MOVEMENT FOR MODERN TIMES
Qi Gong is having a quiet renaissance. Once practiced by only a few, this ancient form of movement and breathing offers a gentler path to wellbeing that doesn’t require mats, mirrors, or lycra.
Founder of Elemental Alchemy Qi Gong, Wilhemeena Monroe, has been practising for almost twenty years, developing a unique pattern language of this ancient art that makes it easy and accessible to everyone. The practice works to bring balance, peace, and equanimity to the nervous system in an increasingly fast-paced and changing world.
Described by her students as “life-changing” and “a true support through challenging times,” Elemental Alchemy Qi Gong has been called a new kind of superpower. The forms offer powerful ways of stabilising, grounding, connecting, opening, and re-energising the body’s natural systems. By helping to unlock what drains one’s qi (life force), the practice taps into the eternal spring of life that is available to all. Many find it supports consistent energy, resilience, and emotional steadiness amid the demands of modern life.
For the past three years, Wilhemeena has been quietly teaching in the Matakana area, cultivating a devoted community of practitioners drawn to her warmth, playful enthusiasm, and calm presence. In 2026, she will open her classes to the wider public, offering monthly weekend workshops and teacher training alongside her established online offerings. With five weekly classes available via her online portal and workshops streamed live through Zoom, her teachings now reach students across the globe, with graduates in New Zealand, Canada, USA, Peru, and Australia.
Locally, classes are held on Tuesday and Thursday mornings in Big Omaha, inviting participants to reconnect with their energy and the natural rhythms of the seasons. On the last Tuesday of each month, practice concludes with a serene Cha Dao (Tea) ceremony – a mindful ritual to ground and settle the spirit after movement and to honour the upward-rising energies of summer.
Accessible, profound, and deeply restorative, Elemental Alchemy Qi Gong offers a pathway back to balance – and a reminder that inner stillness is one of the most powerful practices of all.
www.soulcentre.co.nz/workshops/qigong | www.instagram.com/elemental.alchemy.academy