The holiday season is upon us, but celebrations may look a bit different now than they once did. While gatherings may be smaller for many of us, it doesn’t mean we can’t still enjoy deep connection and appreciation with loved ones.

Since Covid, the world has been challenged in ways that most people have never experienced. In addition to an unfamiliar threat to our health, many of us haven’t been able to enjoy the closeness that we’re used to with our friends and family members. Since human connection is such an important part of our wellbeing, we decided to offer some creative ways for you to still experience intimacy and gratitude with those you care about, even if you aren’t with them in person.

The Importance of Human Connection

There’s a reason why elaborate feasts and celebratory gatherings are at the forefront of our holiday experiences during this time of the year. We all want authentic connections with others, and activities are a great way to help us experience exactly that. Being present with others can be rewarding, but doing something positive together often adds a layer of depth and connection.

For example, although a well-prepared meal may be delicious all by itself, it’s not the food alone that truly creates memories. The activity of dinner is a great catalyst for interesting conversations, laughter, and gratitude. The meal may nourish our body, but the connection that occurs through the process of sitting at the table together nourishes our heart and mind.

The same is true when we play games in the living room or front yard. Playfulness and friendly competition activate joy, humor, and appreciation of those we’re sharing the experience with. Exchanging positive energy with people we care about elevates our emotions, clears our mind, and helps us to connect to what really matters.

Finding Ways to Still Be Close With Loved Ones

Many of us aren’t going to be as geographically close to our friends or family members during the holidays as we would like to be. While it’s impossible to fully replace physical connection, we can still be creative and find ways to fulfill our need to connect.

The most obvious way to distantly spend time with loved ones is through a video call. At Holden QiGong, we talk a lot about how technology can be both a source of stress as well as a tool that can help us. When used to bring us closer to one another during the holidays, it’s safe to say that video calling services such as FaceTime, Zoom, and Skype are serving a positive purpose.

At Holden QiGong, there’s another powerful way we love to cultivate deep connections and share experiences with one another…

Coming Together Around Qi Gong

Qi Gong is a wonderful way to cultivate our own energy, but it’s also a great opportunity to connect with others. 

Qi Gong brings us closer to ourselves and helps us get in touch with the qualities we wish to experience. Love, gratitude, and joy are a few of the feelings we can seek to cultivate through our practice. Although this process takes place within ourselves, it also helps to facilitate the exchange of these qualities between fellow practitioners.

When two students follow the same teacher’s routine, they are brought to a similar place within themselves. For example, if Lee is sharing a routine to help us cultivate gratitude, all of the practitioners following him will experience a similar feeling and resonate with the same quality of Qi that underlies the routine.

Another way of thinking about this is to imagine tuning into a specific radio station. Just like a radio, when we enjoy a Qi Gong class, we are tuning in to a very particular frequency of energy. 

It doesn’t matter if we’re standing next to someone or if they’re thousands of miles away, when we do a Qi Gong practice with another person, a connection is created and strengthened through the frequency of energy that the class embodies. After the class, this will be evident through conversations together.

It’s similar to what two hikers might experience who meet deep in the wilderness next to a majestic waterfall. Upon encountering one another, their connection would immediately be in reference to the path they took to arrive at that place or the beauty surrounding them. Even as strangers, they would quickly share an understanding and appreciation that perhaps they cannot experience with anyone else. 

The same is true of Qi Gong students who practice together, whether they’re in the same room or continents apart. After the class, they will have arrived at a similar place that allows them to feel deeply connected, empathetic, and understanding of one another.

For this reason, we would like to offer an invitation. This holiday season (and perhaps during all seasons ;), try to dedicate some time to practice Qi Gong with a couple of people you care about. It doesn’t matter if they’re nearby or far away. By following an online routine together, you can practice at the same time from wherever you are.

To do this, pick one of Lee’s routines and agree on a time to practice. Write it down and then call your Qi Gong practice friends a few minutes before your agreed practice time. When you’re all ready, you can each hit the play button and practice the routine together.

Afterward, get back on the phone and enjoy another conversation together. Some discussion topics could include: what the practice meant for each of you, how you all feel now, and what energy you each would like to take forward into the rest of the day. You can also discuss what you’re grateful for, what you appreciate about your fellow practitioners, or what you want to create in your life. Of course, these are just ideas; you can share whatever feels most important and true for you in the present moment.

Regardless of what topics your discussion holds, the Qi Gong practice you just completed with your loved ones will help to facilitate a deeper and more meaningful connection between you. 

When Qi Gong brings us closer to ourselves, it helps us to communicate with love, authenticity, and presentness. This can be a great way to intentionally connect with those you care about even if they’re not geographically close. 

To make this process easier for you, we decided to include a video lesson of Lee that you can share with your loved ones in order to practice together. 🙂

Also, we know that sometimes technology issues can get in the way of making things happen, so we’re including a helpful article to make it easy for you to share this routine with loved ones. Click here to learn how to share this video with Zoom.  

If you enjoyed this brief routine, we have a way that you can learn from Lee and virtually practice alongside other students every week…

The Video Class Subscription

Two of the cornerstones of a strong Qi Gong practice are consistency and community. Our monthly Video Class Subscription provides exactly that.

Becoming a Video Class Subscriber means that you have access to eight to twelve new video classes each month, many of which you can practice virtually with other students all around the world. Since the subscription offers a steady flow of new content, it’s easy to continue learning new practices and routines every week of the month. 

Regardless of where you are in your Qi Gong journey, the Video Class Subscription is a great way to grow your practice, build community, and maintain consistency in your Qi Gong journey. Click on the banner below to learn more and sign up today.