Within the first few months of practicing tai chi (taiji quan), I felt a difference in my body; I was less stiff, had more energy and felt less stressed. As I continued with the classes, my back pain went away and I began to feel lighter in my everyday movements.
When I started qigong, I began to feel myself slowing down, becoming calmer, better focused and more centered. My blood pressure was lower.
Adrienne S.
At age 23, I was in a car accident. My situation became desperate; pain in my lower back was excruciating; I could not sleep in bed, in a chair, or on the floor! For five years, I searched endlessly (massage therapy, chiropractic adjustments, acupuncture, physical therapy, x-rays, cat scans, MRIs, multiple types of physicians and medications, etc) to find some way to function as I steadily declined in physical capacity.
I began to learn tai chi. During the first class, I knew that I had finally found a way to move that made sense to my body. Other forms of exercise involved me forcing my muscles to respond, despite their reluctance to create more pain. After several months, I did not even recognize myself as the same person who dreaded grocery shopping because the walks up the aisles were so long.
I began to study and practice qigong several months after tai chi. When I first began qigong, I had trouble sitting in a chair for more than 10 minutes. Within 3-4 months, I was able to sit on a cushion on the floor and practice for an hour or more. Qigong helped me relax and to separate from the pain of my back injury. I currently practice one hour per day at night. I am still subject to colds, but they pass very quickly. My asthma is almost non-existent and my seasonal allergies hardly affect me. When I am struck by a sudden back spasm, I can hear the qigong music in my head, and it helps me relax and not focus so much on the pain.
Lorna K (PT, CST, LLCC)
As a physical therapist I appreciate the benefits of tai chi to improve strength, balance and coordination. As a cancer patient I used the daily practice of qigong to help me get to a calmer place of healing. As a CranioSacral Therapist and Lymph Drainage Therapist I understand the flow of energy that happens as you practice tai chi and qigong. Master Lijun Cheng is a wonderful, gifted teacher who has helped all of us improve our practice of tai chi and qigong.
Jen T.
Qigong is a personal practice which integrates meditation and breath regulation to stimulate the flow of qi, or vital life energy, along the body’s meridians. Learning qigong has been an extraordinary experience for me. After two months of practice, my body became more flexible and had more energy than before. I was able to experience the healing power through the flow of qi which has significantly improved my health condition in a way I would never have thought possible. I do believe that qi can promote the optimum health of the whole person physically and emotionally. It truly is a wonderful blessing.