Grounded Presence: Learning Qigong with Adit Panton

About a year and a half ago, a friend shared with me that she had been chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo. Curious, I began chanting it myself every day for about three weeks.

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo is a Buddhist mantra often translated as "devotion to the Mystic Law of cause and effect through sound, vibration, and intention." It is believed to awaken one's highest potential and bring greater harmony between one's inner life and outer circumstances.

I didn't begin chanting with any expectations. Yet within a few weeks, things in my life began shifting in ways I couldn't ignore.

Places and communities I thought I would remain connected to for years suddenly no longer felt aligned. One of those places was a center where I had been practicing qigong and tai chi. Over time, the management changed, and with those changes, the energy of the space changed as well. While the practices themselves remained valuable, something within me knew it was time to move on.

One thing I have learned through studying energy practices is that when someone teaches qigong, tai chi, or any healing art, it is not something to be taken lightly. The person teaching must embody the principles they are sharing. Their presence, their character, and the way they cultivate and carry their own qi matter just as much as the techniques themselves.

Around that time, I came across Adit Panton's page online. He taught qigong, and something about his presence drew me in. I reached out and soon attended one of his classes.

From the moment I arrived, I felt an immediate sense of alignment.

There was a groundedness about him that is difficult to describe. He carried himself with quiet confidence, calmness, and sincerity. His energy felt balanced, embodying both the nurturing qualities often associated with the feminine and the strength and steadiness of the masculine. There was very little need for excessive words. His teaching came through embodiment.

He notices things without you having to explain them. He listens beyond words. There is an attentiveness and presence that can only come from someone who has spent years cultivating awareness within themselves.

After class, we exchanged a few words. Then he reached into his belongings and handed me a Nam Myoho Renge Kyo card.

I was stunned.

Earlier that very morning, I had been chanting the mantra on my drive to class.

Seeing my surprise, he simply smiled and said, "There are no coincidences."

That moment stayed with me.

At that stage of my life, I realized I didn't need more chaos, more intensity, or more people trying to tell me who I should become. What I needed was grounded energy. Stability. Presence. A healthy expression of the divine masculine that could hold space without needing to control it.

Through practice in Adit's classes, I found exactly that.

His classes are structured, steady, and intentional. Rather than constantly introducing new movements, he focuses on repetition and mastery. Week after week, students move through practices that support every part of the body, helping cultivate strength, flexibility, circulation, balance, and overall vitality. There is something deeply healing about returning to the fundamentals and allowing the body to learn through consistency.

Beyond teaching qigong, Adit is also a massage therapist. His sessions are much more than bodywork. While his hands work on the physical body, his presence often brings insights, wisdom, and perspective. You leave feeling not only physically supported but also mentally and emotionally nourished.

Looking back, I can see how one simple decision to begin chanting set a series of events into motion. Doors closed. New ones opened. Certain relationships and environments fell away, while others appeared at exactly the right time.

Whether you call it synchronicity, intuition, divine timing, or simply paying attention, I continue to be amazed by how life responds when we become willing to listen.

If you are looking for a qigong teacher or bodyworker who truly embodies the practices he teaches, I highly recommend Adit Panton of Healing Arts Touch.