Unlocking Qigong: Reflection on My Teaching Experience
Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.
— Laozi
This week, I did something that has been in the works for months. I finally got to teach Qigong for the first time to members of my Barony of the Lonely Tower.
I won’t lie—I had a lot of butterflies. Teaching something you love to people you respect is a special kind of vulnerability. What struck me was how willing people were to learn.
Qigong doesn’t require flexibility, special clothing, or prior knowledge. You stand. You breathe. You move gently. And somehow, that simplicity gave everyone permission to relax and try.
Slow Movements, Big Realizations
As we worked through simple movements, I watched people who usually push through things begin to move with their bodies instead.
One of my favorite moments was hearing Baron Charles say, “You are the Sensie. You are in charge.”
Charles may have used a title from Japan instead of China, but I knew what he meant. I was in charge. I would teach people. They would learn from me and treat that as enough. I didn’t have to perform as a teacher. I wasn’t demonstrating perfection. I was guiding attention—reminding people to breathe, to keep their knees soft, to move comfortably.
In many ways, it felt less like “teaching” and more like inviting people into a shared experience. That felt very much in the spirit of the SCA: learning together, experimenting together, supporting each other’s growth.
What I Learned (Already)
Even from this first session, I came away with a few clear lessons:
- Gentle practices are especially powerful in communities full of capable, driven people.
- And most importantly, there is a real hunger for practices that care for the body.
Going Forward
This first experience confirmed something I suspected: Qigong belongs in our SCA community. Not as a replacement for anything—but as a complement to the many, long-established fighting and artisan activities.
I’m deeply grateful to the Barony for trusting me with this first step. I’m already looking forward to the next class—and to watching confidence, calm, and curiosity continue to grow. And mine, along with theirs.