It was nourishing to practice together this morning with Debbie, Simone, Bonnie, and Karin.
Welcome Karin! Glad you joined for the first time!
From this morning, I heard reflections like “it was comforting, soothing, grounding” and connecting to moves in a way that felt “joyful and playful” even as people faced uncertainty.
My journey of healing from the mild traumatic brain injury continues. My brain still gets tired after an hour of reading, writing, and speaking with complex ideas.
Qì Gōng continues to be a big part of my rehab and essential as I enter this new mode of healing and working. I am grateful to my teachers the late Dr. Hu and to Paul Li, as well as my practice coach my dad and mom and the wild goose / dayan teaching community. Mindful movement has been good for getting the neural circuits connected and to get the parasympathetic system to be in charge.
I continue with qì gōng and walking mindfulness because it is healing to mindfully move together while in community and drawing from this tradition that is 1000s years old.
We are closing a chaotic March and are starting a new month this week.
Join us!
What is Qì Gōng?
Qì Gōng (chee-gong) is an ancient Chinese system of cultivating energy and awareness. Qì Gōng integrates gentle movement, mindful breathing, focused awareness, and aligned posture to harmonize mind, body, and spirit.
While Tai Chi is a martial art that incorporates Qì Gōng principles into choreographed movement sequences, Qì Gōng itself focuses more directly on cultivating internal energy and restoring balance through simpler, often stationary movements that are repeated in cycles.
What to Expect:
Movements inspired by nature, reflecting cycles of growth, rest, and renewal.
Grounding stances that connect you to the Earth, much like roots anchor a tree.
A welcoming environment open to all levels and all bodies—no prior experience needed.
Guidance to practice in a way that adapts to and centers your own body’s range of motion.
Where can I practice online?
Next practice time: Tue, March 31
WHEN: TUESDAYS, THURSDAYS, SUNDAYS
8 A.M. – 8:30 A.M PT (movement practice)
8:30 – 8:45 PT (reflection) optional
WHERE: For the live online sessions, click here or go to https://pitzer.zoom.us/j/513664738
BRING: Comfortable shoes, water, compassion, and cultural humility.
How much does it cost?
This practice is offered in the spirit of generosity. Donations or dana accepted for people and/or communities supporting genuine security and a culture of connection.
Suggested $5 – $20 per session.
- If you have capacity, you are invited to consider donating to these efforts that support genuine security and a culture of connection or to a place of your choice:
Measure NDC (a.k.a. No Data Center) is scheduled for June 2. A “Yes” vote means you support a permanent, voter-protected ban on data centers in Monterey Park, CA. A dedicated campaign committee called Yes on Measure NDC has been formed to carry this effort across the finish line. Funds will go towards materials and canvassers in multiple languages. Community and neighbor driven effort.
https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-wilson-riles-home-care-and-recovery
https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-for-tricia
No one turned away due to lack of funds. People have offered poems, songs, cards, seeds, art. (K. Yep, PO Box 1313 Monterey Park, C 91754)
Your presence is always welcome.
SOME NEW IN-PERSON OPPORTUNITIES TO PRACTICE!
APRIL 1: Pitzer College
PEACE IS EVERY STEP: Mindful Walking in the Thích Nhất Hạnh Tradition
WHAT: A gentle, walking meditation inspired by the teachings of Thích Nhất Hạnh.
Slow down, breathe, and walk together in awareness as a community.
WHERE: Pitzer College, Claremont, CA 91711
McConnell Apron then walking loop around the mounds (as weather allows), Building 9 on the map
WHEN: 12:15 – 12:45 PM
Wednesdays
April 1
April 15
May 6
Come as you are. Come late. Leave early.
WHO: Open to everyone. No experience necessary.
BRING: Comfortable shoes, sunblock, sunhat, water, compassion, and cultural humility.
COST: Free
FACILITATED BY
Dr. Kathy Yep
Full Professor, Asian American Studies, Pitzer College
Faculty for ASAM 88: The Social Theory of Thích Nhất Hạnh
BACKGROUND
“Peace work is not a means. Each step we make should be peace.
Each step we make should be joy. Each step we make should be happiness.
We don’t need the future. Everything we want is right here in the present moment.”
— Thích Nhất Hạnh, Creating True Peace
Zen master Thích Nhất Hạnh co-founded Tiep Hien (the Order of Interbeing) during the American War in Vietnam in the 1960s. The Order of Interbeing organized community-led mutual aid amid militarism, forced displacement, human-made starvation, gender-based violence, environmental destruction, and collective grief. Tending to the liminal space between heartbreak and hope, Tiep Hien (the Order of Interbeing) rooted their peace-making in the concepts of mindfulness and interconnectedness.
Thích Nhất Hạnh’s root temple is in Huế, Vietnam —the same city where Pitzer hosts one of our summer programs.
OPTIONAL RESOURCES
How to Walk — Thích Nhất Hạnh (4:29)
Basic Instructions for Walking Meditation — Sister Dang Nghiem (2:40)
Zen in Practice: Walking Meditation — Sister Sinh Nghiem (4:08)
Introduction to Waling Meditation – Sister Tu Ngheim (Eleni) (21m44s)
Interbeing: Precepts and Practices of an Applied Ecology – Joan Halifax and Marty Peale
APRIL 8: HUNTINGTON LIBRARY
| EXPERIENCE THE ART OF QÌ GŌNG WITH KATHY YEP Join Kathy Yep, professor of Asian American Studies at Pitzer College, as she guides visitors through a drop-in Qì Gōng session in the garden. Wednesdays April 8, May 13, and June 10, 2026 | 11:00–11:45 a.m. Free with general admission to the Huntington Library Meet at the Chinese Medicinal Garden Admission Tickets Discover the transformative practice of Qì Gōng (chee-gong), an ancient Chinese system of cultivating energy and awareness. Qì Gōng integrates gentle movement, mindful breathing, focused awareness, and aligned posture to harmonize mind, body, and spirit. Whether you’re seeking dynamic motion or meditative stillness, Qì Gōng offers a pathway suited to everyone. While Tai Chi is a martial art that incorporates Qì Gōng principles into choreographed movement sequences, Qì Gōng itself focuses more directly on cultivating internal energy and restoring balance through simpler, often stationary movements that are repeated in cycles. Expect: Movements inspired by nature, reflecting cycles of growth, rest, and renewal. Grounding stances that connect you to the Earth, much like roots anchor a tree. A welcoming environment open to all levels and all bodies—no prior experience needed .Guidance to practice in a way that adapts to and centers your own body’s range of motion. Kathy Yep brings over 30 years of Qì Gōng practice and teaching expertise. A tenured professor at the Claremont Colleges, she has trained extensively in Wild Goose Qì Gōng under the late Dr. Bingkun Hu and Paul Li in the Yang Meijun tradition. Yep also researches, publishes, and teaches about Qì Gōng in relation to public health and educational outcomes. Please note: This is an educational session and not medical advice or treatment. KEY DETAILS: Bring comfortable shoes, water, and a compassionate mindset. This is a drop-in session. Meet at the Chinese Medicinal Garden. This event may be canceled in the event of rain or excessive heat. |
APRIL 22, 29: Hermon Park
WHERE: 5566 Via Marisol, Los Angeles, CA 90042
near or in historic Lawn Bowling Club House depending on weather
WHEN: Wednesdays, April 22, 29
11 A.M. – 11:30 A.M PT (movement practice)
11:30 – 11:45 PT (reflection) optional
Come as you are. Come late. Leave early. All ages. Dogs and cats are welcome.
COST: Free
WHAT: Discover the transformative practice of Qì Gōng (chee-gong), an ancient Chinese system of cultivating energy and awareness. Qì Gōng integrates gentle movement, mindful breathing, focused awareness, and aligned posture to harmonize mind, body, and spirit. Whether you’re seeking dynamic motion or meditative stillness, Qì Gōng offers a pathway suited to everyone.
While Tai Chi is a martial art that incorporates Qì Gōng principles into choreographed movement sequences, Qì Gōng itself focuses more directly on cultivating internal energy and restoring balance through simpler, often stationary movements that are repeated in cycles.
EXPECT:
* Movements inspired by nature, reflecting cycles of growth, rest, and renewal.
* Grounding stances that connect you to the Earth, much like roots anchor a tree.
* A welcoming environment open to all levels and all bodies—no prior experience needed.
- Guidance to practice in a way that adapts to and centers your own body’s range of motion.
BRING: Comfortable shoes, sunblock, sunhat, water, compassion, and cultural humility.
In collaboration with Art in the Park LA
Dr. Kathy Yep 