An introduction to Joo's classes on MFML and the use of intention.

This first part of the QiGong basics series focuses on standing meditation and breathing practices, both central to the qigong tradition. QiGong is a Chinese energy practice that works with the principle of “xing ming shuang xiu” ”“ meaning “the spirit and body are equally refined and cultivated.” It is designed to bring the qi, or life energy, into the body and encourage it to flow without blockage. Founded on the virtues of trust, integrity, wisdom, and compassion, QiGong practices help create a feeling of inner and outer peace, energy, and wellbeing.

This second part of the Qigong basics series is aimed at purifying and cleansing the qi in the body. The qi, like any transportation system, can often be stuck, stagnant, overactive or diseased. These practices work to cleanse the body of toxic qi and fill it with healthy, vibrant qi. You finish feeling as though you have had a good internal wash that leaves you feeling more purified and nourished.

This third part of the QiGong basics series begins to move the qi through the body. Inspired by the crane and the bear, which represent aspects of yin and yang respectively, the movements begin circulating qi through the body. Movements in qigong are generally slow, circular, repetitive, graceful and flowing. Its power is in its simplicity.

This qigong flow practice starts with some warmups for the joints, cultivation of qi between the hands, and then moves into what we think of as “water salutations” – fluid movements that feel like the equivalent of yoga’s sun salutations. It’s a practice that warms the body, actively stimulates, guides and moves the qi, and helps to quiet the mind. Enjoy!

Any time you need to calm and nourish yourself, try these 5 types of breathing that lead to Embryonic Respiration, and then finish with a simple, gentle yet potent practice called Inner Nourishment. In China, this practice has been done since the Ming Dynasty. Believed to strengthen all internal organs, it has strong affect on digestion and respiration, menstruation, fatigue and heart disease.

Awaken your energy at any time in the day with this qi-gong practice. Perfect for starting the day, but also as an energy boost during a mid-morning slump is just perfect. This class uses various energy techniques and can be done on a chair as well as on a mat, so is perfect for all levels and physicalities. Wake up your qi with this short practice using qigong, yoga, breath-work and various energy techniques to give your energy a big boost. Remember to use the power of intention in this class, and in life! Keep a chair handy.

Great for mornings, if you're lethargic or you have cold feet or hands. A gently awakening qi-gong and yoga fusion class designed to raise the body heat if you’re feeling cold or lethargic, perfect for getting moving on cold wintery mornings. Using a chair to increase accessibility. With fluid and heating qi gong poses to gently increase strength, stability and balance and yoga to increase flexibility. You will need a chair.

Yoga and QiGong for kindling the inner fire. Movement and circulation for warming the body in the cooler months. With Sun Salutations and twists for firing the spirit up. This class will do the trick for any time you feel like you need a little extra fire in your life and is perfect for morning time.

The second part of Yoga and Qigong for warming the spirit. This is to warm your internal sun, the heart, to bring warmth to the heart, bringing sun salutes, Qigong, dancing warrior and backbends to cultivate energy. Perfect for winter mornings, this yoga class will give you that gentle pick me up.

This yoga and Qigong class is perfect for when you've had a frantic day and you need to settle your spirit. It's gentle mainly floor-based, so is great for the evenings to settle into the evening and to de-tangle your nerves and settle your spirit so that you can get stoked about the next thing... bed?!

A qi gong and yoga fusion sequence to release feelings of being stuck, feeling tense, or just when you’re not in your flow. With some chair variations to make all the practices more accessible, this sequence uses qi gong and yoga to clear out stagnation and shift your tension. A chair can be used in this practice to make the class accessible to all.

A gentle sequence to calm and rebalance your emotions after a stressful time. There are times when we can be knocked off our centre, maybe something as simple as someone has said something that has shocked us, or we are needing to rebalance after grief. This mixture of calming yoga, qi-gong and breath-work practices will calms and quieten your jangled nerves after a shock or stressful moment. These rebalancing classes are gentle and many poses may be done in a chair.

Take a short break from studies or your work. Much of our body’s tension is muscular, but actually, what the muscles and our body crave when we feel tight is deep, satisfying breaths.This short practice releases tension by focusing on exhaling fully and uses Burmese qigong, chest and shoulder openings and forward folds to calm and sooth the mind. Perfect for taking a break to release tension during the day, but also great after a hard day's work. Clothing by Rumi X.

The second in our series to provide a constructive break during work or study. These Yoga and Qigong practices all provide you with renewed clarity, and will help clear the cobwebs, also focus on clear alignment through the spine and limbs. It’s great to bring a mental focus and concentration back into the body when we're too in our heads. With some precision in our alignment as well as intentional practices from qigong such as ‘clearing the cobwebs’ (one of my favourites!), we can move forward with our day more embodied awareness and presence.

The third in our work break series includes deep twists and standing poses to energise and get the blood moving again In qigong, it’s believed that energy flows where intention goes (yi dao, qi dao). This active practice combining yoga and qigong will revive and renew your body’s circulation and prana/qi flow. It’s a great one to do if you’ve been at at the desk and want a more active break, or as a morning practice to do before work. Clothing by Rumi X. "

Easily distracted? Do you frequently find your monkey mind wandering? Regain laser-like focus with this yoga/qi gong fusion class to help you to calm the mind, sharpen your focus and increase your capacity to concentrate with qi gong to clear tension and balancing poses to regain your poise. You will need a chair handy.

This gentle yoga class, with some qi-gong movements is a perfect antidote for those of us who spend too much time sitting at desks each day. Also great if you're feeling like you could do with an emotional recharge, perhaps at the end of a long day, or when life is challenging. With standing poses and gentle strengthening poses, this class uses the power of intention to clear out a tough day and bring in the new. You will need two blocks and a strap.

Mimi offers two qigong visualisation meditations in this practice. The first is called microcosmic orbit. Microcosmic orbit works with major channels of the body, the yin meridian (ren mai) and yang meridian (du mai) on the front and back channels of the body respectively. Known as the conception and governing channels. These meridians help regulate the flow of qi to the other 12 meridians and organs of the body. Circulating good flow of energy in the main rivers means tributaries can receive the flow more effortlessly. The second is called an organ-gemstone meditation. This meditation is one to do any time you feel like you are about to get sick; 90% of the time, it will prevent a cold or sore throat from coming on.

A qi-gong inspired gentle standing flow to move the hips, shoulders and gently build strength in legs and core. A fabulous class to cultivate steadiness, and an antidote to the business of sedentary modern life. The qi-gong inspired movements and water quality of softness in the poses are fabulous for building strength and stability. With no sun salutes, this class is great for most bodies including older bodies, those with limited mobility and pregnancy.

Energise your meridians and stimulate your joints with these gentle QiGong movements. Perfect to set you up for the day or settle you down for sleep, this all levels class will kindle optimal health and wellbeing, leaving you feeling your best.

This morning yoga and qigong class is focused on circular, smooth movements through the body and joints to set you up for the day. With some beautifully awakening qigong forms such as variations of swimming dragon followed by active sun salute variations and fluid movements through standing poses. Enjoy waking up all your senses in this awakening flow!

This morning flow class focuses on a connection to the natural elements. It is an awakening yoga practice with some qigong. The ancient yogis, Buddhists and Daoist sages believed that we are made of the elements of the natural world. This practice will help us awaken to this connection within ourselves to the elemental world around us. It’s very much like a shorter version of my morning practices, integrating yoga and qigong into mindful movements that help me harmonise my inner body with the outer world. This has a bit of everything – abdominals, hip work, backbends, twists, forward folds and arm balances. Enjoy!

Feel centred, grounded and start to fine tune your awareness with this gentle and beautiful fusion of yoga, qigong and mindfulness class with a focus on twists and forward folds. With a gentle start, working with mindful movement, this is a practice exploring how we might work with twists as a way to discover greater ease and space in our physical, mental and emotional experience of being human. With twists, we are invited to curve our awareness inward and we grant ourselves space to learn to respond to whatever experiences arise. From this, we allow ourselves time to build better resources to meet the business of our outward lives.

This class is a mixture of yoga and qigong to help you to release anxiety, quiet your mind, clear your mind and prepare for sleep. Movements are gengle and accessible and don't involve full stretches, you are encouraged to not take a full stretch, but to use a chair or perhaps the edge of your bed for some of the yoga poses.