What if self-care didn’t have to mean taking time away from your life?
What if it could simply become part of the way you move through your day?
A few minutes of gentle movement.
A few slow breaths.
A little time to yourself.
That is one of the things I love about Qigong.
Qigong is a gentle mind-body practice that combines movement, breathing and focused attention. It has been practised in China for centuries and comes in many different forms and styles.
You don’t have to be particularly fit.
You don’t have to be flexible.
You don’t need fancy equipment.
And you don’t have to spend hours doing it.
You simply need a little space, a little time and a willingness to slow down.
And that makes Qigong a wonderful practice to explore as a self-care habit.
So, what is Qigong?
Qigong is pronounced “chee-gong.”
The word is commonly understood as relating to the cultivation or practice of Qi, traditionally described as vital energy or life energy, and Gong, meaning practice or skill developed through consistent effort.
At its simplest, Qigong brings together:
Movement
Breathing
Awareness
The movements are generally slow, controlled and flowing rather than fast or strenuous.
You move your body while paying attention to your breathing and how you feel.
And that last part is important.
Qigong isn’t just about what your body is doing.
It encourages you to notice your body while you are doing it.
Why might Qigong be good for self-care?
There are so many different ways we can practice self-care.
We can rest.
We can journal.
We can spend time in nature.
We can meditate.
We can create healthy routines.
We can say no.
We can do something that brings us joy.
And we can move our bodies.
But sometimes we make movement more complicated than it needs to be.
We think exercise has to be hard.
We think we need to sweat.
We think we need to push ourselves.
Qigong offers another possibility.
Move gently.
Breathe slowly.
Pay attention.
That can be self-care too.
Qigong encourages you to slow down
Our lives can be incredibly busy.
We’re constantly receiving information.
Messages.
Emails.
Notifications.
News.
Social media.
Lists of things that need doing.
Sometimes we can spend an entire day moving from one task to another without really stopping to check in with ourselves.
Qigong gives you permission to stop.
For a few minutes, you aren’t trying to get somewhere.
You aren’t trying to achieve something.
You are simply moving and breathing.
And there is something wonderfully grounding about that.
It gets you back into your body
One of the things I talk about a lot when I talk about self-care is listening to your body.
Our bodies are constantly giving us information.
We might notice that our shoulders are tense.
Our jaw is clenched.
Our back feels stiff.
Our breathing has become shallow.
We’re tired.
We’re restless.
We’re holding tension somewhere without even realising it.
When we slow down and move mindfully, we have an opportunity to notice these things.
Qigong can become a little daily check-in with yourself.
How am I feeling today?
Where am I holding tension?
Does this movement feel comfortable?
Do I need to slow down?
What does my body need from me today?
You don’t necessarily need to find an answer to every question.
Sometimes simply noticing is enough.
Qigong and breathing
Breathing is a big part of many Qigong practices.
The movements are often coordinated with slow, controlled breathing.
And we tend to underestimate just how important our breathing is.
We breathe automatically all day long, so it’s very easy to forget about it.
But deliberately bringing our attention back to the breath can create a little pause in our day.
Breathe in.
Move.
Breathe out.
Release.
Slow down.
Repeat.
It’s simple.
And sometimes simple is exactly what we need.
You don’t need to be flexible
This is something I think is important to say.
You don’t need to be able to touch your toes.
You don’t need to balance perfectly.
You don’t need to have a particular body shape.
You don’t need to be young.
You don’t need to be “good” at exercise.
Qigong isn’t about comparing yourself with somebody else.
Your practice is your practice.
Some days you might feel energetic.
Other days you might feel stiff or tired.
That’s okay.
The point isn’t to force your body into doing something it doesn’t want to do.
It’s about working with your body rather than constantly battling against it.
Qigong can be a form of mindful movement
We often think of mindfulness as sitting still and meditating.
But mindfulness can happen while we’re moving too.
You can walk mindfully.
You can garden mindfully.
You can stretch mindfully.
And you can practice Qigong mindfully.
Instead of rushing through a series of movements, you pay attention to what you’re doing.
How your feet feel against the ground.
How your arms move.
How your breath changes.
How your body feels.
What thoughts appear.
And then you gently bring your attention back.
There’s no need to empty your mind.
You are simply practicing being present.
A self-care habit rather than another thing on your to-do list
This is where Qigong really fits into my own self-care philosophy.
I’m a big believer that self-care works best when we make it a habit.
Not something we remember to do only when we’re exhausted.
Not something we reward ourselves with after we’ve looked after everyone else.
Not another thing we have to be perfect at.
A habit can be tiny.
Five minutes counts.
Ten minutes counts.
Standing in the garden and moving your body for a few minutes counts.
The important thing is creating a regular opportunity to check in with yourself.
Because self-care isn’t about doing one enormous thing for yourself once in a while.
It’s about the little things we do repeatedly that tell ourselves:
I matter too.
When could you practice Qigong?
One of the lovely things about Qigong is that you can fit it around your life.
You could try it:
In the morning
Start your day with a few gentle movements instead of immediately reaching for your phone.
During the day
If you’ve been sitting for a long time, use a few minutes of movement as a reset.
After work
Create a little transition between work and home.
Outside
Take your practice into the garden or somewhere peaceful in nature.
In the evening
Use gentle movement and breathing as part of winding down.
You don’t have to find the “perfect” time.
Find a time that works for you.
Qigong doesn’t have to be another thing you get perfect
This might be my favourite part.
We can turn absolutely anything into another opportunity to put pressure on ourselves.
Am I doing it right?
Am I doing enough?
Am I doing it for long enough?
Am I doing the movements properly?
Stop.
Breathe.
Come back to yourself.
Self-care isn’t another performance.
You don’t need to earn a gold star for looking after yourself.
You simply need to practice.
And then practice again.
Start small
If you’re completely new to Qigong, don’t feel that you have to learn an entire routine straight away.
Find a qualified teacher or a reputable beginner’s resource and start gently.
Learn a few simple movements.
Pay attention to your breathing.
Notice how your body feels.
And give yourself permission to take your time.
As with any new form of exercise, choose movements that are appropriate for your own abilities and don’t force anything that causes pain or discomfort. If you have a health condition, injury or concerns about starting a new exercise practice, speak to an appropriate healthcare professional first.
Make Qigong a self-care habit
I think sometimes we are looking for complicated answers to very simple needs.
We need to move.
We need to breathe.
We need to rest.
We need to reconnect with ourselves.
We need to stop occasionally and ask:
“How am I actually doing?”
Qigong won’t magically solve everything.
But it can give you a few precious minutes in which you stop rushing and start paying attention.
And that, to me, is a pretty good place to begin.
Because my philosophy has always been:
Make self-care a habit.
Self-care becomes self-love.
And from there, self-development happens.
Perhaps Qigong could become one of your habits.
A few minutes.
A few movements.
A few breaths.
A little more awareness of the body you’re living in.
And a little reminder that you are worth taking care of too.
