Qigong

Here is a new technique to find center and calm–Qigong!

Qigong (pronounced chee-gong) is a form of gentle exercise composed of movements that are repeated a number of times, often stretching the body, increasing fluid movement (blood, synovial and lymph) and building awareness of how the body moves through space.

My grandparents introduced me to this video! It’s very simple to do and always gives me some focus and calm. I also do some of these exercises as warmups with the children at the elementary school, and they love it! If my grandparents and elementary school students can do it– so can you.

Keep an open mind. You’ll probably feel a little silly, but that’s okay! What matters is how you feel afterwards. Give it a try and comment on your experience below! Feel free to compare how you feel to other techniques.

 

Also, here is an article if you are feeling anxious: https://greatist.com/connect/coronavirus-anxiety

 

If you found the meditation exercises helpful from the previous posts, you could download a free application on your phone called “Insight Timer.” “Yoga with Adriene” also offers a few more meditation videos.

“Outdoor” Meditation

Here is a guided meditation on the New York Times website, with some soothing music and images of nature:

 

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/04/03/style/self-care/coronavirus-guided-meditation-nature.html

 

Find a comfortable, quiet place to sit (on a chair, on the floor, you could even lie down) and then click on the link and follow the written instructions on the screen.

Comment on your experience below (what moments were helpful, what was difficult or unhelpful, how you felt before and after) for some extra credit.

 

Wellness

Dear students,

This is a strange and difficult time, with everything that’s going on in the world outside and also managing a new rhythm and way of studying. On this page, I’m going to post some things that might be helpful for finding some calm–bits and pieces of different techniques that may help.

 

Here is a simple 10-minute meditation with my favorite youtube yoga teacher. Give it a try and comment below on your experience for some extra credit in English class.

It can feel silly doing meditation the first time–and that’s okay! If you find it helpful, it gets easier each time! Set some time aside for yourself, once a day, or once a week. I meditate with a group on Zoom once a week for one hour and have found it helpful in the past two weeks. You could do it alone, or with friends on Zoom or skype –just be sure to launch the video at the same time, or do a “watching party” on Facebook!

Mme Carpenzano