Qi Gong is an ancient Chinese practice that was only relatively recently introduced to the outside world (the American public was first exposed to qi gong in Bill Moyers’s 1993 PBS series Healing and the Mind). Several types of qi gong exist; here, master trainer Lisa B. O’Shea introduces beginners to both a novice and an intermediate routine of Fragrance Qi Gong. As energy flows through the body, senses may be heightened, and healing can occur. Dressed in comfortable clothing, with a beautiful view of the Cape Cod harbor, O’Shea first gives instruction for the eight movements of the beginner routine, and then repeats the entire 15-minute sequence quietly to lovely music (she uses the same approach for the intermediate routine). The beginner exercises consist of 15 easy palm and arm movements while standing (although these could also be performed sitting down), including circling the palms, bringing the palms to the ears, moving the palms back and forth across the abdomen, and more. The intermediate exercises combine palm and arm movements with leg action in two stances. O’Shea alternately locks and unlocks each knee, thereby rocking the hips, and then moves her hips by changing weight from one leg to the other. The various palm and arm movements are coordinated with the leg movements in an easy to follow routine. Offering a simple set of exercises that should leave viewers feeling energized and relaxed, this is recommended. Aud: P. (T. Root)
Qi Gong for Beginners
(2018) 85 min. DVD: $29.95. YMAA Publication Center. ISBN: 978-1-59439-672-4. Volume 34, Issue 5
Qi Gong for Beginners
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.