Senior Life Northwest Edition September 2021

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Vol. 25, No. 6

September ptember 2021

Cliff Rice

Northwest Edition R Reaching Seniors In Illiana: Cook, Lake & Porter Counties

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Anyone for Qigong?

Gentle tapping, massage said to aid muscles, relieve stress 7H[W DQG SKRWRV %\ 67(9( (89,12 )HDWXUH :ULWHU Frances Saar of Valparaiso was attending a qigong class at Banta Center when she suffered a heart attack. Her instructor, Kathryn Hanson, did CPR and stabilized her condition. Saar, who has high blood pressure, said the class of gentle movements has since helped her with balance and blood pressure. “It takes out all the stress in life, and it helps you focus on yourself and become balanced,” said Saar. “We learn we can help ourselves. It’s not so much about religion, but it does affect our natural chi.” Hanson, a certified qigong instructor, teaches several

classes in the community. She teaches the spring forest school of qigong. The National Qigong Association describes qigong (pronounced shee-gong) as a mind-body-spirit practice that improves one’s mental and physical health by integrating posture, movement, breathing technique, self-massage, sound and focused intent. Each qigong style or school has practical applications about qi (“subtle breath” or “vital energy”) and gong (“skill cultivated through steady practice”). Hanson, a North Judson resident and the mother of two, got interested in qigong after her mother’s pancreatic cancer left her family searching for answers. Then she read

“Born A Healer” by Chunyi Lin, a qigong master, and his message “very much resonated with me,” Hanson said. “It’s about energy medicine and about us as beings of energy. It was a different way of applying body, mind, and spirit,” she noted. The NQA states that qigong opens the flow of energy and enhances one’s ability to feel the life force underlying the physical world and to deepen communication with it. Physically slow, gentle qigong movements warm tendons, ligaments, and muscles; detoxify vital organs and connective tissue; and promote circulation of bodily fluids. Studies have shown qigong effective in helping with high blood pressure, chronic illness,

emotional frustration, mental stress and spiritual crisis. “Qigong is a spiritual practice, but it is not a religion,” Hanson said during a class at Banta, the senior center run by Valparaiso Parks. Craig Rausei of Valparaiso has been attending classes for a few months. Having balance problems, Rausei hopes the class “helps me to get it together somewhat.” Newcomer Lillian Bogdalik of Valparaiso noted, “I was becoming more lethargic and wanted to get more energy. My daughter told me about qigong, and I knew Banta offered it.” Qigong, Hanson said, can be done while standing, seated or lying down. Hanson’s classes begin with

warm-ups, as she encouraged participants to “notice how your body is feeling.” With soft music in the background, Ruth Johnston, a retired educator, leads the class in singing “Every Little Cell in My Body is Happy.” Each movement, tapping or massage is designed to activate the body, Hanson explained, and to create vibrations to better communicate with other parts of the body. Johnston started classes with Hanson 10 years ago, when she taught at the Valparaiso Family YMCA. “I always feel better when I leave here,” Johnston noted. “I may come in stressed, but I leave feeling relaxed. This evens me out. I feel energized and focused.”

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