About
About Deniz Paradot
Senior Qigong Teacher · Somanaut · Mindfulness Coach · Mentor · Author of Move Life Better
I’ve been practising qigong, meditation and mindfulness for most of my life — and teaching full-time for the past 15 years. I’ve guided over 7,000 people and taught more than 10,000 hours of classes, from the UK to New Zealand.
Qigong changed my life — and I’ve seen with my own eyes, thousands of times, how it can help others. It’s my purpose, my passion, and the path I walk every day.
I don’t just teach these practices — I’ve relied on them. Through major spinal surgery and learning to walk again. Through grief, acute stress, chronic illness, and the everyday demands of life. They’ve supported me — and shaped how I support others, from the real-life trust I’ve built in this work.
If you’re curious, don’t just take my word for it — hear and watch what others have experienced.
But it’s not about numbers. It’s about people. I believe in real, accessible, human practice.
Qigong changed my life — and I’ve seen with my own eyes, thousands of times, how it can help others. It’s my purpose, my passion, and the path I walk every day.
When the pandemic hit, I offered almost 1,000 free online morning sessions — to help people stay connected, keep moving, and feel less alone. It’s just one example of what I believe in: accessible, empowering practice that supports real people, in real life.
I’m currently volunteering with the Pain Management Clinic based at Adelaide Street, Norwich (part of the NNUH). I speak with patients about the importance of movement — how not moving can affect the body and mind — and I share some of my own story, including recovering from major spinal surgery in 1995. It’s one of the ways I help people feel more seen, more understood, and more able to take that first gentle step back into movement.
My work has been recognised with awards, including the Active Norfolk Community Award, and nominated for the Royal Nursing Awards. The success of my work with the Cardiac Rehabilitation Team at the Norfolk & Norwich University Hospital led to it being presented as an academic poster at the British Heart Foundation Conference. I’ve worked in partnership with a wide range of organisations including the NHS (Norfolk & Norwich University Hospital), Assist Trust, Parkinson’s UK, Royal Voluntary Service, The Matthew Project, NRAS, Bentley Motors, Mondelez International, and Naked Wines.
I was also a member of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Integrated Healthcare (APPG-IH), actively campaigning for qigong to be recognised and supported within the NHS.
What it’s like to work with me
I’m not here to fix you. I’m here to walk with you.
I teach the way I live — with authenticity, compassion, and clarity. My approach is gentle but deep, grounded in Traditional Chinese Medicine and shaped by modern understanding of fascia, nervous system health, and embodied movement.
I don’t just show people what to do — I help them feel it for themselves. My role is to guide, not to impress. To share what I know so you can discover what you already hold.
I love to share what I’ve learned — from decades of study in Eastern philosophies, and a lifelong fascination with the kind of wisdom you can feel but not always explain. Students often say it’s this grounded, reflective quality that helps them connect to the practice and feel at ease.
I’ve been told I bring infectious enthusiasm to what I do — and there’s always space for a giggle in class (and in life). When you practise with me, even in a group setting, I’ll treat you as an individual. You’ll get the support you need to find your own rhythm, at your own pace.
“Qigong is my silent best friend.
For over 25 years, it’s been there for me — through pain, fatigue, emotional struggle and illness.
It doesn’t ask for anything. It doesn’t judge.
It simply meets you where you are and gives you what you need, when you need it.
With time, the principles of qigong have moved beyond the practice and into every part of my life.
I live with more presence, more gratitude, more flow — and I teach from that place.
Because qigong isn’t about the moves — it’s about the mover.
What matters is how you move, how you breathe, where your attention goes, and the intention you bring.
I don’t just teach forms — I share the why behind them, because understanding empowers practice.
Qigong isn’t mine to keep. It’s a living art, handed down through generations.
It belongs to those who practise it — and my role is simply to pass it on,
authentically, and to help others as it has helped me.”
- Deniz Paradot
The Life I Live, Beyond the Teaching
Alongside teaching, I continue to study Qigong theory and maintain a daily personal practice. I still have my own teacher — a world-renowned Master — because I believe we’re always students, no matter how long we’ve been walking the path.
I’m also a qualified Shinrin-yoku (Japanese nature connection) practitioner. My love for the natural world runs deep — as does my love for words. Especially those from other cultures that hold meaning beyond translation — words that are less definitions and more whole experiences. Like Wabi Sabi, the Japanese way of seeing beauty in imperfection, impermanence and simplicity. These ideas quietly shape how I teach and I often share these in my teaching, because they remind us that wellbeing isn’t just a concept — it’s something we feel, live, and return to.
Two of my favourite books are Zen in the Art of Archery and The Tao of Pooh & The Te of Piglet — they reflect the simplicity, presence and gentle depth I aim to bring to my own practice and teaching.
Outside of teaching, I love to cook, share good meals and a glass of wine with my wife, walk in nature, and explore antique shops for pottery and oddities. There’s something grounding in holding a handmade pot and wondering whose hands shaped it, and what stories it’s held. Recently, we hiked the Salkantay Trail to Machu Picchu, 140km in the Andes — past glaciers, jungle, and up to 5,200m altitude. Breath, rhythm and quiet endurance — all of it brought me home again.
In all of this — whether standing still or walking mountains — I stay curious about my own inner space too. Like a Somanaut, I keep exploring.
Author of Move Life Better
I wrote Move Life Better as a simple, illustrated guide to help people live with more ease, connection and strength — physically, mentally and emotionally.
It draws on decades of practice and teaching, weaving together ancient Chinese wisdom with modern fascia science, and invites readers to reconnect with their “inner doctor” — their innate capacity for healing and balance. This book is available directly through me, please get in touch if you’d like to purchase one. £15 + p&p.
“ You will learn to find the most important practitioner in your life: you.”
Coming Soon: A New Children's Book
I’m excited to share that I have just signed a publishing contract for a new illustrated children’s book. It’s a gentle, sensory-rich collection of short stories, each one leading into a soft, nature-based journey of calm, imagination, and sleep. about mindfulness: the kind of presence that helps a child feel calm, safe, and deeply connected — and grow up just a little more resourced to meet the world.
Join my mailing list to keep updated with the release date and find out when my next book signing is.