Let’s Talk About Bling-Bling In Taijiquan & Qigong Classes

Some years ago I met a Taijiquan & Qigong teacher who expected all her students to take off their jewelry during class. Even the wedding ring!

Personally, I like to keep my wedding ring on, but I would like to tell you some reasons why I recommend to take off your bling-bling.

Yin and Yang accessories leather bracelet

Imagine someone standing next to you with a bracelet with charms or someone with many of those tiny bracelets. Now you get into your favorite Qigong exercise, you close your eyes and relax. You try to get into your own rhythm, but there’s this subtle “tsching-cling-tsching-cling” next to you. Instead of getting into your own rhythm, you adapt to your neighbor’s bracelet-tsching-rhythm.

What a bummer, right? Wouldn’t it be much nicer if that person would take off their bling-bling and everyone could relax into the exercise on their own terms?

But, maybe you are the one with the bracelets or necklace or earrings. Maybe you don’t even notice anymore, that your jewelry is actually making noise sounds. So please give yourself and the others in your class a rest. Take off your jewelry!

Additionally, you should consider that tight-fitting decoration could disturb your Qi flow. Especially if it is a ring and made of some metal. That was actually the reason why that teacher I met wanted everyone to take off every piece of jewelry. She wanted us to have the full Qi flow experience.

Or let’s put it this way: you get into comfortable pants, wear a wide T-Shirt and then your strangulate your wrist with a watch? Come on! You don’t even need that watch during class, your teacher will surely tell you when it’s over. 😉

If you are into Taijiquan, there are even more reasons why you want to put away your jewelry. Taijiquan is a martial art and usually you are taught applications or you do push hands. And jewelry increases the risk of injury.

Your teacher will much more likely pick someone with bare wrists to show applications. But isn’t it just amazing to experience them yourself instead of just watching?

And it is awkward to grasp your arms for push hands if they are loaded with rings, bracelets, and watches. Chains or necklaces, especially long ones, definitely disturb me during push hands. They dangle there in the middle and they make it harder to concentrate on the moves and the partner.

Finally, I would like to add: though I do not like rings, watches, and necklaces during classes, I have to admit that I do like these little Acupressure rings, e.g. when I sit at the computer. I always fiddle around with them. But I do not use them during training!

So all in all this is what I think about bling-bling: I really like to wear it, but NOT when I practice. And that’s why I really want to encourage you to take off your jewelry. There’s no need to showcase your family heirlooms during Taijiquan and Qigong classes!

What do you think? How do you deal with jewelry while practicing?