What is Qi Gong and Somatic Movement?
Two practices. One principle: the body holds wisdom.
Qi Gong and somatic movement are natural companions. Both invite us to listen from the inside out, move with awareness and reconnect with the intelligence of the body.
What is Qi Gong?
Ancient movement for modern life.
Rooted in Traditional Chinese Medicine, Qi Gong combines gentle movement, breath and focused intention to cultivate and balance the body’s internal energy, known as Qi (pronounced chee).
Qi Gong supports the healthy circulation and free flow of vital energy, helping to prevent stagnation that can lead to dis-ease, while supporting balance, vitality, and overall wellbeing.
It is often practiced to support health, self-healing, and overall wellbeing. The practice can be very gentle and calming, or energising and invigorating, depending on the intention of the session.
Qi Gong can be deeply beneficial for a wide range of health conditions, or simply as a way to improve overall health, resilience, and vitality.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, Qi Gong is considered one of the fundamental healing practices, alongside acupuncture, herbal medicine and massage.
During practice, we don’t just focus on the flow of energy within the body, but also bring awareness to the internal organs, promoting harmony and vitality from the inside out.
Qi Gong is very much a somatic practice, where the focus is always on how it feels in your own body, rather than how it looks.
Through its slow, mindful movements and internal awareness, Qi Gong can also supports nervous system regulation, helping the body shift out of chronic stress and into states of rest, repair, and balance.
Qi Gong is suitable for all ages and abilities, and can be adapted to meet you exactly where you are whether practiced standing, seated, or at a very gentle pace.
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ENERGY WORK IS REAL WORK
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WHERE INTENTION GOES, ENERGY FLOWS
// ENERGY WORK IS REAL WORK // WHERE INTENTION GOES, ENERGY FLOWS
‘Energy is everywhere, without it we wouldn't exist.
It's our life force, it's in nature and every living thing.’
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, Qi is the vital energy that flows through all living things. It is present in our vitality, emotions and sense of aliveness.
When Qi flows freely, we often feel more calm, connected and alive. When it becomes depleted, blocked or out of balance, we may feel tired, anxious, tense or disconnected.
Everything we do, thinking, moving, feeling, resting, being requires energy. But it is not only about having enough energy. It is about how that energy moves.
Practices like Qi Gong and somatic movement help us tune into this inner energy, release what the body no longer needs to hold and strengthen the connection between body, mind and spirit.
Why they belong together
Qi Gong and somatic movement are natural companions because they are rooted in the same principle: the body holds its own intelligence, and movement is one way we access it.
Qi Gong gives us rhythm, structure, breath and energetic awareness.
What is Somatic Movement?
Coming home to your body.
Somatic movement is a body-based practice that cultivates awareness from the inside out.
Soma means the living body in its wholeness, not just muscles and bones, but the felt sense of being alive.
Somatic movement is not about performing shapes or getting movement “right.” Sometimes it is slow and subtle. Sometimes it is still. Sometimes it is expressive, rhythmic or wild.
The practice is about listening deeply, honouring what you feel and allowing the body to move as it needs to.
It is an invitation to be fully yourself, exactly as you are in this moment.
How can somatic movement support me?
Somatic movement can support the nervous system and emotional wellbeing by helping you feel more grounded, centred and at home in your body.
Through mindful awareness and embodied expression, it offers space to release tension, move energy and deepen your connection to your inner world.
Over time, this practice can support regulation, restore a sense of balance and build emotional resilience, clarity and self-trust.
Rather than asking you to change who you are, somatic movement helps you come home to yourself returning to ease, presence and aliveness from the inside out..
The Body in Flow
In my work, Qi Gong and somatic movement are woven together with Traditional Chinese Medicine, rhythm, rest and energy awareness.
This integrated approach is called The Body in Flow.
The Body in Flow brings together ancient wisdom and embodied practice to help you reconnect with the body, restore flow and come alive from the inside out.
You can experience this through classes, workshops, teacher education and healthcare and community wellbeing sessions.
Ready to experience it for yourself?
Explore the different ways to experience The Body in Flow.
Online and in-person classes, workshops and seasonal practices rooted in Qi Gong-inspired movement, somatic flow, rhythm and rest.
Teacher education and deeper study for yoga teachers and wellness practitioners who want to weave Traditional Chinese Medicine, Qi Gong and somatic awareness into their teaching.
Accessible Qi Gong, somatic movement and relaxation for healthcare, care and community settings
Occasional 1:1 sessions and workplace wellbeing sessions are also available by enquiry.