Qigong Class Schedule: March 16 - 22, 2026
Rujing: Entering Tranquility
Outside my window this morning, a small brown sparrow patiently builds its nest in the old birdbox. I admire how it sits and looks around a bit before flying off for more dried grass and sticks. The French have a delightful saying for this: “Petit a petit l’oiseau fait son nid”. (Little by little the bird builds its nest.) As the Tao Te Ching expresses it, “The Tao never hurries. Yet everything gets done.”
To me, this speaks to the internal, natural flow of growth and transformation that occurs in all living beings. It’s an organic intelligence. It takes its time. Today, with the juggernaut of artificial intelligence looming on the horizon, I’m more determined than ever to keep spreading the message of Qigong: to tune in, trust, and patiently align yourself with the innate, natural pace of life, rather than rushing or forcing outcomes motivated by outer stimuli.
This has been on my mind all week as I send out copies of the “Strength Training Qigong Style” video from last year’s workshop. In it I stress the necessity of going slowly enough to adjust to and safely incorporate new movement concepts and challenges. One of my teachers, Fabrice Piche, says the same thing in reference to how, with steady practice, we slowly, slowly learn to shift from the mindset of mere physical exercise into a deeper place where we can sense and feel the healing frequency of the qi: “The real change is that the mind has become quiet enough to allow the body to organize the movement from the inside. This is closely related to the state called Rùjìng (入静), entering tranquility. When the mind settles into this state, the same movements begin to feel completely different. They stop being choreography. They become a living internal process.”
It can be a daunting task to remain tranquil as life surges and erupts around us! That’s why we begin each Qigong practice in the Wuji (“empty”) posture. We mindfully remove ourselves from the hustle and hurry and enter tranquility. We gently, slowly deepen our breath, and fully enter the present moment. Worries and distractions fall away, allowing tension to soften and dissolve. We’re reminded of our natural, yet sometimes elusive birthright: tranquil, vibrant, healthy aliveness. We can do this as often as we need, throughout our days. With practice, little by little, we build our own inner nest of peace and tranquility.
Schedule Updates for March:
Next Millbrook Library Free In-person/Zoom Qigong: Friday, March 20th,10 - 11am. Please register for this class by contacting Millbrooklibrary.org. The library will send you a reminder a few days ahead of time.