With the European Health Qigong Games coming up later in August, being held in the UK for the first time, it's the perfect time to look more closely at this ancient Chinese practice.
There have always been strong links between tai chi and qigong, and qigong has traditionally been taught as part of the tai chi syllabus. Both use slow, graceful movements as a gentle way to exercise, encouraging health and relaxation.
The qigong set we will be looking at is the ba duan jin or eight treasures. It dates back to the Song Dynasty (960-1279) and is one of the original four sets adapted by the Chinese Health Qigong Association.
The course is aimed at beginners and will be on Wednesday mornings 10am to 11am at the Leigh South (TocH) Community Centre, 32 Hope Carr Road, Leigh WN7 3ET. A bargain at £36 this is an opportunity not to be missed.
