A couple of years ago, I was enjoying a wonderful early morning November bike ride on a local dirt-biking path. It was cold, and my daydreaming was in full swing. Then, out of nowhere, I found myself on the ground in the middle of the trail. What the heck happened? All I knew was that my hand hurt. A lot. Like, a whole lot. But I had to get home, so I toughened up, got back on the bike, and made it home just in time to coach my daughter’s soccer finals that afternoon (which her team won btw!). The next day I found out I broke my thumb joint and needed surgery right away. I’d be out of commission for 12 weeks – bummer!
Discovering Daoist Yoga and Qigong
Before my injury, I was a Breathe Together regular, with tapas, vinyasa, and yin as my go-to classes on weekdays and weekends; I was sad to have to put my yoga practice on hold. I went to the front desk to get the details on the process. The front desk staff was so kind and awesome; she told me the process, but then asked a simple question. “Have you tried Daoist yoga or qigong before?” I replied, “No, what is it?” She explained them as ancient energetic arts that don’t require any pressure on the hands – it’s simply body movements.
After looking at the descriptions, and with the staff’s encouragement, I decided, why not? Seems cool and interesting. And what do I have to lose? I’d been practicing vinyasa yoga for decades. Going months without practicing wouldn’t be fun at all.
Stepping Out of My Comfort Zone
When I walked into the first Daoist yoga class, it was packed! The teacher at the time shared life stories throughout the practice as he described how to approach all these different body movements. Teacups? Energy ball? Admittedly, I felt pretty self-conscious at times, extending and moving my arms, hips, and torso in all these new directions. With my hand in a cast and in a room full of strangers, nonetheless. But then, I clearly remember saying to myself, “Don’t be shy; everyone here in this room is doing the same thing. Just do it with them.”
Two days later, I joined the qigong class taught by a different teacher. Some of the same people from Monday were in this class too. Qigong was somewhat different from Daoist yoga. There was body tapping, voice modulation, jumping up and down to release and feel the energy in our body. And, yes, I felt self-conscious here too. But then I reminded myself that everyone there was doing it too, across ages, genders, and personalities.
And so began my journey into the ancient energetic arts.
I quickly fell in love with both practices. I didn’t want to miss one. Ever. I bought books to learn more about qigong. I started going to the ocean and practiced what I could remember from class on the shore with the waves, sun, and wind in my face. How powerful it is to share body energy with ocean energy. Phew!
Shortly after, there was a new Daoist yoga teacher, and I was worried about the change. But to the new teacher’s credit, she carried us through the change and the class flourished. She’s taught me incredibly valuable things that I use outside of the class every day.
I started to feel really healthy in both body and mind. I was telling all of my friends and family about it, and asking if they had heard about qigong. Not many of my acquaintances had. As a young kid, I would play early Saturday morning soccer and see large groups of people moving their bodies in unison, but very slowly. I later learned that it was called tai chi. So maybe I had some familiarity with it, and this is how I would explain qigong to the unfamiliar.
The Power of Saying “Why Not?”
Now, I practice whenever the moments in life present them: warming up or cooling down from personal exercise routines, waiting for someone, or at a park or beach. But nothing beats being present in the studio and being part of this community, practicing together.
The takeaway for me, and I want to share my story, is that my life improved because I tried something new. I’m fortunate I didn’t let my injury stop me from practicing this wonderful and valuable art of yoga. I met new and amazing people. And now, I get to do qigong for the rest of my life. I feel so very lucky for it. Thank you to the staff for asking that simple question. Thank you, Breathe and the teachers for offering it. I’m so happy for simply saying “Why not?” and doing it.
I wish you all the courage you need to try something new when the moment presents itself.
Namaste, from a fellow yogi.