Recently, during a casual conversation with several students about food that ranged from Paleo to GMO, an idea came up to make a webpage where we could share recipes from past retreats and other food information. I liked the idea, but as I thought more about how to present the information and what information to…
Within the Chinese Five Element Theory, Spring is associated with the wood element. Spring heralds the beginning of life and naturally brings a renewed vitality, strength, flexibility and expansiveness. One virtue associated with Spring is altruism, which often leads to happiness. A few months back, during a discussion about qigong and happiness in class, a…
In our December newsletter I mentioned one of Taoism’s most important and famous concepts, that of wu wei (pronounced “woo-way”). Since the practice of qigong is strongly influenced by the teachings of Lao Tzu in the Taoist classic the Tao te Ching it is important to explore the concept of wu wei to help us…
Ah, 2013 at last! As I reflected on my qigong journey (teaching and personal) of the last year and those of you I have spent time with along the way I felt deeply satisfied at how we are all unfolding. Being here on the Big Island the image of a fern frond spiral emerging from…
With so much news about 12/21/2012 I’ve been somewhat bemused by the possibility of a big change or shift coming, as if changes were not occurring most of the time. We all know the saying that goes “the only constant in the universe is change”. I notice we easily, for the most part, navigate daily changes…
The qigong state is our natural way of being when we are aligned with the laws of nature. It can be described as a focused awareness of existing in the present moment. Spiritual teacher Eckart Tolle describes the process of achieving the qigong state as “The transformation from time to presence and from thought to…
I invite you to read this is a very informative interview with Dr. Pang from 1994 as it addresses many of the most important aspects of Zhineng Qigong. Even if you have read it before it is well worth another read. NATURE AS LAST RESORT: QIGONG AND ITS USE TO COMBAT FATAL ILLNESSES An Interview with…
It is time to unify our geographically distinct qigong groups by sending our newsletter to all qigong friends (mainland, Hawaii and more) on a monthly basis so we can stay better connected and provide more support. This is prompted by (joyfully) noticing that we are seeing friends from many parts of the US coming together in…
I never seem to tire of reading and pondering the writings of Lao Tzu. I know that for me it is because Lao Tzu’s words are so applicable to qigong study and practice. I was inspired to share these words below as they can be very helpful as a strong guide for focussing the mind…
Results from recent research out of Halifax, Canada is showing that the routine practice of qigong can help lessen the pain of fibromyalgia and make a significant difference in the impact the disorder has on patients’ lives. Researchers enrolled 100 people, mostly women (average age 52) with longstanding fibromyalgia and assigned half of them to…