Birgit Buschmann teaches in the Chi Center

Birgit Buschmann was once Swiss judo champion. She has now been giving Qigong courses at the Dietiker Chi Center for over thirty years. She found her serenity again in the Chinese art of movement.

At the age of 22, Birgit Buschmann decided to quit judo. She has hardly looked back since then: “I was at a point where I couldn’t do it anymore,” she says. The former Swiss champion found her way differently. She found her inner peace again in Qigong. Even though it wasn’t an easy path, the art of movement helped her a lot in life.

The 61-year-old has been teaching Qigong in the Chi Center in the RWD high-rise in Dietikon for over thirty years. She also lived in this building until a few years ago. In her courses and therapies she teaches the meditative art of Qigong, which is intended to regulate the free flow of energy and increase mindfulness. She is currently writing her second book about it.

Became Swiss champion through the “Junior” booklet

Her path to judo started with a “Junior” booklet that she picked up from the pharmacy when she was eleven. “I saw a report about judo and was fascinated by how familiar the martial art seemed,” says Buschmann, who now lives in Zurich-Höngg. The article described how older and higher ranking people helped the younger ones. Buschmann became curious and wanted to know what judo is really like. So she registered with the Bad Säckingen Judo Club in Germany.

There was actually a judo club in her former home town of Stein AG, but women were not allowed to join. However, that changed when, after a year, she defeated a male judoka three years her senior in a team competition at the age of 13. “From there it really started,” she says. “I joined the Stein judo club and started training three times a week.”

Judo is also very mentally demanding

From the junior squad, Buschmann made it to the junior national team and then to the elite national team. She trained, among others, with Olympic judo champion Jürg Röthlisberger in Zurich. At the age of twenty, Buschmann became Swiss champion. She also took part in the European Championships and other international judo tournaments.

The tournaments in particular, but also the training sessions, were not only extremely physically demanding. “Judo requires a lot of muscle strength and energy,” says Buschmann. “But mentally, a day of competition is also extremely challenging. You have to be focused every second.” The enemy can immediately take advantage of a moment of distraction in combat. In addition, the high level of tension and presence was an enormous stress factor.

At some point Buschmann was so mentally and physically exhausted from the strenuous training and competition days that she could no longer step on the mat: “I had a burnout and had to stop judo for good.”

Qigong can also be done while sitting or lying down

Buschmann currently teaches three times a week: Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. In her lessons she would like to teach participants the principles of Qigong. These include a calm mind, mindfulness, emotion regulation and concentration. “You have to focus, but not get lost in your thoughts,” says Buschmann. “The goal is to direct your energy into your heart and lower abdomen in order to clear your head.”

Qigong has helped Buschmann a lot in his life. After a serious accident she had to recover for a long time. Even though she could barely move, she practiced Qigong. “Silent Qigong can be done sitting or lying down,” she says. The exercises are meditative and psychologically supportive.

Life is like running water

According to Buschmann, you can learn a lot about yourself and your life in Qigong because you harmonize your body, mind and emotions. Buschmann says she has learned to regulate her life energy, her Qi, like flowing water. “Flowing water hollows out the hardest stone,” the free flow of life energy dissolves deep-seated blockages in people.

Buschmann is currently writing her second book about still and moving Qigong. She also wants to teach meditations from Silent Qigong.