During my whole professional life I’ve had a job where I sit a lot by the computer and for a long time I’ve felt that I have problems with stiff shoulders. I have adapted to this by doing fewer and fewer of those movements that were painful. Then my shoulders have got more and more stiff. That was nothing I paid attention to. It just happened. But finally my ability to move was so poor that I had problems shifting gears. Then I understood that I needed to do something about it.
Regular training didn’t help. It just gave me pain that I didn’t get rid of. Then I decided to attend a qigong course. So I did and I understood immediately that it was something that was good for me. The movements were so soft and I didn’t get pain afterwards. As my shoulders and legs were so stiff I couldn’t fully do the movements in the beginning but still I felt that it was good.
Nice beginner courses
Then I’ve kept on practising and I attend some course every semester. There are so many courses to choose among and I’ve attended the various courses. Hold qi up is still my favourite and it’s always fun to attend beginner courses. One might think “are you attending a course again, haven’t you learned yet?” but I always learn something new and I meet so many nice people. This year I felt ready to attend the summer course and that felt good.
The arms over the head, find joy
The difference now and when I started is that then I could barely put my arms over my head and I couldn’t bend down to the floor. Now I can. Step by step I’ve improved physically. At the same time I can handle things, difficulties and trials and things that belong to life, in a better way. Sometimes my family makes comments about it, because sometimes I’ve had a dip in the training, when I haven’t’ practised that much. Then my family comments: “Are you not going to practise some qigong now…” They notice a difference and I do as well of course. I’m more patient and I can deal with negative things with some equanimity. I can handle it and I also feel a regular, quiet joy in the everyday life.
Barbro Edlund