Pilates, Meditation and Qigong for a stronger, more relaxed you!

By Kristi Camier

 

As a Pilates devotee, I have noticed how this practice compliments and enriches two of my life passions, Meditation and Qigong. During Pilates, I connect with my breath and body while doing the movements, as with Qigong (pronounced Chee Kung).  For those of you who are new to Qigong, it consists of slow, meditative movements that stretch and strengthen muscles (sound familiar Pilates faithfuls?).  Through focused movement of your body’s energy you can achieve a relaxed state of mind.  We all can use a little of that! Another huge benefit is this activates self-healing properties that ancient Chinese texts call the “healer within”.  It is so empowering and easy to take care of your health in a matter of minutes daily.

Qigong is only one of many kinds of meditative practices.  In the past, meditation conjured up thoughts of an Ashram in India somewhere.  Now in our fast paced life, filled with to-do lists, more and more people are reaping the benefits by simply taking a few minutes a day to achieve a peaceful state of mind.  Literally hundreds of scientific studies have discovered the impact on the brain as well as on the body.  This results in profound short and long-term psychological and physiological changes.  The great part is that you only need a few minutes a day to reap the benefits.

I am a Mom and used to have an intense full time corporate job, so I truly understand how challenging it can be to take time for ourselves.  As the years have gone by, I realize that I need to put that oxygen mask on myself first before helping others.  I believe that the quality of our life is the quality of our health and relationships.  One of the most important relationships is the one you have with yourself.  Pilates, Meditation and Qigong can help you discover a calm and steady mind housed in a strong and powerful body