The seven students stood silently in the dark, some with their eyes closed looking relaxed, facing a wall of windows overlooking a blooming cherry tree as the voice on the tape slowly gave instructions for the next move.

Relaxation classes, based on the ancient health and spiritual practice of Qigong, are held at the Younkin Success Center in the second floor Media Resource Suite.

Classes are held Wednesdays at 9:00 a.m., are free to all members of the Ohio State community and require no reservation.

Qigong – pronounced “chee-gong” – is a contraction of qi, or life energy, and gong, meaning daily effort, said Christina Rideout, a psychologist, co-leader of the relaxation class and a student of Qigong for 11 years.

Qigong is practiced for several different reasons: health maintenance, therapeutic intervention, as a medical profession, a spiritual path or a component of Chinese martial arts.

The particular form of self-healing developed by Luke and Frank Chan and practiced within the class is known as “Chi-Lel Qigong.”

“It was really interesting to see how connected the instructors were to their meditations,” said Rosemarie Mayersky, a sophomore in international studies of her first experience with the class.

“It’s a great way to start the day,” said Monica Bravo, a graduate student in sports and exercise science and regular attendee of the class. “To breathe, to think about something else that’s not school … sometimes you can really feel like you get energized.”

Qigong focuses on slow, smooth movements and regulated breathing in an attempt to concentrate the chi within a body that defines the body as being alive.

“When people practice together, the idea is that the energy is bigger – more powerful,” said Rideout. “For some it will take a while to feel a sense of energy, for others, they’ll feel it right away.”

While Qigong has been noted on several occasions as a possible means toward healthier living – one account boasts the removal of a tumor through the projection of chi – the practice does not replace regular visits to a doctor, said Rideout.

“It’s adjunct healing,” she said. “It’s one of the many ways of being healthy.”

Rideout and her co-leader Richard Mitsak will host a Qigong session as part of Kick Back at the RPAC, a de-stressing fair that will be held April 25 at the Recreation & Physical Activity Center from 4 – 8 p.m.

Olivia Radcliffe can be reached at [email protected].