Restorative Qigong with Dr Steve

05/11/2025

🗣 Its Stress Awareness Week 2025!!! 🗣

One thing that I have learnt and experienced is that diverting a stress response to one of 'rest & digest', requires different, yet complimentary approaches to achieve deep relaxation of the mind, body and soul.

🍃The body benefits from regular movement.
🍃The mind requires calm/stillness.
🍃The soul needs nourishment and connection.

In my experience, nature immersion and gentle Qigong practice is a powerful and effective combination to achieve deep relaxation and stress reduction/management. This is why I offer these practices through my integrative health services - www.drsteveqigong.com

It turns out that exposure to nature is one of the most powerful and immediate way to reduce stress. It enforces a mental break. It’s a sanctuary that calms the mind and eases the body. There is natural and intentional movement. One becomes connected to oneself and the environment. There is also a dose-response effect – the more time spent outdoors in the natural world, the better ones mental and physical health.

Add a mind-body practice to this like qigong, tai chi, yoga or meditation, and what you achieve is deep relaxation as well as enhanced restoration and nourishment – key factors for stress relief and stress resilience.

05/11/2025

Hi all,

Website is now live!!

www.drsteveqigong.com

Check it out for information on my background, my approach, philosophy and specializations, and what services I have to offer - including descriptions of packages, and how to contact me for enquiries or to book.

Restorative Qigong with Dr Steve provides integrative mind/body practices for health promotion, rehabilitation and chronic disease management, incorporating the ancient holistic healing practice of Qigong provided within an evidence-based science biomedical framework.

16/10/2025

Hi folks!

🗣 I just want to make a shout out to Shenaz and team at Morkare Natural Clinic here on Brisbane Southside as an award winning Naturopathy clinic.

With outstanding holistic health care support and a range of available programs incorporating naturopathy, homeopathy and nutrition, Morkare can assist with addressing root causes and healing of a range of health conditions involving gut health, hormone imbalance, skin conditions, immune health and allergies, women's and children's health...just to name a few.

Shenaz was very caring and effective at addressing my own personal issues surrounding gut and brain health many years ago, and I highly recommend this clinic for personalized health and wellbeing management, and natural treatment of difficult and chronic health issues.

Keep up the great work Morkare!! 👏
morkare.com.au

09/10/2025

🔥**Extra 30% off all individual qigong packages if you sign up in October, in recognition of World Mental Health Day 2025!!**🔥

Hi guys,
Today is World Mental Health Day - a good time to check-in on our own mental health, as well as those around us near and far.
There are many, many ways to improve and maintain good mental health. Too many to go through here...but I just wanted to make two points.

1. There is no one model, therapy, tool, technique, routine that suits everyone. You need to slowly and gently explore, experiment, experience various different things (with an open mind), and ultimately pursue that which resonates and is helpful/useful for you. It's important to get support with this if you need to.
2. Mental health and physical health are not two separate things! They are one and the same. We have separated mind from body to make dualistic and reductionist medicine easier to study and practice over the past couple of centuries. The reality is they are intrinsically connected and cannot be separated. Poor physical health, particularly if it involves chronic inflammation, will very likely create poor mental health outcomes...and vice versa.

So what does this mean practically? - Some of the best ways to improve your mental wellbeing is through improving the health and function of your body through diet, exercise and lifestyle choices. And don't neglect the other aspects of your wellbeing...emotional, spiritual, social, which collectively contribute to overall good health and vitality. We call this a holistic approach.

Wishing you all a joyful and peaceful day 😊.
Steve

09/10/2025

A great chat Vicky and I had recently at Dizzy Resolve Integrative Coaching

18/09/2025

So what do I mean by “Restorative Qigong”?

My previous posts emphasize that Qigong is a complementary therapy for various health conditions. Whilst this is true, and indeed one of my focusses is management of chronic health conditions and illness/injury rehab, Qigong is also an excellent preventative health practice with many general health and wellbeing benefits.
It's a way to replenish and revitalize the body's energy, often used for overall health optimization.

Restorative Qigong is ideal for those feeling exhausted, overwhelmed or stressed by life, battling chronic disease and for those wishing to develop a deeper calmness amid life's busyness.

Key aspects of Restorative Qigong:
🌿 Gentle and slow movements:
Restorative Qigong focuses on deliberate, slow movements that allow for deep relaxation and release of tension in the body.
🌿 Abdominal breathing:
Deep, conscious breathing, particularly abdominal breathing, is a core component, helping to calm the nervous system and promote relaxation.
🌿 Mindful awareness:
Practitioners cultivate a state of mindful awareness, paying attention to the body, breath, and sensations, which helps to reduce mental chatter and promote a sense of presence.
🌿 Releasing tension:
The practice aims to release physical, mental, and emotional tension, allowing the body's natural energy (Qi) to flow freely.
🌿 Restorative benefits:
It is often used to support recovery from illness or injury, manage stress, and improve overall well-being.
🌿 Accessibility (who can practice):
Restorative Qigong is generally considered accessible to individuals of all ages and abilities. It can be adapted to suit individual needs and limitations, making it a versatile practice for anyone seeking to improve their health and wellbeing.

15/09/2025

👂🧠I have a special interest in helping people, like myself, with vestibular system dysfunction and now offer qigong-based integrative health services directly targeted towards people with chronic dizziness and vestibular disorders.

👨‍💼This includes education on the vestibular system and how it interacts with the brain and body, under normal conditions and under states of stress, fear and poor function.
🧘Various mind/body practices are incorporated and taught to help with daily coping, improvement of symptoms and to create an environment that supports healing.

🤔Why is this important?

There is growing evidence that chronic stress and inflammation have a major negative effect on function of the vestibular system and the ability for the brain to cope, and I have come to learn and appreciate, both through my own journey and that of others, that efforts at vestibular rehabilitation are severely compromised if stress, fear, emotional state, etc.. is not addressed simultaneously.
Interventions to reduce stress, inflammation, a hyper-aroused nervous system need to go hand in hand with psychological and physiotherapeutic strategies to effectively treat/manage these disorders. Tai chi/qigong is a very effective practice to address this.
(see flyer in comments for related benefits).

📞Get in touch if you would like more information.

Steve 👋

19/08/2025

I've mentioned previously that this integrative mind-body health service can be effective for health promotion/longevity as well as management and rehabilitation of a range of health conditions.

🧐But what is unique about my approach??

It stems from a combination of experience in western science/medicine (particularly immunology and neurobiology), Eastern philosophy/healing arts (Daoism, Qigong, martial arts) and personal lived experience of chronic illness.

My specialty is using psychoneuroimmunology principles (cutting edge science of mind-body medicine) together with Qigong practice (a comprehensive mind-body practice), with a particular focus on managing chronic stress and inflammation to restore balance and harmony in our mind and body systems.

🧠So what is psychoneuroimmunology???

Psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) examines the intricate connections between the mind (psycho), the nervous system (neuro), and the immune system (immunology). It explores how psychological processes, such as stress, emotions, and social factors, influence the nervous and immune systems, and how these systems, in turn, affect behaviour and health.

Put simply, our modern, fast-paced lifestyle, thoughts/beliefs and behaviours leads to a chronic stress state and nervous system dysfunction, creating an imbalance in immune system function and susceptibility to infection and chronic inflammatory diseases. Unresolved chronic inflammation in the body can also then directly affect our brain and mental health, leading to mood disorders, etc..

🧘I will explain more about Restorative Qigong in a future post, but here is a diagram of the core components of this practice, which makes it ideal as a comprehensive mind-body practice to address chronic stress/inflammation (key point here is that it is much, much more than just gentle movement!) 😊

13/08/2025

🌿Here is a brief summary of some of the proven health benefits of Qigong and conditions where there is evidence for its effectiveness🌿
(A more detailed table is available for those interested)
________________________________________
1️⃣ Balance Disorders & Fall Prevention
🌀 Examples: Age-related decline, vestibular disorders, Parkinson’s
💚 Benefits: Better balance & stability, fewer falls
🔍 How: Improves proprioception & leg strength, vestibular challenge

2️⃣ Pain & Joint Health (Musculoskeletal)
🌀 Examples: Osteoarthritis, back & neck pain
💚 Benefits: Less pain, more mobility, better posture
🔍 How: Gentle movement lubricates joints, eases stiffness

3️⃣ Heart & Circulation (Cardiovascular)
🌀 Examples: High BP, heart disease, stroke recovery
💚 Benefits: Lower BP and HR, improved endurance
🔍 How: Calms nervous system & boosts circulation

4️⃣ Lungs & Breathing (Respiratory)
🌀 Examples: Asthma, COPD
💚 Benefits: Stronger lung capacity, easier breathing
🔍 How: Deep breathing strengthens respiratory muscles & gas exchange

5️⃣ Gut & Digestion (Gastrointestinal)
🌀 Examples: IBS, IBD
💚 Benefits: Less discomfort, better digestion
🔍 How: Stimulates vagus nerve, reduces stress

6️⃣ Blood Sugar & Weight (Metabolic)
🌀 Examples: Type 2 diabetes, obesity
💚 Benefits: Better glucose control, healthy metabolism, weight control
🔍 How: Improves insulin sensitivity, lowers stress hormones

7️⃣ Mind & Mood (Mental Health)
🌀 Examples: Anxiety, depression, PTSD
💚 Benefits: Calmer mind, better mood, builds emotional resilience,
🔍 How: Boosts “feel-good” chemicals, reduces stress, emotional regulation

8️⃣ Cancer Support
🌀 Examples: Fatigue, recovery, pain
💚 Benefits: More energy, better quality of life, reduced pain/symptoms
🔍 How: Gentle exercise + mindfulness to reduce pain/boost vitality. Increased immune function, maintain muscle mass

9️⃣ Brain & Nerves (Neurological)
🌀 Examples: Stroke recovery, cognitive decline, Parkinson’s
💚 Benefits: Sharper mind, better coordination & movement
🔍 How: Encourages neuroplasticity & balance/brain training

🔟 Immune & Autoimmune
🌀 Examples: Lupus, MS, arthritis, IBD
💚 Benefits: Less inflammation/pain, more mobility
🔍 How: Lowers stress & supports immune balance

1️⃣1️⃣ Sleep Support
🌀 Examples: Insomnia, sleep apnea
💚 Benefits: Deeper, more restful sleep
🔍 How: Breath work + relaxation improve sleep onset & duration

1️⃣2️⃣Other Chronic Conditions
🌀 Examples: Chronic Fatigue (ME/CFS), Fibromyalgia
💚 Benefits: More energy, less pain
🔍 How: Calms overactive stress response, gentle exercise.

Send a message to learn more

13/08/2025

Hi all! 👋
As my practice has evolved I’ve felt the need to correspondingly update the scope and direction of my services going forward. So, I’ve been doing some ‘rebranding’ to reflect these changes!

My renewed purpose going forward is to provide integrative health and lifestyle education/coaching with guided mind/body practices for promoting health and for management/healing/rehabilitation or chronic physical and mental health conditions.

My core practice is still very much centered around Qigong, as I am a firm believer (based on evidence and personal experience) that this ancient healing art offers a comprehensive and holistic mind/body practice. The nature-inspired influence also remains in collaborative nature-based therapy work with Peta Jay at Nature ZEN. 🌿

My integrative health approach largely revolves around applying the concepts/principles of the cutting-edge, evidence-based science of psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) (see related posts on this) as a framework to guide Qigong-based mind/body practices together with lifestyle/wellness orientated support.

This unique integration of PNI principles (the mind/body science and education) with Qigong practice (the holistic therapy model) very closely aligns with my western-based science/medicine expertise and Eastern holistic healing training, and provides an evidence-based and directed strategy for providing unique integrated health interventions to support disease management and healing.

The goal is to provide a person-centered holistic approach that creates an internal healing environment to reduce the impact of chronic stress and inflammation on disease development and progression. These integrative methods will often be offered in cooperation with clinical and allied health support.

🙋‍♂️Services will be provided as both individualized programs, as well as group sessions - both in person (Brisbane Southside) and online.

📞Feel free to contact me via messaging this page, email or phone to discuss how I might be able to support you and provide more details.

(💥I will provide related posts on 1. Conditions where these practices have shown to be effective; 2. How Qigong provides the related benefits; 3. The mind/body components of a comprehensive Qigong practice💥)