by Jocelyn Watkin | Jul 30, 2022 | Information |
Post-traumatic stress: I felt like I was about to be swamped by a huge wave all of the time. That small figure beneath the big land mass in the photo, that was me, frozen like the towering wave-like rock above me.
I was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress several years ago. Thanks to a lot of help and support from my husband, family, friends and my doctor I was able to recover.
Restorative journaling was also key to my recovery. The mindful process of journaling enabled me to break free from the hold that stress had on me, which enabled me to plan for a better and different life.
I’m keen to support the mental health of all New Zealanders and especially the vital work of the Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand (the foundation).
The foundation, along with The Kindness Institute, has organised Aotearoa/NZ’s first ever, nationwide month of mindfulness, which will happen over August. This will be an ideal opportunity for me to share my knowledge about restorative journaling so I can help others. You can find out more about me here.
To help you to make the most of Mindfulness Month and to raise funds for the foundation, I offer two mindful, restorative journaling sessions online with me to support mental health and wellbeing: Thursday 11th August 2022 and Thursday 25th August 2022, both to be held from 6.30 – 7.30pm (evenings). I am donating my time for these sessions.
In these sessions, you can draw, mind map or doodle or just write.
If you’d like to take part in these online sessions or if you’d like to enable a friend or family member to attend, please make a donation to the foundation on my fund raising page for Mindfulness Month. My online sessions usually sell out for $15 – $20 per person, per session. However, any amount will be very welcome. Even just $1 will make a difference, as every bit counts.
Here is the link to my fund raising page: https://events.mentalhealth.org.nz/fundraisers/jocelynwatkin/mindfulness-month
Once you’ve made your donation, please let me know. You can email me or use the contact form on the Kia Ora Tai Chi website. I will then email you the Zoom link for the two online mindful, restorative journaling sessions.
Of course, you can still donate even if you choose not to participate in my journaling sessions.
Whatever you decide to contribute, thank you so much for your commitment to the foundation and to New Zealanders in need of support with their mental health.
by Jocelyn Watkin | Jul 15, 2022 | Information |
Nurture yourself with healing qigong so you can blossom with good health.
Qigong (pronounced ‘chee – gong’) is an ancient, Chinese exercise programme of deep, meditative breathing and flowing movements.
This is your opportunity to learn qigong in an interactive, online series of three sessions, which have been designed to improve your overall health and wellbeing, release tension, calm your mind and stimulate energy flow (qi) throughout your body.
Each session will include:
- Quietening your mind
- Comfortable ways to align your posture to allow free movement of healing qi (energy flow) throughout your body.
- Deep, mindful breathing to stimulate your qi and influence your body.
- Gentle physical exercise
- Qi and energy awareness exercises
- Tranquil meditation and contemplation
- Explanations, discussion and guidance with Jocelyn
Session 1, Online, Thursday 21 July, 6.30pm: Playing with waves, relaxing and calming breathing combined with gentle movements to feel the qi (flow of energy) in your body
Session 2: Online, Thursday 28 July, 6.30pm: Swimming dragon in the mist, graceful yet powerful movements to cultivate more qi and to tap into the energy that surrounds us.
Session 3: Online, Thursday 4 August, 6.30pm: Enter the flow, learning to form a ball of energy and to guide it to help soothe your body and support its healing process.
Pricing for “Nurture yourself with healing qigong” (all in $NZ):
- Session 1: $20 per person, including the video replay
- Sessions 1 & 2: $15 per person, per session for a total of $30, including the video replays.
- Sessions 1, 2 & 3: $13 per person, per session, for a total of $39, including the video replays.
Jocelyn’s evening class students in Manurewa can choose to use 1, 2 or 3 of their prepaid class fees instead of making an additional payment.
PayPal, credit card and online banking options are all available. Note: payment by credit card and PayPal will attract a processing fee of up to 3%. Please use the form on the “Contact Us” page to request the payment option of your choice. We’ll reply with all you need to know to easily arrange your payment.
Are you looking for an in-depth opportunity to learn more qigong? I offer a rare 3-day/2-night retreat experience on the healing power of qigong.
Are you ready to blossom into better health?
Where: Aotea / Great Barrier Island, Hauraki Gulf, Auckland
When: Friday 11 to Sunday 13 November 2022 (3 days/2 nights). Places limited to just 10 participants.
How magical would it be to have the key to even greater health and wellness with qigong? Absolutely, you too can enter this enchanted place.
This retreat is for anyone aged 18+ who is seeking to vastly improve their own health, self-healing and well-being and/or wants to de-stress and have a better life/work balance.
Find out more: https://www.kiaorataichi.nz/gt-barrier-island-retreat/
by Jocelyn Watkin | Jul 5, 2022 | Information |
Are you wanting to boost your overall health and well-being? If you feel a little lost, flat or frustrated with not knowing what steps to take or if you’re keen to know more about self-healing, please join me to learn one of the secrets of qigong. (Pronounced chee-gong.)
Login for a free, online 30-minute session with me (on Zoom) on Thursday evening, 14 July 2022 at 6.30pm, so you can learn a simple, natural and instinctive qigong practice to help you with healing and to boost your health. Beginners are welcome.
Afterwards, you’ll be able to do this qigong exercise at any time, any place to feel calmer, reduce discomfort and pain and to help you to sleep.
Please contact me no later than Wednesday 13 July to receive the Zoom link to attend. You can get in touch using the contact form on my website or phone/text me on 027 493 9851.
Who is the instructor? Jocelyn Watkin is the founder, director and lead instructor of Kia Ora Tai Chi. She has trained and qualified in taiji, tai chi and qigong since 2003. You can find out more about her here: https://www.kiaorataichi.nz/about-us/
What is the secret of qigong?
For thousands of years the Chinese have had a secret. A secret that helps to increase longevity, a secret that assists the body to heal from injury, illness and trauma.
That secret is qigong, a deep meditative breathing exercise that connects the mind to the body.
One of the main reasons people want to learn qigong is that it helps with overall well-being and healing. Fortunately, those of us in Western counties now have access to this secret.
How does qigong help your body to heal from injury, pain or illness? A number of clinical trials have confirmed that qigong is proven to increase blood oxygen saturation in your body. That alone is excellent for healing.
(Clinical trial: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8328418/#:~:text=This%20preliminary%20study%20of%20Qigong,may%20have%20useful%20therapeutic%20value. )
There are many different aspects to assist the body and mind to heal, such as:
- Medical treatments and interventions
- Sleep and rest
- A healthy diet
- Moderate exercise
- Reducing stress.
Qigong can help and support the body with all of the above.
Qigong’s deep, meditative breathing supports your parasympathetic nervous system (also called the ‘rest and digest’ system). The movements, when co-ordinated with your breath and awareness of energy can help you to slow down, relax and to release tensions in your body.
If your body needs energy to repair and heal from injury or illness, qigong breathing can help to increase oxygen level and flow (energy) right down to your smallest cell.
Qigong exercises will massage and stimulate internal organs, which can also help with healing.
Qigong is about releasing stress, not suppressing it.
To reduce inflammation, you need to reduce the damaging effect that constant stress has on your body. Qigong breathing can help you to let go of stress so you can settle your mind and body.
Healing is multi-faceted and we need a number of different things to help us to heal our minds and bodies and to recover from illness, injury and trauma. Qigong can support this process.
If you’d like to learn one of the secrets of qigong, I’d like to teach you online on Thursday 14 July at 6.30pm in a free, 30-minute session. You will learn a simple, natural and instinctive qigong practice to help you with healing, to release stress and to boost your health.
Please get in touch no later than Wednesday 13 July to receive the Zoom link to attend by using the contact form on my website or phone/text me on 027 493 9851. Beginners are welcome.
Are you looking for more in-depth qigong? All welcome to attend my self-healing qigong retreat on Great Barrier Island, November 2022. It is called, “Discover your power to live well”: https://www.kiaorataichi.nz/gt-barrier-island-retreat/
This is a retreat to rebalance and rejuvenate your body, soul and strength with sensory, sacred qigong and restorative journaling.
This retreat is for anyone aged 18+ who is seeking ways to improve their own health, self-healing and well-being and/or wants to de-stress and have a better life/work balance. Find out more: https://www.kiaorataichi.nz/gt-barrier-island-retreat/
