Join Hilary Smith in an exploration of two complementary forms of mindful meditation. Qigong is the ancient Chinese art and science of using gentle movement, breath and contemplation to harmonize the body with the mind and the spirit. The practice is accessible to people of all ages, sizes and levels of physical conditioning, and is often referred to as “moving meditation”. The Zentangle® method is an easy to learn, nonrepresentational, meditative drawing form which allows the participant to access the visually creative part of the brain. It is especially appealing to those who think “I can’t draw”. Using structured patterns that rely on simple shapes, beautiful artwork quickly emerges. Both practices are approached with a mindful, non-judgemental attitude, with no expectation for outcome. The only requirement is to have an open, curious mind. You’ll leave this weekend with the tools to develop a home practice in two meditative, centering art forms.
Hilary Smith, RN, CZT has been studying tai chi and qigong for 30 years and has been teaching these arts for 22. Her goal in teaching is to present students with the self care tools they can use to age with comfort and dignity. Her students have ranged in age from young adults to centenarians. While enjoying the benefits of her work and her personal practice, she always yearned for an expressive visual outlet. As she says “I knew there was a creative part of my brain in there; I just didn’t know how to access it”. She stumbled upon the Zentangle method and quickly embraced the practice. She found it to be the perfect complement to qigong. Having both seated and moving meditation practices have helped her feel more complete and whole, and she joyously loves to share them