How to Stay Sane Despite It All, V. 1

Managing Anxiety with Qigong

Lately, I’ve had struggled with staying positive… but I’m not going to go into it. If you’re reading this newsletter, you probably understand why. I’ve been doing all the things you are supposed to do—eating well, going to sleep at the same time, exercising (a lot—I’m working on my Pilates certification), but I still struggle with anxiety. One thing that’s been helping me is qigong.

Image: Screengrab from Qigong with Kseny. Her sweatshirt = my mood, though my sister-in-law (also a Kseny fan) insists that sweatshirt is just Kseny AI.

If you haven’t done qigong, it basically is energy work, a form of meditative movement integrating posture, breathing, and body/mind awareness. It stems from Chinese medicine. Before you read further, understand, I’m not an expert, just a white woman writing about a practice that stems from Chinese medicine, something that really helps me.

Basically I got into practicing qigong when I was caretaking for my father-in-law, who had Parkinson’s—studies have shown that qigong and tai chi helps improve movement, walking ability, and balance in people with degenerative diseases.

However, besides the physical benefits, qigong is also good for mental and emotional health, in part because it focuses on pairing slow, mindful movements with intentional breathing. These slow movements in turn help release stress in the body. Plus, during practice one must focus on that moment, something which in turn helps with anxiety.

Some forms of qigong incorporate shaking or body tapping. I like to practice those when I wake up and my energy (aka chi) feels stuck.

Sometimes I take classes, but mainly I practice on YouTube. My favorite is Qigong with Kseny. I put three of my favorite routines below.

In other news:

I recently published this interview with Kiese Laymon over at School Library Journal.

I’m also working on an essay about why it’s important that the book JESUS LAND is being made into a movie now, for Literary Hub.

I’m going to continue this “how to stay sane…” series—I have an entire toolbox of tips. Would love to hear your suggestions, or if you like any of the videos.