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Qigong & Yoga
by Donna Belk, Austin, Texas

Every year my partners and I host a yoga retreat called the Texas Yoga Retreat. I am a Qigong practitioner and I like introducing Qigong to yoga practitioners. At the retreat we offer two Qigong practices, and the response from attendees has been overwhelmingly positive. The yoga people are so excited to learn about it. The Qigong classes are very well attended, usually about 30-40 students in each class. The picture on this page shows us doing "Nine Threading Breaths" Qigong.Yoga and Qigong compliment each other and Qigong is often more appropriate for older adults or those who want a more gentle practice. Many of the yoga postures require getting down and up from the floor, and since some people have too great a difficulty doing that, Qigong is an excellent alternative. Sometimes when I offer a Qigong class I refer to it as "Chinese Yoga." If I title a class "Qigong" there is trepidation on the part of people to attend since most people don't know what Qigong is. If I title the class "Chinese Yoga" they are more likely to attend since they already know what yoga is. Then in class I define Qigong for new students. I feel by taking Qigong into the yoga market is a way to bring greater awareness of Qigong to a very receptive audience.

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Above: Teresa, practices Qigong on top of a boulder near Estes Park, Colorado. This photo was taken at a Qigong Facilitator training offered by Roger Jahnke in 2003. Visit www.feeltheqi.com for information about upcoming trainings and retreats with Roger.

Above: Group practices Qigong outside at a Qigong Facilitator training offered by Roger Jahnke near Estes Park, Colorado.

The Healer Within Community is a community that gathers to practice mind, body and spirit awareness and to embody the ideals presented in the book, The Healer Within by Dr. Roger Jahnke. To learn about events and to participate with this community, visit The Healer Within Foundation.

Dr. Roger Jahnke leads certification courses for persons interested in teaching the practices and philosophies presented in the book, The Healer Within. His rich and varied 40+ years of experience in the field of mind-body education make his certification programs distinct and effective. To learn more, please visit the Health Action family of companies.

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