Background & Ethos

Qigong with Simon is a Social Enterprise that was set-up in late 2019 to provide low-cost, accessible wellbeing sessions for residents in the Halesowen and Dudley area. It is a non-profit venture, with approx. one third of all revenue being reinvested in the venues that offer us a base. Fees are kept highly-competitive and contract-free to enable participants of all ages and circumstances to access the sessions on a drop-in basis.

Partnerships

We are currently in partnership with Ren Shin Kan Dojo (Halesowen), CreArt Community Centre (Dudley) and the Paradise Centre on Buffery Park (Dudley). Simon also brings Qigong to local care facilities, diversity groups, and educational establishments.

Forms

We perform several different Qigong forms (or sets) in rotation during the course of the year. Our staple form is Shibashi - an 18-movement sequence with gentle, flowing motions that are very simple to follow. Shibashi is one of the most popular Qigong forms for beginners, as it is so easy to learn. We also dip into the classic 8 Brocades syllabus and 5 Animal Frolics form from time-to-time as well.

Session Structure

A typical session usually lasts for 40-45 minutes. We always begin with a short warm-up before we enter whatever sequence we are learning at the time, and end with a brief standing meditation or visualisation to transition us out of the practice. The forms can be adapted for participants who prefer to remain seated.

Pre-requisites

The beauty of Qigong lies in its simplicity. It requires no equipment, no special clothing and demands very little of of us physically. Yet, the benefits of Qigong practice are plentiful (see the Benefits page). Participants are merely asked to turn up wearing comfortable, loose clothing and to bring an open mind. Let Simon know if you or a family member does have an existing medical condition, mobility need or social/emotional sensitivity which needs to be accommodated for.