Shifu Kraig likes to tell his students at Old Warrior Horse Kung Fu Academy that we can practice qigong anywhere, any time. Whenever you come into your posture, do qigong breathing, and focus the mind, you are doing qigong.

I recently took up knitting and am taking a beginners class at a local knitting shop. Learning a new skill is exciting and challenging, but I was surprised at the possibility of using qigong skills in my new hobby. At first I felt clumsy and inept. I noticed that my breath had become more shallow and that my shoulders and neck were tensing up. My thoughts were anxious, and I wasn't really enjoying what I was doing at all! Well, this is crazy, I thought. I paused, relaxed my breath, released the tension in my shoulders and neck, and felt my mind let go of its negative dialogue. I then began to enjoy knitting. I still have to practice a lot -- there's never a short-cut for practice -- but I am much happier and less frustrated now that I relax while I knit.