The Power of Qi Gong: How Energy Work Enhances Connection and Well-Being

The Power of Qi Gong: How Energy Work Enhances Connection and Well-Being

HEALTH & WELLNESS

In our fast-paced, digital age, and post covid, many of us feel disconnected; from nature, from others, and even from ourselves. Using Qi Gong and energy awareness practices can foster a grounded, joyful, and compassionate life. But you may be wondering, how does that really work? And what’s the impact of energy work on my daily life?

Understanding Qi Gong and Expanding the Self

Qi Gong is an ancient Chinese practice of cultivating and harmonising the body’s energy, or “Qi.” Through simple, mindful movements and breathwork, Qi Gong helps us become more sensitive to our inner energy, creating a powerful connection with the energy of the world around us. You may have heard Qi Gong called “moving meditation” or “energy work.” In many ways, it’s both.

Recently, I’ve been reflecting on how we connect with others and with the world itself. Often, we feel isolated—as if each of us stops at the edge of our skin. But when we’re truly present with someone we care about, like a partner or a child, there’s a shared space that opens up, where “you” and “I” become a beautiful “we.” This is just the beginning of energy work. Imagine if that feeling could expand even further—to include all the people we meet, the trees in our neighbourhood, and even the very land we live on.

As a Shiatsu and Qi Gong practitioner, I’ve experienced this kind of connection over and over, even when working with clients online. I can tune into someone’s energy, noticing their emotions, physical state, and spirit. It’s something we all have the capacity to do, and it begins with simply paying attention and practicing.

At the Sacred Self Retreat, we’ll explore these subtle energies, learning to feel more attuned to ourselves, to nature, and to each other.

By connecting with your own energy, you’ll also develop a greater awareness of how your energy impacts the world.

As you cultivate this connection, life can feel deeply fulfilling, purposeful, and peaceful. This retreat is about healing that disconnection.

It’s designed to help you develop sensitivity to your own energy and the world around you.

Learn more about this unique retreat HERE.

 

The Most Popular Questions People Are Asking About Qi Gong and Energy Work Right Now

1. What is Qi Gong and why should I practice it?

Qi Gong is an ancient practice focused on cultivating, balancing, and moving energy within the body. It’s a blend of gentle movement, mindful breathing, and meditation that can be tailored to suit any fitness level. Unlike more vigorous forms of exercise, Qi Gong is accessible to people of all ages and abilities, as it prioritises relaxation, awareness, and slow, mindful movements.

Many people are drawn to Qi Gong to reduce stress, improve focus, enhance physical health, and cultivate a sense of grounded peace. It’s also ideal for those interested in energy work or deepening their understanding of how their own energy interacts with the world.

2. What are the benefits of energy work?

Energy work, whether through Qi Gong, Reiki, or practices like meditation, supports us in balancing, clearing, and amplifying our natural energy. The benefits are physical, emotional, and spiritual. People who practise energy work often report:

  • Increased relaxation and reduced stress
  • Greater mental clarity and focus
  • Emotional resilience and a sense of inner peace
  • Physical improvements, including increased flexibility and strength
  • A stronger sense of purpose and self-awareness
  • Greater compassion and understanding of others

Energy work is about learning to listen deeply to your body, mind, and soul. It can help you feel grounded and connected, allowing you to interact with the world in a way that feels kind, compassionate, and true to who you are.

3. Can energy work and Qi Gong help with physical and mental health?

Absolutely. Studies have shown that energy-based practices like Qi Gong can have positive effects on physical health, including lower blood pressure, improved immune function, and increased mobility. Mentally and emotionally, it’s known to reduce stress, improve focus, and increase feelings of calm and contentment.

At the Sacred Self Retreat, we work to enhance not only physical well-being but also emotional resilience and mental clarity. By engaging in energy practices that calm the nervous system and centre the mind, you can gain a sense of control over your emotions and thoughts, cultivating a mindset of balance and peace.

4. How does energy work help me connect with others?

When we engage in energy work, we’re not only nurturing ourselves but also becoming more attuned to the people around us. As we become more aware of our own energy, we naturally become more sensitive to others. This ability to tune in can be profound. You might feel more understanding and compassionate toward others or notice that you can “feel” how a friend or loved one is doing even before they tell you.

At the Sacred Self Retreat, we’ll explore how this awareness deepens our empathy and connection. You may find that as you cultivate this sensitivity, you can walk through life with a heart-centred approach that brings warmth and healing to every interaction.

5. Is Qi Gong spiritual? Do I need to have any beliefs to practice it?

Qi Gong is inherently neutral and accessible to people from all backgrounds, regardless of religious or spiritual beliefs. While Qi Gong can be a spiritual practice, its benefits are also practical and rooted in physical well-being. If you approach it with an open mind and heart, Qi Gong can be a pathway to a more peaceful, centred, and connected life, whether you view it through a spiritual lens or simply as a way to feel better and more connected.

Exploring Connection at the Sacred Self Retreat

The Sacred Self Retreat will be a journey of feeling, sensing, and expanding your energy and awareness. As we step beyond the boundaries of self, we find a world of connection and peace. You don’t need to “be perfect” or “have it all figured out” to begin. This retreat is for those who want to explore their energy in a safe, supportive environment, where you’ll be guided with compassion and care.

Ready to transform your health?

Imagine feeling calm, grounded, and connected—not just with yourself but with everyone and everything around you. That’s the beauty of Qi Gong and energy work; it’s a practice that reminds us we are all part of a greater whole. We each have the power to bring kindness, patience, and love into the world, one breath at a time.

If you’re curious to experience this profound connection and learn more about energy work, we’d love for you to join us. The Sacred Self Retreat offers a space for you to connect with your own energy, feel the support of a like-minded community, and discover just how boundless your spirit truly is.

Take the first step in this journey of self-discovery and connection. We look forward to welcoming you.

Self-administered acupressure or Chinese Medicine is not a substitute for visits to qualified healthcare practitioners.

Knowing how to treat yourself and your loved ones with complimentary therapies like acupressure can be greatly beneficial and convenient. However, for serious and chronic conditions, you’ll want to visit an Shiatsu therapist / Acupuncturist or other qualified healthcare practitioner who can develop a treatment plan based on your unique medical history and combination of symptoms.  

The information provided should not be considered medical advice.

LISTEN TO THE ENERGY UPDATE PODCAST

Featured Practitioner with Shiatsu Society Ireland

Featured Practitioner with Shiatsu Society Ireland

Home

The Shiatsu Society is the regulating body for Shiatsu in Ireland. To find a qualified and insured practitioner in your area simply visit www.ShiatsuSocietyIreland. Every quarter they choose a practitioner to feature on their website and this season it’s me ? so I thought I’d share the article with you ……….. it’s about the origins of food in my Shiatsu Practice – I hope you enjoy

Sitting in the kitchen of Lois Dana Retreat Centre, during our annual weeklong Shiatsu training residentials, I first tasted Miso and Kudzu soup. As my talented and generous teacher, Josephine Lynch, explained the energetic properties of this salty paste in Chinese Medicine, I felt my kidneys relax. My spine softened and the muscles across my chest eased.

My whole nervous system was calmer than it had been for weeks. It was at that moment I understood that food was more than just fuel, it was medicine. Using the five element system of Shiatsu and Traditional Chinese Medicine (see graphic below) I began to deepen my knowledge of the energetics of food.

My previous culinary experiences had been during travels in my early twenties, preparing breakfast, lunch and dinner for eight hundred people on an Israeli Kibbutz plus making egg and chips for British tourists at a beach bar in Greece.

In these instances, food had been the function for the day ahead or to soothe the head from the night before. However now I was having a relationship with food. I knew it’s season, it’s colour, it’s flavour. I knew which body part, which emotion and sensory organ it affected. At this epiphanal moment, I experienced food in a whole new way.

It made perfect sense to me that the Liver would need sour food to cut through fatty sluggish congestion that slowed energy flow and metabolism. I found it obvious that the immune system, housed in the large intestine, would be improved with pungent food such as ginger and garlic. When I thought of the colour orange I could taste sweet on my tongue, my saliva increased and therefore I knew that the Spleen was responsible for the regulation of blood sugars.

For me, the connections seem easy and with many hundreds of clients in my practice over the years, the solutions that the five element system offers works for them too. Memorably a client who wished to get pregnant I diagnosed as having suffered shock in early childhood and had become cold in the lower abdomen and Small Intestine.

She also suffered anxiousness, insomnia and cold feet. This all pointed to the Heart & Small intestine lacking in Chi to move and warm the body and blood. I prescribed warming and red foods such as tomato and coconut soup, roasted peppers with fresh coriander, calming Chamomile, Valerian tea plus a bedtime practice that included self shiatsu points and breathing practices; within two months she was pregnant.

My postgraduate studies in Chinese Medicine, Tibetan Buddhism, Tantra and Taoism have deepened my experience, my courage, my understanding and my relationship with food. In 2013 I began teaching regular, drop in, Conscious Cooking Classes in Dublin City Centre.

Over six years, a community developed and I taught a wide range of people, not trained in Chinese Medicine, to use the five element system for maintaining health, balance and wellness. In my books and blogs, I share recipes, insights, health practices and personal experiences that have helped transform pain and trauma for myself and my clients.

Asking simple questions such as “How am I feeling?” and “What do I need?” as the first step into connection with the power we all have to affect our wellbeing. Food and the Five Elements can guide us to answers. We are energy made manifest and as such we are constantly changing. To maintain balance and understand the body’s ever-changing symptoms, cravings, feelings and emotions we can use the Five Element system and let food be our guide.

“The Five Elemental energies of Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water encompass all the myriad phenomena of nature. It is a paradigm that applies equally to humans.” – The Yellow Emporer’s Classic of Internal Medicine 2BC

To use the Five Elements in everyday life, visit the free app at http://www.shiatsu-consciouscooking.com/app which asks

  • how you are feeling?
  • what you are craving?

and guides you to a recipe that suits you for the day

Joanne completed the three-year Shiatsu training in 2002 with distinction and became a Registered Practitioner (RPSSI) in 2009. She is currently the Chairperson member of The Shiatsu Society of Ireland (SSI) and holds clinics both in Dublin City Centre and Baldoyle, North Dublin. Her Shiatsu Practice specializes in Hara Shiatsu and Dietary recommendations according to the Five Elements in Chinese Medicine. She host Online Healing Cookery Courses and runs delicious, nutritious and healing Shiatsu retreats.

Emotional Healing & Community Support

The weight we carry isn’t just on our hips, it’s in our hearts.
 Feeling like you “want to be minded” is your body’s cry for nurture, not discipline.

When you join Chi Flow with Jo, you don’t walk alone.
We move, fast, cook and heal together. That shared energy keeps you accountable and loved through change.

You don’t need to fight your bodyjust listen to her again.
Start with small rhythms: stop eating after 8 pm, massage Liver 13, sip lemon water in the morning, and join our January program to be supported every step of the way.

💗 Ready to Join?

Click here to become a member of Chi Flow with Jo → CLICK HERE

Or drop in for a class and feel it for yourself (sign up below). Join the Chi Flow with Jo community for live sessions, practice, and support.

Self-administered acupressure or Chinese Medicine is not a substitute for visits to qualified healthcare practitioners.

Knowing how to treat yourself and your loved ones with complimentary therapies like acupressure can be greatly beneficial and convenient. However, for serious and chronic conditions, you’ll want to visit an Shiatsu therapist / Acupuncturist or other qualified healthcare practitioner who can develop a treatment plan based on your unique medical history and combination of symptoms. 

 The information provided should not be considered medical advice.

More thoughts on Love

More thoughts on Love

Courses

In my last post, Cleanliness is next to Godliness, I talked about feeling at peace and in love with a watery world whilst on holiday in Morrocco. Well, I have been keeping that feeling going now I’m back in Dublin, bathed in water in an altogether different wet and rainy way. I have realized that its the feeling I have to keep going not the object of attention.

Even though having the object of loving attention present helps fortify and strengthen a feeling of love, it is not essential. In fact is imperative that it is not essential. If our feeling of Love rests upon an external object then we are bound to have our hearts broken. The love is like a muscle that must be exercised and used at every given occasion to ensure the feeling.

I have been in love this week with yellow walls, Dolly Parton, the rain, the sunshine, my trip to the builder’s providers and Temple street children’s hospital with my eldest son. During all of them, I have been in love. It does help that I have things that remind me effortlessly of this feeling, a foot rub from my youngest son, music that uplifts me, the thought of my lovers dry, warm, soft skin, can all trigger the memory and the feeling when things are challenging.

Sometimes I wake up in a funk, thinking “oh wow I’ve got to this all over again” or “really is this it?” clearing away breakfast bowls and crunching rice crispies underfoot is not the exciting life I had in mind.

But I am training my brain. It’s not good for me to lie there and dwell in the funky feeling. I need to transform that emotion. I do that by either getting up and hugging my children or lying there and remembering the times when they were half my height and snuggled up beside me. I remember a Hammam, a holiday or a lovers touch, anything to get the day going in a feeling of gratitude for what is.

Once that love muscle is activated, I find it easier to view the mundane or troublesome from a place of gratitude.

I have found it essential to set the bodies thought patterns and neural pathways to feeling open-hearted, no matter what the external situation. This week I recorded the Loving Kindness Meditation for the Supported Online Course, Reducing pain, increasing flow for Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue.

It believe, that after suffering severe trauma or stress, the body can develop neural pathways and thought patterns, saying the world is bad, it’s malevolent and dangerous. In this way the body and its energetic pathways contract, preventing openness and flow.

This overprotection impedes healing and eventually, under constant imagined or real threat, the body creates an acid environment and begins to attack itself, causing chronic conditions such as Chronic Fatigue, Fibromyalgia, Trigeminal neuralgia, Arthritis, Lupis, and other autoimmune diseases.

In Shiatsu & Conscious Cooking we use body treatments, diet, breathing practices, lifestyle changes to change neural pathways and support healing. Why not try, with us, changing the way you think and see if it changes your condition.

See your life as completely supportive, feel it’s benevolence and no matter what choices you make you will be loved. The most reliable but perhaps difficult lover to receive from is yourself. The free guided meditation is a place to begin change – small steps = big results.

Where to start – begin with something you love – as I suggested in my last post that was water. Perhaps it’s a walk on the beach, falling asleep on the sofa, a half hour catching up with friends or looking at the sky and the spring shoots in your garden. Pinpoint something you love and do it, feel it and keep that feeling going.

Even when faced with pain, difficult people and drama, keep your cool and remember the loving feeling. An amazing man, Eric Forsmark, who was a powerful mentor in my life, says “you must dig where you stand”.

Which means there’s no point in thinking that if you were somewhere else you would be happier. If you were a different person, if you were skinnier, richer, taller, in less pain, less tired, less anxious, less wobbly you would be happier. It sounds a bit self-righteous, especially if you are in pain or anxious for someone to say just be happy about it.

From my experience, the only way for things to change is to accept what is, with gratitude, hold a vision of what you want in your life and work towards that vision. All the time loving the journey. Its all about loving where you are and being excited about what is to come.

There is more to come but I think I will leave it there for now. If you want to read more about this train of thought and see where it leads then enter your email on the home page and you will receive the next post direct to your inbox.

Emotional Healing & Community Support

The weight we carry isn’t just on our hips, it’s in our hearts.
 Feeling like you “want to be minded” is your body’s cry for nurture, not discipline.

When you join Chi Flow with Jo, you don’t walk alone.
We move, fast, cook and heal together. That shared energy keeps you accountable and loved through change.

You don’t need to fight your bodyjust listen to her again.
Start with small rhythms: stop eating after 8 pm, massage Liver 13, sip lemon water in the morning, and join our January program to be supported every step of the way.

💗 Ready to Join?

Click here to become a member of Chi Flow with Jo → CLICK HERE

Or drop in for a class and feel it for yourself (sign up below). Join the Chi Flow with Jo community for live sessions, practice, and support.

Self-administered acupressure or Chinese Medicine is not a substitute for visits to qualified healthcare practitioners.

Knowing how to treat yourself and your loved ones with complimentary therapies like acupressure can be greatly beneficial and convenient. However, for serious and chronic conditions, you’ll want to visit an Shiatsu therapist / Acupuncturist or other qualified healthcare practitioner who can develop a treatment plan based on your unique medical history and combination of symptoms.

The information provided should not be considered medical advice.

In Love – A weekend Retreat focusing a Healthy Heart Using Cooking Classes, Tai Chi and Mindfulness Practices

In Love – A weekend Retreat focusing a Healthy Heart Using Cooking Classes, Tai Chi and Mindfulness Practices

Events, Home

2, 3, 4th June 2017
Bobbio Centre, Co Wicklow

  • Conscious Cooking Classes focusing on recipes for a healthy heart, lowering blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugars
  • Amazing Vegetarian Meals
  • Tai Chi & Chi Gong sessions focusing on calming the mind bringing peace and satisfaction to the body
  • Loving Kindness Meditation & Mantra
  • Time to rest and walk in the stunning grounds and secluded beach in North Wicklow

The heart in Chinese represents vibrant summer energy within our body. It is where our consciousness, our soul dwells. When the hearts energy is clear it radiates joy and brilliance. When out of balance it can lead to palpations, insomnia, dizziness, racing pulse and anxiety. Emotionally the heart enhances our ability to feel connected and to receive love from the world around us.

In a simple weekend, understand the clear connection between our emotions, the food we choose and how that directly affects our health

Learning easy to cook recipes and practicing Tai Chi are great ways to nourish & cleanse the organs, lowering cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugars, helping the body reconnect with the Heart’s Desires with clean, flowing, vibrant, blood.

Cost €295, single rooms allocated first come first served basis

Deposit €95 14 participants max (optional extra Sunday&Monday €75)

Price includes all food, accommodation & tuition.

www.joannefaulkner.org    086 607 0432    joannefaulkner@live.ie

Pay pal adds a 3.5% charge – if you would prefer to bypass the charge please contact me for EFT details and to pay by cheque

Author of “Shiatsu & the Art of Conscious Cooking” she operates a Shiatsu Clinic in Dublin. She also runs Chinese Medicine cookery classes, health retreats, and caters holistic events. Call her to book your space on this unique retreat : 086 607 0432 www.joannefaulkner.ie

 

Fatima Lucia has 17 years experience in various styles of Tai Chi and Qigong and is a fully qualified instructor through the Chinese International Tai Chi and Qigong Association. Her life long studies include many different forms of body awareness disciplines as well as Flamenco dance, which she has performed and taught for over 20 yrs.

Course Schedule 2, 3 & 4 June 2017

Friday

5.00 Check In – you are welcome to come down before check in, have a cuppa and take a walk in the stunning grounds or to the secluded beach

6.00 Supper

  • Turkish Lentil Soup
  • Healthy Crunchy Coleslaw
  • Wholegrain Spelt and Seaweed bread

7.00 Welcome Session

  • Introduce the group
    • Where is love in your life
    • What would your life look like with more love in it
    • What are you grateful for
    • Set your intention & gifts to altar
  • Quality of touch and connection including simple self shiatsu acupressure points
  • Tai Chi and Chi Gong Exercises to build a sense of peace, love and calm within the body
  • Introduction to Mantra

Saturday

9.00 Breakfast

  • Baked Fruit Porridge with dark mixed berries. Oats are a warming tonic for the Qi. They strengthen the Spleen and benefit the nervous system and bones thereby supporting kidney function
  • Selection of Breads all of which are baked fresh daily by the Art of Conscious Cooking including Spelt and pumpkin seed, Wheat/gluten free with Sunflower seeds and banana bread.
  • Fresh fruit, Yogurt and Honey, Seeds and raisins

10.00 Tai Chi Session with Fatima

Through the practice of Tai Chi and Qigong we cultivate our awareness, sensitivity and balance, which transforms the way we move, stand and interact in all aspects of our life. As we develop and refine these, we can create a state of aliveness – physically, energetically and spiritually.

As you begin to understand Tai Chi, the differences between various forms and movements become merely external. The principles remain the same. Understand this and everything you do becomes Tai Chi. In this way Tai Chi can begin to have a profound effect on every aspect of life.

12.00 Lunch

  • Pea Mint and Roasted Garlic Soup
  • Beetroot and Feta Salad
  • Oat Bran Soda Bread

Free time for napping, reading, walks in the grounds or a swim at the beach

5.00 Conscious Cooking Class with Jo –

Using principles of Chinese Medicine we will discuss specific foods and preparations which help with building blood, detoxing blood and improving blood flow. We will learn recipes for the following dishes

  • Herb Tart
  • Sweet Potato Falafel
  • Arame & Carrot Salad
  • Warm Baked Aubergine with Yogurt and Cumin
  • Selection of Raw Chocolates including Cherry Bombs, Chia Seed Chocolate Balls, Squidgy Caramel Date Orbs

7.00 Supper

8-9.30 Evening Chi Gong Session with Fatima

Qigong as a concept implies the union of three components:

  • Body (proper posture and movement)
  • Breath (proper breathing techniques)
  • Mind (concentration, meditation and intention)

By combining these 3 dimensions through our Qigong practice we align our body, mind and spirit. From this place of alignment, as our whole being focuses on movement, thought and breath combined, the power of our intention is hugely enhanced. Over time, a thorough Qigong practice can provide profound changes to your entire body-mind composition, returning you to the driver seat of your life and health, ending a cycle of reaction and entering a cycle of creation

Closing the circle with Loving Kindness Meditation and a Heart song with Jo

Sunday

9.00 Breakfast

10.00 Tai Chi with Fatima

11.30 Walking Meditation

12.00 Conscious Cooking Class with Jo

  • Shaved Fennel Salad
  • Watermelon & Feta Salad
  • Pea, Fennel & Herb Rissoto
  • Wheat & Gluten Free Chocolate Brownie with Raspberry Coulis

1.30 Main Meal

3.00 Closing Ceremony

As this is a bank holiday weekend, there is an option to stay an extra night for €75 which will include accommodation plus evening meal, optional body awareness, meditation and mantra evening session and delicious hearty breakfast the following morning.