On Friday January 26th, we gathered our Gwynnie Bee email project team for an energizing team building workshop where we were introduced to the art of Qi (sounds like Chee) Gong. We were gifted the workshop with Jonathan Breshin from Root of Movement by our new development partners at Nolte. Thank you, Jeff Nolte for this generous and unexpected treat! We were so thankful to have this time to gather together and to take a moment away from all our deadlines to breathe and learn something new as a cohesive group.
What we learned with Qi Gong
Qi Gong is one of the five main therapies used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). These internal exercises are characterized by deliberate movements, breathing methods and focused intention. Participating in this practice is akin to giving yourself a massage from the inside out!
Some of the main benefits we were striving for:
• Feeling more centered and stable throughout the workday
• More clarity and more focused mentally
• Less tension both physically and emotionally
• Feeling of more energy and vitality
• More able to adapt and change with the volatile nature of a busy workday
The session started with a brief presentation into the history of the practice, how it relates to Chinese medicine and what to expect. Then we explored a series of Qi Gong exercises and movements!
Hagopian Ink Team: Christina Hagopian, Jacquelyn Laufer, Jasmine Lamb, Curtis Thornhill, and Marissa Kohn together with Qi Gong instructor, Jonathan Breshin
During the practice, we aimed to realign and strengthen the body, while stimulating and toning the internal organs, opening up channels and meridians, building new connections and releasing any tension and blockages. It sounds complex, but what we learned is the movements of Qi Gong are really natural movements that create an ease in motion and just feel good. What better way for us all to let go of the day to day stresses of agency life? There will be more good feels like this at the Ink!