Why did I start Creative Calm

Greetings family, friends, colleagues, acquaintances and to everybody confronted with the current major transitional life challenges that has descended upon us recently. Having just returned to UK very recently after spending some weeks in Malaysia, Singapore and Taipei to witness what seems to me like a reminder of an old episode from the 60’s TV series ‘The Twilight Zone’ with empty airports, streets, shelves, and to some rather primal though not unanticipated human reactions etc. to the current lockdown crisis nearly everywhere, I decided to create a digital space and share with the wider community what may offer a helpful resource to increase our body-mind resiliency against our own reactive ‘reptilian part of our brain’ which includes the amygdala for a more creative and skilful response to the current global ‘threat’.

I am also hoping that the above initiative though not seeking to replace actual physical person-to-person communication, a telepresence through digitally mediated communication that can contribute to our innate need for ‘human connectedness’ and ameliorate the social isolation during this critical period. This is prompted by my awareness that the regular weekly Thursday afternoon Tai Chi Qigong class in Harrow that I was looking forward in continuing to facilitate on my return for obvious reasons now, due to the current ‘lockdown’ will no longer be viable. I am aware for many of the participants from the senior community, the sessions have become not only an important avenue for promoting a healthy body-mind but also an important source for the social health of the community.

This initiative is also intended for our practitioners, volunteers and service users at The Centre for Creative Arts in Penang, Malaysia, given they are in a similar ‘lockdown’ position with our mental health community initiatives with schools having to be suspended for the time being. This online initiative will also utilise the opportunity during this period for skills development as it resonates with our primary objectives of cultivating positive mental health, developing psychological resiliency in schools through mindfulness-based creative arts therapy where body-mind skills approaches is integral for and during such interventions.

How will the online sessions be conducted? There will a Live Video Streaming scheduled weekly on Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 1.30pm to 3.00pm (Greenwich Mean Time)(+8 hours Malaysian local time). The first Live Video Broadcast event will be on the 24th March 2020. On Tuesdays, the structure of the session will be geared towards introducing the basics of Qigong Practice, the main principles associated with qigong practice, guided instructions of each movement and will contain relevant warm-ups, introducing Tai Chi Qigong 18 Motions Set 1 and 2 (ShiBaShi) Practice including Sitting Qigong Practices. As and if relevant, in pursuing and following participants interests and enquiries that may arise, the wider relationships to process oriented philosophy, mindfulness practice, body-oriented psychotherapy/counselling, creative arts therapies and complementary therapies etc

although not in any order or a necessity. The WhatsApp’s forum will offer such a platform for those who may such queries and interest. On Thursdays, the session will follow our previous regular Tai Chi Qigong class albeit through live streaming, starting with around 10- 15 mins of warm-up, ShiBaShi Set 1, Tai Chi 8 Form, followed by a 5-10 mins break, then Shi BaShi Set 2 and another 5-10 mins break and finally ShiBaShi Set 6, alternate with the following Thursday with ShiBaShi Set 3 and ShiBaShi Set 5.

For discussions, sharing experiences, feedback, questions, comments, etc I have created a WhatsApp Group - Creative Calm, and have sent out the invitation so do let me know if you would like to be added to the group for I may have miss you out during my initial invitation.

To access the Live Video Streaming sessions, I will be posting the links on my Facebook page (Go to https://www.facebook.com/alex.chew.378) and in the Creative Calm WhatsApp group. I will be using Periscope (Go to https://www.pscp.tv and type in Creative Calm in the Search Box – Upper left corner of your monitor screen with the magnifying glass icon), and ZOOM.
(https://zoom.us/j/5410388918 - you may need to download and run ZOOM, its free, if you do not have the app) to stream the sessions. If you cannot make it to the session in real time, not worry as I will be archiving the video sessions for you to view and practice with me at a time that is more convenient to you. (Please note that there is an the update below on how to access the Live Video Streaming Classes)

So with all the constant messages of self-isolation, self-quarantine, ‘lockdown’, social distancing etc that is permeating and dominating personal and collective consciousness/unconscious, remember we can choose to reframe those messages as opportunities for self-contemplation, self-nurturance, self-empowerment, and find and regain our own balance, centre and our ground. I hope you can join us in Creative Calm, and to enjoy and have fun generating and radiating a positive synergy to bring more balance the current ‘disequilibrium’.

Namaste 

Alex 19/03/2020

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*As of 31st March 2020, I will streaming only on ZOOM. 

How can I participate in the Creative Calm - Health Qigong 4 Stressful Times event?

• The sessions are streamed live twice weekly, every Tuesdays and Thursdays. 
• To access the ZOOM Room, you need internet access, enter the url https://zoom.us/j/5410388918 see below of the screen shot.

• The Creative Calm room is opened from 1.00pm (British Summer Time or 1200GMT) which is  8pm Malaysian local time. You will see a pre-session notification screen shot below for this coming Tuesdays session. Remember this notification is only up from 1pm until the formal session starts at 1.30pm.

• On entering the room please mute your video and audio, you can say hello to the arriving participants using the chat window. See screen shot below

• The formal session will start at 1.30pm with two short breaks in between an during the rest periods you may want to refresh your self with drinks, have a chat, ask questions etc using the chat window.
• The session concludes at 3pm but the room will remain open for a further 20mins for discussion, feedback, questions and you will see the post session notification with information and of the next session on Thursday. See screen shot below

• The videos of the session will be posted in YouTube allowing you to continue your practice. The link to the videos will be posted here in the blog.
• You are also invited to join the ZOOM Creative Calm Chat Group where you may wish to share your experiences, questions, clarifications and explore the finer points of the practice, its psychology/philosophy etc in relation to your own interest whether it is mind-body health, complementary therapy, counselling/psychotherapy, creative arts therapy etc. You need to let me know so that I could add you to my ZOOM contacts and send the invite for your to join.

I hope the about information will get you started. Let me know if you require further clarification and have other queries.