What Beauty Moves

A Qigong series in the garden of the Russell-Cotes Art Gallery and Museum

Thursdays 10, 17 and 24 September 2026 · 10–11am

There is a garden on a clifftop in Bournemouth where the sea is always present, even when you cannot see it.

This September, I'm bringing Qigong into that garden for a three-part series inspired by Chinese landscape art, the five elements, and the understanding that the natural world and the human body are not separate things.

In the Chinese shanshui tradition, artists painted mountains, water, mist and sky not simply as scenery but as expressions of living energy. Qigong emerges from a similar worldview. Through movement, breath and attention, we begin to experience the body as a living landscape — shaped by the rhythms of nature, season and place.

Taking place in the gardens of the Russell-Cotes, this series sits at the meeting point of art and embodied practice. The garden becomes both studio and landscape; the body both observer and canvas.

What Beauty Moves is an invitation to explore the landscape around you and the landscape within.

What is Qigong?

Qigong is one of China's oldest movement arts, combining gentle movement, breath and awareness to cultivate and harmonise qi, often translated as vital energy.

Traditionally practised outdoors, Qigong encourages us to pay attention: to the body, to the breath and to the world around us. These sessions will include simple standing practices, flowing movements, quiet observation and moments of stillness.

No previous experience is needed. Suitable for complete beginners and experienced practitioners alike.

New to Qigong? Read more about what Qigong is and what to expect.

The Series

Inspired by the dialogue between mountain and water, stillness and flow, each session explores a different aspect of our relationship with landscape, element and movement.

Session 1: Stone | Thursday 10 September
We begin by arriving. Drawing on the earth element, we explore grounding, stability and presence. Through gentle Qigong practices, we learn to inhabit a place more fully and experience the body as part of the landscape rather than separate from it.

Session 2: Tide | Thursday 17 September
The sea is always here, felt rather than seen. Turning towards the water element, we explore flow, adaptability and rhythm. Breath becomes tide, movement becomes current, and the body learns what water knows.

Session 3: Horizon | Thursday 24 September
The final session draws together the themes of the series: place, movement, beauty and attention. We close in spaciousness, reflecting on what has shifted, what landscape lives within us now, and what beauty continues to move through us.

Each session is followed by coffee in the Russell-Cotes café — a chance to sit together, reflect, and let the practice settle.

Who is this for?

Anyone drawn to nature, art, culture, movement, or the idea that slowing down is a practice rather than a luxury.

Whether you come for the Qigong, the garden, the connection with Chinese landscape traditions, or simple curiosity, you are welcome.

If you can breathe and stand, you can do this.

Practical Details

📍 The garden of the Russell-Cotes Art Gallery and Museum, East Cliff Promenade, Bournemouth BH1 3AA
📅 Thursdays 10, 17 and 24 September 2026 · 10–11am
☁️ Sessions take place outdoors. In the event of rain, a session will be cancelled and a full refund issued.

Pricing
Block of three sessions: £55
Single session in advance: £18.50
On the day: £20.50

To reserve your spot, fill out the form below and I’ll be in touch with payment details to confirm your place.