DFCI Zakim Center

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  • Description: Learn and practice this graceful and ancient medical Chi Kung (Qigong) meditation. Nourish your physical and energetic bodies using the healing power of the mind, evoking the spirit by connecting with the natural forces around us. You will learn and practice how to use the Up and Down Forces to create alignment and strengthen your core, how to use abdominal breathing to massage your internal organs, as well as deep breathing and visualizing the Lower Energy Center to increase oxygen intake and calm your mind.

    This traditional meditation in motion nourishes every cell of our physical and energetic bodies leaving us with a renewed sense of energy and peace.

    Tags: Breathing, Deep Breathing, Health, Healing, Mindfulness, Relaxation, Tai Chi

  • Description:
    This authentic Chi Kung (Qigong) meditation taps into the power of the mind, empowering you to cleanse yourself physically and mentally. Physical and emotional traumas and illnesses easily manifest into pain, stress, and stagnation, which can negatively affect our physical and mental health. This cleansing meditation dissolves impurities and has a healing effect on the entire body. The gentle movements of this meditation in motion increase the flow of energy and oxygen, leaving you with a sense of calm and peace.

    Tags: Breathing, Energy, Health, Healing, Massage, Mindfulness, Relaxation

  • Description:
    Learn and practice the Tree Meditation which is used in both Chi Kung (Qigong) and Tai Chi practices to improve both health and martial arts. You can practice this meditation sitting or standing either near “your” tree or with your back against “your” tree.

    The Tree Meditation physically engages the Up and Down Forces, which strengthens your core while the deep breathing increases oxygen intake and nourishes every cell in your body. Quieting the mind can help reduce physical and mental stress, calm anxiety, improve mood, and help you fall asleep faster. This meditation is a great opportunity for experiencing and connecting with the forces and the spirit of nature all around us which will evoke your spirit. Evoking your spirit is a powerful and important technique for better health and preventing sickness.

    Tags: Breathing, Chi Kung, Energy, Health, Healing, Nature, Relaxation

  • 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 activities to experience the full...
  • 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 straightening...
  • 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: 40Join 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