A Morning with Qigong: Returning to Stillness

Today, I experienced my very first Qigong class at Lotus Teras Bali with Lyly — a teacher whose gentle smile and grounded presence immediately put me at ease. There’s a warmth about her, the kind you feel before a single word is spoken.

As we began, I felt an immediate sense of harmony. The movements were meditative, each breath syncing with each gesture. No effort, no forcing — just flow, just presence.

Lyly repeated a phrase throughout our practice that stayed with me:

“Look, but don’t look.”

And in that moment, standing in an open space overlooking emerald green fields, with sunlight gently streaming in and a parade of ducks waddling before us, I understood exactly what she meant.

It wasn’t about seeing with your eyes, but feeling with your whole being.

It was about allowing the world to exist around you while your awareness softened, staying rooted within.

The names of the movements were unfamiliar, yet my body seemed to remember them:

Draw the Rainbow

Scoop the Earth and Part the Clouds

Scoop the Sea and Open the Clouds

Sage Presenting Peach

These were my favorites. Moving with no thoughts, simply breath guiding motion — a moving meditation. It felt like a quiet conversation between my body and the earth.

I smiled inwardly remembering my twenties, when I dismissed Qigong as something for old ladies — like my granny with her white hair, floral blouse, and sensible black shoes.

But here I was, in my own skin, deeply appreciating every breath, every deliberate gesture.

The final practice was Hug the Tree, a simple standing posture.

We held it for five minutes — though it felt like mere seconds. Had Lyly not set an alarm, I might have stood there forever.

It was a moment of stillness I didn’t know I needed.

And in those quiet moments, it became clear to me how essential it is to slow down, to listen, to feel the breeze on your skin, to notice the quiet language of the world.

I wish more people would find their way to practices like this.

Not for fitness, not for productivity — but simply to return to themselves.

It seems I’ve found my new favorite ritual.