​DAY 832. I’ll be doing an IG Takeover on the @_ay.am_ feed, live for tomorrow’s full moon and eclipse (Sunday Jan 20). Meet me in the AY^AM stories at 1pm MST (12 noon PST) for a taste of what it’s like practicing in the serene and sacred practice space that is AY^AM de Tesuque.
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I plan on sharing a few forms to help you make the most with the energies available to you during this potent period of time we’re in, here in between last New Moon’s solar eclipse and tomorrow’s lunar eclipse. one of the forms we’ll practice is Deploy the Stars On Your Chest, a Qigong form for prayers, blessings, and manifesting intentions.
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“Any prayers during this time will be greatly supported, so be generous with them” (thepowerpath.com). That’s what Lena Stevens wrote in her forecast for what the moon brings. Join me tomorrow to make a potent pathway for those prayers.
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🕊In the Santa Fe area? Winter Term at AY^AM Tesuque is upon us! I’ll be teaching two different Qigong classes, including the Ba Duan Jin/ 8 Treasures, Sword, Gongfu + Taiji, all book-ended with a morning and an evening tea sit every Wednesday. The schedule is posted in the comments below if you’d like to check it out. To find all the details and to reserve your spot, go to www.ayamlife.com/tesuque/
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Dear Patrons, Yin Yang Herons Carry the River is up and ready for you to practice. This Microcosmic Orbit form is such a sweet one— worth the wait. So much gratitude. Soooooo much gratitude.
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If you’d like to learn this Microcosmic Orbit Qigong form come study with me online. I offer a Pay-What-You-Like subscription series in which you get a new Qigong Lesson Film every month and instant access to the entire archive when you sign up via Patreon.com/breafisher
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To get on the list to receive the free Chinese New Year Qigong Lesson Film, and to be the first to know about upcoming workshops, immersions, and retreats I’ll be offering, sign up at www.KwanYinKungFu.com. You’ll also get a free Qigong Warmup Lesson Film, a series of dynamic stretches to open your joints, warm your muscles, and prepare the body to move with more ease.
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This form is Earth Dog Qigong for loyalty, honesty, and integrity.
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WEDNESDAYS at AY^AM Tesuque:
915-1015a Bowl Tea 
1045a-12p Poetry of the Body Qigong
1215-130p Eagle Claw Sword
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2-330p Eagle Claw Gongfu + Taiji
345-445p Eight Treasures (Ba Duan Jin) Qigong
515-615p Bowl Tea
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We offer class packages for those who wish to come for a half or whole day, which I highly recommend experiencing. If you’re in the Santa Fe area, I’d love to practice with you!
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MEDICAL DISCLAIMER: 
The information provided here is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other health care professional. Before starting any new exercise program please be advised to consult your healthcare professional. Brea Fisher of Kwan Yin Kung Fu cannot be held responsible for any physical or mental injury, harm, or damage caused directly or indirectly by relying on the information contained within this online platform.
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#Kungfu #Gungfu #Gongfu #TaiJiQuan #TaiChi #Qigong #Qi #TCM #MoveQi #Practice #EverydayGongfu #EverydayGongfuFilms #BreaFisher #KwanYinKungFu #GuanYinGongfu #TCM #TraditionalChineseMedicine #EagleClawGongfu #EagleClawKungfu #QigongLessonFIlms #SpiritWeaversGathering #SpiritWeavers #WinterTerm #Ayam #AyamTesuque #SantaFeQigong #SantaFeTaiji #TesuqueQigong #SantaFeTeaCommunity #TesuqueTeaHouse

​DAY 831. 🕊The Kwan Yin Kung Fu Winter Term has begun with some new classes I’m so excited to offer. I’ve arranged to be in the beautiful temple of a practice space that is AY^AM Tesuque all day Wednesdays so we can immerse ourselves in the practice. I’ll be teaching two different Qigong classes, including the Ba Duan Jin/ 8 Treasures, Sword, Gongfu + Taiji, all book-ended with a morning and an evening tea sit.
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The schedule is posted in the comments below if you’d like to check it out. To find all the details and to reserve your spot, go to www.ayamlife.com/tesuque/
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As a gift for you on this weekend’s full moon, I’ll be offering a ✨FREE✨mini-practice set via the @_ay.am_ feed, live this Sunday Jan 20! Time TBD so stay tuned. I’ll have more details in tomorrow’s post (Saturday Jan 19). 
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Dear Patrons, Yin Yang Herons Carry the River is up and ready for you to practice. This Microcosmic Orbit form is such a sweet one— worth the wait. So much gratitude. Soooooo much gratitude.
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If you’d like to learn this Microcosmic Orbit Qigong form come study with me online. I offer a Pay-What-You-Like subscription series in which you get a new Qigong Lesson Film every month and instant access to the entire archive when you sign up via Patreon.com/breafisher
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To get on the list to receive the free Chinese New Year Qigong Lesson Film, and to be the first to know about upcoming workshops, immersions, and retreats I’ll be offering, sign up at www.KwanYinKungFu.com. You’ll also get a free Qigong Warmup Lesson Film, a series of dynamic stretches to open your joints, warm your muscles, and prepare the body to move with more ease.
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MEDICAL DISCLAIMER: 
The information provided here is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other health care professional. Before starting any new exercise program please be advised to consult your healthcare professional. Brea Fisher of Kwan Yin Kung Fu cannot be held responsible for any physical or mental injury, harm, or damage caused directly or indirectly by relying on the information contained within this online platform.
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WEDNESDAYS at AY^AM Tesuque:
915-1015a Bowl Tea 
1045a-12p Poetry of the Body Qigong
1215-130p Eagle Claw Sword
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2-330p Eagle Claw Gongfu + Taiji
345-445p Eight Treasures (Ba Duan Jin) Qigong
515-615p Bowl Tea
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We offer class packages for those who wish to come for a half or whole day, which I highly recommend experiencing. If you’re in the Santa Fe area, I’d love to practice with you!
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#Kungfu #Gungfu #Gongfu #TaiJiQuan #TaiChi #Qigong #Qi #TCM #MoveQi #Practice #EverydayGongfu #EverydayGongfuFilms #BreaFisher #KwanYinKungFu #GuanYinGongfu #TCM #TraditionalChineseMedicine #EagleClawGongfu #EagleClawKungfu #QigongLessonFIlms #SpiritWeaversGathering #SpiritWeavers #WinterTerm #Ayam #AyamTesuque #SantaFeQigong #SantaFeTaiji #TesuqueQigong #SantaFeTeaCommunity #TesuqueTeaHouse

​DAY 830. Chinese New Year is around the corner and I’m feeling Boar Qi coming in. We’re going to be moving into the year of the Earth Boar, or the Earth Pig. I’ve been talking with @houseofthestandingmoon about this energy as we prepare some Chinese New Year offerings, and as we both dive into our research, we’ve found that although pig and boar are often interchangeable on the Chinese Zodiac wheel, the two animals bring their own qualities and lessons with which they help us.
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Today’s clip is a segment from my boar form and it is incredibly grounding. We use the arms to describe tusks and the hands form knife palm position as our tusks root deep within the earth.
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I’m working on the Qigong Lesson Film for this form, and will be sending it as a Chinese New Years gift to those on my mailing list. If you’d like to get access to it, sign up at www.KwanYinKungFu.com. You’ll also get a free Qigong Warmup Lesson Film, a series of dynamic stretches to open your joints, warm your muscles, and prepare the body to move with more ease.
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Patrons! Yin Yang Herons Carry the River is set to be published by tonight— fingers crossed that internet lets me get this Qigong Lesson Film published for ya. Thank you for being patient with my remote country livingness. The form is such a sweet one— worth the wait. So much gratitude. Soooooo much gratitude.
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If you’d like to learn this Microcosmic Orbit Qigong form come study with me online. I offer a Pay-What-You-Like subscription series in which you get a new Qigong Lesson Film every month and instant access to the entire archive when you sign up via Patreon.com/breafisher.
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To get on the list to receive the free Chinese New Year Qigong Lesson Film, and to be the first to know about upcoming workshops, immersions, and retreats I’ll be offering, sign up at www.KwanYinKungFu.com. You’ll also get a free Qigong Warmup Lesson Film, a series of dynamic stretches to open your joints, warm your muscles, and prepare the body to move with more ease.
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MEDICAL DISCLAIMER: 
The information provided here is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other health care professional. Before starting any new exercise program please be advised to consult your healthcare professional. Brea Fisher of Kwan Yin Kung Fu cannot be held responsible for any physical or mental injury, harm, or damage caused directly or indirectly by relying on the information contained within this online platform.
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#Kungfu #Gungfu #Gongfu #TaiJiQuan #TaiChi #Qigong #Qi #TCM #MoveQi #Practice #EverydayGongfu #EverydayGongfuFilms #BreaFisher #KwanYinKungFu #GuanYinGongfu #TCM #TraditionalChineseMedicine #EagleClawGongfu #EagleClawKungfu #QigongLessonFIlms #SpiritWeaversGathering #SpiritWeavers #ChineseNewYear #YearOfTheEarthPig #YearOfTheEarthBoar #RootDown #QigongForGrounding #EarthElementQigong #BoarQi #PigQi

ClickDAY 829. All the snow has really been working some magic on the internet. Without the ability to get online it feels similar to the forced rest a virus gives us. I had all this work I had to get done and it all had to wait until today. All you can do is surrender, if you want to stay light, that is..
Surrender is one of the principle lessons of the Water Element in Chinese Five Element Theory. Water “gives way to anything harder than itself, offers no resistance, flows around obstacles, accepts whatever comes to it, lets itself be used and divided and defiled, yet continues to be itself and to go always in the direction it must go. The tides of the oceans obey the moon while the great currents of the open sea keep on their ways beneath.” —The brilliant Ursula K. LeGuin on Lao Tzu and Water
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Patrons! Yin Yang Herons Carry the River is set to be published by tonight— fingers crossed that internet lets me get this Qigong Lesson Film published for ya. Thank you for being patient with my remote country livingness. The form is such a sweet one— worth the wait. So much gratitude. Soooooo much gratitude.
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If you’d like to learn this Qigong form come study with me online. I offer a Pay-What-You-Like subscription series in which you get a new Qigong Lesson Film every month and instant access to the entire archive when you sign up via Patreon.com/breafisher.
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Thank you to all my patrons! ♥️I’m really excited to share with you this month’s Lesson Film. It’s a form that has been really helping me this winter, personally, and I’m really glad I have the chance to share it with you in a few days!
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To get on the list to receive the free Chinese New Year Qigong Lesson Film, and to be the first to know about upcoming workshops, immersions, and retreats I’ll be offering, subscribe at www.KwanYinKungFu.com. You’ll also get a free Qigong Warmup Lesson Film, a series of dynamic stretches to open your joints, warm your muscles, and prepare the body to move with more ease.
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MEDICAL DISCLAIMER: 
The information provided here is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other health care professional. Before starting any new exercise program please be advised to consult your healthcare professional. Brea Fisher of Kwan Yin Kung Fu cannot be held responsible for any physical or mental injury, harm, or damage caused directly or indirectly by relying on the information contained within this online platform.
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#Kungfu #Gungfu #Gongfu #TaiJiQuan #TaiChi #Qigong #Qi #TCM #MoveQi #Practice #EverydayGongfu #EverydayGongfuFilms #BreaFisher #KwanYinKungFu #GuanYinGongfu #TCM #TraditionalChineseMedicine #EagleClawGongfu #EagleClawKungfu #QigongLessonFIlms #SpiritWeaversGathering #SpiritWeavers #AllTheSnow #SnowInducedInternetFast #ForcedRest #Surrender #StayLight #WaterElement #LaoTzu #UrsulaKLeGuin here to edit.

​DAY 828. Been working hard over here to get out the next Qigong Lesson Film, a form I’m really excited to share, Yin Yang Herons Carry the River. It’s a Microcosmic Orbit Qigong form, and so nourishing. Today’s little movie here is a clip from the full-length, 17-minute Lesson Film that patrons will be getting by tomorrow.
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My neck has been flaring up the last few weeks and this form has been my every day, multiple times a day treatment. You can practice it seated, too, which is so welcoming when you don’t feel good in your body.
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Use this form to:
⊹Create space for breakthroughs
⊹Break through stagnate Qi (and break through places in your life in which you feel stuck)
⊹Clear the path for your progression, advancement, or development
⊹Prepare for the next level during and after a period of transition
⊹Reconnect you to the river of Qi flowing within
⊹Release control; flow with the current of Life
⊹Ease back and neck pain or discomfort
⊹Rekindle the knowing that you exist as a microcosm of the whole
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If you’d like to learn this Qigong form come study with me online. I offer a Pay-What-You-Like subscription series in which you get a new Qigong Lesson Film every month and instant access to the entire archive when you sign up via Patreon.com/breafisher
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Thank you to all my patrons! ♥️I’m really excited to share with you this month’s Lesson Film. It’s a form that has been really helping me this winter, personally, and I’m really glad I have the chance to share it with you in a few days!
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To get on the list to receive the free Chinese New Year Qigong Lesson Film, and to be the first to know about upcoming workshops, immersions, and retreats I’ll be offering, subscribe at www.KwanYinKungFu.com. You’ll also get a free Qigong Warmup Lesson Film, a series of dynamic stretches to open your joints, warm your muscles, and prepare the body to move with more ease.
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MEDICAL DISCLAIMER: 
The information provided here is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other health care professional. Before starting any new exercise program please be advised to consult your healthcare professional. Brea Fisher of Kwan Yin Kung Fu cannot be held responsible for any physical or mental injury, harm, or damage caused directly or indirectly by relying on the information contained within this online platform.
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#Kungfu #Gungfu #Gongfu #TaiJiQuan #TaiChi #Qigong #Qi #TCM #MoveQi #Practice #EverydayGongfu #EverydayGongfuFilms #BreaFisher #KwanYinKungFu #GuanYinGongfu #TCM #TraditionalChineseMedicine #EagleClawGongfu #EagleClawKungfu #QigongLessonFIlms #SpiritWeaversGathering #SpiritWeavers #WorkingHard #MicrocosmicOrbit #MicrocosmicOrbitQigong #SeatedQigong #QigongForBreakthroughs #QigongForBreakingThrough #QigongForFlexibility #LiveAndLetLive

​DAY 827. Someone recently asked if I had a form for irregular heartbeat that comes with a feeling of anxiety in the stomach. *I’m not a doctor of TCM, please know this.* I do a lot of research and I know these Qigong forms well, but any forms I suggest are meant as helpful supplements to try and see if they feel right for you. And of course, consult a doctor you trust.
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Medical disclaimer stated, this is not the form I’d give out generally to others with an irregular heartbeat; this is specific to the person who requested the form. Hummingbird Qigong is a form one can practice to:in
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Help you harmonize your responses to life;
Embrace your experiences without getting hung up on what “should be;”
Cultivate a state of allowing the ups and downs of life to flow through you with grace;
Rekindle the memory of your eternalness
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If this specific form speaks to you and you’d like to learn it—good news!— it’s a published full-length Qigong Lesson Film. If you’d like to learn Hummingbird Qigong, along with many other forms, you’ll have access to all the details of the form when you subscribe to this Pay What You Like offering. Sign up via Patreon.com/breafisher and get a new, full-length Qigong Lesson Film every month and instant access to the entire archive as soon as you become a patron.
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Thank you to all my patrons! ♥️I’m really excited to share with you this month’s Lesson Film. It’s a form that has been really helping me this winter, personally, and I’m really glad I have the chance to share it with you in a few days!
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To get on the list to receive the free Chinese New Year Qigong Lesson Film, and to be the first to know about upcoming workshops, immersions, and retreats I’ll be offering, subscribe at www.KwanYinKungFu.com. You’ll also get a free Qigong Warmup Lesson Film, a series of dynamic stretches to open your joints, warm your muscles, and prepare the body to move with more ease.
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#Kungfu #Gungfu #Gongfu #TaiJiQuan #TaiChi #Qigong #Qi #TCM #MoveQi #Practice #EverydayGongfu #EverydayGongfuFilms #BreaFisher #KwanYinKungFu #GuanYinGongfu #TCM #TraditionalChineseMedicine #EagleClawGongfu #EagleClawKungfu #SpiritWeaversGathering #SpiritWeavers #NotADoctor #MedicalDisclaimer #FeelIntoIt #Hummingbird #HummingbirdQigong #QigongForHarmony #QigongForAllowing #QigongForGrace #QigongForEternalness

​DAY 826. A message I want to share, from @ParksProject: “As we now enter the longest government shutdown in US history… With park staff unavailable to maintain and protect park resources, National Parks and other federal lands around the country are in a crisis. Fragile ecosystems are being damaged. Trashcans and bathrooms are overflowing. Scientific research has been stymied. At times like this, it is easy to feel helpless. Here are some things you can do:
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1.             Contact your Senator and urge them to end the government shutdown. Our parks need funding and support. Visit www.usa.gov/elected-officials
2.             To avoid further strain on resources, please do not visit National Parks during the shutdown. Consider visiting state or local parks instead.
3.             If you feel compelled to visit a National Park, be prepared to pack out all waste, including your poop. Practice Leave No Trace principles to protect plant and animal life.
4.             If you see illegal activity (camping, hunting, vandalism, etc.) report it to law enforcement.
5.             After the shutdown is over, volunteer your time to clean up and restore areas damaged during the shutdown.
6.             Consider donating to a non-profit park partner, such as the National Park Foundation. Visit www.nationalparks.org/support
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Today’s form is a Microcosmic Orbit Qigong form called, Yin Yang Herons Carry the River. It’s this month’s Qigong Lesson Film, set to be published in a few days. To learn this form in detail, along with many other forms, subscribe to my Pay What You Like offering. Sign up via Patreon.com/breafisher and you’ll get a new, full-length Qigong Lesson Film every month and instant access to the entire archive as soon as you become a patron.
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Thank you to all my patrons! My gratitude for you lifts me up. I’m continually inspired by your support, your engagement, your encouragement, and most of all, your practice. ✨🙏🏼✨
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To get on the list to receive the free Chinese New Year Qigong Lesson Film, and to be the first to know about upcoming workshops, immersions, and retreats I’ll be offering, subscribe at www.KwanYinKungFu.com. You’ll also get a free Qigong Warmup Lesson Film, a series of dynamic stretches to open your joints, warm your muscles, and prepare the body to move with more ease.
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#Kungfu #Gungfu #Gongfu #TaiJiQuan #TaiChi #Qigong #Qi #TCM #MoveQi #Practice #EverydayGongfu #EverydayGongfuFilms #BreaFisher #KwanYinKungFu #GuanYinGongfu #TCM #TraditionalChineseMedicine #EagleClawGongfu #EagleClawKungfu #SpiritWeaversGathering #SpiritWeavers #DefendOurParklands #ParksProject #GovernmentShutdown #EndGovernmentShutdown #ContactYourSenator #NationalParks #LeaveNoTrace #PackItInPackItOut #MicrocosmicOrbitQigong

DAY 825. Weather and Qigong have a dynamic together, a relationship, and it’s important to note here, that I take great care not to practice very long in extreme weather, saving my full sets for indoor practice. When I do make these little movies out in the weather, I bundle up against cold, rain, snow, and wind.
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Ah, wind. Living up on the mesa here in New Mexico we get wind more days than not, and often it is a relentless, fiercely gusting force.
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In Traditional Chinese Medicine there is a term called Evil Wind. Try not to get stuck on the word evil; it’s a translation, a way to categorize “external conditions,” imbalances that are contracted externally, like a virus. There are five types of Xie Qi (Evil Qi), each one related to climate: Heat, Cold, Dampness, Dryness, and Wind.
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Andrea Johnston explains: “Xie Qi is ‘wind’ when we see symptoms that appear to blow themselves in quickly, and cause symptoms that may move around various parts of the body.” (Think of a chest flu with rapidly changing symptoms.)
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Evil Wind enters the body through the Wind Gate, a specific acupoint (UB-12), but “generally refers to your entire upper back and neck region. This is why it’s so important to keep yourself covered up when the weather is temperamental”  (www.streampointacupuncture.com).
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The Wind Gate + the Wei Qi (protective Qi) get confused when the weather fluctuates drastically. The pores open when it’s warm and sunny, opening the Wind Gate to Evil Qi if a cold wind suddenly moves in. Likewise, when we practice Qigong and really get the Qi moving, the pores also open. This is why it’s not a great idea to practice Qigong deeply in wind.
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The form you see me practicing today is a Wei Qi Cleansing + Activating form, and it’s one of the Qigong Lesson Films, which means you can learn it in full detail online! To learn with me through this subscription series, my Pay What You Like offering, sign up via Patreon.com/breafisher. You get a new, full-length Qigong Lesson Film every month and instant access to the entire archive as soon as you become a patron.
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Thank you to all my patrons! My gratitude for you lifts me up. I’m continually inspired by your support, your engagement, your encouragement, and most of all, your practice. ✨🙏🏼✨
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To get on the list to receive the free Chinese New Year Qigong Lesson Film, and to be the first to know about upcoming workshops, immersions, and retreats I’ll be offering, subscribe at www.KwanYinKungFu.com. You’ll also get a free Qigong Warmup Lesson Film, a series of dynamic stretches to open your joints, warm your muscles, and prepare the body to move with more ease.
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#Kungfu #Gungfu #Gongfu #TaiJiQuan #TaiChi #Qigong #Qi #TCM #MoveQi #Practice #EverydayGongfu #EverydayGongfuFilms #BreaFisher #KwanYinKungFu #GuanYinGongfu #TCM #TraditionalChineseMedicine #EagleClawGongfu #EagleClawKungfu #SpiritWeaversGathering #SpiritWeavers #WeatherAndQigong #TakeGreatCare #ExtremeWeather #Wind #EvilWind #WindGate #WeiQi #ProtectiveQi #QigongForWeiQi

​DAY 824. An embrace. Resting on what is. Just holding space.
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Today’s form is not a whole lot to watch, but as the one practicing, the opposite is true. So much is revealed when one stays silently still long enough to be present for it. This is Embrace the Tree, standing meditation, one of a few forms I’m considering sharing with you all within the next few months in the Qigong Lesson Films subscription series. See details below if you’d like to know more.*
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This is the last time you’ll hear from me about Spirit Weavers until June, as registration happens tomorrow (Saturday Jan 12) at 10 am sharp, PAC. I cannot emphasize this enough: if you want to attend, please be online, with fingers ready to purchase your tickets by 10 am. When I say the seats fill lightning fast, I mean it.
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I’m so excited to be teaching at this year’s Spirit Weavers Gathering and I’d love to practice with you there! We’ll be fully immersed in a wide range of beautiful teachings amidst the Oregon forest, riverside, on the magical land that is @CedarBloomFarm. To register and to read more about the extraordinary group of women who will be offering their heart work, go to www.SpiritWeaversGathering.com
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*If you’d like to learn Qigong with me you don’t need to be in New Mexico, you can study with me online. I offer a Pay-What-You-Like subscription series in which you get a new Qigong Lesson Film every month and instant access to the entire archive when you sign up via Patreon.com/breafisher
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Thank you to all my patrons! My gratitude for you lifts me up. I’m continually inspired by your support, your engagement, your encouragement, and most of all, your practice. ✨🙏🏼✨
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To get on the list to receive the free Chinese New Year Qigong Lesson Film, and to be the first to know about upcoming workshops, immersions, and retreats I’ll be offering, subscribe at www.KwanYinKungFu.com. You’ll also get a free Qigong Warmup Lesson Film, a series of dynamic stretches to open your joints, warm your muscles, and prepare the body to move with more ease.
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#Kungfu #Gungfu #Gongfu #TaiJiQuan #TaiChi #Qigong #Qi #TCM #MoveQi #Practice #EverydayGongfu #EverydayGongfuFilms #BreaFisher #KwanYinKungFu #GuanYinGongfu #TCM #TraditionalChineseMedicine #EagleClawGongfu #EagleClawKungfu #Spirit #Weavers #SpiritWeavers #SpiritWeaversGathering #Oregon #CedarBloomFarm #AnEmbrace #RestingOnWhatIs #HoldingSpace #EmbraceTheTree #StandingMeditation

​DAY 823. Mud Land. The snow has been steadily melting, feeding the earth so well that the earth doesn’t have the space to hold it. Our water catchment is mimicking this same dynamic, full to capacity and seeping its excess out of the tank.
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The water the earth cannot hold comes so slow that it need not run like little rivers down its summertime flows; instead it is held in the uppermost layers of dirt. We’re in a wonderland of mud. Taking the pathways or walking the land, the mud stays close to all that touches it. Boots take on inches of it.
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And so do tires. The road that is our driveway is not something we have been driving on this week, but skiing on. I crank the wheel fully left and the car skids right; I point my wheels all the way to the right, and I find myself pointed left— all the while moving forward. I’m a very large, metal ice skater.
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Today’s form is another lymph system supporter. Same idea as yesterday’s, which you can read about if you missed that one. The jostling (gentle stomping of the heels) stimulates the lymph by drumming up the Qi. This is one of the forms you can learn in detail when the updated Qigong Warmup Lesson Film goes out. To be on the list to receive it, subscribe at www.KwanYinKungFu.com 🙏🏼
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I am honored to be teaching at this year’s ✨Spirit Weavers Gathering✨on the magical land that is @CedarBloomFarm in Cave Junction Oregon. Sisters, registration fills lightning fast, so if you want to be there, be ready when the digital doors open this Sat Jan 12 at 10am PAC. It would be so very special to meet, connect, and practice with you there. Check out the extraordinary group of women who will be offering their heart work at SpiritWeaversGathering.com
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If you’d like to learn Qigong with me you don’t need to be in New Mexico, you can study with me online. I offer a Pay-What-You-Like subscription series in which you get a new Qigong Lesson Film every month and instant access to the entire archive when you sign up via Patreon.com/breafisher 
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Thank you to all my patrons! My gratitude for you lifts me up. I’m continually inspired by your support, your engagement, your encouragement, and most of all, your practice. ✨🙏🏼✨
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#Kungfu #Gungfu #Gongfu #TaiJiQuan #TaiChi #Qigong #Qi #TCM #MoveQi #Practice #EverydayGongfu #EverydayGongfuFilms #BreaFisher #KwanYinKungFu #GuanYinGongfu #TCM #TraditionalChineseMedicine #EagleClawGongfu #EagleClawKungfu #Mud #MudLand #SnowMelt #FeedingTheEarth #WaterCatchment #LymphSystemQigong #QigongForLymphSystem #QigongForLymph #CedarBloomFarm #SpiritWeaversGathering #SpiritWeavers

​DAY 822. I am honored (and beyond excited!) to be teaching at this year’s Spirit Weavers Gathering. I’ll be offering Qigong, Sword, and Gongfu at both Sun and Moon Sessions on the magical land that is @CedarBloomFarm in Cave Junction Oregon.
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Sisters! Registration fills lightning fast, so if you want to be there, be ready when the digital doors open this Saturday January 12 at 10am PAC time. It would be so very special to meet, connect, and practice with you there. Check out the extraordinary group of women who will be offering their heart work at SpiritWeaversGathering.com
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Today’s form is part of the Ba Duan Jin, typically found at the very close of the Eight Treasures Qigong sequence. I’m posting it because I got a request for a form that supports the lymph system. Form Notes are in the comments below.
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When we stomp the feet in Gongfu, or lift and drop the heels in Qigong, it literally moves things in the body. It stimulates the lymph nodes, which means it also stimulates the immune system, of which the lymph nodes are an essential part. The jolt of the stomp of heel drop jostles stuck residue and allows it to clear out of the body.
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The jolts also stimulate the joints. Sometimes referred to as “drumming up the Qi,” it in effect sends energy up through the joints. It is believed to give one who is tired an energy boost— a jolt of energy— even if the lifting and dropping of the heels is quite subtle and gentle, which is how I suggest practicing unless the body is quite warm (as far as ready for intense practice).
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If you’d like to learn Qigong with me you don’t need to be in New Mexico, you can study with me online. I offer a Pay-What-You-Like subscription series in which you get a new Qigong Lesson Film every month and instant access to the entire archive when you sign up via Patreon.com/breafisher
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Thank you patrons! Just posted a little something for you on Patreon, so if you haven’t yet, go check it out. In this season of warm fuzziness I am feeling extra, extra grateful for your support, encouragement, and engagement. With a bow, Brea
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To get on the list to receive the free Chinese New Year Qigong Lesson Film, and to be the first to know about upcoming workshops, immersions, and retreats I’ll be offering, subscribe at www.KwanYinKungFu.com. You’ll also get a free Qigong Warmup Lesson Film, a series of dynamic stretches to open your joints, warm your muscles, and prepare the body to move with more ease.
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[FORM NOTES] Seven Jolts Dissolve the Hundred Illnesses
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1.         Begin standing either with feet together, or in a Wuji Stance (feet hip to shoulder distance apart, knees slightly bent, spine straight, head suspended by a thread).
2.         Place the palms on the fronts of the thighs to begin.
3.         Lift the hands, palms earthward, drawing up as if from the wrists. Imagine smoothing the hands over a ball of energy, coming up the front side of the ball, and over the top.
4.         With the hands on the top of the Qi ball, send Qi into its center, from the LaoGong points in the middle of the hands; elbows are bent; shoulders are dropped.
5.         Press the hands downward on the ball & at the same time lift the heels off the ground to whatever height feels right to your body; make sure to do it evenly and with control. Imagine the energy balls under the hands can bear your weight as you press down on them.
6.         Release the heels back to the earth abruptly, letting the arms drop with the jolt and allowing them to sway on their own, without adding any muscle control to affect the motion. The jolt is abrupt, but not shocking; it more of a bump and not a crash so as to not disrupt the spinal alignment.
7.         Repeat at least seven times.
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​DAY 821. Perhaps we all have that home improvement project we’ve put on the back burner for way too long. For my birthday last month, Ethan started ours. Today he finished our pantry room, after having bought me Ball jars of all different sizes, a rug for the threshold, and all sorts of pantry items like seeds, oats, honey, and dried fruit. I am a very happy woman.
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To see a photo of me in my new pantry, go to @breafisher. To get a sense of how epically transformed this space is, read on (we are kicking ourselves for not getting a Before photo).
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In our off grid home we have a little room that you have to walk outside a few steps to get to. It’s right across the way from our garden. It houses the rain catchment pump, the solar-powered water heater, and our fridge— an RV-sized propane-fueled yellow square thing that requires Tetris skills to use.
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We’ve always called this room The Pantry Room, even though from the day we moved in we’ve kept no food in there (except for our poor refrigerated items). The ceiling was exposed insulation that the mice had been digging in for nesting long before we arrived. The windows had instead of glass a shabbily attached slab of tin roofing, which blocked all light but no rodents. There were two metal shelving units that had the style of prison furniture. And we kept all our tools in a sprawling, unorganized heap on the floor.
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Today I have two crystal clear glass windows, a wood ceiling, custom shelves built to my specifications, a hutch for harvesting and storing seeds from the garden, hooks for things like hummingbird feeders in winter, and a freshly painted pale turquoise door, all immaculately cleaned and ready for me to organize. I am fully swooning just writing this.
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Today’s form is another one that feels really good on the lower back. If you follow along, listen to your body, especially during the back-bend; keep the chin tucked and when you come out of it, engage the core. Form Notes are below.
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[FORM NOTES] Bowing to Open the Channels
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1.         Begin standing in a Wuji Stance (feet hip to shoulder distance apart, knees slightly bent, spine straight, head suspended by a thread).
2.         Place the palms on the fronts of the thighs to begin.
3.         Draw the palms up the legs, around the waist (the Dai Mai, or the Belt Meridian), and to the Kidneys at the lower back, fingers pointed earthward.
4.         Tucking the chin and making a soft back bend (or to whatever degree of bend that feels good to you); keep the chin tucked and draw the shoulders earthward so the scapula/ shoulder blades draw inward toward the back.
5.         The back bow opens the Ren Channel, or the Conception Vessel, which runs along the front of the body-- "the Sea of All Yin Meridians."
6.         Keep the chin tucked, and begin to fold forward at the waist**, lifting the pelvic floor and engaging the core to do so. Draw the palms down the back of the legs (following the Bladder Meridian); exhale halfway down or so, & continue the plans downward, around the ankles and over the top of the feet, leading with the fingers toward the toes.
7.         Extend the fingers forward and send the hips back as you lift at the waist, drawing the spine and arms either parallel with the earth or to whatever degree you can safely lift, even if just an inch. Take care here.
8.         Fold forward again, drawing the palms over the tops of the feet and fronts of the legs (following the Stomach Meridian); tuck the chin until the torso is vertical again.
9.         The forward bow opens the Du Channel, or the Governing Vessel, which runs along the back of the body-- "the Sea of All Yang Meridians."
10.      Repeat at least nine times.
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**Bend to the degree that feels right to you. Even if you can't physically touch your toes, it works just as well to travel the mind down the legs to the feet and back up to meet where your palms reach.
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If you’d like to learn Qigong with me you don’t need to be in New Mexico, you can study with me online. I offer a Pay-What-You-Like subscription series in which you get a new Qigong Lesson Film every month and instant access to the entire archive when you sign up via Patreon.com/breafisher
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Thank you patrons! Just posted a little something for you on Patreon, so if you haven’t yet, go check it out. In this season of warm fuzziness I am feeling extra, extra grateful for your support, encouragement, and engagement. With a bow, Brea
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To get on the list to receive the free Chinese New Year Qigong Lesson Film, and to be the first to know about upcoming workshops, immersions, and retreats I’ll be offering, subscribe at www.KwanYinKungFu.com. You’ll also get a free Qigong Warmup Lesson Film, a series of dynamic stretches to open your joints, warm your muscles, and prepare the body to move with more ease.
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#Kungfu #Gungfu #Gongfu #TaiJiQuan #TaiChi #Qigong #Qi #TCM #MoveQi #Practice #EverydayGongfu #EverydayGongfuFilms #BreaFisher #KwanYinKungFu #GuanYinGongfu #TCM #TraditionalChineseMedicine #EagleClawGongfu #EagleClawKungfu #HomeImprovements #HomeImprovementProject #Pantry #StockingThePantry #StockTheStores #BallJars #QigongForLowerBack #8Brocades #EightBrocades #EightTreasures #BaDuanJin

​DAY 820. Yesterday’s form was Black Eagle Wings— a form I recently published as a full-length Qigong Lesson Film. It was in response to a question I received about Qigong to ease anxiety. If you have something going on that you’d like help treating via Qigong, feel free to DM me and I’ll do my best to help if I can.
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I can’t guarantee that I’ll always be able to offer this, but I’m happy to demonstrate forms here that may help you out. So ask me and you may just find me practicing a form specifically for you.
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Like this one. The question I got made me think of two forms I thought would be helpful. Today’s form pertains to the questioner’s discomfort in the lower back/ sides of the torso.
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Since it was mentioned that the time of year has a part in this coming up, I suggest Water Element forms— winter Qigong that nourishes and strengthens the kidneys. But since there was also an intention to ease anxiety (which is typically a Metal/ Lung emotion), I get the sense this form will suit the situation quite well, also.
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It’s Turn the Waist to Strike the Drum, which is part of the Warmup Lesson Film sequence I offer as a free gift for subscribing to the mailing list. This is my favorite lower back + sides of the torso form— it feels so good and I do it every morning to help me work out sleepy stiffness.
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If you’d like to learn this simple form, subscribe on the homepage at www.KwanYinKungFu.com. I’m about to update this Warmup Lesson Film, but the new version will continue to include Turn the Waist To Strike the Drum.
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If you’d like to learn Qigong with me you don’t need to be in New Mexico, you can study with me online. I offer a Pay-What-You-Like subscription series in which you get a new Qigong Lesson Film every month and instant access to the entire archive when you sign up via Patreon.com/breafisher
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Thank you patrons! Just posted a little something for you on Patreon, so if you haven’t yet, go check it out. In this season of warm fuzziness I am feeling extra, extra grateful for your support, encouragement, and engagement. With a bow, Brea
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To get on the list to receive the free Chinese New Year Qigong Lesson Film, and to be the first to know about upcoming workshops, immersions, and retreats I’ll be offering, subscribe at www.KwanYinKungFu.com. You’ll also get a free Qigong Warmup Lesson Film, a series of dynamic stretches to open your joints, warm your muscles, and prepare the body to move with more ease.
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#Kungfu #Gungfu #Gongfu #TaiJiQuan #TaiChi #Qigong #Qi #TCM #MoveQi #Practice #EverydayGongfu #EverydayGongfuFilms #BreaFisher #KwanYinKungFu #GuanYinGongfu #TCM #TraditionalChineseMedicine #EagleClawGongfu #EagleClawKungfu #QAndA #QigongForAnxiety #QigongForLowerBack #TurnTheWaist #StrikeTheDrum #WinterQigong #KidneyQigong #QigongForKidneys #KidneyStrengtheningQigong #WaterElement #WaterElementQigong

DAY 819. Q. “I want to ask if there were any exercises you’d recommend to relieve feelings of anxiety. This time of year can be uneasy & the discomfort is usually in my lower back/the sides of my torso.”
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A. For your lower back/ sides of torso discomfort, I’d suggest Water Element forms, as well as Turn the Waist to Strike the Drum, which I’ll demonstrate in my next post.
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Black Eagle Wings is the form I use specifically for anxiety, and most Metal Element forms will do you good there. Really, all Qigong soothes anxiety, since it slows the breath and brings your energy back into your body, which draws into the present moment.
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In Kenneth Cohen’s book, The Way of Qigong, he describes the correlation between anxiety, breath, Qi, and the lungs. “The English word anxiety comes from a German root angst, ‘narrow,’ referring to the narrowing of the bronchial passages. During times of anxiety, breath and qi are constricted, unable to flow easily in and out of the lungs.”
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In Black Eagle Wings Qigong, we use the Metal Element in support of the lungs via the breath cycle; by filling the lungs to capacity and exhaling completely, we make space for the breath to flow fully and the Qi to move effortlessly. The movement itself is in encouragement of the lungs; the arms describe the shape of these wing-shaped organs, sweeping up the center and fountaining earthward.
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Black Eagle Wings is the most recent published Qigong Lesson Film, so if you’d like to learn it, you have access to all the details of the form when you subscribe to this Pay What You Like offering. Sign up via Patreon.com/breafisher {Link in bio} and get a new, full-length Qigong Lesson Film every month and instant access to the entire archive as soon as you become a patron.
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Thank you patrons! Just posted a little something for you on Patreon, so if you haven’t yet, go check it out. In this season of warm fuzziness I am feeling extra, extra grateful for your support, encouragement, and engagement. With a bow, Brea
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To get on the list to receive the free Chinese New Year Qigong Lesson Film, and to be the first to know about upcoming workshops, immersions, and retreats I’ll be offering, sign up at www.KwanYinKungFu.com. You’ll also get a free Qigong Warmup Lesson Film, a series of dynamic stretches to open your joints, warm your muscles, and prepare the body to move with more ease.
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#Kungfu #Gungfu #Gongfu #TaiJiQuan #TaiChi #Qigong #Qi #TCM #MoveQi #Practice #EverydayGongfu #EverydayGongfuFilms #BreaFisher #KwanYinKungFu #GuanYinGongfu #TCM #TraditionalChineseMedicine #EagleClawGongfu #EagleClawKungfu #QAndA #QigongForAnxiety #QigongForLowerBack #BlackEagleWings #BlackEagleWingsQigong #KenCohen #KennethCohen #TheWayOfQigong #Anxiety #MetalElement #MetalElementQigong

DAY 817. I’ve been writing a lot on tea lately and I just want to preface this post with a little note to say that tea is a personal practice and my effort to share about it here is simply because I love it so; it’s a way to direct those who are interested to the resources I’ve personally found helpful and inspiring.
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One of those resources I wholeheartedly support, respect, and recommend is @LivingTea. Now, “living tea” is a term used for tea (camellia sinensis) that has certain qualities (seed-propagated, with room to grow, in a chemical-free, biodiverse environment, without irrigation, in which there is a “healthy relationship between all involved”), as outlined by Living Tea— the tea house/ tea and teaware resource/ dedicated chajins (tea people).
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Living Tea is based in Colorado, and offers some of the best teas I’ve tasted. Founder Colin Hudon is not only a dedicated chajin, but also an herbalist, acupuncturist, and practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine. He and his team hold an integrity rarely found these days— when you get tea from @livingtea you are getting tea from people who drink it as a Way—  they know it intimately. For this reason I think of Living Tea less as a business and more of a service (for that’s what Cha Dao brings out in us— the desire to serve).
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You can subscribe to the Seasonal Tea Club at www.LivingTea.netand at the start of each season you’ll get three to five different “old-growth, rare teas that are hand-chosen and curated for every season.” I highly recommend this beautiful way to get acquainted with (or deepen your relationship to) teas that are “living.”
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Staying on topic, the form you see me demonstrating here is another Teacup Palm, this time in its Gongfu version so as to show the martial applications. The palm strikes the lower side body— “the laughing spot” as my sifu would say, or depending on your practice partner’s position it could also be a strike to the kidney.
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From that main application, we chamber the fist (or palm) at the hip and this is in response to a possible grab of the wrist, at which point we swing around the side and up the center to block over the head. Finally, we use the height of the arm to gain power to swing back down for the strike.
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Teacup Palm Qigong (see the form from a couple days ago) is one of the Qigong Lesson Films, which means you can learn it in full detail online! To learn with me through this subscription series, my Pay What You Like offering, sign up via Patreon.com/breafisher. You get a new, full-length Qigong Lesson Film every month and instant access to the entire archive as soon as you become a patron.
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Thank you patrons! Just posted a little something for you on Patreon, so if you haven’t yet, go check it out. In this season of warm fuzziness I am feeling extra, extra grateful for your support, encouragement, and engagement. With a bow, Brea
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To get on the list to receive the free Chinese New Year Qigong Lesson Film, and to be the first to know about upcoming workshops, immersions, and retreats I’ll be offering, sign up at www.KwanYinKungFu.com. You’ll also get a free Qigong Warmup Lesson Film, a series of dynamic stretches to open your joints, warm your muscles, and prepare the body to move with more ease.
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#Kungfu #Gungfu #Gongfu #TaiJiQuan #TaiChi #Qigong #Qi #TCM #MoveQi #Practice #EverydayGongfu #EverydayGongfuFilms #BreaFisher #KwanYinKungFu #GuanYinGongfu #TCM #TraditionalChineseMedicine #EagleClawGongfu #EagleClawKungfu #Tea #QigongAndTea #TeacupPalm #TeaPractice #ChaDao #TheWayOfTea #LivingTea #CamelliaSinensis #SeasonalTeaClub #OldGrowthTea #RareTeas

​DAY 816. I wrote yesterday on Cha Dao— that is, tea as a way— as a practice, perhaps as a path toward meeting, allowing, and encouraging the fullness of oneself. Today I’m still on tea, sharing with you a little on my favorite resource: The Global Tea Hut ( @globalteahut ).
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Several of you who follow me here know more about this tea tradition than I do, so this is for those who don’t. Part of the beauty of tea is the undeniable impulse to share it with others, whether by actually serving via pouring bowls, or taking on the process of serving by way of sharing resources.
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I have learned most of what I know of Cha Dao from the teachings of Wu De and those Chajins (tea people) who have committed their lives to sharing this tea lineage. The Tea Sage Hut in Miaoli, Taiwan, hosts 10-day courses on tea and zen, (and it’s free!). But if you want a more accessible way to get acquainted with the leaf, you can subscribe to the Global Tea Hut, and get a magazine and sample of high-quality, clean, and sustainably cultivated/ harvested tea every month. Subscribe at www.globalteahut.org
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Today’s form is another variation of Teacup Palm. In this version we isolate sides, and the martial aspect of the movement begins to reveal itself. Tomorrow I’ll share the Gongfu variation so you can see the applications more clearly. 
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Teacup Palm, in its double-sided variation (from yesterday’s post) is one of the Qigong Lesson Films, which means you can learn it in full detail online! To learn with me through this subscription series, my Pay What You Like offering, sign up via Patreon.com/breafisher. You get a new, full-length Qigong Lesson Film every month and instant access to the entire archive as soon as you become a patron.
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Thank you patrons! Just posted a little something for you on Patreon, so if you haven’t yet, go check it out. In this season of warm fuzziness I am feeling extra, extra grateful for your support, encouragement, and engagement. With a bow, Brea
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To get on the list to receive the free Chinese New Year Qigong Lesson Film, and to be the first to know about upcoming workshops, immersions, and retreats I’ll be offering, sign up at www.KwanYinKungFu.com. You’ll also get a free Qigong Warmup Lesson Film, a series of dynamic stretches to open your joints, warm your muscles, and prepare the body to move with more ease.
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#Kungfu #Gungfu #Gongfu #TaiJiQuan #TaiChi #Qigong #Qi #TCM #MoveQi #Practice #EverydayGongfu #EverydayGongfuFilms #BreaFisher #KwanYinKungFu #GuanYinGongfu #TCM #TraditionalChineseMedicine #EagleClawGongfu #EagleClawKungfu #Tea #QigongAndTea #TeacupPalm #TeaPractice #ChaDao #TheWayOfTea #TeaAsMedicine #TeaAsTeacher #BowlTea #TeaSageHut #GlobalTeaHut

DAY 814. For me, the new year doesn’t quite feel real until Chinese New Year, so on January 1 it usually feels like I’m reaching to find significance. I don’t get the same potent charge— the undeniable impulse to release the old and intend the new— as I do come the second new moon after Winter Solstice.
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2019 is the year of the Yin Earth Boar. As I do each year, to celebrate the transition of energies (in this case, from Yang Earth Dog to our Boar Qi of 2019,) I’ll be offering a free Qigong Lesson Form cultivating the medicine of Boar.
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This full-length Qigong Lesson Film will be just like the ones Kwan Yin Kung Fu patrons receive in the subscription series— in-depth, detailed instruction, narrated by me, with on-screen notes and a thorough description of its psycho-spiritual and medicinal aspects.*
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I’ve been taking extra care of my neck lately, and this Qigong form has been a daily one for me, sometimes coming up several times throughout my day. It’s a variation of Wise Owl Turns It’s Head to Cure Fatigue and Distress, one of the Eight Treasures (Eight Brocades/ Ba Duan Jin). This is its seated version; Form Notes are below.
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The movement of turning the head tonifies the nervous system and along with the twisting of the spine, eases back pain. “A stiff neck greatly reduces blood flow to the head and brain, causing exhaustion, loss of memory and concentration, headaches, and many other problems." --Xiaoyao Xingzhe
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If you’d like to learn Qigong with me you don’t need to be in New Mexico, you can study with me online. I offer a Pay-What-You-Like subscription series in which you get a new Qigong Lesson Film every month and instant access to the entire archive when you sign up via Patreon.com/breafisher.
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Dear patrons, Thank you. The words may not always change here in my little gratitude blurb, but I want you to know that not a day goes by that I don’t feel humbled, inspired, and energized by your support. Thank you from my ♥️🙏🏼
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[FORM NOTES] Wise Owl Turns Its Head to Cure Fatigue and Distress, seated variation
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1.         Begin in a seated position, ideally on the floor with a mat or cushion or in a straight-backed chair without arms. Be sure the spine is long and vertical; if in a chair, place feet flat, hip distance apart, and sit with sit bones resting just behind the front edge of the seat.
2.         Palms rest on the kidneys (thumbs to the front, fingers toward the spine); if there is too much tension in the trapezius muscles of the shoulders, the backs of the hands can hold the kidneys instead.
3.         Inhale*, slowly turn the head and torso to the L side.
4.         Exhale, press the L hand on the L kidney to support the twist as you continue turning the waist as far as it will go; the head turns to gaze behind the body (only turn the head as far as a quarter turn past the center of the chest; rely on the torso twist to get you to see further behind rather than the neck).
5.         When you reach the peak of the twist the gaze sharpens on one point for a moment, then softens again before you unwind yourself. The gaze remains soft— seeing everything and nothing in particular— until you reach the peak of the twist on the other side.
6.         Inhale, begin to turn the waist back to the front, also turning the head; reach the halfway point at the side, then adjust the palms on the kidneys, massaging gently earthward once before we:
7.         Exhale, continuing to turn the waist and head back to center.
8.         Repeat on the R side, and continue for at least 9 repetitions (one side counts as one rep).
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*It’s paramount that you follow the breath pattern that feels right in your body. In this form the breath can be completely natural instead of choreographed with the movement.
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*To get on the list to receive the free Chinese New Year Qigong Lesson Film, and to be the first to know about upcoming workshops, immersions, and retreats I’ll be offering, sign up at www.KwanYinKungFu.com. You’ll also get a free Qigong Warmup Lesson Film, a series of dynamic stretches to open your joints, warm your muscles, and prepare the body to move with more ease.
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#Kungfu #Gungfu #Gongfu #TaiJiQuan #TaiChi #Qigong #Qi #TCM #MoveQi #Practice #EverydayGongfu #EverydayGongfuFilms #BreaFisher #KwanYinKungFu #GuanYinGongfu #TCM #TraditionalChineseMedicine #EagleClawGongfu #EagleClawKungfu #Happy2019 #RingingIn2019 #HappyNewYear #SolarNewYearVsLunarNewYear #ChineseNewYear #YearOfTheBoar #YearOfThePig #YinEarthPig #YinEarthBoar #WiseOwlQigong #QigongForNeck

​DAY 813. My final bowl of 2018. Hot water, blessed with the Shen (Spirit). With gratitude for the beauty and madness of what has come, I release you.
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My home practice includes daily tea sits, which are either preceded or followed by a full Qigong set. When the final bowl has been poured— the bowl that is just pure water— I usually close the session with this Qigong form.
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The form is called Refining the Three Treasures, and I’ve shared this first section of it recently, in its standing variation. Moving this way over the tea bowl feels natural. Like a blessing. It’s a way for me to more intentionally take what has shifted during the tea ceremony and integrate it into my life.
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May we all take what has shifted during this 2018 year, regardless of whether or not we’re able to name the things that have moved, and may we head into 2019 from a place of peaceful readiness, integrating the upgrades, assimilating the selves we have grown into.
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If you’d like to learn this Qigong form (and many others) you can study with me online. I offer a Pay-What-You-Like subscription series in which you get a new Qigong Lesson Film every month and instant access to the entire archive when you sign up via Patreon.com/breafisher {Link in bio}.
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Dear patrons, Thank you. The words may not always change here in my little gratitude blurb, but I want you to know that not a day goes by that I don’t feel humbled, inspired, and energized by your support. Thank you from my ♥️🙏🏼
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To get on the list to be the first to know about upcoming workshops, immersions, and retreats I’ll be offering, sign up at www.KwanYinKungFu.com and you'll also get a free Qigong Warmup Lesson Film (soon to be updated come the new year), a series of dynamic stretches to open your joints, warm your muscles, and prepare the body to move with more ease.
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#Kungfu #Gungfu #Gongfu #TaiJiQuan #TaiChi #Qigong #Qi #TCM #MoveQi #Practice #EverydayGongfu #EverydayGongfuFilms #BreaFisher #KwanYinKungFu #GuanYinGongfu #TCM #TraditionalChineseMedicine #EagleClawGongfu #EagleClawKungfu #BowlTea #LastBowlOf2018 #LastTeaSitOf2018 #BlessedByTheShen #Spirit #WithGratitude #BeautyAndMadness #TeaCeremony #DailyTeaSits #QigongAndTea #RefiningTheThreeTreasures

​DAY 812. We finally busted outta here yesterday, driving straight through waist deep drifts of snow on the hilly road so we could stock up on water and food. See the drive @breafisher
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This is Kidney Strengthening Qigong, a Water Element form that can be done with a deep or shallow bend. The mind moves into one kidney at a time, which is very effective for giving each one their due attention, care, and appreciation, things our kidneys can really use, this time of year especially.
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If you’d like to learn Qigong from me you don’t have to be in New Mexico— you can study with me online. I offer a Pay-What-You-Like subscription series in which you get a new Qigong Lesson Film every month and instant access to the entire archive when you sign up via Patreon.com/breafisher
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Dear patrons, Thank you. The words may not always change here in my little gratitude blurb, but I want you to know that not a day goes by that I don’t feel humbled, inspired, and energized by your support. Thank you from my ♥️🙏🏼
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To get on the list to be the first to know about upcoming workshops, immersions, and retreats I’ll be offering, sign up at www.KwanYinKungFu.com and you'll also get a free Qigong Warmup Lesson Film (soon to be updated come the new year), a series of dynamic stretches to open your joints, warm your muscles, and prepare the body to move with more ease.
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[FORM NOTES] Water Element Kidney Strengthening Qigong (paraphrased from Master Liu Deming’s notes)
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A personal note here, from Brea: Please take care with this form. Listen to the body, as always in this practice. I like to begin the first handful of reps by only bending halfway, working my way into the deep bend. This is especially important for those of us with SI Joint misalignment.
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1.         Stand with feet parallel, under hips or shoulders or somewhere in between. Lift forward-facing palms up the sides to overhead, turning the left.
2.         Exhale,* stretching downward, with earthward palms pressing down the side and into the earth. Stretch and expand the upper body as much as possible, relaxing the shoulders and back, and opening the waist. Use the mind to expel turbulent kidney Qi.
3.         Just slightly bend the knees, turn the palms forward, and stretch the body upward as you inhale, drawing the hands up the left side of the circle. Use the mind to feel pure Qi entering from the Bubbling Springs (the energy centers in the soles). The Qi travels up the kidney meridian, through Bubbling Springs, along the medial aspect of the leg, penetrates the kidneys and bladder, then moves over the abdomen and chest.
4.         Turn to the right and repeat the movement.
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*This is the breath pattern described by Master Liu Deming; however, it’s important to remember to let the breath be light and easy. Sometimes it’s best to let it go and allow it to be natural, especially when learning a new form.
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​DAY 811. “Store energy like drawing a bow; release it like shooting an arrow.”
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Quote from T’ai-chi Touchstones: Yang Family Secret Transmissions, compiled and translated by Douglas Wile (one of my favorite books)
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If you’d like to learn Qigong from me you don’t have to be in New Mexico— you can study with me online. I offer a Pay-What-You-Like subscription series in which you get a new Qigong Lesson Film every month and instant access to the entire archive when you sign up via Patreon.com/breafisher.
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Dear patrons, Thank you. The words may not always change here in my little gratitude blurb, but I want you to know that not a day goes by that I don’t feel humbled, inspired, and energized by your support. Thank you from my ♥️🙏🏼
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To get on the list to be the first to know about upcoming workshops, immersions, and retreats I’ll be offering, sign up at www.KwanYinKungFu.com and you'll also get a free Qigong Warmup Lesson Film (soon to be updated come the new year), a series of dynamic stretches to open your joints, warm your muscles, and prepare the body to move with more ease.
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#Kungfu #Gungfu #Gongfu #TaiJiQuan #TaiChi #Qigong #Qi #TCM #MoveQi #Practice #EverydayGongfu #EverydayGongfuFilms #BreaFisher #KwanYinKungFu #GuanYinGongfu #TCM #TraditionalChineseMedicine #EagleClawGongfu #EagleClawKungfu #Winter #WinterWonderland #Snow #SnowmanPunchingBag #GongfuInSnow #KungFuInSnow #StoreEnergyLikeDrawingABow #ReleaseEnergyLikeShootingAnArrow #TaiChiTouchstones #YangFamily #SecretTransmissions

​DAY 810. It snowed all day, tiny flecks that would have been glitter in the sunlight had it made its way through the thick cloud cover— a rare occasion for our sun-abundant New Mexico. We are fully snowed in and couldn’t be cozier.
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Walking was an effort to stay up, as the rocks took you by surprise. And it was one of the toughest shots to get, this clip from snow practice. Try being agile and quick in heavy boots, winter jacket and fat scarf, and a foot of snow. A good workout though!
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If you’d like to learn Qigong from me you don’t have to be in New Mexico— you can study with me online. I offer a Pay-What-You-Like subscription series in which you get a new Qigong Lesson Film every month and instant access to the entire archive when you sign up via Patreon.com/breafisher.
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Dear patrons, Thank you. The words may not always change here in my little gratitude blurb, but I want you to know that not a day goes by that I don’t feel humbled, inspired, and energized by your support. Thank you from my ♥️🙏🏼
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To get on the list to be the first to know about upcoming workshops, immersions, and retreats I’ll be offering, sign up at www.KwanYinKungFu.com and you'll also get a free Qigong Warmup Lesson Film (soon to be updated come the new year), a series of dynamic stretches to open your joints, warm your muscles, and prepare the body to move with more ease.
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#Kungfu #Gungfu #Gongfu #TaiJiQuan #TaiChi #Qigong #Qi #TCM #MoveQi #Practice #EverydayGongfu #EverydayGongfuFilms #BreaFisher #KwanYinKungFu #GuanYinGongfu #TCM #TraditionalChineseMedicine #EagleClawGongfu #EagleClawKungfu #Winter #WinterWonderland #SnowedAllDay #Snow #GongfuInSnow #KungFuInSnow #NewMexico #SnowedIn #CouldntBeCozier #AGoodWorkout #16Style

DAY 809. Woke up to this winter wonderland and just had to go out there first thing. The form that wanted to be is Big Bear— a snow so pretty it lured the beast out of hibernation.
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This is the fifth form of the Ba Duan Jin: Big Bear Sways from Side to Side to Eliminate Heart Fire. (Form Notes are in the comments below.) In Traditional Chinese Medicine, heart fire is excess heat in the heart. HealingPointAcupunctureClinic.com writes:
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"Prolonged stress, anger, frustration, resentment, and depression, or juggling too many activities without enough “down time," and poor eating habits, all contribute to a build up of heat, which disrupts the energy’s proper flow."
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Symptoms include:
Trouble sleeping/ insomnia;
Anxiety or restlessness/ irritability;
Difficulty concentrating;
Hot flashes;
Dry mouth and excessive thirst;
Tension in the chest;
Racing thoughts/ overactive mind
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If you’d like to learn Qigong from me you don’t have to be in New Mexico— you can study with me online. I offer a Pay-What-You-Like subscription series in which you get a new Qigong Lesson Film every month and instant access to the entire archive when you sign up via Patreon.com/breafisher.
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Dear patrons, Thank you. The words may not always change here in my little gratitude blurb, but I want you to know that not a day goes by that I don’t feel humbled, inspired, and energized by your support. Thank you from my ♥️🙏🏼
.
To get on the list to be the first to know about upcoming workshops, immersions, and retreats I’ll be offering, sign up at www.KwanYinKungFu.com and you'll also get a free Qigong Warmup Lesson Film (soon to be updated come the new year), a series of dynamic stretches to open your joints, warm your muscles, and prepare the body to move with more ease.
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[FORM NOTES] Big Bear Sways From Side to Side to Eliminate Heart Fire
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         1       Begin standing in Horse Stance (feet beyond shoulder distance apart, knees bent, spine straight, head suspended by a thread).
         2       Hands are on the hips (fingers to the front, thumbs to the rear).
         3       Shift the weight to the L leg, L knee bends, the torso follows the diagonal line of the right leg, gaze, hips, and shoulders remain forward.
         4       Turn the waist (gaze, hips, and shoulders) toward the L corner.
         5       Bend from the hips with a straight spine; keep the chin aligned with the spine.
         6       Send the chin and lift the gaze to level; sway the head from L to R, drawing the torso across the front at the depth right for your body. The eyes see level and the chin is extended.* The leading shoulder dips slightly. The knee that begins bent will shift to lengthened and the opposite knee will bend when the torso sways to that side.
         7       With the gaze to the R horizon, press the R foot into the earth to lift the torso to vertical, then extend the R knee. Hips and shoulders are facing right.
         8       Turn the waist back to the front, let the head/ gaze follow, sinking in the legs (bend knees to the degree right for your body).
         9       Repeat on the opposite side.
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*The variation for sensitive necks/ cervical spines is to keep the gaze earthward with a neutral neck (no bend in neck/ one line from tailbone to crown)
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#Kungfu #Gungfu #Gongfu #TaiJiQuan #TaiChi #Qigong #Qi #TCM #MoveQi #Practice #EverydayGongfu #EverydayGongfuFilms #BreaFisher #KwanYinKungFu #GuanYinGongfu #TCM #TraditionalChineseMedicine #EagleClawGongfu #EagleClawKungfu #Winter #WinterWonderland #Wonderland #BigBear #BigBearSways #HeartFire #QigongForHeartFire #QigongForInsomnia #QigongForOveractiveMind #EightBrocades #BaDuanJin

​DAY 808. I like the time between Christmas and New Year’s Day. It’s quiet and no one expects much from you. I’ve been having two tea sits a day and indulging in multiple Qigong sessions. I even have space for poetry.
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Sweet scent, sunrise mist
Many tea bowls by the fire
The rain turns to snow
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Today’s form comes from Refining the Three Treasures, a form you can learn via the Qigong Lesson Film subscription. It purifies the Jing, Qi, and Shen— the body, mind, and spirit. Read on to find out how to practice this one at home.
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If you’d like to learn Qigong from me you don’t have to be in New Mexico— you can study with me online. I offer a Pay-What-You-Like subscription series in which you get a new Qigong Lesson Film every month and instant access to the entire archive when you sign up via Patreon.com/breafisher.
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Dear patrons, Thank you. The words may not always change here in my little gratitude blurb, but I want you to know that not a day goes by that I don’t feel humbled, inspired, and energized by your support. Thank you from my ♥️🙏🏼
.
To get on the list to be the first to know about upcoming workshops, immersions, and retreats I’ll be offering, sign up at www.KwanYinKungFu.com and you'll also get a free Qigong Warmup Lesson Film (soon to be updated come the new year), a series of dynamic stretches to open your joints, warm your muscles, and prepare the body to move with more ease.
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#Kungfu #Gungfu #Gongfu #TaiJiQuan #TaiChi #Qigong #Qi #TCM #MoveQi #Practice #EverydayGongfu #EverydayGongfuFilms #BreaFisher #KwanYinKungFu #GuanYinGongfu #TCM #TraditionalChineseMedicine #EagleClawGongfu #EagleClawKungfu #TimeAbundant #TimeBetween #BetweenChristmasAndNewYears #TwoTeaSitsADay #MultipleQigongSessions #Poetry #Haiku #SunriseMist #RefiningTheTreasures #ThreeTreasures #JingQiShen