On Saturday, January 24, Catherine Violet Hubbard Animal Sanctuary sponsored a “Qigong for Beginners” session in Catherine’s Learning Barn. The session was led by Julie Moffat, who has been studying Qigong since 2001. She holds certifications from the Institute of Integral Qigong and Tai Chi, Radiant Lotus Women’s Qigong, and Organ Cleansing Qigong. She has studied with numerous private teachers as well as teachers from Chinese Health Qigong Association. She said, “Qigong is a mind/body self-care practice from China. It coordinates gentle movement, relaxed breathing, and meditation with self-massage to energize the body. Qigong translates as breath work or energy work — cultivating energy and storing it for body rejuvenation.” It helps to “release physical, psychological, and emotional stress.” This is the first time Catherine Violet Hubbard Sanctuary has offered Qigong. Participants in an introductory class on Qigong learned a variety of techniques to release physical, psychological, and emotional stress.

Then, on Saturday, January 31, CVHAS hosted a Yoga Nidra class taught by Sheryl Fatse. Yoga Nidra is a guided meditative yoga that instructs participants to lay on their backs and relax deeply. Following the guided meditation, participants were instructed to paint intuitively or reflect in journals. All materials were provided for participants.