Movement as Medicine: Elemental Qigong for Nourishing Body, Mind and Spirit with Mimi Kuo-Deemer

At the heart of the ancient Chinese healing art of qigong, which means skilfully cultivating life energy, is the idea that nature is balanced and harmonious. When we orientate towards this balance through regular qigong practice, we have the potential to restore our health and be more fully alive. Nourishment is also what all living creatures – plants and animals alike – seek to ensure their steady growth and health. In this session, Mimi shares how qigong’s gentle movements and breathing practices can connect us to the source of nourishment we human beings seek in order to: replenish our vitality when it seems depleted or scarce; manage our energy level; and support the health of our body, mind and spirit. This talk is followed by a qigong movement practice open to all levels, experiences and abilities. The presentation ends with a recorded Q&A with live participants of the 2022 CBD summit.

Mimi Kuo-Deemer, MA, is the author of Qigong and the Tai Chi Axis: Nourishing Practices for Body, Mind and Spirit and Xiu Yang: The Ancient Chinese Art of Self-Cultivation. She teaches qigong, internal martial arts (6th generation lineage holder in Baguazhang) and meditation, and once traveled the world as a photojournalist for organizations such as The New York Times, UNDP and UNESCO. Since graduating with Stanford’s class of ’94, she has lived and worked in China and the United States before settling in the British countryside with her husband and their dog, three cats, 6 chickens and 60,000 bees. She champions the balance of playfulness and precision as the best way forward in life, and never underestimates how sitting, breathing, and conscious movement grant the clearest and most compassionate perspective on the joyful yet mysterious, messy, and unpredictable job of being human.