Medical
Qigong
Medical Qigong for Healing
Qi means “life-force energy” of the body - our vitality; and gong means “skill” or "work." Qigong is therefore the skillful practice of gathering, circulating and cultivating life-force energy in the body.
As one of the four main branches of Chinese medicine, Medical Qigong is the energetic foundation from which the other three branches originated. It was developed as a systematic healing art for health preservation during the Era of the Warring States (476-221 BCE), over two thousand years ago. Unlike the other two schools of qigong (martial and spiritual), medical qigong is the cultivation of energy specifically to preserve and restore health. (Adapted from Friedman, Suzanne, L.Ac, DMQ)
The goal is to keep the qi flowing and balanced. We accomplish this through qi energy work, in which you lay in a restful pose while the work is being done. If you choose, you may add specific qigong movement and breath practices to support continued healing between sessions.
What to Expect
All meetings are private (one-on-one) online sessions over Zoom. For the best experience, find a quiet space where you will not be disturbed. If possible, wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothing. There should be a place for you to comfortably rest (sitting or lying down), as well as space to stand and move in case we practice movement.
If this is our first time meeting, we will perform a brief intake to discuss your goals for our time together, and if there are specific areas of interest you would like to address. If this is a follow-up, we will do a brief check-in and have our conversation guide the focus of our session. We can talk about whether or not movement and breath work practices would be appropriate for this particular session.
We will do a brief centering practice to allow your body and mind to settle down before we start the session. During the qi energy work, you do not need to "do" anything. You can simply relax as you are. Before the end of the session, we will have a brief period of quiet to allow your body and mind to reacclimate to the space. Afterwards we can have a debrief of your experience, and revisit whether or not you want to add/learn medical qigong practices to support your healing.
After a session, some people note a feeling of relaxation or calm. Some people have reported noticing colors or perhaps feeling sensations in different parts of the body. Some people have fallen asleep. You do not have to "experience" anything for healing to take place. Most times healing takes place in the background – below the conscious level. It may or may not continue for hours or even days after your session.
Pricing
I recommend a 60 minute session for our first session so there is enough time to go over your goals and/or any health concerns you would like us to work on.
Moving forward, if we find that physical practices are appropriate, 60 minute sessions will allow enough time to do the qi energy work as well as learn the supporting practices. Otherwise, 45 minutes should be sufficient for only qi energy work.
60 Minute Medical Qigong Session: $120*
45 Minute Medical Qigong Session: $90*
Please review the Offerings Page or click above to schedule a Free 20 minute Consultation so I can answer any questions and/or provide more information.
*Please check in with me for pricing of sessions before July 2026.
Testimonials
"I’ve seen Bernadette for several Medical Qigong sessions, mainly to help with my sciatica symptoms. After each session, I feel a real sense of well‑being in my body—not the band‑aid kind you get from pharmaceutical pain medication, but a feeling of being nurtured and nourished.
Bernadette has a strong intuition and a gentle, kind presence. I’m grateful to have her as part of my healing support system." ~T
"I have been privileged to have 3 treatments so far from Bernadette, to help my hip and knee pain. She is a lovely competent therapist who made me feel very safe and relaxed in her presence. Her calm manner and smooth voice easily allowed my body to relax. The treatment reduced my pain considerably and made me feel very relaxed and at peace." ~MD
"Working with Bernadette is consistently such a pleasure! She asks good questions and listens carefully and thoughtfully so she can personalize her approach based upon my specific needs and goals. She also gives me suggestions for things to do on my own to address my migraines and neck pain. Bernadette has a remarkably warm, peaceful energy, and I always feel relaxed and restored after we meet. I can even feel more relaxed if I just remember our last session!” ~JLM
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