My connection to Qigong (4)

After I met Master Zhou, he suggested that I study Taoist Light Qigong. At that time, I had been studying another style of Qigong from my mother for a few months already. The old style involved six stages and each stage contained numerous precise movements. It took me months to memorize and practice, so it certainly was not easy for me to give it up.

At that time, my mother had an accident at work. A big iron box fell on her foot and she could not walk. My father came home and said to mother: "Master Zhou knew you are injured; he asked you to go to see him."

I undertook another task requiring me to go to Master Zhou's house again, this time to support mother walking on one foot. All I remember was that my mother could not put the injured foot on the ground before we walked into Master Zhou's house; but when we left, she walked back on her own without any support.

My mother's foot had a very quick recovery. At the same time, I was still enjoying the Summer Break at home. I found that I did not want to get up early to do my old style of Qigong practice. Then I realized that the reason I did not want to get out from bed was because all the long movements became such a work and hassle in my mind and for my body. When I thought about going through all the movements, my body simply did not want to move. "This does not work for me," I thought, "I am not looking forward to the practice anymore."

So I decided to let mom show me how she practiced Taoist Light Qigong. When I saw it was such a simple, easy, and effortless practice, I became completely drawn into it. I remembered how to do it all in ten minutes rather than months, and the first thought I had was: "I will want to get up early again and try this practice."

Each stage of Taoist Light Qigong starts with a "password," then you just let the body go naturally. I have always been fascinated by the powerful passcode-like words, which I understand to contain a high vibrational energy frequencies, and I had one exceptional personal experience in the past:

When I was about eight years old, my mother taught me a ten-syllable mantra. I memorized it immediately. Each time I repeated it in my mind as a little girl, I could see the universal gate open and there were about twelve stars that formed a particular configuration. I thought that since mom had told me the mantra, so she could see the same thing as I saw it. But then one day after school, I came back home and she showed me an ancient practicing book. She told me, "If you keep practicing these words, you will see this star configuration." I was really surprised that this configuration had been in front of me each time I recited this mantra, for it looked exactly the same as in the instructional book.

Certain words are very powerful and it is the key to open the gate of universe. I thought, it was easy to see the star configuration, but what else could it do for me? At the end of semester, we had final exam. I tried and tried, but I could not resolve the last math problem. That problem represented 20% of my whole math score, and the math teacher said there was only two minutes left, that everyone should look through their work and get ready to turn in their papers. Suddenly, I remembered my passcode to the universe that opened my own mind. I repeated it three times. My brain suddenly got it, and I spent the last 90 seconds putting down my correct answer on the paper.

After that personal experience, I have always been drawn to certain words and sounds which hold ancient wisdom and the key to universal mysteries.

So when I learned Taoist Light Qigong entailed using these passwords, I became very interested and felt I was ready for a new Qigong practice under Master Zhou's personal guidance.

Why not to mix Taoist Light Qigong with other Qigong styles?

If you study food therapy, you may learn that it is better not to eat spinach and Tofu (beans) together, both of them are super nutritious and beneficial for the body, why can't  they be mixed? It is because that spinach is high in a substance called oxalate (H2C2O4), when it mixed with calcium(Ca) in Tofu (beans), it will becomes Calcium Oxalate (CaC2O4), so your body can not absorb the necessary calcium for its needs and when intake too much of both, it can cause kidney stones.

China is the original birth place of Qigong,  all the authentic and sincere Qigong masters emphasis that not to mix different Qigong styles, and students take on that as a common sense. There is few "risk-taking" students will try to mix, unless they mix bunch of simple physical exercises, it will not feel that harmful but usually they may not make much progress either; If one mixes two real powerful and pure lineage Qigong styles, one for sure will feel disoriented and scattered of Qi right afterwards; if one mixes two practices for a long term, the result will be very clear, one can not compare to the benefits and progress of students who focus on only one style. 

Even though, Chinese Qigong masters agree upon "practice one style of Qigong at a period of time", they do respect other Qigong styles and other Masters' work.

It is like climbing mountains, there are many different trails, but eventually when we get to the top, the view is the same. People have free choices to try different paths, but It can also be a waste of time and energy to switch from one path to another frequently, when one still could not decide which path to take and spend energy on running back and forth, other students might have reached the top of the mountain already.

Thus, when you find the right practice, keep doing it. Except at  the beginning or once a while cleansing process, if you become healthier, stronger, more peaceful inside and greater progress of Qi state, you know you have chosen the right practice and you have been practicing correctly.

Taoist Light Qigong Clarifications

Taoist Light Qigong has its long history, pure lineage, and complete system. It is very powerful and extremely effective in healing and helping students to reach high-level Qi state/consciousness level. Because of this, we would like students to be aware of the following:

1.) For students' safety and instructors's quality transmission, only Taoist Light Qigong instructor who holds a valid certification (which is re-certified every two years) can teach/demonstrate Taoist Light Qigong. To ensure teaching quality, all the strictly trained instructors are working together under the one (Taoist Light Qigong Wellness) umbrella. These instructors have high integrity and compassion to help people while honoring the Taoist Light lineage and its requirements. Most all, only teachers who have reached high level Qi state themselves, have realized their own potentiality in healing, and have ability to read Qi, can work with people and hold the pole of group energy in a Taoist Light Qigong classroom.

For your own protection, we encourage people to seek only instructors who teach Taoist Light Qigong with a valid instructor certification under Taoist Light Wellness, and the instructor who  does not to mix up Taoist Light Qigong with other energy healing modalities, and respect the pure lineage and essential teachings of Taoist Light Qigong. 

2.) As for students, in order to reach the best result and effectiveness of your own practice, it is better not to mix Taoist Light Qigong practice with other different Qigong practices or energy healing work; because doing so can make the Qi move along different Qi channels and cause harm and imbalances in physical, emotional and mental body; and can even make the Qi more chaotic, scattered, and depleted; rather than calming, orderly, and generated. (Though all Taoist Light Qigong team will always respect to all different healing modalities/other Qigong styles.)

3.) Taoist Light Qigong is based on Taoist Philosophy: Qi follows the way of naturalness. It is not a religion and it absolutely does not conflict with religions; prayer work; chanting, or gym workouts and other physical exercise, such as hiking, walking, stretching, psycho-therapy work, etc. It mainly focuses on working with the Qi/energy (electric field and form of light) and higher consciousness so to heal illnesses, strengthen the physical body, and increase mental brightness and clarity. 

We wish you a safe and steadfast growth in your Taoist LIght Qigong practice and wish everyone on different healing paths the best of health and well-being.

Taoist Light Wellness Team

Taoist Light Qigong a religion? Nope.

Taoist Light Qigong is simply an exercise focusing on Qi cultivation. Qi is the life force, an energy level we all naturally have. It is not a religion. Taoism was founded by Lao Tzu (meaning the old/wise man/master, his real name was Li Er ), a real philosopher, thinker, and mystic who lived twenty-five hundred years ago. There were Taoist religious sects that developed in China centuries after he passed away, but Taoist Light Qigong itself remains a simple yet effective exercise and unique healing modality. There is a saying: For outer practice, you exercise your muscles; for inner practice, you cultivate your Qi. When the Qi gathers, people are born; when the Qi dissipates, people go (i.e., leave the physical body). We are all alive because of this essential Qi.

Taoist Light Qigong is not a religion and it will not conflict with any religious beliefs. It is open to everyone, though not everyone will be ready, open, or be able to connect to this natural, effortless, and healthy lifestyle.

Location change for Beginner Workshop

It will not be in Oxnard but will be held in Summerland, the beach town between Montecito and Carpinteria.

The dates are 10/4, 11 &18 Saturday 2-4 pm.

Please call or Email chiyan@sbqigong.com for directions.

click here: flyer

My connection to Qigong (3)

When a Student is Ready, the Master will Appear

When mom, dad, and myself entered Master Zhou Shitai's home, it was packed with people. He was sitting at the back of the room, while to his left and right side were about two dozens of visitors. He definitely had the presence of a strong and solid master, sitting there so straight, and I could tell he was very tall. His eyes were very powerful but gentle. When mom introduced me to him, he smiled: "This daughter of yours is indeed very good as you have described; she is very self-disciplined and her energy is so very pure." Then he asked me to sit at the opposite end of the room, farther away from him but facing him directly. He said: "When you sit down, you just need to close your eyes and listen to the message I am going to tell you."

I sat about 20 feet away from him, and just after I closed my eyes, I heard him telling me loudly: "...., ..., ...." But the sound of his voice was so crystal clear, it felt like he was talking to me right next to my right ear. 

"What did you hear?" He asked me.

"I heard these three words: ".... ...., ...." I answered with confidence.

"Yes!" He smiled, and turned to my mom: " This daughter of yours I am going to train personally." Mom was appreciative. Both mom and dad have always described me as a precious pearl in their palms, and they could only put me in the hand of someone they absolutely trusted.

The master said: "The precious daughter, can you come to me?"

I walked towards him until I stood right in front of him. The master used his big warm hands to touch my crown and forehead, and repeated the the same word three time. I just heard from far away. I certainly felt the flow of warm and at the same time cooling / calming energy flow from my head and my third eye. Then he explained to me: "Most people's third eye will close around the age of thirteen, because we forget to use this ability, but yours will stay open." He shared with my mom that I was ready to study Taoist Light Qigong.

When we walked out his house, mom and dad asked me that when I sat farther away from Master Zhou, they did not hear anything of what he was telling me, so how did I hear it. At that time, I was shocked too, because the voice was so loud for me and I thought he shouted it out and everyone in the room should have heard the same thing as I did. I guess that was part of the ability we all once had but gradually lose, since most people don't have time to cultivate our body's potential. It is called: Yee Nien Chuan Dee, which means the messages can be passed on through thoughts. Master only thought those three words silently and I received like someone was really talking to me.

I never forget the night sitting behind my dad on his bicycle: It was a full moonlit night, but the light of everything was highlighted and brightened, even the edge of the trees had a glow of shimmering light. That was the first time I consciously saw the energy in the environment and surroundings. Most importantly, my mind was extremely calm and peaceful. I felt like I could tune in the same vibrational energy of the universe.

(The Qi itself actually is not mysterious at all, only our experience with Qi can be mystical.-- Chiyan)

My Connection to Qigong (2)

How Qigong Entered my Life 

After mom and I went back home from her Qigong class, I watched how easy it was for her to climb the stairs, and she could eat lots of food she could not in the past because of her severe food allergies. Though I felt better after morning Qigong practice with her, I was still a little bit unsure until I saw with a big surprise that my older brother had shut a bedroom door and started to practice Qigong quietly. Later, I asked him why did he practice? It was very much my brother's style. He explained it felt good and he heard Qigong would help young people to develop their potential. My brother was famous for his naughtiness/cleverness as a child, and as a kid he could not remain still for three minutes, so you can imagine how surprised I was to see that he had apparently found a new mission and practiced diligently. After I witnessed the obvious health benefits for my family, I joined the Qigong practice with them and the used-to-be sick house, became a healthy Qi house.

The winter break was over, and I went back to school. I had already built up a Qigong practice as part of my morning routine and tasted the benefits of a good sense of well-being and increased energy. Unfortunately, I could not find any private space to practice either in the dorm or on campus. For teens on campus, there were many popular things such as pop music and Karaoke--Qigong was definitely not one of them. I realized that at that time, mom was indeed a pioneer in the Qigong field. Qigong was not very popular then as it became later.

When I returned home during Summer break, I experienced more surprises.

Firstly, our home had been completely remodeled with a new Maroon carpet and a beautiful hanging crystal light.  At that time, China was just starting to open up to free trade, because mom was connected to many hospitals, and the dental department (in China, dental service is provided by medical hospitals) was in need of high quality dental drills. Mom was taking an English class every night, and had imported those expensive and high quality little dental drills from Western countries. Suddenly energy was flowing in all aspects. We were not hungry anymore. Besides that I could really see how a person's potential can be, mom was an engineer in an airplane company owned by the government, and then she turned herself into a successful international entrepreneur.

Those hot nights in China were very memorable for me. Because I had a couple of itchy spots, it was even harder for me to fall asleep. Mom saw me tossing and turning restlessly, and asked me to sit straight and offered to help me solve the problem. Frankly, I was laughing inwardly for I thought she was kidding. But because of the unbearable itch, I was willing to try anything. Before I told her where the spots were, she quickly pointed out to me exactly where the itchy spots were on my body, and not long after I nodded my head to confirm her accuracy, the itch had completely stopped. I was super impressed, and totally believed in the healing power of Qi.

Another important weekend night came as both mom and dad were about to go out, I had no clue what they were doing. They both seemed very busy with night classes and Qigong teaching, along with practice for themselves. They were holding a super big watermelon, for at that time watermelon was one of the most popular presents to give friends when visiting their homes. It is funny when looking back: But both of my parents were each riding a bicycle, so no one could hold the large and round watermelon by themselves. Finally, they asked me if I could sit in the back of the bike and hold the watermelon. I asked them where we were going, and they said to meet a Qigong master from whom my mom had learned how to do healing for others. I got interested and so decided to go with them, since at that time, the main transportation in China was by bicycle, there were no cars or taxis.

I was about to meet and connect with the Qigong Master who would influence my whole life in the most positive way....

My connection to Qigong (1)

How Qigong Entered my Life 

Is it a destiny? I am not sure, but it has surely been a blessing.

I had a normal childhood in China like everyone in my age group; experienced hunger, lack of nutrition, and sickness; that was during Cultural Revolution. When I was thirteen, I decided to go to a boarding school. 

I can always remember the change in my home after I returned during the first school break. Before I left home, there were all kinds of medicine bottles and packages, and herbs in paper bags all over the counter top; the whole house always smelled like a drug store, herbs were cooking on the stove top constantly. But when I entered home that time, I did not see any meds or herbs. The first thought I had was: "Oh, my parents must have put them away in drawers, so the house would look nicer and organized." So I opened all the drawers to look for the medicines, but absolutely could not find any. The house did not smell like a herbal store anymore, but was filled with fresh and clean air. When my parents came home from work, I could not believe how well they looked, so healthy, energetic and happy.

"What's going on?" " Where the meds you guys were taking?" All the neighbors and friends knew our whole family had a reputation for sickness and weak physical constitution. They even said that there were four people in our household, there were four sick buns (not sure what does that mean). My mom only weighed 88 ibs at her  5"6'' height. Her friend joked that she could be easily blown away by wind. She was constantly in and out hospital for surgery and other severe health problems. Imagine how surprising I was to see how they changed into  different people. "We don't need meds or herbs anymore. We are practicing Qigong!" My parents explained. I had no clue what Qigong was, and my role as the most healthiest one in my family was tumbling. My parents further explained: "You need to do it too; see we don't even get colds anymore, so you are the sicker one now."  Indeed I was bringing a cold home from school.

Next morning, when I peeked in window to see what they were doing after raising so early in the cold weather, I was more than embarrassed (people who have taken Taoist Light Qigong class would understand what I mean). My mom was moving all over the place in different positions, while my dad simply stood there doing nothing.

Mother told me she was going to teach a Qigong class, I decided to go with her. My, there was a huge open field and a large crowd waiting ... men and women, young and old. I just could not believe that my used to be sick mom was so healthy and even taught others to be healthy again. 

When I observed how she stood there in front of all the people guiding the Qigong movements, she indeed had empowered herself and many others.

(Please note, Chiyan's parents stopped medicine and herbs because after the short term of Qigong practice, they simply did not need any more at that time. If your body still needs meds and herbs, please follow the advise of your physician.)