exercise

6 REASONS TO LEARN QIGONG FROM MONICA MARQUIS

1. I practice daily! This is a feat in of itself. Half of the population in Canada is not active enough for health. In addition to my Qigong practice I swim, walk, hike, inline skate, cycle and I teach aquafitness. 2. I am passionate about movement and I believe movement is medicine, taken daily you can ward off most ailments including aging. 3. I am a fitness and physical activity specialist. I have worked in the fitness industry for 25 years. I have many certifications including: aquafit( instructor, trainer, therapist), Bone fit certified, Watsu 1,11,111, Ahi chi, Tai chi, Yoga, and Qigong teacher training. 4. I am a health promotion specialist who worked in public health promoting physical activity and chronic disease prevention. If you live in Halton, you may remember me as the coordinator for Active Halton, a group of government and private organizations dedicated to increasing the physical activity levels of Halton residents. We did some amazing work that still influences decision making of local governments. I coordinated the Mississauga Halton Fall Prevention Initiative and promoted the Home Support Exercise Program to Mississauga and Halton residents. I ended my career in the health sector (public health, and the Mississauga Halton LHIN) after spending 18 months with a non government organization - Osteoporosis Canada. While there, I encouraged health care professionals (surgeons and physicians) to implement best practices in Osteoporosis diagnosis and treatment. I assisted with best practice implementation at 3 hospitals in York Region - all three implemented the best practice guidelines and received awards. 5. I know chronic illness, if there is something I don’t know I am good at finding out causes, treatment and best practices. In addition, [...]

Five Reasons to Try Qigong

Carrying Mountains one of the 18 Luohan Hands Movement is medicine! Did you know that the single most important thing you can do for your health is move more everyday! I believe that movement is medicine, taken daily you can ward off most ailments including aging. I love to move, and want to share one of my favourite movement medicines Qigong to all who are interested. Easy to do and restores health: Half of the population in Canada is not active enough for health. People claim they don’t have time. Qigong can be practiced anywhere, anytime, for any length of time - inside or out, and no props are required…just YOU! For best results aim for 30 minutes a day. Endorsed by research! The Harvard School of Medicine has endorsed Qigong. In a recent review, Harvard researchers cited the following improvements from practicing Tai Chi and Qigong. Some of my students have seen improvements, like less pain, lower blood pressure, increased sex drive, and no more heart burn, in as little as 2 weeks. Manage stress: Qigong is a form of dynamic meditation where you calm the mind, breathe into the poses and follow the flow of energy through your body. When you practice Qigong, your internal chemistry, and energy function optimally. Qigong builds mental and emotional strength while teaching the body to react in a positive way to stress. Treat, manage or prevent disease! Qigong is a branch of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Qigong movements are a form of medicine each movement encourages the flow of Qi, the circulating life force (or energy) that circulates via meridians throughout your body. According to Chinese medicine when the meridians are blocked or if the energy is [...]