Marie Theriault
E-RYT-200, Yoga for Cancer
Certified Teacher of Qigong and Tai Chi
The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
Lao Tzu
Hello, and welcome to my listing. My name is Marie Theriault. I am an oncology-trained E-RYT-200 Yoga Teacher with well over 1,000 hours of teaching experience. I also teach Qigong and Tai Chi mindful movement exercise classes virtually on Zoom and in person at my home studio in Wesley Chapel, North Carolina.
My interest in Yoga for Cancer began during my brother’s hospitalization for non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. I was a caregiver to him and his two small children during this time. I saw firsthand how he suffered through treatments and was left with many debilitating side effects that rendered him disabled. Today, he is doing much better, but it was a long and painful recovery. Witnessing his journey opened my heart to the suffering that a cancer patient endures. I knew I wanted to use my training as a Yoga, Qigong, and Tai Chi teacher to bring comfort and peace to people whose lives have been touched by cancer.
I sincerely believe in the ability of these modalities to lessen side effects from harsh treatments and safely and effectively rebuild strength and stamina. These classes also teach life skills to cope with stress and soothe turbulent emotions. They help support the healing process so you can feel better, and feeling better is what it’s all about!
My classes are offered at a reduced rate to cancer patients and caregivers. If you are a caregiver, this is a wonderful opportunity to spend time with your loved one doing something that you will both enjoy. It can be a special time of letting go of stress and feeling better together.
I teach weekly in-person and virtual classes and present and participate in workshops on various holistic, health-related topics. I am committed to offering my students a unique and gentle way to exercise, manage stress, and live healthier lives. I am passionate about helping people discover the many health benefits of Yoga, Qigong, and Tai Chi practices.
I teach two virtual classes per week via Zoom. Cancer patients may attend at a reduced rate ($6 per class). A caregiver may attend with a patient from the same location at no additional charge.
Those who wish to participate will be sent a special link to sign-up so they can take advantage of the special rate. An informed consent form that can be completed on-line is required for each participant.
The Zoom link and set up instructions for each class will be provided to those who register in advance and submit their payment. Here is an example of the registration form.
The following classes may be added to your calendar. They are taught weekly.
Tuesdays at 9:30 am Seated and Standing Yoga
This one-hour class is practiced while sitting on a chair or standing and using a chair for balance and support. It is incredibly beneficial for people with limited mobility issues due to illness, injury, inactivity, or age. This class will demonstrate stretches and poses that provide a safe and effective way to improve strength, flexibility, coordination, and mental clarity. Each class begins with breathing techniques to improve lung capacity and function and ends with a calming Guided Meditation. A comfortable chair without arms is required for this class.
Fridays at 9:30 am Qigong for Health and Wellness
This one-hour class includes gentle exercise in the form of meditative movement that supports physical, mental, and emotional healing. It also includes information about Acupressure points that can help with side effects such as fatigue, nausea, and pain. Qigong is a very calming practice that is peacefully energizing. It is taught in hospitals around the world due to its potential to aid recovery time, improve immunity, and reduce stress. Qigong is usually done standing and that is recommended, if possible, but practicing from a seated position will also be very beneficial.
QiGong for Spring
Source: Anti-cancer Lifestyle Program
Spring is a season of growth and transformation. Right before our eyes we see nature coming alive. The days are growing longer and warmer. The ice and snow of winter is slowly melting. Birds are busy building their nests. Flowers are popping up to bloom and paint the earth in a rainbow of colors. Vegetable seeds are sprouting and peeking out from the soil.
Qigong, a system of self-care and mindful exercise from China, has certain types of routines special for spring. In the tradition of Qigong, Spring is the time of the Wood Element. We can most easily see the link between growth, transformation, and Springtime by thinking about the essence of the Wood Element in the form of a tree. We know tree roots grow down and spread out into the earth, the trunk grows ever taller, and the branches reach out in all directions. Leaves on the trees, beginning as tiny buds, begin to unfold and take shape.
The intention of a Qigong practice in the Spring is to gently stretch the ligaments, tendons, and muscles in the human body to increase flexibility, range of motion, and the ability to move with ease in all directions. This freedom of movement includes having a sense of being rooted in the earth, such as a tree that sways in the wind.
The Wood Element in Chinese Medicine
Wood is one of the Five Elements in the system of Chinese Medicine. The other elements are Earth, Metal, Water, and Fire. Each element is associated with a certain season or time of the year, specific organs in the body, different emotions that we feel (both virtues and negative aspects), and healing colors and sounds.
The organs in the body that are focused on in Springtime are the liver and the gallbladder. When functioning properly, they assist in the detoxification and digestive processes and the smooth flow and circulation of blood and Qi energy throughout the body.
The healing color for the Wood element is green, so eating green vegetables such as lettuce, celery, cabbage, collards, cucumber, artichokes, asparagus, broccoli, and parsley help to support the liver and gallbladder in their digestive and detoxification functions. The color green can also be visualized for healing purposes while practicing the Wood element exercises.
The emotional virtue of a well-functioning liver is that of patience and kindness. The negative emotions related to liver impairment are anger, resentment, jealousy, and frustration. In the view of Chinese Medicine, having emotional tendencies in either positive or negative ways are diagnostic clues that are used to determine health imbalances related to specific organs.
The significance of Qigong in Chinese Medicine
There is a medical basis to the system of Qigong due to its association with Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture. The combination of slow and graceful movements and meditative focus brings about many stress-relieving health benefits. That is why Qigong is sometimes referred to as a moving meditation, or more recently, medication in motion.
Qi (pronounced “chee”) is defined as energy or life force, and Gong refers to skill or cultivation. When Qigong is practiced skillfully, this quality of life energy is awakened, strengthened, and refined.
The philosophy is that when Qi energy is flowing freely within the Acupuncture meridians of the body, we experience good health. These internal channels are akin to an energetic circulatory system or an inner network of pathways that are interconnected with each other and the organs in the body. If the Qi energy should become sluggish or blocked in a specific pathway and the stagnation persists over time, the affected organ will begin to weaken. This condition sets the stage for disease to manifest because the ill-functioning organ is not receiving its proper dose of Qi energy or “energetic nutrition.” Simply put, good Qi flow equals good health, but impaired Qi flow leads to health imbalances and illness.
You may wonder why Qi becomes sluggish or blocked in the first place. There are many reasons for Qi stagnation. Some of the main causes relate to an unhealthy diet, improper exercise, poor posture, lack of sleep, acute and chronic illness, unmanaged stress, medications, unhealthy relationships, and a polluted environment. That is why it is so important to develop a multi-faceted approach to a healthy lifestyle when trying to recover from any illness, injury, or surgery. The Anticancer Lifestyle Program provides wonderful resources to get you started on a healthier path. Acupuncture treatments and Qigong exercises can also assist in this regard because they help to release energetic blockages, reestablish Qi flow, and invigorate the body so it can return to a natural, healthy state.
Qigong and Self-Care
Practicing Qigong promotes healing in a safe, effective, and natural way. Qigong is also used as a form of preventive medicine, to keep the body healthy and avoid illness in the first place. As we move around the yearly cycle and the seasons change, the elements we focus on also change. Balancing and restoring each element during its respective season provides a blueprint for good health.
Qigong is a most fascinating style of exercise that never gets boring due to the variety of ever-changing movements and its versatility in addressing health imbalances of all kinds. The exercises are gentle and accessible yet mentally stimulating because of their unique nature. Perhaps one of the greatest gifts Qigong offers is an ability to promote healing in all the organs in a systematic way.
To summarize, when we practice Qigong, we skillfully cultivate our life force, circulate internal energy, build physical strength, increase immunity, and better manage turbulent emotions and stress. That is why Qigong is practiced by millions of people and offered to patients for supportive care at many major hospitals around the world.
As Spring beckons us to align with nature, we too can blossom, grow, and prosper. Qigong for the Wood Element can bring this potential for growth and healthy transformation into the lives of all who practice it. Like a tree that remains rooted while swaying and yielding in the wind, it is possible to cultivate inner strength and flexibility while navigating the challenges of life.
If you would like more information, please visit my website or reach out to me via phone or email. I would be happy to take time to discuss any questions or concerns that you may have and explain more about the classes. You are also welcome to copy and paste the following link into your browser to see my upcoming schedule: https://forms.office.com/r/6JWDXSfVaS
Every day is a new beginning.
What we do today matters most.
Buddha
ACCEPTS VIRTUAL CLIENTS
Marie Theriault
E-RYT-200, Yoga for Cancer
Certified Teacher of Qigong and Tai Chi
704-560-7131
www.FlowingRiverQigongandYoga.com
[email protected]
Wesley Chapel. North Carolina
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