When: Saturday, June 11 and Sunday 12, 2011

-and- Saturday, June 25, 2011

Time: 10:00 am to 5:00 pm each day

Cost: $195 for the first two days. Retake: $100

             $95 for the third day. Retake: $50

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2EqfQTB68A&playnext=1&list=PLD0114A30002E4875

(We will practice the sequence more slowly than I performed on the YouTube video.)

First 64 workshop flyer with Robert 2011

The workshop fee includes a DVD of the form and a detailed handout of the 64 exercises.

Please bring lunches for each day and note-taking materials.

The Power of the Wild Goose

Wild Goose Qigong exercises are Chinese longevity exercises that originated centuries ago in the Kunlun mountains of China. Wild Goose Qigong is widely practiced in China today. The exercises represent the daily routine of a wild goose—a bird of longevity and high energy—and are effective at helping treat disease, increase energy, improve mental clarity and brain functions, and maintain fitness.

The Fabulous, Famous, Fantastic “First 64”

The “First 64” is the most well known form of the Wild Goose system, and usually the one first taught. It consists of 64 named moves that are performed in succession along a specific stepping pattern, much like a Tai Chi form is done. Each of the moves has particular benefits for health, wellness, and healing. The movements flow together in a beautiful active tapestry. The “First 64” is a lot of fun to practice and has many unexpected and unusual moves. The form includes turning, twisting, stretching, leg strengthening, balance building, and spinal strengthening. There are moves to eliminate old, stuck and toxic energy from your body and fill yourself with fresh new energy.

Here is a List of the Principle Articles and Videos on this Qigong Website

Note: These listed articles come from the Blog section of this website. There is also a section of Pages, which contains much information as well. The links to the Pages can be found to the right on any page.

Fun with Qigong Homepage

How to use this site.

Welcome to Fun with Qigong

My first post.

Introduction to Qigong

A video explaining the basics of Qigong.

A Simple Explanation of Qigong

What exactly is Qigong?

Audio Interview

A 55 minute overview of Qigong, along with a sample of the Six Healing Sounds.

The First Principle of Qigong

Practice. Preferably daily.

My First DVD: Fun with Qigong

A video guide to learning the gentle, powerful, principle-based Qigong set called The Five Flows.

Moderation and Fasting

All endeavors seeking health should not be excessive. Excess kills. Moderation heals.

Healing the Heart

Simple approaches to heart health.

Reducing High Blood Pressure

Video detailing some Qigong ideas for lowering pressure.

Breast Health

Exercises and resources from a non-invasive, vitalistic, self-empowering approach. Every woman should learn about these methods.

Inexpensive Acupuncture

Social justice through heartful needles.

Sudden Inhalation Syndrome

Shock breathing is normal but not natural. Learn how to breathe with ease.

Qigong and Fibromyalgia

Decrease pain with Qigong.

Simple Taiji Video

An introductory form to practice the principles and basic movements of Taiji (Tai chi).

Insomnia

Insomnia Article

Thoughts and exercises for working on that night-stealer insomnia.

Insomnia Video 1

Overview of Qigong exercises for overcoming insomnia.

Insomnia Video 2

Charge the Kidneys and connect the Kidneys to the Lower Dantian.

Insomnia Video 3

Warm the feet.

Insomnia Video 4

Draw Qi from the Lower Dantian to the feet. 

Front-loading Qigong

Practice extra amounts of Qigong before travel, expected stressful events, or busy times to come.

Hot Hands of Qi

Qigong will warm and balance your hands.

Qigong and Warm Hands: Part 1

A second class with the heat camera shows some fascinating photos.

Relax Your Shoulders, Descend Your Qi

Sink your Qi to relax your being.

Qigong and the Upside Down Snowman

Get out of your head and center in the lower abdomen. Health and joy await you. Let go of tension and sink your Qi to feel much, much better. [with a video]

You Can Cure Hot Flashes

Make hot flashes a thing of the past with this simple, powerful technique. [with a video]

Qigong, Vitality and “Limitations”

Work within your limits, but don’t let them define you.

Four-Part Protection Process

A Meditation and Medical Qigong Method for staying sane and clear in an insane world.

Alleviating Depression and Other Traumatic Emotions 1

The overview video of the “Old Man…” exercise.

Alleviating Depression and Other Traumatic Emotions 2

The second video of the “Old Man…” exercise. Lungs and sadness.

Alleviating Depression and Other Traumatic Emotions 3

The third video of the “Old Man…” exercise. Open the heart and release armoring.

Alleviating Depression and Other Traumatic Emotions 4

The fourth video of the “Old Man…” exercise. Clear worry, excess emotions, and anger from the middle burner.

Alleviating Depression and Other Traumatic Emotions 5

The fifth video of the “Old Man…” exercise. Putting it all together.

Three Types of Qigong Practice: Singles, Sets, and Sequences

Three ways you might practice: Focused, expanded, or sophisticated ways.

Qigong Sets

Understanding what Qigong sets are and how to utilize them.

Qigong Sequences

Understanding what Qigong forms are and how to utilize them.

Five Flows in a Single Exercise

One exercise can take you through all of the flows, if  you stick with it.

Preventing Colds and Flu with Qigong

These gentle, immunity-enhancing exercises truly work.

More on Preventing Colds and Flu with Qigong

Use healing sounds and slow, gentle, movements.

Qigong Strategies for Illness

How, when, and when not to do Qigong when illness is in the picture.

Qigong Workshops

A baker’s dozen of Qigong workshops your group may want to host.

The World-Famous First 64 Form

From Wild Goose Qigong, there is much healing in the intracies of these fun movements.

Reduce Stress with the Super Powerful Method of Belly Breathing

So much of a person’s stress arises from the backward, upside down, unnatural, but entirely common practice of chest breathing.

Pay Attention to Your Feet

With so much heady focus in our world, we lose connection to the whole of our bodies and the sustenance of the earth. Become more whole and balanced by paying attention to your feet as much as to your brain.

Save Yourself from a Lightning Strike

Crouch and survive.

Simplified Exercise Set

Sometimes an entire set is too much.

Open and Move from the Gate of Life

The Gate of Life is so important and so practical and so unknown.

Can Qigong Save America (and the World?)

We desperately need inexpensive, effective healthcare. Qigong is one of the answers to this urgent need.

Slap Yourself Healthy

Gentle tapping methods for wellness.

The Three Intentional Corrections

How to reframe and refocus your experience in the moment with Qigong.

Healing Knee Pain 1

Using the wall sitting exercise.

Healing Knee Pain 2

Success with the wall sitting exercise.

Change Your Life in Two Minutes a Day

Getting a daily Qigong practice started can reward you with big health dividends later on.

Bend Your Knees for Health’s Sake

Bending your knees helps alleviate many chronic pain symptoms.

When in Doubt, Shake

Use the Shaking the Body exercise to release fear, uncertainty, and tension.

Exercise with Ease

Be gentle and moderate with your Qigong to get the most out of it.

Qigong Will Soon Be a Common Sight

“People just have to get used to it.”

Spend a Billion Dollars to Save a Trillion

Qigong could save huge amounts of money, nationally.

Qigong is a Medical Bargain

It is downright cheap. It is gold that takes put pennies on the dollar.

Three Little Words Can Change your Life

The first three principles of Qigong: Practice, Modify, and Refine.

I Healed My Smashed Toe with Qigong

Using the gentleness and gentility of Qigong for giant gains.

Stay Centered or Suffer the Consequences

Multi-tasking leads to injury.

Breathe When You Type

Qigong is cheap medicine, easily accessible.

Train Your Qigong in Calmness

Qigong practice cautions.

The Secret Practice of True Wealth

Invest in Qigong and reap the lifelong rewards.

The Half-Half Rule

At least do some Qigong. You will be happy you did.

The Baby Bowl

Healing babies instead of watching the Superbowl.

September 2010 to August 2011

Each class series will have as a foundation some practice and training in the Five Flows Set. For overviews and detailed descriptions of the Five Flows Set, please refer to the pages section to the right of this text.

Classes Are Held

• Mondays from noon to 1:00                   
• Mondays from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm
• Fridays from noon to 1:00

 Prices come out to about $80 per 8-week series.

Come to one, two or three classes a week for the same price!

The Eight Brocades

Sept-Oct 2010

Monday, September 6th to Friday, October 29

Price: $80

These famous and widespread Qigong exercises are about 800 years old. They are used for gently training the intrinsic health of the muscles, joints, connective tissues, digestion, the spine, and more. The Eight Brocades engage the physical body wholly, bringing flowing, resilient, flexible, strength.

Preventing Colds and Flu

(Six Healing Sounds and Hun Yuan Qigong)

Nov-Dec 2010

Monday, November 01 to Friday, December 17 (no class Friday, Nov 26)

Price: $70

The Six Healing sounds clear the organs and tissues of stagnant Qi, open blocked Qi channels and reinvigorate sluggish lymph. Passageways are opened so fresh energy can then enter, circulate and be refined. Hun Yuan Qigong consists of slow, gentle movements that move the Qi. This set is a marvelous way to stave off getting sick Whenever I start to feel rundown—maybe on the verge of getting sick—I practice the slow motion Hun Yuan set for about 30-40 minutes. By the end of the practice I can feel a pulsing, whole-body empowerment. I get a strong sense that the healing forces in my body have been renewed and reinvigorated.

Taoist Yoga and Healthy Breathing

Jan-Feb 2011

Monday January 03 to Friday, February 25

Price: $80

Taoist Yoga is a term often used to describe the many and varied stretching practices found in the vast cornucopia known as Qigong. Taoist Yoga—rather than being long-held postures—is always in motion. Stretches are expressed, then released after a breath or two. It is Qigong stretching. Taoist Yoga puts emphasis on growing flexible strength in the joints, ligaments, tendons and fascia than the more muscle-focused Indian Yoga. Breathing Practices are some of the most powerful and all-effecting healing exercises you can do. Our focus will be on building the all important belly breath, then working up to full-vase breathing.

Healthy Joint Qigong

March-April 2011

Monday, February 28 to Friday April 22

Price: $80

In Healthy Joint Qigong you will learn:

• Joint Rotation exercises for clearing the joints and increasing range of motion
• Joint Expansion practices for increasing the space between bones
• Joint Pulsing practices for building Qi in your joints
• Joint Strengthening exercises to add more resilience to your joints
• Joint Massage techniques for bringing blood, Qi, and lymph through joints
• Bone Breathing meditations for clearing the joints and charging them up

Simple Taiji

(Taoist Five Yin, Taoist Five Yang, and Johnsonian Purging)

May-June 2011

Monday, May 02 to Friday, June 24

Price: $80

These movements are great for improving the health and strength of your internal organs, especially the essential five that Chinese Medicine focuses on. Simple Taiji will also strengthen your whole body, lower your blood pressure (if needed), improve the health of your spine, replenish your energy resources, improve your breathing, aid your digestion and elimination, and release tension.

Qigong in the Gardens

July 2011

Monday nights only: July 04, 11, 18, 25

Price: Free!

Free classes offered to the greater Whatcom community. This will be the eighth annual series. These Qigong classes are introductory. For those who haven’t done any Qigong before, it is a chance to experience a little of its joyful, internal healing power. For everybody it is an opportunity to practice, refine your skills and to share a healing experience with others in a beautiful garden setting amidst nature.

Summer Break

August 2011

No scheduled Qigong classes

This Summer will be the seventh year I have offered free Summer Qigong classes. The first year I held them in Whatcom Falls Park in Bellingham. Every Summer since I have held them at the glorious garden space of my home. 

These classes are open to anyone intrigued or entranced by Qigong, whether new to the art or a seasoned practitioner.  

Yin Yang and Nature

Free Qigong in the Gardens

Summer 2010 

When:     Each Monday in July (July 5, 12, 19, and 26) 

Time:     6:00 pm to 7:00 pm 

Cost:      None  

Where:   1095 East Axton Road 

Who:      Anyone interested; and whoever they invite  as well.  

Directions and Confirmations

There is no need to confirm you are coming. Just show up. However if you need directions, please contact me directly and I will send them to you. 

Come to any of the classes you can get to, or to all of them. 

Contact Robert Bates to get directions 

2010 Free Qigong in the Gardens whole page

2010 Free Qigong Classes postcards (multiple copies)

Qigong is an Investment

Qigong (“Chee Gung”) is the art, science, and philosophy of natural healing and personal energy management. Qigong is extremely effective in increasing wellness, ensuring longevity, and curing many ailments. Qigong is remarkably effective as a significant health care approach, yet amazingly inexpensive (especially this particular series of classes). Practicing Qigong is a superb investment for both building wellness and saving money by staving off current or future health problems. Someday Qigong may be a primary part of American healthcare. The way the medical money tide is growing and insurance avalanche is going, that day may come soon. Start learning it soon so you will be ready. 

Gentle Exercises for Grand Results

This summer’s focus will be on The Five Flows Set, and on specific Qigong Prescriptions. The Five Flows Set is a satisfying set of slow and gentle exercises that brings great balance to the body and calmness to the mind. Prescriptions are specific exercises designed to help particular health conditions. The Qigong Prescriptions will include exercises for several common problems, including colds and allergies, insomnia, hot flashes, heart issues, and nausea. We will start each class with the basic Five Flows Qigong. Then I’ll lead people through particular Medical Qigong Prescriptions. 

When:         Saturday, June 5, 2010

Time:         10:00 to 2:00

Cost:          Only $40

Location:    Robert’s beautiful healing studio at

                  1095 East Axton Road, North of Bellingham.

Sign Up:     (360) 398-7466, or rbbatesdc@comcast.net

Breathe Bigger, Better and Easier

Breath Practices are some of the most powerful healing exercises you can do. You can insert conscious breathing into just about any part of your day and be better off for it. You can benefit from conscious breathing practices virtually your entire life. Any amount of good breathing you do adds to your health.

With These Breathing Practices You Will

•  Massage the internal organs for greater all around health
•  Keep the head clear and promote mental clarity
•  Help move the lymph throughout the body, increasing immunity function
•  Increase your energy
•  Calm your emotions
•  Increase your lifespan
•  Decrease tension
•  Sleep deeper
•  And much, much more

 What We Will Cover in This Workshop

• Qigong breathing practices, each with different health goals
• Simple tests to assess how well you are breathing
• Easy ways to integrate vastly more quality breathing into your   everyday life
• The Framingham Study: How your breath capacity can accurately predict your lifespan; and how to definitely increase your lifespan with breathing practices

 Breathing Exercises We Will Practice

Follow the Breath. Just watch. Notice how you are actually breathing. You can learn a lot about yourself this way.

Graduated Quiet Breathing Meditation. Build awareness and sink into a relaxed, healing mode of being as you activate your parasympathetic nervous system, coordinate your consciousness and balance your brain

Abdominal Breathing. The foundation of proper breathing. Breathe into and out of your abdomen, letting it expand with the inhale and flatten with exhaling.

Belly Book Breathing. Re-teach yourself how to use your diaphragm to pull air into your body by expanding your abdomen, instead of lifting your shoulders to bring air in.

Pelvic Breathing. Sometimes breathe low into your pelvis to build power and prevent many problems.

Low Back and Kidney Breathing. Drawing the air into the lower back to expand that area and fill the Kidney’s with Qi.

Filling the Vase. Fill your torso with breath like pouring water into a vase; the water fills up the lower parts first before working up. Empty your breath in reverse.

Gentle Breath Holding. Holding the breath for a short time—repeatedly—to help relax tensions in the breathing apparatus.

Plus

The Remembering Breath. Put up green dot stickers. Every time you see the dot, take a deep breath. This will give you many deep breaths each day.

10 Percent More. Add just a little to the size or seconds of each breath.

Breathing Awareness Set (to take home.) Begin to take more control of your daily breathing habits.

Learn Taiji Qigong (Tai Chi Chi Kung)

Gentle Exercise Series with Robert Bates 

May and June, 2010  

Three Times

• Mondays 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm.   
• Mondays 6:00 to 7:00 pm.                 
• Fridays 12:00 to 1:00 pm.

Dates: May 3 through June 25 

Cost:   Only $80 for the entire series                      

Location: 1095 East Axton Road. This is a few miles north of Bellingham. 

Graceful Relaxation and Gentle Strengthening

Taiji Qigong is a set of graceful, meditative exercises based on the healing martial art of Taiji. This 18-movement set is also known as Shibashi. The movements are easy to learn and practice and have many healing benefits. Taiji Qigong is great for those wanting some of the grace, beauty and health benefits of Taiji Chuan but aren’t ready to commit to 10 years of difficult training. 

Taiji Qigong

Taiji Qigong is effective in opening major acupuncture points, balancing the brain and body, and improving the strength and flexibility of the spine. You will develop smooth coordination, gain more body awareness and you will attain a peaceful sense of empowerment. 

With Taiji Qigong You Will Also

• Gather energy
• Heal chronic injuries
• Become more relaxed and calm
• Clear the fog from your brain
• Enhance your immune system
• Improve Posture
• Feel better
• Strengthen internal organs

To Sign Up for Classes: (360) 398-7466, or email

Days: Mondays and Fridays. Take one or both days for the same price.

Dates: March 8 through April 16

Time: 12:00 to 1:00

Cost: $60 for the 6-week series

Location: Robert’s Healing Studio: 1095 E. Axton Road, Bellingham, WA 98226

In Healthy Joint Qigong You Will Learn

• Joint Rotation exercises for clearing the joints and increasing range of motion
• Joint Expansion practices for increasing the space between bones
• Joint Pulsing practices for building Qi in your joints
• Joint Strengthening exercises to add more resilience to your joints
• Joint Massage techniques for bringing blood, Qi, and lymph through joints
• Bone Breathing meditations for clearing the joints and charging them up

Joint Motion Exercises Can

• Lubricate the Joints through motion
• Help you feel better. Joint exercises can decrease arthritic and creaky pain
• Decrease calcium and other mineral buildup
• Help you stand and be taller: Expand the body, rather than be compacted
• Decrease the chance of injuries
• Be used as a wake up in the morning
• Be used as a warm up before being physically active
• Increase your flexibility
• Restore much lost joint health

Some Reasons for Qigong Joint Exercises

Health is movement and movement leads to health. Stagnation, in contrast, leads to illness. Impaired joints decrease the amount and types of movement you can do. While it is important to stretch and exercise the muscles and soft tissues of the body, the joints also need to be “stretched” and exercised. As a general rule, gently and frequently moving them in through their natural range of motion, helps them heal, helps them reconfigure closer to the way they were meant to work. If we exercise our joints we will be healthier and feel better. The joints have no blood flow, so they depend upon your movement to pump the synovial fluid through, and the toxins and detritus out.

Monthly Wild Goose Qigong Workshops

Once a month on Saturdays, Robert Bates will be teaching 2-hour Wild Goose Qigong Workshops. The workshops will be for both beginners and continuing students. Everyone will work on the First 64 form. Continuing students then can stay with the First 64 practice or work on Spiral, Soft Palms, or Slapping Healthy.

Time: 10:00 to 12:00

Dates: February 20, March 20, April 17, May 15 and June 19

Cost: $80 for the 5-class series or $20 per class

Location: Robert’s Healing Studio: 1095 E. Axton Road, Bellingham, WA 98226

Click here to view the embedded video.

Gain Greater Health and Have Fun Doing it

Wild Goose Qigong exercises are Chinese longevity exercises that originated in the Taoist tradition in the Kunlun mountains of Western China, many centuries ago. Long a secret, Wild Goose Qigong became widely practiced in China in the last few decades. The exercises represent the daily routine of a wild goose—a bird of longevity and high energy. Wild Goose Qigong is effective at helping treat disease, increase energy, improve mental clarity and brain functions, and maintain general fitness.

The Fabulous, Famous, Fantastic “First 64”

The “First 64” is one of the most well known Qigong sequences in the world. It is usually the one first taught in the Wild Goose system. It consists of 64 named moves of great variety that are performed in succession along a specific stepping pattern, much like a Tai Chi Sequence is done. Each of the moves has particular benefits for health, wellness, and healing. The movements flow together in a flowing, active tapestry. The “First 64” is a lot of fun to practice and has many unexpected and unusual moves. The form includes turning, twisting, stretching, leg strengthening, balance building, and spinal strengthening. There are moves to eliminate old, stuck and toxic energy from your body and fill yourself with fresh new energy.

These classes are moderately vigorous and will include warming up, stretching, Qigong drills, and instruction in the profound and fun movements of the of the long sequences.

Taoist Yoga

Mondays and Fridays from noon to 1:00 will be Introduction to Taoist Yoga: Stretch your muscles, ligaments, tendons, and joints using the principles of Chinese movement.

The cost for this course is $80. You can take it once or twice for the same price.

Prevent Colds and Flu

Mondays and Fridays from 1:00 to 2:00 will be Qigong to Prevent Colds and Flu. Use vibrating healing sounds and slow, rhythmic, repeating movements to knock an incipient sickness off it’s trajectory.

The cost for this course is $80. You can take it once or twice for the same price.

Expanding and Contracting the Rings

Here are photos of one of the Qi-refining exercises that will build the strength of your immune system.

Pull Qi up from the Ground

Flow Qi over the Head

Descend Qi into the Earth

• Five Flows Qigong Set: Two-hour workshop
• Qigong to Prevent Colds and Flu: Two or four-hour workshop
• The Delightful Dozen: Four-hour workshop
• Healthy Joint Qigong: Two, four, or six-hour workshop
• Empower Your Breathing: Four-hour workshop
• Six Healing Sounds with Color Radiation: Four-hour workshop
• Qigong Self-Massage: Two or four-hour workshop
• Swimming Dragon: Four-hour Workshop
• Taiji Qigong (Tai Chi Chi Kung): Four-hour workshop
• Chakra Tuning and Auric Butterfly: Four-hour workshop
• Five Animal Frolics Qigong: Two or four-hour workshop
• 36-Movement Snake Qigong Set: Taught in a pair of four-hour workshops
• Introduction to Medical Qigong Therapy: One-day or two-day workshop