Video: QiGong For Balanced Relationships
By Courtney Alex Aldor
I’m always surprised at how working to change my own insides shifts my experience of the world - whether that be through the intention to see things differently, or the actual movement of energy caused by the sequenced moving meditation that is QiGong. In the practice below, we’re moving our bodies in a slow meditative way, doing so with intention, in order to move our physical bodies and our own energy. By setting intentions, breathing in a specific way, and moving, we’re working on the physical, emotional, and psycho-spiritual layer.
In this particular practice, I demonstrate a simple movement to open up the 2 sides of the body, and then move slowly from side to side to cultivate balance between. For just like everything on this Earth, we have 2 polarities on a very basic level - the masculine and feminine - the balance between the two feeling much like harmony. Do you want to cultivate more harmonious relationships in your external world? See men and women working more harmoniously together? Feel more aligned within your body?
No matter what gendered body we are in, we each have both masculine and feminine energy, traits associated with the two. In the Chinese or Taoist tradition, the feminine is related to Yin (think Yin-Yang symbol) which is receptive, community-based, favors resting and being rather than doing. On the other hand, the masculine is related to the action part of doing, projecting, leading, and other qualities. When the two are in balance, the community supports the leaders and vice versa, the time spent being (or resting) nourishes the time spent doing, we receive as well as project, and so on. Ideally, we want to be in balance internally, which helps to bring about balance externally. Hey, a happy harmonious person inspires, don’t they?
Spring is considered a Yang energy season, so this movement feels particularly good to do in Springtime, to relax and cultivate balance, as our go-go-get-it-done energy is building up. After all, our culture tends to focus on the Yang. Even by setting the intention to cultivate more balance between the two, even if only with a few minutes of practice, you’re doing a lot. This movement was taught to me as ‘Dance of the Dragon’, though there are so many widely varying practices of QiGong, so you may know it by a different name. In any case, happy dancing, friends!
Please note I am not a Chinese medical doctor.
