WHAT: Weekly Qi Gong Class (Drop-In)
Qi Gong (pronounced chee-gong) is an ancient and contemporary Chinese exercise that combines movement, breathing, awareness, and body posture.
The goal is to teach simple practices to help people grappling with hard situations (e.g. illness, natural disasters, chronic stress, violence, loss, imprisonment, inequities, etc).
Primordial Qi Gong Set Instruction (Yep)
WHO: Open to all. No experience necessary. This is a gentle class for folks of all bodies and abilities. Exercises are adaptable to sitting or standing. You do not have to experience insomnia to take the class.
WHEN: Thursdays, 12:15 p.m. – 1 p.m. PDT (until Shelter-In-Place is over)
WHERE: Click here or go to https://pitzer.zoom.us/j/513664738
COST: The session is free.
JOIN THE QI GONG EMAIL LIST: kathleen_yep@pitzer.edu
TEACHER BIO: In addition to being a researcher and a tenured Full Professor at Pitzer College of the Claremont Colleges, I have practiced and taught qi gong for 25 plus years under the mentorship of Paul Li and Bingkun Hu, who learned dayan qi gong from lineage holder Yang Mei Jun. I am also a certified mindfulness facilitator and certified to teach Mindful Awareness Practices-1 from UCLA Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Behavior.
RESOURCES: About qi gong and insomnia (in English and Spanish).
COMMUNITY PARTNER: With a focus on sanctuary, IM4HI is a statewide California organization that connects people to the work of social justice in Los Angeles County, the San Francisco Bay Area, and the Inland Valleys. They work to make the criminal justice system more just, and the immigration system more fair and humane.
CLASS CONTENT: As part of a pilot online health equity curriculum, I will teach movements from short moving set called primordial qi gong. It is intended to be calming and nourishing according to traditional Chinese medicine. It is intended to address the ability to fall asleep, stay asleep, and wake up rested. (Irwin et. al 2017).
Drawing from Capacitar’s curriculum, I will also teach some qi gong movements that engage with compassion according to traditional Chinese medicine. Research suggests a connection between compassion exercises and nourishing parts of your brain that impact decision making. (Neff et. al., Singer & Klimecki 2014) This is significant in the context of health equity. It is a simple practice to nourish us from the wear and tear of challenging circumstances (e.g. hypertension, violence, incarceration, racial profiling, national disasters, etc.)
NOTE: This qi gong class is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
WHAT IF I AM A CARETAKER DURING THE WORKSHOP?
All are welcome. All participants will be audio-muted. People have the option to video mute. (see the menu bar at the bottom left on zoom). If you have to join late or leave early, still come to the session.
TECHNOLOGY: If you want more info about how to get on ZOOM and how to navigate ZOOM, go to Pitzer IT’s page
Dr. Kathy Yep 