WoodRidge Palms offers you the opportunity to experience the wonderfully healing and revitalising practice of QiGong, hosted by GrandMaster Leo Sebregts.

Our Seminars focus on the principles and benefits of QiGong practice and include exercises and breathing techniques aimed at enhancing your mental and physical wellbeing.

The workshops cater for people at all levels of expertise: beginners, intermediate and advanced.

Details of our upcoming QiGong Seminar / Workshop:

°  Dates: 31 October 2009
°  Duration: 09:30am - 17:00pm
°  Cost: R 500.00 per person

Tea/coffee and biscuits will be available on arrival.

Our weekend seminar with GrandMaster Leo Sebregts includes thorough explanations and participation in stretching, breathing techniques and QiGong exercises.

A special dinner menu will be available for QiGong participants:

• 300 gram Steak served with chips - R 55.00
• 10 Large Queen prawns served with chips - R 85.00

Rooms are available to cater for seminar participants and overnight guests.

This will be the last QiGong seminar for 2009 and is on a first come & paid basis.
Please be sure to book your place and dinner reservation 48hrs before the Seminar.

For bookings and additional information about our QiGong Seminars, please contact us.

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:: About QiGong

QiGong has a history of more than five thousand years. The benefits of practicing QiGong include: encourages mental stimulation and calmness, improving physical fitness, strengthening the entire physical body (internally and externally), resistance to disease and in doing so, prolonging life.

QiGong is the cultivation of vital internal energy by the regulation of: body posture, mind, concentration, rhythmic breathing and self massage in order to overcome internal problems and regain your wellbeing and health.

:: Basic Principles for QiGong Practice

There are countless methods for practicing QiGong, where the same principles and theories apply. These basic principles are observed in all exercises, providing guidance to each and every movement, physically or mentally.

• Posture

Although the human body is, by nature, graceful and symmetrically constructed, most of us are distorted, to various degrees, by our daily work and other physical activities. Such distortion results in physiological pressure. By restoring the symmetry of the human body you improve your physical and mental health.
Many requirements in QiGong practice, such as raising the head slightly, tucking in the chin and keeping the spine naturally upright, are aimed at achieving and encouraging a good posture.

• Tranquillity

Tranquillity can be achieved by keeping the body still, either in standing or seated positions, and by bringing about a calm state of mind and a relaxed body.
When the cerebrum is free from disturbance and distracting thoughts, the cranial nerves can take a full rest and all your internal organs will gain harmonious development due to an untroubled state of mind.
In QiGong theory it is believed that motion means consumption, while stillness helps the nourishment of Chi. By emphasising stillness, we are not denying the need for motion altogether. Ultimate stillness/calming of the mind will result in the natural flow of internal energy.

• Relaxation / alleviating Tension

This is the most basic requirement for the practice of QiGong. Many diseases are caused by tension. Relaxation means alleviating physical and mental stress, to bring about better co-ordination of your bodily functions.
The term relaxation may apply to the whole body or to specific acupoints or body parts. It can also be mental, meaning you should avoid expending too much effort in order to achieve the results which should come to you naturally.
The principle of relaxation should manifest itself in all aspects of QiGong exercise, where breathing should be even and continuous while movements should be slow, effortless and circular.

• Naturalness

The term naturalness means that all postures, physical movements and mental activities conform to the safe and natural laws of human nature and life.
When practicing QiGong, the movements of the arms and hands should be co-ordinated with those of the legs and feet. The range of movements should be moderate, to avoid stiffness when extending the limbs and avoid exerting pressure on the body when retracting them.
Exercises should conform to physiological laws and be done methodically.
A good set of exercises should consist of a number of parts that are arranged so as to bring about a progressive improvement of the bodily functions.

Man is born of nature and is closely related to it.