Recently, the Confucius Institute at Ss. Cyril and Methodius University successfully offered a new Chinese culture course: Qigong. This course was taught by teacher Rafael Nuñez, who had studied at Beijing Sport University, and attracted 20 students, ranging from 8-year children to adults. The course adjusted its teaching form flexibly of online and offline according to the situations of epidemic, weather and students.
The Qigong course consists of three parts. The first part expounds the basic theories of Chinese Qigong, including its concept, origins, and its relationship with Chinese martial arts and traditional Chinese medicine. The second part is practice, in which students learn and practice Ba Duan Jin, one of the most common forms of Chinese Qigong. In the last part of the lesson, the teacher leads students to relax themselves through self-massage and stretching.
After the preliminary study of the course, the students mastered the basic practice methods of Qigong and learned the first few movements of its forms. All of them were attentive during the class and enjoy it for the pleasure and mental and physical exercise brought by the class.
Qigong is another Chinese culture course offered by the Confucius Institute, following a series of cultural courses including Chinese calligraphy, paper cutting, Tai Chi, singing Chinese songs, recitation, and handicraft. These courses have enriched the curriculum system of the Confucius Institute, providing local students with more opportunities and ways to learn about and experience Chinese culture.