Program Host: Vicki Dello Joio
September 11, 2025
8:30 – 9:30 PM Eastern
For over 25 years, Qigong and Tai Chi have been steady tools in my life—helping me navigate uncertainty, manage stress, and stay connected to my body and breath. From the beginning, the practices I learned were integrated with actual touch: rubbing the face,stimulating the feet, and tracing meridians. That early experience of working with the body from the inside out stayed with me.
Years later, as a massage therapist, I began exploring how these two healing modalities could inform each other. In this talk, I’ll share how touch-based techniques—whether used on yourself or others—can support the circulation of Qi, help open blockages, and activate key meridian pathways that connect to internal organ systems. You don’t need to know specific acupressure points to benefit; the intent to move energy,combined with gentle touch, is often enough.
We’ll also explore how the simple act of touch—one of our most essential survival senses—stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, calms the stress response, and encourages natural energy flow. I’ll reflect on how Qigong has “touched” me—both literally and metaphorically—and how it continues to integrate with my work, my life, and my Jewish spiritual framework.
.png)
Jo Bakal, NBC-HWC, is a National Board-Certified Health& Wellness Coach who offers a wellspring of support through massage therapy, Reiki, health coaching, and plant-based cooking. A practitioner of Qigong and Tai Chi for nearly 30 years, Jo has integrated these practices into her work for decades and began formally teaching in 2018. She supports individuals navigating chronic conditions, anxiety, cancer, care giving, and the journey of aging well—helping people reconnect with themselves and explore tools that restore calm, clarity, and vitality.
