On a chilly fall Saturday morning at 9:00 AM, fifteen Round Hill residents and neighbors gathered at the Greenwich Audubon Barn for an introductory QiGong exercise class organized by the Round Hill Association. The event was the result of a recent survey in which group exercise class was requested by responders.
QiGong is a traditional Chinese practice of movement, breath control, and meditation which promotes balance, relaxation, and mindful well-being between the mind, body, and spirit. The instructor was Alex Blank, a local expert and Certified Functional Manual Physical Therapist.
The group began with Alex leading a circle of participants in a full hour of 12 to 15 specific movements and breathing routines designed to calm the mind and stretch the body to start the day. He stressed the importance of controlled breathing to complement each movement, a learned technique and process for proper execution and maximum benefit. While this sounds easy, breathing coordination was a challenge shared by several participants new to this type of discipline.
Comments from the group afterwards were positive and while this was initially a one time event, many expressed their interest in refining their QiGong knowledge and experience in doing this again in the future.
