so you can learn the basics prior to coming to class the first time. No matter what, I’ll endeavor to make sure everyone feels the class is appropriate for their level.
The seasonal energy will influence how and what I teach – we will match our energy and flow to suit what is happening in the world around us!
Season 1 (February 8 – May 2, 2024) – Spring
- Dates are reserved and will only be moved due to any emergencies or illnesses I may encounter
- Check the season calendar for exact dates
- Theme will be “Nourishing Foundations”
- Our primary focus will be teaching the foundational elements of the Jin Jing Gong lineage including full-body shaking practice, transitions, universe stance and the basic elements of our first form, the Yin Yang Sheng Jiang Kai He Gong (Yin Yang Raising Descending Opening Closing Qigong)
- Our secondary focus will be learning the acupuncture channel and Chinese medicine organ locations and energies
Season 2 (June – September, 2024) – Summer
- Final schedule is available on the Season Calendar
- Registration will be available in March 2024
- Theme will be “Balancing the Dragon”
- Our primary focus will be learning the Heart Form of the Jin Jing Gong lineage, while continuing to refine and deepen into the shaking, standing & moving forms we learned in Season 1. We will also learn two different meditative walks that can be incorporated into your daily routine.
- We will continue to use the movements to learn about the Chinese medicine organ systems, acupuncture channels & foundational theories that can help us navigate our bodies and our world more effortlessly.
Season 3 (October – November) – Fall & Winter
- Provisional schedule available on the Season Calendar
- Registration will be available in July 2024
- Theme and content to be announced at a future date
- We will take a break for the remainder of 2024, starting back up as we approach New Year 2025!
Class Description
Classes are on Thursday morning from 8-9am.
The hour-long class will be divided up more or less as follows:
- 5m : Warm up & orientation
- 20m : Full body shaking & body scan
- 10-20m : Reviewing previous movements & sequencing
- 10-20m : Exploring new movements & sequencing
- 5m cool down & questions / sharing
In some instances, we will expand or contract some of those elements, and some days we may throw the whole schedule out the window. Arriving 5-10m early to class will be beneficial in ensuring we get started on time.
Location
We will be meeting in Suite 307 at the clinic located at 10 Pier 1. 307 is the room where Eric has been practicing for the last several months, and is also where we are now offering community acupuncture once per month.
I am offering an online option as well, via Zoom. I am not an audio-visual expert, but we will do our best to make the experience a good one. You will receive your Zoom link 24 hours before class. You do not have to keep your camera on. I will try to check the chat before class starts, and then afterwards. Classes will be recorded and available to students who either attended the class, or paid for it and ask for the recording.
Cost
Classes are $12 each. If you would like to sign up for the full season of 10 classes for a 10% discount, reach out to me ASAP. Paying for the entire season will hold your spot in class, and given that we only have a limited amount of room, this may be beneficial. I will not be providing refunds for missed sessions, however, so only sign up for the full season if you feel fairly confident you will be able to make all of the sessions.
You can pay with cash, check or credit card. If you have never been to the clinic as a patient before, you will need to call and put your card on file so your card can be run after class.
Questions & Sign Up
The answers to some frequently asked questions can be found at the bottom of the main Qigong page. If you have other questions, do not hesitate to reach out.
You can sign up using the online booking site, by calling 503-974-0914, or reaching out to us via email or our online contact form.