I vividly remember the first time I took a Qigong class.
It was during the Covid pandemic, a time when collective fear hung heavy in the air.
I was living in Hong Kong, seeking mindful practices to help me reconnect with myself
and find steadiness amidst the chaos.
The class was held on the waterfront in Sai Kung, a peaceful, countryside district.
After a gentle warm-up, our Qigong Master asked us to tune into our bodies.
He guided us through each part with care and stillness, then asked where we
wanted to focus our energy that day. “
My digestion,” I said.
He looked slightly surprised – I was new, and he hadn’t expected me to know.
But it was his simple guidance that allowed me to feel my body’s messages for the first time.
That moment was ground-breaking. I hadn’t realised I could hear my body so clearly.
Since then, I’ve come to understand that I’m particularly sensitive to energy –
and this path has led me to become both a Qigong teacher and a Qigong Energy Healer.
Qigong is, at its heart, a practice that invites us to slow down and move mindfully.
It reconnects us to our own energy and the subtle wisdom of the body.
Rooted in Chinese Medicine and developed by ancient Taoist Masters, Qigong draws on deep
understandings of nature, rhythm, and harmony – within and around us.
Qigong translates as “energy cultivation” — a practice of nourishing and harmonising the life force
that flows through us, known as Qi (pron. chi).
Through slow, flowing movements, coordinated breath, and meditative awareness, we can clear
stagnation, release emotional tension, and restore vitality.
Unlike vigorous exercise, Qigong works with softness, spaciousness and deep internal connection.
It’s this gentleness that makes it so deeply healing.
When we practise regularly, we begin to notice shifts not just physically, but emotionally and spiritually —
we become more attuned, resilient, and centred.
It’s a kind of gentle rewilding — where we return to the truth that the body knows.
We live in a world that often teaches us to look outside ourselves for answers.
Of course, health professionals are important, but many of us have become disconnected
from our own felt sense of knowing.
Through Qigong, we begin to listen again.
We notice how we carry stress. How emotions move through us.
How we absorb others’ energy — or don’t.
We learn to support ourselves through different life phases — menopause, illness recovery,
big transitions — with more grace and insight.
As a teacher, witnessing people reconnect to their bodies and energy is a joy.
Sometimes it’s subtle — a softening of the shoulders, a deeper breath.
Other times, it’s like watching a bird take off for the first time.
There’s light in their faces, movement in their hearts.
By Claire McLennan
Founder, At Bloom With Claire