DFCI Zakim Center

Digital Library

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  • Description: Watching the flame of a candle with your spine straight builds core strength. “Becoming” the flame of the candle helps you empty your mind and reach a deep level of relaxation while also evoking your spirit. Anticipating the movements of the candle flame and quieting a racing mind can help relieve emotional and physical stress, reduce anxiety, and improve sleep. 

    The deep breathing done while practicing this authentic meditation increases oxygen intake and quiets what is referred to in Chi Kung (Qigong) and Tai Chi as the “Monkey Mind” or emotional mind while also strengthening your “Horse Mind” or wisdom. Meditation is a powerful technique that has been scientifically shown to have many health benefits such as decreasing high blood pressure, helping to control pain, reducing memory loss, lengthening attention span, reducing stress and helping to strengthen your energetic system.

    Tags: Breathing, Chi Kung, Energy, Focus, Mood, Relaxation, Visualization

  • Description: Practice this powerful meditation from the philosophies of Chi Kung (Qigong) and Tai Chi 3 to 5 times a week, sitting or standing, to improve your health.

    Over time and with practice this meditation:
    Develops internal awareness 

    Reduces physical and mental stress 

    Boosts your energetic system 

    Deflects negative forces 

    Cleanses impurities Calms and focuses your mind 

    Centers and grounds you 

    Evokes your spirit


    When practicing the Lower Energy Center Meditation, visualize a healing energy ball 2 inches below your navel and 3 inches inwards. Start practicing with your eyes closed for 3 to 5 minutes. As your visualization skills grow stronger, increase your practice to 10 minutes or longer, and practice with your eyes open.

    Within a few weeks you will be able to integrate this internal mental skill into your Chi Kung and Tai Chi physical movements as well as into your daily acti...
  • Description: The Tai Chi Walking Meditation is an authentic Tai Chi moving meditation. When walking, walk slowly. Start with small steps. Hold the wall for support and lift your knee low. Over time and with practice, try to lift your leg higher, walk without support and with your eyes closed.
    This moving meditation is practiced to: 
    Develop strength, flexibility & balance

    Lengthen your spine & elongate your breathing

    Nourish your internal organs, increase circulation & reduce stagnation

    Stimulate & massage the souls of your feet and activate your energetic system

    Experience substantial & insubstantial (Yin & Yang) in the legs

    Calm & Empty your mind while walking

    Balance your Body, Breathing, Mind, Energy & Spirit

    Harmonize the 3 Forces: Heaven, Human and Earth

    Perform the walk slower and slower and your breath will get longer and deeper. Inhale when you lift your knee up, exhale when straight...
  • Description:
    Join Nancy Campbell, MS, an exercise physiologist at Dana-Farber, for a 45-minute workout focusing on strengthening the whole body. The class includes a cardio warm-up followed by 35 minutes of strength training standing or on the floor, then 10 minutes of total body stretching.

    Tags: Beginner-intermediate, Bone, Full body workout, Outdoors, Muscle, Weight lifting, Weights

  • Description:
    Join Nancy Campbell, MS, an exercise physiologist at Dana-Farber, for a 45-minute workout focusing on strengthening the whole body using mini-bands, tubing or TheraBand’s. The class includes a cardio warm-up, followed by 35 minutes of strength training standing or on the floor, then 10 minutes of total body stretching.

    Tags: Bands, Bone, Full body workout, Intermediate-advanced, Outdoors, Muscle, Therabands, Tubing, Weight lifting, Weights

  • Description:
    This 45-minute workout focuses on strengthening the whole body. There is a short cardio warm-up, followed by 35 minutes of strength training standing or on the floor and then 10 minutes of total body stretching. A fun and supportive environment to find your inner strong survivor.

    Tags: Beginner-intermediate, Bone, Full body workout, Muscle, Weight lifting, Weights

  • Description:
    Join Nancy Campbell, MS, an exercise physiologist at Dana-Farber, for a 45-minute workout focusing on strengthening the whole body. The class includes a cardio warm-up followed by 35 minutes of strength training standing or on the floor, then 10 minutes of total body stretching.

    Tags: Beginner-intermediate, Bone, Full body workout, Muscle, Weight lifting, Weights

  • Description:
    Join Nancy Campbell, MS, an exercise physiologist at Dana-Farber, for a 45-minute workout focusing on strengthening the whole body. The class includes a cardio warm-up followed by 35 minutes of strength training standing or on the floor, then 10 minutes of total body stretching.

    Tags: Beginner-intermediate, Bone, Full body workout, Muscle, Weight lifting, Weights

  • Description:
    This 45-minute joyful flow (vinyasa) is a practice that connects movement to breath in a sequence of yoga poses. The class is designed to promote a mind-body connection as it develops strength, stamina, flexibility, balance, relaxation and focus. The warm-up portion of this class has more on supine (on your back) poses and a few kneeling poses (knee support and modifications are offered). Encourages transitions from kneeling to standing, and standing to stepping back using blocks (modifications are offered).

    Tags: Beginner-intermediate, Blanket, Block, Flow - vinyasa, Full body workout, Massage ball, Massage feet, Peripheral neuropathy, Strap

  • Description:
    This 45-minute joyful flow (vinyasa) is a practice that connects movement to breath in a sequence of yoga poses. The class is designed to promote a mind-body connection as it develops strength, stamina, flexibility, balance, relaxation and focus. The warm-up portion of this class has more on supine (on your back) poses and a few kneeling poses (knee support and modifications are offered). Encourages transitions from kneeling to standing, and standing to stepping back using blocks (modifications are offered).

    Tags: Beginner-intermediate, Blanket, Block, Flow - vinyasa, Full body workout, Massage ball, Massage feet, Peripheral neuropathy, Strap

  • Description:
    This gentle yoga flow class for teens builds strength and flexibility while helping to relieve daily life stress. This class allows teenagers to focus on themselves in an environment that encourages a balance between exploring their boundaries and accepting where they are today.

    Tags: Beginner-intermediate, Blanket, Full body workout, Flow - vinyasa, Strap, Teenagers
  • Description:
    This 45-minute chair yoga invites you to find movement in a way that is gentle and supportive. The practice invites awareness into the body and activates muscles in the spine that help you find length up through the spine for better posture and energy flow. This class has almost all poses seated on the chair, including warriors and lunges. It’s a more gentle version of the chair yoga classes, and is great for people that have a hard time standing up.

    Tags: Beginner-intermediate, Block, Chair flow, Full body workout, Massage ball, Massage feet, Pheripheral neuropahty, Strap