WHAT: Free Drop-In Qi Gong Class
Qi Gong (pronounced chee-gong) is an ancient and contemporary Chinese exercise that combines movement, breathing, awareness, and body posture.
The goal is to learn simple practices to help people grappling with hard situations (e.g. COVID19, illness, natural disasters, chronic stress, violence, loss, imprisonment, inequities, etc).
WHO: Open to all. No experience necessary. This is a gentle class for folks of all bodies and abilities. You do not have to experience insomnia to take the class.
WHEN: First Wednesdays, 5:45 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. PDT and Third Thursdays, 12:15 – 1 p.m. PDT (from Jan. through end of May, 2021)
WHERE: Click here or go to https://pitzer.zoom.us/j/513664738
COST: The sessions are offered in the spirit of generosity. All are welcome regardless of funds.
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 from dayan qi gong 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.
COMMUNITY PARTNER: From policy and advocacy to direct services and popular education, IM4HI is a statewide California organization that manifests the framework that “all humans are sacred across borders and bars” into reality.
CLASS CONTENT: As part of a pilot online health equity curriculum, I teach select movements from wild goose (da yan) 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).
I 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.)
I invite you to utilize any or all of the resources: live sessions, free videos, or written instructions available in over 25 languages via Capacitar.
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.
Dr. Kathy Yep 