Technology has progressed a lot over the last few years, making online learning a much more viable option for many fields of study, and particularly during the lockdowns associated with the pandemic a few years ago, many people were introduced to this way of learning for the first time, and it has continued to be popular since then. So in this article we will compare online learning and practice of qigong with in person learning, and explore some of the strengths and weaknesses of each of these learning formats as they relate specifically to qigong – so that you can get the most out of your qigong study and practice.
We will start with in-person learning:
Strengths and Weaknesses of Learning Qigong in Person
In-Person Strengths
There are a number of quite obvious strengths to in-person learning formats. There is never going to be anything quite like being physically in the same space with your teacher and other people practicing qigong. There is a richer level of communication that can come through from having the full “3D, surround sound” experience. Little things like being able to adjust your position to see something from a different angle, or being able to hear subtle changes of tone and inflection within the voice of your teacher that may not come through on a microphone and speaker, even the ability to receive physical touch as part of the guidance in fine tuning your practice. All of your senses can fully engage in the learning experience when practicing together in-person, and there is great value in that.
In-Person Weaknesses
What may not be so obvious are the potential weaknesses of in-person learning. We often don’t think of these, because until relatively recently in-person was the only really viable way to learn anything that required a rich level of communication – it was that or learn from books, which while they may have played a valuable role as reference material, were clearly often unable to convey many of the complexities and nuances of some fields of study adequately. But now that we have more viable alternatives, the comparative downsides of in-person learning stand out more clearly – and most of these come down to access and convenience.
The first potential limitation is that there may not be any suitable qigong teachers available in the area where you live, or they may not be teaching the type of practice you wish to learn. This was actually the reason why I first began teaching qigong online many years ago. I was regularly contacted through both my own website, and also in my role as secretary of the New Zealand Qigong and Traditional Chinese Medicine Association, by people from all over the world who were looking for someone near them to teach them qigong – and unfortunately most of the time I was unable to refer them to anyone. I started by recording a few simple videos that people could follow along with, and then developed this further into some courses that also taught the underlying theory and principles behind the practice – that people could do for their own interest. I then realised that if people were finding it challenging to find qigong teachers near them, part of the solution could be to empower more people to become teachers in their area. So I developed further courses to teach a comprehensive curriculum to give people a solid foundation of knowledge and experience that would allow them to effectively share qigong with others around them. We have come a long way since then in how we teach online… but more on that later.
Another limitation of learning in person is that the timing of classes may not suit your schedule, and there can also be a lot of additional time, cost and inconvenience involved in travelling to and from classes and workshops – making them impractical to attend even if they are relatively close to you. People with health conditions, or people who are particularly shy may also face challenges in going out to unfamiliar environments for in-person learning.
One final potential downside of in-person learning relates to the structuring of information. While the spontaneity that can occur in live in person environments can bring valuable insights and experiences, sometimes this can lead to the information and order of learning not being particularly well organized, and this can present particular challenges when trying to learn all the details of a practice in a comprehensive way. If the student is unable to avoid missing some of the learning sessions, they may miss out on important information that would inform their further understanding and practice.
Strengths and Weaknesses of Learning Qigong Online
Online Strengths
The areas that are weaknesses for in-person learning are the same areas that the online learning format excels! Through online learning you can have access to qigong teachers all over the world, so it is much more likely that you will be able to easily find someone who teaches the specific type of practice that you are interested in, and in a way that you enjoy and find effective for you.
You can also practice in the convenience of your own home – eliminating a lot of potential cost and inconvenience involved in travelling to outside locations, and even physical risk for those with significant health issues.
The ease of making video recordings further adds to the convenience, meaning that even if a class isn’t available at a time that suits you, or if you are not able to make your regular session time occasionally, you are often still able to participate and benefit from the session having been recorded and made available to you. This is particularly useful for structured learning where you want to go deep into a practice and it is important that you not miss out on any part of the teaching so that you can gain a full understanding. Video recordings also have other benefits, like the ability to go back and review specific parts of the recording more than once, or even slow down the playback speed of the video to ensure that you catch all the details. The ease of combining multiple different types of learning materials (video, audio, images, and written) together on modern online learning platforms also means that this can create a rich learning environment suitable for people with all different styles of learning preference – ensuring they can take in the in .
Online Weaknesses
The weaknesses of online learning come down to it not yet being possible to replicate the same level of richness of communication that is possible in-person. You’re clearly not going to be able to pick up on the smell in the room that would be present in-person in an online learning environment (maybe one day though!). There may also be other little things that do not carry through in electronic recordings, and certainly there is currently no way to receive tactile physical feedback as part of your instruction online.
However, these limitations are minor overall. There is a lot of richness that is possible now in online learning that was not as easily possible previously. It is now quite simple to have an interactive learning environment online which was much more challenging previously – largely due to improvements in video calling and conferencing technology. You can now quite easily have group classes where everyone participates together, or have one on one interactive instruction from your teacher where you can recieve feedback on your practice, or where you can ask to have things explained or demonstrated to you differently or from a different angle so you can see and understand more easily. Its true that physical correction of movement or posture is still not possible in online learning – but in my experience it is usually best to allow students to find their own alignment through observation and verbal feedback – even within in-person environments. So physical touch is only needed in rare cases.
Even things like the experience of energy within a group practice session carries through well in online learning environments. I frequently get comments from people participating in online classes about how powerful the energy is when we practice together. Even though we are not in the same physical location, the effect of the group is still felt clearly within the practice.
Probably one of the main downsides of learning in an online environment is that it is harder to make in-person connections with people you are practicing with. It is harder to meet-up for a cup of tea or coffee after a class, or share other similar social interactions. Again – this isn’t a completely lacking within online learning environments though. I have heard from many people who have attended Long White Cloud Qigong courses that they have met up in person with other people from the course in their area (they often send photos 😊), or continued to maintain supportive online contact with each other after the courses have finished as well. They start to become part of both a local and international community, with friends with a shared interest all over the world.
A Question of Quality
Of course, just because a particular learning format can deliver good quality learning in all of the ways described above, doesn’t mean that it will. A lot of this will come down the skill and effort that the teacher puts in to creating a high quality learning experience for their students. The efforts of a really good teacher may be able to go a long way to mitigating any shortcomings of a particular learning format, and a poorly skilled teacher may not be able to deliver the learning experience you seek, even in the richest of possible learning environments. This applies equally to both in-person and online learning formats.
Fortunately there are more and more good qigong teachers emerging and offering their service in sharing qigong to their communities all over the world, both in-person and online. So if you look around, you are sure to be able to find someone who suits your needs and preferences. In a future article we will give you some tips of how you can look for and find such a teacher.
The Best of Both Worlds
So which of these formats do you think will suit you best? The good thing is that this doesn’t have to be an either or question. There is no reason why you can’t find a local teacher or teachers whose teaching you enjoy, and find valuable in person connection and community within their classes, while at the same time also benefitting from the convenience and availability of a broader range of practices to learn which might be available to you online. You can find the mix of these formats that works best for you, to give you the very best of each, and support you in getting the most from your practice as you continue on your qigong journey!