Qigong Class Schedule: October 26 - November 1, 2026
Learning Shibashi (or anything, really …)
(Note: please check end of this post for upcoming class cancellations)
My smart, successful, 60+ year old friend R recently began studying piano. I asked how it was going. He rolled his eyes and said “I can now play “Old MacDonald Had a Farm”. I thought that was great, but he felt frustrated. He then paused and said “But I’ve learned how to read music, which is a very big thing for me.” I’ll say! R is learning a new language, the language of music. As studies have shown for decades, learning a new language as an adult is a formidable challenge, as well as a great way to keep one’s brain sharp.
Learning the Shibashi 18 form is also learning a new language. Its movement principles (alignment, relaxation, breath) are the undergirding grammar. The movements themselves are the vocabulary. The fine details and variations are like syntax, or inflection. Without squeezing the life out of this analogy, I use it to make a point: It takes time to learn a new Qigong/Tai Chi form, whether Shibashi, the Eight Brocades, the Animal Frolics, or Swimming Dragon, to name a few we’ve played with over the past 5 years.
To add to the richness of the experience, we each learn differently. Some learn by hearing the description of each movement in their mind, like recalling the lyrics of a song. Some learn kinesthetically, through repetition, others by visually memorizing the shapes, or the flow from one shape to another. For most of us, it’s a combo of all the above.
Whatever kind of learner you are, please don’t forget the most thing important, and probably the most challenging thing of all: Relax!!! There’s no hurry, no test next Friday. We’re not juicy brained young kids; our bodies and minds hold a lifetime of experiences and habits to overcome, some quite deeply ingrained. Qigong offers a uniquely pleasant and powerful technique to overcome those ingrained habits, and it’s that R word again: relax. And of course, the other R word: repeat, as much as you need. The masters suggest daily practice for 100 days, but I say simply, be gentle but consistent. A few minutes a day, a few sessions a week, and you’ll get it.
Last Friday, Ann S. asked if I’d publish the list of the eighteen exercises to use for study and practice. I thought that was a great idea, so I include it in the link, below. I’ve included a few notes on what to focus on or appreciate about each move, as well as a few technical reminders. Enjoy!
Class and Special Events Schedule:
PLEASE NOTE UPCOMING CANCELLATIONS!
Our online Qigong classes will be cancelled on Sunday, November 1 and Tuesday, November 3 as I will be out of town.
“Qigong to Relieve Pre-Holiday Stress” at the Hotchkiss Library, Sharon CT. Saturday, November 14th, 10:30 am - 12 pm. Please register for this free, in-person class by calling the library (860)-364-5041. Space is limited, so be sure to sign up early!
Qigong at the Millbrook Library: Free, live and online classes two Fridays a month, 10-11 AM. The next classes are Friday Nov 6th and 20th. Please register at Millbrooklibrary.org, which adds you to the library’s reminder email. The library will send you the Zoom link: it is NOT the same link I use for my Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday Zoom classes.