Stepping Forward Gently
Online with Sally Ibbotson
Saturday 25th March
Qigong Day: Stepping Forward Gently
A day of self nurturing and exploration. You will meet four times through the day to do Qigong practices and reflective exercises to bring you more in touch with the elemental flavour of this time of year. Use as a full retreat or as part of your ordinary day.
The Transition from Winter to Spring: Hibernation to Movement
Join Sally on a day of self nurturing and exploration. You will be led through a series of Qigong practices and reflective exercises that will bring you more in touch with the elemental flavour of this time of year.
From a Qigong perspective, the transition from Winter to Spring is potent with energetic possibilities – the relative hibernation of Winter gives way to a feeling of life in forward motion. We see this all around us – how do we best respond in ourselves?
“It felt like a holiday for me – it was good to have the reminders (to be still) as I can get easily lost in my daily life”
R.H., QIGONG DAY PARTICIPANT
Connect with the Spring Element of Wood
According to Oriental Medicine, Spring brings us into the time of the Wood element. The Earth has turned to such an axis that the light starts to return. The energy is up and out as seen in the plant life around us. Birds and animals start looking for mates and nest sites and this might be their migration time.
The element of Wood is about discernment, the ability to choose and to make good choices. We turn from one thing to another as nature does – like a sapling, we search for the best place to reach the light through the canopy of taller trees- we start to walk our path out of the more inward season of Winter.
Sometimes this is easy and welcome, however for some there is difficulty in leaving the safety of a cosy inner space. The discernment can turn to a pressure to make decisions, it can affect our vision in life and quite literally, the eyes.
This is a crucial time in terms of centring ourselves. Too quickly up and moving forwards – we can experience migraines, high blood pressure, sleep disturbance and anxiety. If we choose not to embrace the returning light we may feel depressed and disconnected and our immunity, for example, may suffer. We may feel overly irritated or frustrated if things get in our way.
Who this day is for
This day is for anyone who is interested in living life more in touch with the nature around them. Also for those who feel the need take time out to connect to the rhythms of the earth – the seasons and their transitions. If you would like to explore change and movement from an Oriental Medical perspective, and you are wanting more time for self-love then this day would be for you. The day is open to beginners as well as people who have done Qigong before.
How the day works
Throughout this day we will meet as a group at specific times. These times coincide with the Oriental medical day clock – sometimes known as the organ clock. They are times when the flavour of each element is at its height and our bodies are open to receiving the elemental qualities. The theme will be the transition from one season to another, however we can also find out about how we best transition from one part of the day to the next. You will be practicing Qigong, meditative techniques, resting and journalling. We will be enquiring as to how we can make life more joyous, bringing contentment, excitement and satisfaction through attunement with the rhythms around and within us.
Here are our meeting times (UK times):
- 7:00 am – 8:00 am Earth Time
- 12:00 pm – 12:40 pm Fire Time (Yang)
- 4:00 pm – 4:40 pm Water Time
- 8:30 pm until 9:00 pm Fire Time (Yin)
You will receive an email before the course starts with all the information about how the day will proceed. We will meet on Zoom at the times above and I will also send reminders to you to pause at moments throughout the day. There is an optional nuanced walk for you to do and a recipe for a seasonal soup.
Registration details
A day of Qigong, based around the elements of wood and water as we transition from winter to spring, with Sally Ibbotson.
Price
£45
“I really enjoyed the day and learnt a lot. It was easy to prepare for and the facilitation was very good. It made me happy!”
JESSIE, QIGONG DAY PARTICIPANT
Presenter bio
Sally Ibbotson
Sally started her career in Complimentary Medicine in 1993, qualifying as a Massage Therapist with the Gerda Boysen Institute and as a Counsellor with the Centre for the Advancement in Counselling. Seeking depth to her work and more of a spiritual dimension, she studied Shiatsu between the years of 1995 and 2001 and, on qualifying undertook post-graduate study which resulted in a Teacher qualification in Qigong. Qigong had been taught to undergraduate Shiatsu practitioners as a means to keeping our own energy intact whilst treating clients.
Sally has studied Qigong under many Teachers and herself taught in the NHS. Specifically, she worked in the Therapies team at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in London for 6 years where she taught Qigong as part of our pain management programme. During this time. she studied and qualified with Mark Peters in Birmingham. Mark is responsible for creating a rehabilitation pathway within the NHS which includes Qigong on site and in the community.
I remain passionate about bringing Qigong into people’s ordinary daily life. I currently teach online, design personal Qigong prescriptions and run retreats.