Times Chronicle & Public Spirit
Ancient Chinese mind-body-spirit practice comes to Montgomery County trail
Bringing art and health together along the Schuylkill River Trail in Norristown, Montgomery County, was an initiative proposed by Kristi Goodwin, Community Health Program Manager, Office of Community Information and Education, Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services.
“I thought it could tie in well with the challenges and times we’ve been through,” Goodwin said. “By getting out in green space, we know it can benefit people’s mental, physical and spiritual well-being.
It’s also a way to bring people together, whether getting exercise on the trail or taking in an art installation positioned along the trail.
“Art is typically looked at as decorative, but we wanted to show and let people experience how it can be collaborative and create a sense of connectedness and feeling,” she said. “I run the Montco Trail Challenge, so I thought about, ‘how can we blend the physical activity platform with art?’.”
In an effort to pique people’s interests and draw attention to the trail as part of the revitalization of Norristown’s Trail Junction Center led by the Montgomery County Planning Commission, one of the latest additions that involves physical fitness is a Qigong station, centering on the ancient Chinese practice.
“Qigong can be described as a mind-body-spirit practice that improves one’s mental and physical health by integrating posture, movement, breathing technique, self-massage, sound, and focused intent,” the National Qigong Association states on their website.
Qigong site
Goodwin said that Montgomery County Parks, Trails and Historic Sites was instrumental in helping to build the Qigong site which involves descriptive signs situated in a circle that provides instructions for visitors in both English and Spanish.
“There are eight different stations and each one has a specific focus and intention for a part of the body,” she said, adding they are referred to as the Eight Brocades of Qigong. “It’s supposed to help with mental, physical and spiritual well-being.”
The first station is called “Support the Sky with Both Hands.”
“That set of instructions is supposed to open up your lungs and stimulate metabolism,” she said. “Another is geared toward regulating the spleen and stomach and harmonizing the center.”
The idea is to do the stations in order.
They recommend doing sets of each movement and repeating all exercises five to 10 times,” she said. “It takes about 15 to 20 minutes to complete the whole circuit.”
According to her research, Goodwin learned that there are studies to support that Qigong can decrease blood pressure Studies have also shown that it can reduce symptoms of depression, among other benefits.
Jen Gittings-Dalton, Exeter Township, has had first-hand experience with how Qigong can have a positive impact on one’s health.
A couple of years ago she was going through some life changes between changing jobs, in addition to some lingering symptoms from what she suspects was an undiagnosed case of COVID, on top of heart arrhythmias.
“It was one thing too many,” Gittings-Dalton, who is in her 60s, said.
Her friend, Joanna Groebel, a licensed Professional Counselor and Registered Dance/Movement Therapist, suggested she try Qigong given her personal success with it that she describes on her website, www.groebeltherapy.com, as a practice she uses to enliven her energy, clear out stress and tension, and center herself.
“She shared with me all of these videotapes of classes taught by a Qigong master,” Gittings-Dalton said.
Health of the heart
For six months she was committed to devoting a half hour, one to two times a day, to practice Qigong, which included movements that are geared toward the health of the heart. She found the results to be almost immediate.
“I have uncontrolled blood pressure and after five minutes my blood pressure would go down 25 points and it would stay down for hours,” GittingsDalton said.
She said for some reason people underestimate the effectiveness of traditional physical and spiritual practices from Asia, with Qigong being one of the lesser known modalities.
“I’m very scientific and wasn’t someone who would run from one modality to the next, but I saw that Qigong
worked for me incredibly well,” Gittings-Dalton said.
Gittings-Dalton credits Qigong for helping her manage a challenging time.
“By putting yourself in the right position and working with breathing and motions to relieve stress and relax things, it unblocks the energy and lets it flow,” Gittings-Dalton said. “It was a factor in generally calming me down after a stressful period in my life.”
What she loves most about Qigong is the spiritual component of the practice. Today she does Qigong movements as needed, such as when she perceives her heart is acting up.
“It isn’t only breathing and movement and visualization, but there is also a spiritual philosophy where you are participating in the energy flow in the universe to ask for healing,” she said. “The spiritual aspect was essential to it working.”
Different users and abilities
For those curious to give Qigong a try, one of the intentions behind the Qigong station in Norristown was to offer a different type of activity than running, walking, or biking.
“We felt it could appeal to different users and different abilities,” Goodwin said. “It’s for all ages and it’s low impact.”
Overall, the Qigong project was done in partnership with the Montgomery County Planning Commission, Montgomery Department of Health and Human Services and Montgomery County Parks, Trails and Historic Sites. Funding for the Qigong station was provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Health’s Preventive Health and Health Services Block Grant.
After the Planning Commission did a trail use and diversity study, Goodwin said that despite the trail being such a major trail in the region and going through the heart of Norristown, the people didn’t perceive it to be for them, or didn’t know it was there.
“They thought it was for serious athletes,” she said. “We want to increase the visibility of the trail and show people you don’t have to be an avid cyclist to enjoy the benefits of the trail in your community.”
More information:
Where to Find the Qigong Station on the
Schuylkill River Trail
The location of the trail is located at approximately 76 E. Lafayette Street. There is a marker on the Schuylkill Trail as to where it is located, however, the Qigong circle is visible from Lafayette Street. Street Parking is available in addition to a Septa garage.
For more information: www.montcopa.org/qigong
Location to try Qigong in a Class Setting
A beginner’s class in Qigong is held at Reiki Wings in Phoenixville, Chester County, on Tuesdays at 6 pm.
For more information visit: www.reikiwings.com/ qigong