World Health Qigong Day 2018 - “Health Qigong - A Way to a Healthy Life”

On the back of the European Health Qigong Games and Health Qigong Scientific Symposium hosted by the British Health Qigong Association, which saw the International Qigong Family come together in the UK for the very first time, great local celebrations for the second World Health Qigong Day, were planned by BHQA Instructors and Clubs. With a focus of widening the grass roots qigong community across Britain and beyond. This community participation focus resulted in a series of events planned by BHQA qualified Instructors across England, Wales, Ireland and overseas, to spread Health Qigong and engage the public who may have little or no awareness of Health Qigong.

BHQA Instructors organised almost 50 events the length and breadth of the UK, and overseas, with this year’s theme, Health Qigong a way to a healthy life. Building on the locations of events held last year, there were many new communities in the UK who were able to experience Health Qigong. Many local newspapers also featured stories on the local WHQD events, ensuring more interest in Health Qigong.

Some instructors such as Tao Heart’s Steve Goodeve and Helena Legg of Anahata Lotus Health took the opportunity to further the good message of WHQD by making donations for charity and good causes.

Master Tary Yip lead a special World Health Qigong Day session at Angela’s Tai Chi School in Liverpool, then headed to the Midlands, where 3 Chinese Martial Arts schools, Beautiful Flower Tai Chi and Qigong, Stafford Lau Gar and Lively Tiger Chen Tai Chi School joined together to organise a Qigong extravaganza at Birches Valley Visitor Centre, which was very well attended and also caught the attention of visitors to Birches Valley. Nicola G Day of Beautiful Flower also held an additional celebration of World Health Qigong Day at Northcote Farm. Lilford Park near Leigh also saw three BHQA Instructors, Jane, Terri and Joanne come together for a free Health Qigong event. Newly qualified BHQA Instructors Patricia Anderson and Isabel Perez also teamed up to hold a taster session near to Nottingham. The BHQA is so pleased to see new instructors participating, and spread Health Qigong to new communities!

Hull Deyin again held a fantastic WHQD event at East Riding Leisure Centre, lead by senior instructor Shaun Foulds. Steve Kennedy who teaches in Wrexham, Wales also organised two events, both of which were very well attended, at his local village green which drew participants as well as spectators. The BHQA was pleased to see two events in Northern Ireland, one by Tai Chi Derry’s Kathy McNamara, the other by Suzanne Vaughan in Belfast. Whilst in Ireland Kat Lee Tai Chi put on an event at Fernwood Park near Belfast. Further afield, our friends at the France Association Qigong Sante, who qualified with the BHQA, held an event in France. We were also pleased that Chen style Tai Chi Master Liming Yue of the Manchester Based Tai Chi Centre also celebrated WHQD with a Qigong session.

Carol Gascoyne and the Derby Tai Chi group, yet again held a session in a truly beautiful session, this time at Carsington Water. Whereas Sue Kelly and the Alton Community Centre held a popular session at the Alton Public Gardens. Celebrations in wonderful outdoor parks and gardens were quite a theme for the BHQA this year, with the Chi Clinic holding an event in Nonsuch Park, Tamz Tai Chi inviting participants to try Health Qigong in Vine Gardens, whilst Riverside Park hosted Ruth Leu’s Serenity Health Qigong group, and Diane Brindley took to Patshull Park for her WHQD event.   All in all this year’s WHQD events certainly spread the message Health Qigong a way to a healthy life to even more communities in the UK and beyond!

See photos below…….