FIVE ELEMENTS QIGONG TRAINING 2021

ONLINE VIA ZOOM!
By Qigong teacher Mimi Kuo-Deemer

This five-day immersion training will be a journey into qigong and its relationship to the Chinese Five Elements/Phases (Wuxin 五行).  

By honouring our bodies as a microcosm of Nature’s macrocosm, participants will discover how qigong supports our ability to live in greater harmony Nature, which is inherently balanced, harmonious and whole.  Interweaving highly experiential practices, Daoist and Buddhist philosophy, practical theory and relevant anatomy, this course will explore how and why qigong can positively impact one’s physical, mental and emotional health.  Key concepts and principles that underpin qigong practice will also be integrated and offered as ways to deepen one’s embodiment of the practice as well as offer a springboard for sharing qigong in clear, safe, authentic, and accessible ways.

Each day will include active practices, visualisations and meditations, discussions and applications of theories. Subjects covered include:

• The Yin/Yang theory of balance and qigong’s Daoist and Buddhist roots.
• An exploration of each phase/elements of Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water and their associated seasons, meridians and organs, characteristics, movement qualities, spirit, and emotions.
• Elemental qigong forms relating to each element/phase.
• Meditations and visualisations relating to each element/phase.
• Principles of movement, intention and energy flow.
• Contraindications and precautions in practice.
• Ways to structure a practice.
• Using language and imagery in qigong.

Daily Schedule

Day One: The Great Source of Wholeness – Introduction and overview of concepts, principles and ideas underlying qigong and the Five Elements; exploration of the Wood Element theories, practices and forms.

Day Two: Where Intention Goes, Energy Flows – Principles of movement, intention and energy flow; exploration of Fire Element theories, practices and forms.

Day Three: Align the Body, Align the Heart – The spirits and emotions of the Elements; exploration of Earth Element theories, practices and forms.

Day Four: Movement and Stillness – Structuring a practice, developing narratives and themes; exploration of Metal Element theories, practices and forms.

Day Five: Harmony and Balance – Sharing qigong authentically, creatively and safely; exploration of Water Element theories, practices and forms.

BASIC BIOGRAPHY OF MIMI KUO-DEEMER

Mimi has been a student of Yoga since 1995 and an avid lover of dance since 1978, when her mother put her in ballet school for walking with turned-in toes. Mimi teaches vinyasa Yoga, qigong and meditation.  She champions the balance of playfulness and precision as the best way forward in practice and in life, and never underestimates how sitting, breathing and conscious movement can provide the clearest perspective on the messy, complex and often unpredictable job of being human.

Her two main teachers in the Yoga world, Erich Schiffmann and Donna Farhi, continually humble her with the idea that Yoga is the art of living, listening, and learning to embody a deeply spiritual tradition. Martin Aylward and Mark Coleman, her mindfulness meditation teachers, have helped her remember that it’s possible to be present with kindness and care in each moment. Her qigong practice, inspired by her own curiosity and love for Daoism and the Chinese Five Elements, emerged as a complimentary and distinct practice alongside her love of yoga and meditation.

In 2002, Mimi co-founded Yoga Yard, Beijing’s first and leading Yoga studio, which she co-directed for seven years before moving to the UK. She lives in Oxfordshire but teaches primarily at London’s triyoga, where she co-teaches on their two year teacher training diploma course as well as runs immersion trainings. She is also a contributor on movementformodernlife.com.

Mimi is a graduate of Stanford University and SOAS, University of London, where she earned a masters with distinction in 2016 in Traditions of Yoga and Meditation. She has published a number of yoga and qigong DVDs/videos with New Shoot Pictures, and has recently joined the London-based literary agency, Madeleine Milburn.  She plans to publish her first book in December, 2018 with Orion Spring. In addition to teaching and writing, Mimi also helps run the Glow Fund charitable trust – a charity she and her husband established that helps disadvantaged Chinese and ethnically Tibetan children with severe orthopaedic conditions receive life-changing operations.

Where: Online via Zoom
When & What time:
Wednesday April 14 2021: 10.00 – 17.00 hrs (BST)
Thursday April 15 2021: 10.00 – 17.00 hrs (BST)
Friday April 16 2021: 10.00 – 17.00 hrs (BST)
Saturday April 17 2021: 10.00 – 17.00 hrs (BST)
Sunday April 18 2021: 10.00 – 17.00 hrs (BST)
(Long lunchbreaks every day and also offline activities and practices!)
Cost: € 499,00 p.p.

SIGNING UP!
After you signed up with the button below you will receive a confirmation e-mail with further details about the payment.

Attendees will receive an English manual with illustrated examples of the series, and explanations about consistancy, theory and methods how to intertwine Yoga and Qigong. The manual will be sent by e-mail as a digital file. It’s up to everyone personally whether you want to print the manual or not.

Prerequisites: Previous attendance on Mimi’s Qigong for Yoga Teachers 3-day immersion, and/or a minimum of 18 months of consistent qigong practice.

Course Reading and required course book: Each participant will receive a course manual with a summary of the content and illustrated guide to forms. Mimi’s book Qigong and the Tai Chi Axis: Nourishing Practices for Body, Mind and Spirit is also part of the teaching materials for the course and is to be purchased (and preferably also read in advance) additionally by each participant.

Certification: Participants will receive a certificate for this training upon completion from Mimi.