Qigong and Meditation with Yasmin Shah
Sunday March 31st and 20th October, 2019
Time: 10am-4pm
Investment : £75
“Meditation, simply defined, is a way of being aware…it loosens the knot of self-centredness and opens the heart; it moves us beyond mere concepts to allow for a direct experience of reality.” Lama Surya Dass
During this day we will practise the gentle movements of Qigong and the stillness of meditation. This will be under the canvas of the bright and airy yurt and outside under the wide sky, weather permitting! If it turns out to a cool day then we’ll use the woodburner to make the yurt warm and welcoming. The yurt and site is completely accessible, peaceful and beautiful. Maximum 10 participants.
About Yasmin Shah DipQT, MSc, MHSc, MEd
Over forty years ago when I lived in Toronto, I started to meditate. Over the following years I continued to practise meditation in Toronto and on retreats in different places in Canada, the United States, Britain, and India. A few years after I moved to England I went on a retreat in 2001 at Gaia House led by a dear friend from Canada, Norman Feldman. The retreat was co-led by Brad Richecoeur and it was on this retreat that I discovered Qigong. It made a huge impact on me. It was as if a new world opened up. Qigong has been a part of my life ever since. For me practising the slow, gentle movements of qigong, in addition to Insight Meditation, promotes my sense of wellbeing and health, and deepens my connection to Qi. I feel happier, stronger, calmer and more balanced in myself. I feel that it has helped me to be more resilient in the face of challenges.
For the next few years I continued to practise qigong in classes, retreats and summer camps, mainly with Daverick Leggett, Brad Richecoeur and Zhixing Wang. Gradually I wanted to learn more about qigong and to get a broader overview. Following a move to Bexhill, I found that a two year qigong teacher training program was about to start at the Shiatsu College in Hastings. Synchronicity?! Up until this point my experience of qigong seemed more “intensive” in that it was a part of retreats, ten day summer camps, and courses. Over the course of the program I was inspired by by my teachers, Annie Cryar and Catherine Burnett, and how they brought the benefits of qigong to a whole range of people in different walks of life through drop-in community classes and was touched to hear how many valued these classes. This was an eye-opener for me! I saw how qigong can be beneficial to many in a variety of ways. These included decreasing stress, increasing a sense of calm and relaxation and increasing health and well being.
In the last few years I have led community qigong and meditation classes, courses and workshops for a Local Authority, supported housing groups and care homes, and has taught Mindfulness Practice in a secondary schools. I have also led days/sessions for the National Health Service for people with acute mental health issues, for schools, charities, and community sponsored events.
It has been a privilege and a joy to do this work.
