Giving form to lived Experience: A Creative Practice of Inner Listening

Intermodal Expressive Arts is an integrative approach that weaves together multiple forms of creative expression (movement, sound, visual art, writing, drama, and improvisation) to explore and give shape to our inner experiences.

It is rooted in the field of Expressive Arts Therapy (EXA or EXAT), founded and developed through the pioneering work of Paolo J. Knill and his colleagues at the European Graduate School.

At the heart of this approach is the belief that creativity itself is healing and that the act of expression - not the artistic product - opens pathways to insight, transformation, and wholeness.

Moving between modalities invites a kind of dialogue between the senses; when words fall short, movement might speak, and when the body cannot find expression, colour or sound may carry the story forward.

Working intermodally, that is, flowing between different art forms: supports a deepening of awareness and helps bypass habitual patterns of thinking.

It awakens the imagination as a source of knowing, allowing something new, unexpected, and deeply personal to emerge.

Intermodal Expressive Arts THerapy practice reminds us that creativity is not reserved for the artist, but is a birthright of being human: a natural way to connect with our vitality, our truth, and the world around us.

In QiFlo® Arts, this approach is offered in a shared, community based practice rather than a therapy setting, and is held within a clear and supportive structure. Particular attention is given to the somatic experiences arising through qigong-based movement explorations. Creative modalities are used to help sense, reflect on, and give form to what is felt in the body, supporting the development of creative insight and attunement toward one’s inner landscape.

Sessions are carefully paced and guided, with attention to consent, containment, and choice. While expression may touch tender and/or meaningful material, the structure of the QiFlo ARTS practice is focused on developing self-awareness, and compassion, rather than therapy. Participants are encouraged to engage within their own capacity and to seek appropriate professional support beyond the space when needed.

Daoism (Taoism) is an ancient Chinese philosophy and spiritual tradition that teaches harmony with the natural flow of life.

Emerging over two thousand years ago, its wisdom is rooted in classic texts such as the Dao De Jing by Laozi and the writings of Zhuangzi, both of which explore how to live with simplicity, humility, and attunement to nature.

At the heart of Daoism is the concept of the Dao: the Way. The Dao is not a doctrine or a destination, but the living movement of life itself - the rhythm through which all things arise, transform, and return. It is the subtle current that shapes the seasons, breathes through all of nature, and moves within each of us.

To follow the Way is to move in harmony with this natural order - to trust in life’s unfolding rather than forcing our own.

A central teaching in this philosophy is wu wei, often translated as “effortless action” or “non-forcing.” Wu wei does not mean doing nothing; it means acting in accordance with the flow of life, allowing our responses to emerge from stillness, awareness, and presence. This way of being invites ease, spontaneity, and authenticity: a soft strength that arises from alignment rather than control.

Within QiFlo Arts, the Daoist approach provides a philosophical and energetic foundation for creative practice. Through Qigong, meditation, and art-making, we explore how softness can be strength, how yielding can become power, and how creativity mirrors the natural flow of life.

A QiFlo® Arts session offers a calm, guided space for reflective and creative practice in a non-judgmental environment, held in a group setting, where each person engages with their own individual process.

Sessions typically begin with gentle grounding through breath and simple qigong movements to help settle attention and arrive in the body. From there, you are invited into creative exploration using different art modalities, such as movement, writing, and/or sound depending on the session theme.

Everything offered is an invitation. You are welcome to engage at your own pace, adapt practices as needed, rest, or simply observe. The emphasis is on process rather than artistic skill or outcome, with space to follow sensation, curiosity, and inner listening.

Time is included for quiet reflection and, when appropriate, optional sharing within the group, supporting integration in a supportive setting.

Participants often experience:

• a deeper connection with body and breath

• increased awareness and mindful presence

• a gentler relationship with their inner experience

• insight emerging through creative process

• a sense of ease, flow, and vitality

No prior experience in qigong or art-making is needed.