Qigong Energy Practice: Tapping LifeForce for Health & Fulfillment

Jan 17, 2016

9 min read

Qigong is a 5,000-year-old Chinese energy practice that recognizes all life as a continuous transformation of energy (Qi). Rather than accepting limitation as fixed—whether through illness, aging, or life circumstance—Qigong offers practical, accessible techniques to tap into life force and direct personal change toward greater health, vitality, creativity, and fulfillment. Master Mingtong Gu, named Qigong Master of the Year by the 13th World Congress on Qigong and Traditional Chinese Medicine, bridges ancient Eastern teachings with modern science to make these practices relevant for contemporary challenges.

What Is Qigong and Why Does It Matter Now?

Qigong remains relatively new in Western culture, though it has existed in China for at least 5,000 years—or longer, depending on which historical records are consulted. The practice was kept largely secretive in China until about 50 years ago and only became widely known within China itself in the last 30-40 years. In this way, Qigong is following a similar arc to yoga in the West: a once-foreign practice gaining mainstream recognition and accessibility.

The word "Qi" translates as life energy. The fundamental recognition underlying Qigong is simple but profound: all life is made of energy, animated by energy, and continuously generated by energy. Life itself is understood as a constant transformation of energy, not merely a static material structure. While appearances change—we age, we fall ill, relationships shift, planetary conditions evolve—the driving force behind all these changes is energy in motion.

Master Mingtong Gu emphasizes that recognizing this truth is liberating: "When we are able to tap into the energy, then we empower ourselves to make a direct input into what kind of change we want." Rather than passively accepting aging and disease as inevitable, Qigong practitioners work with energy directly to shift outcomes. Instead of depleting energy, we can cultivate more vitality for life, creativity, and purposeful action.

Why Practice Qigong in Times of Crisis and Challenge?

Mingtong frames the current global moment not as doom, but as opportunity. He acknowledges: "In the worst case we say we're in deep trouble. In the best scenarios, we say we are facing great challenges." The question Qigong poses is: When we are sick, stressed, or facing world crisis, how can we bring ourselves back into balance and energy harmony? How can we awaken to what we are capable of and what we are here for?

This reframing is central to the practice. Rather than being overwhelmed by external conditions, Qigong offers a direct method to restore equilibrium within the energy system. When personal and global balance are disrupted, Qigong provides tools to realign oneself with deeper purpose and health. This is especially relevant at moments of intention-setting—such as New Year—when people naturally ask how to make their deeper desires and resolutions real, not merely aspirational.

Mingtong's Personal Journey: From Limitation to Mastery

Mingtong's path to teaching Qigong reveals why his approach bridges East and West with unusual clarity. Born in rural China, he grew up with multiple physical challenges: scoliosis, asthma, and general bodily weakness. His childhood included traumatic experiences, and he describes himself as an "unhappy and unhealthy and weak child." Medical authorities told him his conditions were incurable—something to manage, not transform.

Yet a searching spirit animated his life. This internal seeking led him to leave China for the United States, where he earned a master's degree in mathematics from UC San Diego (beginning with only minimal English), then another master's in fine arts from the University of Ohio. He was on track to become a recognized artist in New York City—yet something remained unsatisfied. "I wasn't satisfied. My life was not totally fulfilling, even though I was so passionate about art."

A Western friend introduced him to Qigong practice. After several years of study in the US, Mingtong traveled to China for intensive master training. During this time, he studied under Dr. Pang and began to discover what his searching spirit had been seeking. He realized this was his path. When Dr. Pang advised him to return to the US and keep his college teaching job while practicing Qigong part-time (for financial security), Mingtong eventually chose full-time teaching instead—a decision that has led to decades of helping others access the same liberation he found.

Bridging Ancient Wisdom and Modern Science

One of Mingtong's unique contributions is his ability to hold both Eastern and Western frameworks simultaneously. His background in mathematics and fine arts, combined with rigorous Qigong training under masters trained in the lineage of Dr. Pang, allows him to present Qigong not as mysticism divorced from understanding, but as a teachable, repeatable practice grounded in energetic principle.

In the video, he references his study with Dr. Pang, who taught Qigong through careful observation and scientific method. The goal was not blind faith but direct experience: "Don't really have a true experiential understanding of what is familiar for us." Through systematic practice, students develop their own evidence for how energy moves, blocks, and opens within their systems.

How Energy Moves and Opens in the Body

A core teaching in the video addresses why simple repetition of movements sometimes fails to produce results. Mingtong explains that the secret is how to bring energy into the energy system itself. It's not enough to move the body mechanically; the practice must engage awareness and intention to move blockages and restore flow.

During the demonstration, he guides practitioners through a sequence involving shoulder and chest work. The instruction focuses on feeling—sensing where blockage exists, noticing sensation, and allowing gentle movement to shift stagnation. He notes that blockages often accumulate from causes both within and outside our direct awareness: stress, trauma, poor posture, suppressed emotion. The practice itself becomes a way to locate and release these blocks.

One concrete example: after practicing with intention, students report feeling "more positive, more loving, mentally" clearer. This is not a one-time effect but a cumulative shift. Yet Mingtong also acknowledges a common frustration: practitioners sometimes notice improvement, then wonder why results plateau or regress. His answer is direct: sustained practice requires proper technique, energetic understanding, and consistent application—not just "repeating movements" mechanistically.

The Role of Rest and Non-Depletion in Energy Work

An important principle Mingtong introduces is the difference between depleting energy and cultivating it. He references a striking statistic: if you do intense exercise or qigong practice but don't properly integrate the work—allowing the nervous system to settle and energy to consolidate—you may lose 50% of the gains the next day. This is why rest, meditation, and integration are not peripheral to the practice but essential.

This principle has profound implications for modern wellness culture, which often emphasizes relentless effort. Qigong offers a different model: work with energy intentionally, then allow the body-mind-energy system to absorb and integrate the shift. Mingtong shares a personal anecdote: at Christmas with his family, despite having three young grandchildren (suggesting his advanced age), he is "still living continuously" with vitality. This reflects decades of practicing not just movement, but the fuller cycle of cultivation and rest.

New Year's Resolution as Energy Alignment

The video includes a guided meditation on New Year's resolution—not as willpower-driven goal-setting, but as energetic realignment. The practice invites practitioners to acknowledge their deeper desires, then imagine them already alive in their energy body across all dimensions. This shifts the practice from cognitive planning to embodied knowing.

Mingtong frames this as "acknowledging, imagining in all dimension of your energy body." Rather than thinking about what you want for the new year, the meditation invites you to feel it as already present in your energetic being. From this place of alignment, action naturally follows—not forced effort, but inspired right action flowing from deeper connection with heart and purpose.

Accessibility and Gentle Practice

An essential feature of Qigong as taught by Mingtong is its accessibility. The movements are adaptable, gentle, and free-flowing. Unlike practices that demand specific athletic conditioning, Qigong can be done sitting, standing, or lying down—in whatever position feels comfortable. This means the practice is available to people across ages, fitness levels, and physical conditions.

This accessibility matters deeply because it honors the reality that many people seeking healing are already compromised—by age, illness, injury, or stress. A practice that meets you where you are, rather than demanding you meet its conditions, is far more likely to produce real change.

From Knowledge to Direct Experience

Mingtong emphasizes throughout that true understanding comes from direct experience, not intellectual knowledge alone. Many people in the West have heard of Qi but "don't really have a true experiential understanding." The practice itself is designed to bridge this gap. Through consistent, mindful engagement with the movements and meditations, practitioners develop their own felt sense of how energy moves, stagnates, and opens.

This shift from conceptual to experiential is transformative. One student in the video remarks: "I wish I'd had this 5 years ago"—not because the information is new, but because the direct experience of energy moving and healing is fundamentally different from reading about it or discussing it intellectually.

Where to Go From Here

If you are drawn to Qigong, the first step is to find a qualified teacher and begin practicing. The Chi Center, founded by Mingtong Gu, offers online courses, live events, and retreats for practitioners at all levels. Start with basic movement sequences and allow yourself several weeks of consistent practice before evaluating results. Pay attention not just to dramatic shifts, but to subtle changes: improved sleep, greater calm, clearer thinking, more stable mood.

Remember that Qigong is not a substitute for medical care but a complementary practice. Before beginning any energy or wellness practice, especially if you have existing health conditions, consult with your healthcare provider. As you develop a personal practice, you may notice that the movements become less about doing and more about allowing—less effort and more reception. This shift is itself the practice deepening.

Finally, consider the larger question Mingtong poses: What are you searching for? What would it mean to live with greater health, vitality, purpose, and connection? Qigong offers not just techniques, but a framework for recognizing that these outcomes are not distant fantasies but accessible through direct engagement with the energy that animates all life.

Transcript

[0:15] Welcome to Awaken Vitality.

[0:18] Unlocking the secrets

[0:20] to health and healing Qigong.

[0:23] We're here today to have a

[0:25] dialogue with Master Mingtong Gu.

[0:29] My name is Otis Wallan.

[0:31] I'm a level two Qigong teacher with the

[0:33] Chi Center.

[0:35] And I first ran into Mingtong 5 years

[0:38] ago when my wife and I attended a

[0:39] workshop.

[0:41] And we were both taken by this practice.

[0:44] We started practicing daily and went

[0:46] through the certification process to

[0:48] become a teacher myself.

[0:51] Mingtong is a very extraordinary

[0:52] teacher.

[0:53] Has the the energy

[0:56] to instill a transformation that is

[0:59] unlike any teacher that I've ever

[1:02] experienced.

[1:04] Uh Mingtong was born in a rural part of

[1:05] China.

[1:07] Graduated from the university in China

[1:09] in mathematics.

[1:11] Came to the University of California,

[1:12] San Diego knowing only a few words in

[1:14] English. Got a master's degree in

[1:17] mathematics.

[1:19] Then off to the University of Ohio for a

[1:21] master's degree in in in fine arts.

[1:25] So he has three master's degrees and

[1:27] then became

[1:29] a master Qigong teacher.

[1:32] And so it's this bilingual, bicultural

[1:36] uh

[1:36] quality, this this ability to bridge

[1:39] East and West, to bridge the the ancient

[1:43] teachings of Qigong with with the modern

[1:46] science.

[1:47] Uh

[1:48] this is the unique mind that that

[1:51] Mingtong brings to this teaching.

[1:55] Welcome, Mingtong.

[1:57] Thank you, Otis, for being here with me.

[2:00] So, I want to welcome all of you

[2:03] for this uh exciting events. We're

[2:06] sharing something I feel most profound

[2:09] in my life, in my journey. And also,

[2:12] it's um

[2:14] it's a really um highlight for New Year

[2:16] personally for me for 2016.

[2:20] It's when we have all these, you know,

[2:22] new desire, new resolution, plan for the

[2:26] new year. The deeper question is how we

[2:28] can realize them. You know, making a

[2:31] tangible step, how to realize them. So,

[2:34] I want to share, you know, uh what I

[2:36] have discovered, which can help you to

[2:39] truly fulfill your deeper desire for

[2:42] greater happiness and uh more health,

[2:45] and as well, deeper fulfillment of life.

[2:49] So, I'm grateful. Okay. Well, this is a

[2:52] dialogue to actually engage in a

[2:54] conversation where we go to

[2:57] understanding what is Qigong

[3:00] and who are you as a teacher?

[3:03] Uh we're going to look at at at why

[3:05] would we do this? Why would we Why would

[3:08] we want to study Qigong? Why would we

[3:09] want to take this up as a practice?

[3:12] Uh why would we want to unlock these

[3:14] secrets?

[3:15] Uh

[3:16] what is it about health and Qigong?

[3:19] Uh and then we're going to have

[3:20] investigate a little bit about how we

[3:22] can take some steps.

[3:24] In the course of this, we'll do a

[3:25] demonstration.

[3:27] In the course of the hour, we'll also do

[3:29] a a meditation on

[3:31] New Year's resolution, on having the

[3:33] resolve to take the next step, to dive

[3:36] deeper.

[3:37] Um

[3:38] so

[3:39] So, Ming Tong, just why at this point in

[3:42] time would it be important for us to

[3:44] have this conversation?

[3:47] That's a good place to start.

[3:51] You know, in life,

[3:53] uh we have a

[3:55] so many different things

[3:58] including what we want to accomplish,

[4:00] including what we want to, you know,

[4:03] truly enjoy and treasure.

[4:06] And first important question, yes, yes,

[4:10] what is Qigong?

[4:12] So, you know, in general Qigong is still

[4:15] new here in the West, you know, culture

[4:17] so to speak. And it's very ancient in

[4:20] kind of, you know, few thousand years,

[4:22] at least 5,000 years of history, even

[4:24] beyond. And but has been secretive until

[4:28] even 50 years ago in China. And only

[4:31] become well known in China in the last

[4:34] 30, 40 years. Just like yoga become well

[4:37] known in the West, you know, now.

[4:39] So, it's a new phenomenon.

[4:42] But it's really it's a very um

[4:46] simple and accessible, practical, and

[4:49] same time profound you know, profound

[4:51] practice allow you to tap into the

[4:53] energy. So, Qi means energy, means life

[4:57] energy. It's a recognition of all life

[5:00] is not only come from energy, made of

[5:03] energy, animated energy by energy,

[5:06] continuously generate by energy. Life is

[5:09] a transformation of energy. So, the

[5:12] appearance might be different. You know,

[5:14] we can getting older, you again can get

[5:16] sicker, you know, whatever might be

[5:18] happening in our life we change

[5:20] happening relationship, and the things

[5:22] happening on the planet Earth. But what

[5:24] is driving these changes?

[5:27] Yeah, for good and bad. Yeah, whatever

[5:29] label we have might be. That's the

[5:31] recognition, it's the energy. So, when

[5:33] we able to tap into the energy, then we

[5:36] can empower self

[5:39] to making a direct input so to speak.

[5:42] What kind of change we want? Instead of

[5:44] getting older, getting sicker, we can

[5:46] be, you know, become younger,

[5:49] become healthier. We instead of

[5:51] depleting more energy, we can have more

[5:53] energy for life. Yeah, can have more

[5:56] creativity. All that start to flow with

[5:59] a new direction of life, new direction

[6:03] of humanity right now is so needed right

[6:05] now. So, speaking of the condition we're

[6:08] facing right now,

[6:10] we are

[6:11] you know, in the worst case we say we're

[6:13] in deep trouble.

[6:15] In the best scenarios, we say we are

[6:17] facing great challenges.

[6:20] So,

[6:21] so what we do in Qigong is, you know,

[6:23] see what's the opportunity here. Yeah,

[6:26] when we're sick, when we're stressed,

[6:28] when we're facing the crisis of the

[6:29] world.

[6:30] How we can we bring back to the balance,

[6:33] bring back to the energy harmony? How

[6:37] can we awaken into what do we was we

[6:39] capable, what do we here for?

[6:42] You know, living a fulfilling life.

[6:45] So, here we have a a Qigong practice

[6:49] becoming more known in the West.

[6:52] Um

[6:53] What Where Where did this come from in

[6:56] your life? What happened to you? What

[6:57] change? There you are a student at the

[7:00] end of at the end of your third master's

[7:02] degree in the West. You know the

[7:04] language. You have some physical

[7:06] difficulties.

[7:08] What was What was happening for you at

[7:11] that time? And how did you make that

[7:13] change? That's a very good and personal

[7:17] question.

[7:19] And that's difficult for me to put into

[7:21] the words.

[7:22] And simply, you know, what I can say

[7:26] right now is

[7:28] you know, life bring us surprise. Yeah,

[7:31] bring us surprise. And the same time,

[7:34] when I reflecting back, you know, of my

[7:37] personal journey from

[7:40] young boy growing up in China and had

[7:43] very

[7:44] uh could be you know identified as

[7:47] challenging childhood, and even going

[7:49] through quite a few, you know, traumatic

[7:52] uh

[7:53] time as a child. And

[7:57] and also, you know, including uh quite

[8:00] um

[8:01] uh disabling

[8:03] uh physical condition, including

[8:05] scoliosis, including asthma condition,

[8:08] including other weakness of the body.

[8:11] So, relatively growing up as kind of

[8:14] I won't say happy, yeah, unhappy and

[8:17] unhealthy and weak child, so to speak,

[8:20] yeah. And of course, I didn't understand

[8:23] at the time. Just to learn to, you know,

[8:25] cooperate. It is a incurable, you know,

[8:28] conditions. You just live live with it.

[8:31] But, always feel life is limited. So, in

[8:34] back of my

[8:36] mind is always, you know, big part of me

[8:39] is searching for something.

[8:41] I think the spirit of searching for

[8:43] something led me, you know, all the way

[8:45] from China to US. Led me all the way

[8:49] studying, you know,

[8:51] mathematics and the fine arts. I was

[8:54] I was literally tapping to the

[8:56] possibility of being happy from

[8:58] mathematics to fine arts. But, that was

[9:00] still kind of different kind of

[9:02] happiness. I wasn't satisfied.

[9:04] Wasn't satisfied. My life was not

[9:06] totally fulfilling, even I was so

[9:09] passionate about art. I was on the way

[9:11] to become famous

[9:13] as an artist. You know, go to Soho in

[9:16] New York City,

[9:18] And but, part of me was still not

[9:20] satisfied. I think this searching spirit

[9:23] is

[9:24] help me to, you know, available for

[9:27] something, you know, really important.

[9:29] So,

[9:30] whatever happened in life, you know, my

[9:34] um friend, And of my Western friend here

[9:37] actually introduced me to this form of

[9:39] Qigong.

[9:40] Then I end up going to China to study

[9:43] more after practice few years in the US.

[9:46] And so slowly practice, I discovered

[9:49] more and then realizing what I was

[9:52] searching for.

[9:54] So from that moment

[9:57] there's no turning back.

[10:00] So I still remember um

[10:03] the time when I finished in the master

[10:05] training program in China was about to

[10:08] come back to US. So I asked my teacher

[10:11] Dr. Pang, "What should I do when I come

[10:14] back to US? Should I keep my old, you

[10:16] know, teaching job as a college

[10:19] teacher

[10:20] uh or should I just, you know, start to

[10:22] teach Qigong full time?" So out of uh

[10:25] his caring, kind, and just as a father,

[10:27] he said, "You may want to go back, taste

[10:30] a little bit, and keep a job, and

[10:33] teaching Qigong on the side, see what

[10:35] can happen, you know, you have to

[10:36] survive first."

[10:38] That was out of really true caring. And

[10:42] so I didn't listen to him. I didn't

[10:45] listen to him. So when I came back, I

[10:47] put everything, you know, away,

[10:49] basically I don't have much at the time

[10:51] anyway, just start teaching Qigong.

[10:54] Yeah, without bank account, without home

[10:57] to live. And so reflecting all these

[11:00] years, last 15 years or so, it's really

[11:04] I followed my passion. I followed my

[11:06] dedication. And I'm really truly feel,

[11:09] you know, grateful and blessed for what

[11:11] I'm doing now with all the program we

[11:14] able to share. So many so many things

[11:17] happened in last 15 years.

[11:19] So still I'm so deeply humbled and

[11:22] inspired in a way, you know,

[11:25] um compare what I experienced with Dr.

[11:28] Pang, our teacher, what he accomplished

[11:31] in China, and know, he able to reach

[11:34] millions millions of peoples and not

[11:37] only, you know, making the health

[11:39] better, but deeply awakening the most

[11:42] precious gift as human being is our own

[11:46] body wisdom, our own conscious wisdom,

[11:49] our own choice, our own relationship

[11:51] with life. So,

[11:54] more, you know, I learn, more feel

[11:56] appreciative what a this is about. Yeah.

[12:00] Yeah, that's inspiring, you know, it

[12:02] it's a

[12:03] in this complex world and in these

[12:05] times,

[12:07] taking the leap, having the courage and

[12:09] the resolve to take the leap is I think

[12:12] what many people are are are searching

[12:14] for.

[12:15] Um

[12:16] And so, so, you know, in a sense,

[12:19] my wife and I understand that. It

[12:20] happened to us 5 years ago. We just

[12:22] changed

[12:24] and started practicing each day. I think

[12:26] we've missed maybe two dozen days in 5

[12:28] years

[12:29] of uh practice. We're practicing an hour

[12:31] and a half a day at this point.

[12:33] Uh

[12:35] Let's let's dive a little bit further

[12:37] into what is Qigong. What is this that

[12:40] brought happiness to you? What is it

[12:42] that brought happiness to me?

[12:44] My wife, our family.

[12:46] What What is Qigong and maybe reflecting

[12:49] back on the medicine-less hospital? What

[12:51] did you see there? What was the training

[12:53] there for you? What is What is this

[12:55] school of Qigong that you teach?

[13:01] And again, I didn't know anything about

[13:04] Qigong when I started, even I was born

[13:06] in China.

[13:08] So, in some way that give me

[13:11] some, you know, unique perspective. And

[13:14] I was fresh, yeah, starting exploring

[13:16] just kind of my own my own, so to speak,

[13:19] without too much of pro, you know, kind

[13:21] of conditioning, so to speak, yeah. Even

[13:24] the the idea, the concept of of chi is

[13:28] very natural in China. Yeah, using chi

[13:30] in different context, but most people

[13:32] don't really have a true experiential

[13:35] understanding. Yeah. So,

[13:38] you know, simply translate chi as

[13:41] energy.

[13:42] But how do you interpret energy beyond

[13:44] electricity, beyond, you know, the the

[13:48] energy you feel from the sun, you know,

[13:50] beyond the energy you take from the

[13:52] water, for I mean, energy take from the

[13:55] food, so on like that, yeah? So,

[13:57] so what is profound about, you know, the

[14:00] chi gong perspective is really, uh, you

[14:02] know, exploring

[14:04] the much greater perception

[14:07] of energy. And not only, uh, everything

[14:10] I mentioned is expression of energy, but

[14:12] there's a lot more available in the

[14:15] universe.

[14:16] Tangibly is, you know,

[14:18] um,

[14:19] only small percentage of energy is

[14:21] visible, tangible, solid, yeah. Even we

[14:24] can put a words to it, can measure in

[14:26] some way, but much greater existence of

[14:30] energy is beyond measurement, beyond

[14:33] what is familiar for us, yeah. Beyond

[14:35] the energy we taking from the food,

[14:38] beyond the energy, you know, we even

[14:40] receiving from the sun.

[14:42] So, that's the energy, basically the

[14:45] same energy,

[14:47] uh, started the Big Bang. And that's the

[14:49] same energy continuously feeding our

[14:51] life, yeah, feeding life. So, to connect

[14:55] with that energy,

[14:57] even just the, you know, this idea of,

[15:01] you know, possibility of connecting with

[15:04] the more energy, that is a huge gift.

[15:07] Huge gift. And

[15:10] and also, it's why it's so profound

[15:12] right now, it's so relevant right now,

[15:14] if we look at it, you know, the life

[15:17] we're living right now,

[15:19] we're pretty much comfortable.

[15:21] You know, especially in the West, we

[15:23] pretty much have everything we need.

[15:25] Including food and shelter,

[15:26] transportation, you know,

[15:29] um families, including, you know, all

[15:31] the

[15:32] supplements, including all the

[15:35] technology, you know,

[15:37] we have. But, we still

[15:40] encounter in so much challenges.

[15:44] Speaking of different disease, never

[15:46] happened.

[15:47] Yes, this new discovery, new kind of

[15:49] disease, new diagnosis, yeah. And in

[15:52] terms of stress levels,

[15:54] it's way, you know, beyond, you know,

[15:57] kind of understanding. Why is this thing

[15:59] happening, you know, in this comfortable

[16:01] society? You know, one of the research

[16:03] is, in this comfortable society, we

[16:06] should have be able to live at least up

[16:09] to 150 years.

[16:12] But, rarely we have realized that yet.

[16:16] So, that's where the ancient wisdom

[16:18] comes in.

[16:20] So, beyond just normal living, there's

[16:23] something more

[16:25] we can tap into to realize the true

[16:28] potential we all have as a human being,

[16:30] including living up to 150 years.

[16:34] So, that potential become real through

[16:37] Qigong. So, through my study with Dr.

[16:40] Pang, through, you know, my own, you

[16:42] know, healing, and through, you know,

[16:44] continuously sharing with the students,

[16:48] you know, around the globe, you know, so

[16:49] many ways, become so exciting,

[16:53] continuously become the most exciting

[16:55] thing.

[16:58] So, this this combination of of of the

[17:00] ancient of the ancient teachings and uh

[17:03] and modern science,

[17:05] that was actually a part of your teacher

[17:07] Pang Ming as well. He was trained as a

[17:09] medical doctor.

[17:11] And uh and he had how many teachers in

[17:13] Qigong?

[17:14] At least 19 different teachers, which

[17:17] can be named.

[17:18] so he spent a couple of decades studying

[17:20] with all of these teachers.

[17:22] Then he opened a medicine-less hospital.

[17:25] And the the hospital practiced only

[17:28] Qigong.

[17:30] The uh and and the combination of of

[17:32] medical uh work there with they'll do a

[17:35] medical

[17:36] analysis of the person coming in.

[17:39] And 30 days later,

[17:40] another medical analysis. And along the

[17:43] way,

[17:44] tracking various ways, sometimes using

[17:47] ultrasound,

[17:48] seeing if if they had tumors or those

[17:50] kinds of things. So,

[17:52] tell me a little bit about the some of

[17:54] the transformation that you saw and that

[17:56] integration of the science and the and

[17:59] the practice of Qigong without medicine.

[18:01] A little bit So, there's two aspect I

[18:03] think involved in the process, you know,

[18:06] from my teacher Dr. Pan, he is a

[18:10] professionally is a medicine doctor in

[18:12] both Western medicine as well Chinese

[18:14] medicine. So, he has this

[18:16] scientific mind curiosity as well. On

[18:20] one hand, he want to, you know,

[18:22] rigorously, scientifically measure the

[18:24] result. Not just feeling better.

[18:27] You know, to see the number, to the see

[18:29] the measurement according to the

[18:31] scientific method. On other hand, he

[18:33] want to, you know, scientifically

[18:35] understand how this works.

[18:38] Slowly search. How the mind affecting

[18:41] the chi.

[18:42] And that the chi is embracing, you know,

[18:44] all phenomena basically. Yeah.

[18:46] Everything is made of chi.

[18:48] So, using the scientific approach to

[18:52] understand, but also explore,

[18:54] you know, what's the capacity of the

[18:56] consciousness to affecting the energy,

[18:59] then the energy affecting the physical

[19:01] phenomena, affecting the experience,

[19:04] affecting, you know, health

[19:07] specifically. So, that's is a two

[19:09] approach. And the thing come out of the

[19:11] result is quite a you know profound.

[19:14] It's literally uh go beyond even the

[19:18] ordinary medical understanding.

[19:21] So, able to you know, the best case is

[19:24] total recover of this incurable

[19:27] condition

[19:29] defined by the conventional medicine.

[19:31] Yeah. And then the most cases the

[19:35] symptom getting better.

[19:36] So, this is the measurable changes. Then

[19:40] also the um the surprise bonus

[19:43] is the people have more energy. The

[19:45] people have more

[19:47] um creativity. People able to literally

[19:51] receive, you know, greater quality of

[19:53] life.

[19:55] And deeper fulfillment of life including

[19:58] become, you know, powerful teacher,

[20:00] healers, including, you know, enhance

[20:03] their ability to, you know, as a

[20:06] leadership person and so on like that.

[20:08] So,

[20:10] this whole process is literally coming

[20:12] from go beyond our ordinary paradigms.

[20:16] So,

[20:17] in the our ordinary paradigm, you know,

[20:20] speak obviously you analyzing

[20:24] the disease of speak. Yeah. So, before

[20:27] I, you know, go into that, I want just

[20:29] to, you know, share the first you know,

[20:32] secret of Qigong is literally tap into

[20:35] the infinite energy beyond what we're

[20:38] familiar with. Yeah. And the second

[20:40] secret is how to bring this energy into

[20:43] your body directly without depends on

[20:46] food, without depends on

[20:49] you know, whatever

[20:51] um

[20:52] conventional medicine able to do. Yeah.

[20:55] So,

[20:57] that's the second secret. Yeah. And the

[20:59] third secret is basically is literally

[21:02] tap into the own the the let's say this

[21:06] internal

[21:07] body wisdom, internal energetic medicine

[21:10] inside of you. How our mind is affecting

[21:13] your health, how our heart, our emotions

[21:15] affecting your health, how, you know,

[21:18] our movement, our sitting position, how

[21:21] our bodily, you know, conscious

[21:24] connection with life in general

[21:26] affecting the biological chemistry

[21:29] functions, all that. So, that's is like

[21:31] three things, the main thing, you know,

[21:34] you do. But, to change the paradigm is

[21:37] the most important thing, most important

[21:39] thing.

[21:40] Yeah. Yeah.

[21:41] So, the practice itself,

[21:44] um

[21:45] what is what is some of the Qigong

[21:47] practice that that that we look at that

[21:49] that we use to unlock some of these

[21:51] secrets? What are What are some of the

[21:53] aspects of it that

[21:55] that are unique coming out of this

[21:57] integration of of all of the teachings

[22:00] that that Pang Ming passed on to you?

[22:03] Yes. Yes. So,

[22:06] if I put into words, on one hand is so

[22:10] simple.

[22:11] On the other hand, is deeply

[22:14] profound and the practical. So, I was

[22:17] just using one example of being. So, in

[22:20] a normal way of looking at a life, in

[22:23] this case health, as example. Yeah,

[22:25] health is relating to all aspects of

[22:27] life in general. But, so it's a good

[22:29] example to focus on. So, when we look at

[22:33] you know, the cause of disease, yeah, we

[22:36] analyzing the cause of disease, you

[22:37] know, using science, using medicine,

[22:41] using psychology, yeah. Then, we coming

[22:44] out of all these causes, including, you

[22:47] know,

[22:48] and the the food we eat, yeah, including

[22:50] the genetics, including the environment,

[22:53] yeah, including all these things, the

[22:55] list it goes on. These are pretty much

[22:57] you know, give us good insight. On other

[23:00] hand, you know, summarizing everything

[23:02] is boiled down to a you know, as we now

[23:05] understand more is the stress.

[23:08] The stress can caused by internal as

[23:11] well external.

[23:13] Including the external environment, life

[23:16] in general, certain stance in general,

[23:18] including trauma. Yeah. But also

[23:21] internal including the DNA, you know, we

[23:23] carry, including our mindsets. Yeah. So,

[23:27] all that causing the stress. So, we're

[23:29] doing everything try to okay, let's

[23:32] change the environment. Let's change the

[23:34] food we eat.

[23:35] Let's change the way we think. That's

[23:37] all good.

[23:39] All good. But relatively we know that

[23:41] takes time.

[23:44] Yes?

[23:46] Takes time to change the environment

[23:49] which is not up to you to begin with.

[23:53] Not to mention to change the consequence

[23:56] that as a disease as challenge in the

[23:58] body some cases and emotional trauma

[24:01] from what happened already in the past.

[24:05] Yeah, what happened already in the past

[24:07] happened already.

[24:11] The damage is done already so to speak.

[24:13] So, we carry that energetically in the

[24:16] body. So, we if we want to change in

[24:18] these causes like indirectly that way

[24:22] takes long time.

[24:24] Yeah, I'm saying still can be

[24:25] beneficial. So, the Qigong approach is

[24:28] very different. You directly go into the

[24:32] energy system of your body. Yeah, my

[24:34] energy system is carry everything I'm

[24:37] experienced in the past.

[24:39] My experience in China, experience in

[24:41] the US, my DNA, the food I eat, the

[24:44] stress level I accumulate. So,

[24:45] energetically all there in my tissue, in

[24:48] my cell, in my organ,

[24:51] in my energy system, in my shoulder,

[24:53] everywhere it's there.

[24:55] So, Qigong what this is is is so

[24:58] incredible. It's like directly go to the

[25:01] system, no matter what happened in the

[25:03] past.

[25:05] You make change from there.

[25:08] So boil down to it, yes, two things we

[25:10] carry in the body. One is just

[25:13] contracted energy. Another is

[25:17] open free flow energy.

[25:20] And these energies affecting our

[25:22] physical functioning as well, our

[25:24] emotional experience,

[25:26] as well our mental capacity.

[25:30] So when we go to the energy directly,

[25:33] through the movements, through the

[25:34] sounds, through the visualizations,

[25:37] through the meditation, able to change

[25:40] the pattern from the past. And that's is

[25:42] the operating system, basically. You're

[25:45] changing the operating system. Then from

[25:47] there, you can either change the

[25:49] environment, even you know, become more

[25:52] conscious of what you eat, become even

[25:54] more positive, more loving, mentally,

[25:57] emotionally.

[25:58] Naturally start happen.

[26:01] So this is a completely different way of

[26:02] looking at it.

[26:06] So you see you able to go direct into

[26:09] what is needed, what is important,

[26:11] without feeling being victim of the

[26:14] past.

[26:16] That's the most important piece.

[26:19] And it's it's the exactly that kind of

[26:21] integration that

[26:23] that moved Jane and myself to just begin

[26:26] this practice and continue it. It was

[26:29] you know, we our first we've been

[26:32] together 48 years.

[26:34] And in the first year that we were

[26:35] together in 1967, we went to a

[26:38] meditation retreat with Alan Watts.

[26:40] We've been doing this for a long time.

[26:43] 45 years later, we go to this workshop

[26:46] with you.

[26:47] And that meditative absorption

[26:51] was there instantly.

[26:53] But it wasn't let's uh it wasn't in

[26:56] separate pieces or parts. It wasn't in

[26:58] different silos. It was concentration

[27:01] and meditation along with visualization

[27:04] along with movement meditation, you

[27:06] know? My goodness, I got to be 68 years

[27:09] old somehow, and if I sit for 45

[27:12] minutes, I become stiff and sore.

[27:16] But this movement meditation,

[27:18] allowing that to be the focus, allowing

[27:20] the the uh the the the chanting and the

[27:23] sounds that we use.

[27:26] Uh all of those four pieces,

[27:28] visualization, movement,

[27:30] the meditation practice, and the and and

[27:34] the the sound focus, all of that, the

[27:36] visualizations, all of that together

[27:39] became the uh the the focus of

[27:44] of that which gives us vitality in our

[27:47] life.

[27:49] Uh and so it's it's a it's an

[27:51] integration that's really quite you

[27:53] quite unique and quite uh quite

[27:55] beautiful. Um

[27:58] You know, I wonder if we might give

[27:59] people a uh a little flavor of of what

[28:02] that looks like. I mean, we've got we've

[28:04] got uh

[28:06] a a workshop toward the end of this

[28:08] month. We've got uh some courses coming

[28:10] up online. We'll talk about that later,

[28:13] but maybe we could give people a little

[28:14] flavor of uh of what it looks like Yes,

[28:18] let's do it right now.

[28:20] And I want to invite you and follow this

[28:23] simple practice and uh experience

[28:26] experience for yourself, you know,

[28:28] engage your body, mind, heart, and to,

[28:30] you know, able to feel energy. That's

[28:33] one of the most important gift of

[28:35] Qigong, important gift of life. We feel

[28:38] alive with energy. We feel creative. We

[28:41] feel open. We feel connected. We feel,

[28:44] you know, um alive basically, fully

[28:47] alive. That's

[28:49] so simple, but most of us, you know,

[28:51] overlooking. Yeah, overlook that piece.

[28:54] You know, when we get up in the morning,

[28:55] suddenly feel not good. We don't know

[28:57] what to do and complaining about it or

[28:59] we use another pill.

[29:01] Then, oh, why still doesn't work?

[29:03] So, do something to awaken the energy

[29:07] inside of us. That's the gift. So, let's

[29:09] let's let's do that together. Yeah,

[29:11] let's do that together.

[29:13] I'm going to share a simple practice

[29:16] called spinal bone marrow practice and

[29:19] also how long movement. So, I'd like to

[29:22] invite you join me now

[29:25] with all this together, so we're going

[29:27] to do a practice together. So, we're

[29:29] going to do some movement and feeling

[29:32] the energy of your body. So, starting

[29:35] with your feet comfortably shoulder

[29:37] width

[29:38] and um

[29:39] straighten your spine just naturally.

[29:42] You're rotating your shoulder a few

[29:44] times.

[29:45] And so, feel more flexibility, openness,

[29:49] aliveness of your shoulder. Then, relax

[29:52] to the position.

[29:53] And continuously

[29:56] noticing the internal sensation feeling

[29:59] when you

[30:00] um repeating these movements, especially

[30:03] with your eyes closed. But, for the time

[30:05] being, we're going to keep eyes open.

[30:08] So, just noticing the inner sensation

[30:10] feeling and mentally connecting with the

[30:13] energy of the earth beneath us

[30:15] the energy of the universe above us and

[30:18] the subtle invisible energy all round

[30:20] us.

[30:21] Now, we're going to slowly

[30:24] lifting arms upward.

[30:27] I think of your arm as energy arm just

[30:29] floating upward

[30:31] to the shoulder level to your

[30:32] comfortable position.

[30:34] Relaxing, dropping your shoulder down.

[30:37] Now, slowly rotating your body to the

[30:40] left side.

[30:41] So, you're twisting your

[30:43] circling to the left side

[30:46] with your own best effort. Now, holding

[30:49] the position

[30:50] relaxing to this moment

[30:53] of awareness.

[30:55] Become more aware of your body now.

[30:58] Wherever you're feeling

[31:00] discomfort,

[31:01] pain,

[31:03] tension,

[31:04] whatever resistance you're feeling, just

[31:06] noticing it without judging.

[31:09] Noticing with the mindfulness, with

[31:12] acceptance.

[31:14] Then slowly circling halfway towards the

[31:18] front.

[31:19] Continuously repeating the movement,

[31:21] rotating with your best effort.

[31:24] Then relaxing, circling halfway towards

[31:28] the front. One more time.

[31:31] Rotating, stretching.

[31:34] Relaxing, circling. Now, continuously to

[31:38] the front.

[31:39] Continuously to the right side now.

[31:42] With your own best effort.

[31:45] Holding the position, now relaxing your

[31:47] shoulder down.

[31:51] Now, gently releasing, circling halfway

[31:55] towards the front.

[31:57] Rotating, stretching

[32:00] to the right side.

[32:02] Relaxing, circling halfway to the front.

[32:06] Now, one more time. Rotating,

[32:09] stretching.

[32:11] Relaxing,

[32:13] circling continuously to the front.

[32:17] Now,

[32:18] begin to notice.

[32:21] Notice more. All sensation, feeling,

[32:25] experience inside of you.

[32:28] Both the uncomfortable,

[32:30] even painful, sensation, as well, and

[32:34] deeper

[32:37] strengths, deeper aliveness.

[32:40] You may notice in the subtle energy.

[32:44] Now, we're going to continue repeating

[32:45] the movement with sound. The sound is

[32:48] very simple. We're going to repeat in

[32:50] two words, "How la." And the "How la"

[32:53] means all is well and getting better.

[32:56] And that's the essence of the practice.

[32:59] Yeah.

[33:00] So, when you connecting with the energy,

[33:02] all is well and getting better. So,

[33:05] circling in towards the left side,

[33:07] changing the sound together with your

[33:10] best effort.

[33:11] How

[33:13] la.

[33:15] How

[33:17] la.

[33:19] How

[33:21] la.

[33:23] How

[33:25] la.

[33:27] How

[33:29] la. Circling to the front. Continue to

[33:33] the right side with the sound. How

[33:37] la.

[33:39] How

[33:41] la.

[33:43] How

[33:45] la.

[33:47] How

[33:49] la.

[33:50] How

[33:52] la. Circling to the front.

[33:57] Now, relaxing.

[34:02] Continuously noticing.

[34:09] Now, slowly lower down your elbow.

[34:12] Effortlessly relaxing downward.

[34:17] Now, noticing the new sensation feeling

[34:19] of your arm. So, in spite of pain,

[34:23] discomfort, challenge you may notice in

[34:26] the movement, holding the arms up. Now,

[34:29] we noticing the new sensation.

[34:32] new feeling.

[34:35] Now we're going to raise in the arm up

[34:37] in front of you very mindfully,

[34:40] meditatively, slowly.

[34:43] You're lifting the subtle energy upward,

[34:46] continuously connecting with the subtle

[34:48] energy above you.

[34:50] Then you bring the energy inward

[34:53] into the brain.

[34:54] Imagining

[34:56] smiling into your brain

[34:59] continuously into your chest

[35:02] into your heart, lung, all the organ

[35:04] inside of you, downward into your

[35:07] stomach lower abdomen, pelvis, thighs,

[35:12] knees, legs.

[35:14] Now we're going to do a few movement

[35:16] with sound.

[35:18] Ha

[35:24] Ha

[35:29] You can move your your hip up and down.

[35:32] Ha

[35:37] Ha

[35:43] Ha

[35:47] Now slowly hands on top of your navel

[35:50] gently close your eyes

[35:54] feeling the energetic sensation

[35:59] inside of you

[36:02] the aliveness

[36:05] the openness

[36:07] the inner connection

[36:10] with your own body.

[36:29] Slowly, gently

[36:32] open your hands, feeling your leg,

[36:35] feeling the energy all around you,

[36:38] deep inside of you.

[36:41] And gently open your eyes slowly.

[36:46] So, move your body freely. Just continue

[36:48] noticing how your body feel. Even, you

[36:52] know, when you're doing the movement,

[36:53] arms up, you probably felt some tension,

[36:56] pain, discomfort, and that's all come

[36:59] from the blockages of the body, carry

[37:02] the tension, carry stress from the past.

[37:04] So, now we're doing this movement to

[37:06] open these blockages. So, in the

[37:08] beginning, you're feeling the tension.

[37:10] So, we're purposely, yeah, and going to

[37:13] the place of the shoulders and also the

[37:15] spine, rotating, twisting, you're

[37:18] opening the blockages, and as well the

[37:20] hip. So, these are three main area we're

[37:22] going to continue to learn to open, to

[37:25] release the stress, releasing the

[37:27] blockages, and opening to the new energy

[37:30] flow. So, when you close your eyes,

[37:32] visualizing the energy, bring the energy

[37:34] in, you start feel more relaxation,

[37:38] more connection, more lightness, more

[37:42] well-being start awakening in the energy

[37:45] condition of your body. So, that's is

[37:48] the practice you can continue try, and

[37:52] we're going to, you know, learn in the

[37:55] course in the future.

[37:57] So, thank you for joining me to try this

[37:59] practice. I'm not sure about you, I feel

[38:02] really wonderful. And how you feeling,

[38:04] Otis?

[38:04] because always great. Movement is always

[38:07] a remedy for me. Yeah, yeah. This body

[38:09] needs to move, so we can continue learn

[38:12] more. Yeah, move the body, move energy.

[38:17] Well, thank you Mingtong for that. I

[38:19] think that gives the people a flavor of

[38:21] what some of the practice looks like.

[38:24] Uh that being a movement meditation

[38:25] combining visualization, combining sound

[38:28] into a movement meditation.

[38:31] And you know how much that means to me.

[38:34] I found I had a a hereditary condition

[38:38] of blood clotting,

[38:40] which I found out by getting a pulmonary

[38:42] embolism.

[38:44] And when it was I was in the hospital

[38:46] with 15, maybe 17% of my lung capacity.

[38:50] Not knowing if I was going to live or

[38:52] die.

[38:54] It was Qigong

[38:56] that allowed me to

[38:58] get a different attitude towards what

[39:00] was happening.

[39:02] To slowly get up from the bed, slowly

[39:07] walk to the window,

[39:10] and slowly

[39:12] begin

[39:14] to move

[39:16] and to make sounds.

[39:18] Small ones.

[39:21] And it was that moment where I realized

[39:24] that that was going to the

[39:27] essence of the problem.

[39:29] Awakening

[39:31] uh energy around that blockage, which

[39:34] was very physical, very apparent.

[39:37] And started to move that around. And the

[39:40] look on the doctor's face when he came

[39:43] in the next morning to the hospital room

[39:45] and saw me doing Qigong at the window

[39:49] and saying,

[39:50] "I think I'm ready to be released now."

[39:54] Was precious to see the transformation

[39:57] in his eyes.

[39:59] As a young doctor, uh I think he

[40:01] understood something maybe a little bit

[40:02] different

[40:03] out of that moment.

[40:04] Probably still shocked for him. Yeah,

[40:06] yeah.

[40:07] So, we've seen uh you know, that's just

[40:09] a small but personal story where just

[40:12] this last Christmas me with my three

[40:14] daughters in their 30s, they said, uh

[40:16] "You know, this old Norwegian stiff guy

[40:19] is more flexible and more supple in his

[40:22] movements now than at any time in their

[40:24] lives." So, this has been a This has

[40:26] been major for me in the last 5 years.

[40:29] Um and we've seen uh we've seen other

[40:32] stories of transformation, other stories

[40:34] of of cure. Um

[40:37] I'm recalling a couple.

[40:38] literally almost like I can say

[40:41] confidence we specialize in the

[40:45] uh helping people with the most

[40:48] challenging condition on one hand, you

[40:51] know, even including people totally

[40:54] recovery from Parkinson's. And most of

[40:57] them be able to improving, you know,

[40:59] symptoms, condition, improving quality

[41:02] of life, you know, in spite of

[41:03] condition, Parkinson, cancers,

[41:07] you know, many of them recover totally

[41:08] from Lyme disease, you know, leukemia

[41:11] condition, and many cancers, you know,

[41:14] people extended their life, you know,

[41:17] still living continuously. And including

[41:20] people, you know, had a dementia and was

[41:23] was basically sent out of the hospital,

[41:26] nothing they can do about with

[41:28] conventional medicine. She was, you

[41:30] know, up to, let's say, um I think you

[41:34] know, her timeline was end of last year.

[41:37] So, now she's not only, you know, the

[41:40] condition improving, but she's become a

[41:42] different person, a new person. Now, she

[41:45] want to help other people continuously.

[41:48] So, not only these changes so important,

[41:51] so profound, you know, it's happening so

[41:54] more often, but more importantly is as

[41:57] you experience now, once you get it

[41:59] well, you want to keep it well.

[42:02] You want even continue improving

[42:04] yourself. You know, when age comes, you

[42:07] know,

[42:08] 40, 50, 60, we're going to hit a wall,

[42:11] you know, if you don't do anything about

[42:13] it, you know. So, instead of just

[42:16] keeping the health condition you want,

[42:18] improving your health condition in spite

[42:20] of aging.

[42:22] So, the matter of years is really the

[42:24] deeper practice, and also

[42:27] and that is, you know, my passion. It's

[42:29] really um

[42:31] and allowing, you know, whatever your

[42:33] desire, whatever is important for you,

[42:36] whatever challenge you right now, being

[42:39] the opportunity to make change for

[42:42] yourself more proactively, more

[42:45] lovingly, more creatively, but more

[42:48] importantly is to improving the

[42:50] foundation.

[42:52] The foundation for life. Yeah, no matter

[42:55] how many years you want to live.

[42:57] If you're living on this new foundation,

[43:00] a new operating system, new baseline of

[43:02] energy,

[43:03] then everything else changes.

[43:06] And that's what a transformation means.

[43:08] You're transforming the deeper energy

[43:10] pattern through your mind, heart, body.

[43:13] Yeah. And the the beauty is that it's

[43:16] not about aging, it's not about a

[43:18] sickness that needs a remedy. It it cuts

[43:21] through to the timeless energy, the

[43:23] ageless energy,

[43:25] that is the secret that is actually in

[43:27] movement all around us, all through us.

[43:31] It is we are all energy. That's

[43:33] everything is energy, and it's tapping

[43:36] into that secret.

[43:38] Uh one of the pieces that's really

[43:40] interesting is the way you teach.

[43:43] Uh everything is done in a 100-day gong.

[43:45] Gong meaning practice, chi meaning the

[43:48] word energy. So, it's an energy

[43:50] practice.

[43:51] Everything is done in a 100-day gong.

[43:54] That's done by tradition, but modern

[43:56] science and neuroplasticity is telling

[43:59] us why that's true. Maybe dig in a

[44:01] little bit about what it takes to reform

[44:04] a neuron and and and it's it's firing

[44:08] and wiring. Maybe we could explore that

[44:11] just for a second of why 100 days. Why

[44:13] does it take 100 days? So, the key I

[44:16] mean the secret here is now be

[44:18] understood by neuroscience as you

[44:20] mentioned is repetition.

[44:22] It's repetition. So, when you

[44:26] specifically I think the

[44:28] the research work I'm aware of is um

[44:31] indicating takes at least nine time to

[44:35] establishing a new neuron connection.

[44:38] New neuron connection.

[44:40] And takes more than 90 time to stabilize

[44:44] this neuron condition.

[44:46] So, once it stabilize then when you go

[44:49] back they still there for you.

[44:52] So, that's is the science have No, no.

[44:56] Um the new science would validating the

[44:58] old science. So, that's 100 day where

[45:00] come from. So, you're repeating 100

[45:02] times in this case allow this new habit

[45:07] of the mind, body, heart to shift in you

[45:09] know to sustain this healthy habit.

[45:12] Yeah, to transform or you know in some

[45:15] case most difficult

[45:17] of changing habit is literally letting

[45:19] go of the old habit.

[45:21] So, when we say the habit that's usually

[45:23] pattern pattern. It's very stubborn

[45:25] pattern. It's there already. So, in

[45:27] order to replace old pattern with a new

[45:31] pattern takes time. So, that's where the

[45:33] number is come from. At least 90 times.

[45:36] In this case 100 time allow you to you

[45:39] know formulating a new pattern allow you

[45:42] to gradually it's not overnight

[45:45] gradually letting go of the old limiting

[45:47] patterns.

[45:49] And you know one of the one of the the

[45:52] the pieces that has interested me is

[45:54] watching over this last five years how

[45:58] it is that you've changed in the way

[46:00] you've been you've been offering to

[46:02] teach and teaching these these elements.

[46:05] You know, 5 years ago we went to a

[46:07] workshop.

[46:08] You know, we got oh, that's really cool.

[46:11] I'm going to start that. What do I do? I

[46:12] I get this little booklet

[46:14] and I get a DVD.

[46:16] And you practice and you practice. Oh,

[46:18] this really is this is good.

[46:21] And then 6 months later you go, you

[46:22] know, I I need to refine this. I you go

[46:25] to another workshop.

[46:27] And of course in in in the the science

[46:29] of memory

[46:31] you lose 50% the next day.

[46:34] And then by a week or two later you've

[46:36] lost 90% of what it was.

[46:38] And so and so what what you've actually

[46:42] gone into is an online way of teaching

[46:45] this which I don't think anyone else

[46:48] has has really

[46:50] come even close

[46:52] to

[46:53] to mimicking.

[46:54] Uh

[46:55] this is a this is a 100-day commitment

[46:59] that begins with that day-long workshop

[47:03] and then it keeps going with daily and

[47:06] weekly lessons and allows us to go and

[47:09] it's completely consistent with the the

[47:11] science of of how the mind works, of how

[47:13] the neuro system works,

[47:15] of of of of how that all comes together

[47:19] to be able to build a new foundation and

[47:21] actually look to the heart of

[47:23] transformation.

[47:24] So it's not a it's it's not quick. It's

[47:27] not easy.

[47:29] Uh it comes with huge insights.

[47:31] But this is a this is a a a new way of

[47:35] beginning practice.

[47:38] Um

[47:39] so earlier we said we were going to look

[47:41] at some kind of a um

[47:43] you know, how do we how do we come up

[47:45] with this resolve?

[47:46] How do we look inward to make this

[47:49] commitment? And and perhaps take take

[47:53] some moments to uh

[47:55] to explore what does commitment look

[47:57] like just as we looked at at what does

[47:59] this look like with movement and sound.

[48:02] Um

[48:03] what is this internal resolve look like

[48:06] and how can we begin to feel that? How

[48:08] do we take

[48:10] a leap as strong as you took

[48:15] decades ago

[48:17] to make this change? What do we do?

[48:20] That's so wonderful. Let's um

[48:22] and do a meditation together and

[48:25] literally, you know, connecting with

[48:28] your own mind but also more so with your

[48:31] own heart and connecting with the new

[48:34] energy for the new year. And so allow

[48:37] this meditation bring you more insight

[48:39] and as well deep experience of

[48:42] connection with what's important in your

[48:44] life. So I'd like to invite you just uh

[48:47] join us together and you can easily join

[48:51] in any position. So you can either sit

[48:54] or even lie down or standing, whatever

[48:57] position you're comfortable.

[48:58] So whenever you're ready, I'd like to

[49:01] invite you gently close your eyes.

[49:10] Simply noticing inwardly.

[49:15] Acknowledging.

[49:18] Embracing.

[49:20] All sensation.

[49:23] Feeling.

[49:25] Experience of your body.

[49:29] Experience of your energy body.

[49:34] Connecting with the energy of the Mother

[49:36] Earth beneath you.

[49:43] Acknowledging the continuous

[49:46] transformation of life on the planet

[49:49] Earth.

[49:55] Feeling the power of the earth.

[50:02] And gently, playfully

[50:06] acknowledging, imagining

[50:10] the ocean

[50:12] of subtle energy above you.

[50:16] The infinity energy

[50:19] of the universe.

[50:23] The source energy of all creation.

[50:26] All inspiration.

[50:36] Playfully acknowledging, imagining

[50:41] the ocean of energy

[50:43] the visible, invisible in front of you.

[50:49] Behind you.

[50:53] Left side of you.

[50:56] Right side of you.

[51:00] All around you.

[51:07] Continuously

[51:09] relaxing inwardly.

[51:13] Noticing inwardly

[51:17] with a pure mindfulness and awareness.

[51:22] With a gentle

[51:24] loving kindness.

[51:29] With a deeper openness.

[51:39] Continuously

[51:41] allowing the infinity energy

[51:45] of all creation.

[51:48] Flowing naturally, deeply

[51:53] in all dimension of your energy body.

[52:02] Allow your mind, heart, body naturally

[52:05] open

[52:08] to all insight,

[52:10] all thoughts,

[52:13] all feeling,

[52:17] all visions.

[52:24] And gently asking

[52:27] in silence,

[52:29] what is your highest vision

[52:32] of yourself

[52:36] in the new year?

[52:40] What is the highest vision of yourself

[52:45] in the new year?

[52:50] Simply open.

[52:55] Open to all insight,

[52:59] thoughts,

[53:01] images,

[53:05] feeling.

[53:27] Now, continuing to the second question.

[53:32] What is the new energy quality

[53:37] you're ready to embrace

[53:41] and cultivate

[53:43] in order to realize

[53:46] the highest vision of yourself in the

[53:48] new year.

[53:54] What is the new energy

[53:57] experience and the quality

[54:01] you're ready to embrace and cultivate

[54:06] in order to realize the highest vision

[54:09] of yourself in the new year.

[54:17] Again, allow your mind

[54:19] heart

[54:22] naturally open

[54:29] to all inside

[54:32] thoughts

[54:34] images

[54:36] feeling.

[55:00] And with the pure openness, pure

[55:02] mindfulness, continuously

[55:06] asking the third question in silence

[55:11] What are the old

[55:13] energetic limitation

[55:16] or patterns

[55:19] you want to release

[55:22] in order to realize the highest vision

[55:25] of yourself in the new year.

[55:31] What is the old energetic pattern

[55:35] limitation

[55:39] you want to release.

[55:43] In order to realize the highest division

[55:46] of yourself in the new year.

[56:06] Continuously

[56:07] allow your mind, heart, body open.

[56:23] Now open to the fourth question.

[56:27] What are three action steps?

[56:33] What are three immediate action steps?

[56:39] For you to realize the highest division

[56:42] of yourself in the new year.

[57:01] Continuously

[57:03] allow your mind, heart, body open.

[57:08] Naturally open.

[57:12] To your insights.

[57:14] Thoughts.

[57:16] Images.

[57:18] Feeling.

[57:29] Continuously

[57:31] embracing.

[57:33] All sensation.

[57:35] Feeling.

[57:37] Experience inside of you.

[57:44] Naturally allowing.

[57:47] The abundant energy.

[57:50] The source energy of all creation.

[57:54] Flowing deeply inside of you.

[58:01] And slowly.

[58:05] Gently placing your hands on your navel.

[58:11] And feeling inwardly.

[58:14] Allowing the energy flow.

[58:18] Continuously.

[58:22] Awakening. Opening.

[58:25] Receiving.

[58:28] New insight. New creativity.

[58:33] And deeper purposefulness.

[58:42] And slowly open your hand.

[58:45] And feeling your hip. Your legs.

[58:48] Your feet.

[58:50] And feeling your entire body.

[58:57] Whenever you're ready.

[58:59] Gently open your eyes slowly.

[59:11] So, thank you for joining us for this

[59:14] meditation.

[59:16] And allow yourself. Yeah, one of the

[59:19] Qigong secret is really aligning the

[59:22] body, mind, heart with energy. So, you

[59:25] can You tap into your own energy body

[59:28] and then open to the creative energy of

[59:30] the universe. Allow the inside including

[59:34] your deeper, you know, inspiration come

[59:36] to you with energy, charged with energy,

[59:40] with a deeper connection with your heart

[59:41] as well. So, in that process you more

[59:44] aligned with the energy flow of

[59:47] yourself, energy flow of the earth,

[59:50] energy flow of the universe, and the

[59:52] energy flow of your deeper purpose.

[59:54] Yeah. So, continuously yourself making

[59:58] new discovery even, you know, after the

[1:00:00] session, you can write down what's

[1:00:03] inside you have received and as well,

[1:00:05] you know, many days to come.

[1:00:08] The inside may come when you're walking,

[1:00:11] when you're dreaming, you know, when

[1:00:13] you're having conversation that suddenly

[1:00:15] this new inside may come to you. So, the

[1:00:17] key is connecting with energy.

[1:00:20] In order to do so, is aligning the mind,

[1:00:23] body, heart and that's what's the

[1:00:24] wonderful example as we did the

[1:00:26] meditation. So, it's a different from

[1:00:28] just mentally write down as these words,

[1:00:31] these, you know, mental solution. Yeah,

[1:00:34] here is your linking

[1:00:36] the mind, body, heart together with

[1:00:38] energy flow.

[1:00:41] Thank you, Mingtong. I the very

[1:00:42] beautiful invitation for people to look

[1:00:45] inside

[1:00:46] for their their highest good, for their

[1:00:49] highest intention,

[1:00:50] for their highest purpose.

[1:00:52] And then to look to action steps that

[1:00:55] arise from within.

[1:00:57] Uh that's really been the key

[1:01:00] since since I first started this

[1:01:02] practice with you was

[1:01:04] it's about trying it out for yourself,

[1:01:07] discovering for your own self

[1:01:09] what it is that drives you, what it is

[1:01:11] you need.

[1:01:13] What is out there available for you?

[1:01:16] And so,

[1:01:17] I think it would be useful to actually

[1:01:19] shift a little bit at this point to look

[1:01:22] at how

[1:01:24] how that's done. We've talked a little

[1:01:25] bit about how it's not about just a few

[1:01:29] introductions and then some practice.

[1:01:31] This is about a deepening

[1:01:33] that goes on in really 100-day segments.

[1:01:37] And we have, you know, segments of

[1:01:39] that are being offered by the Chi Center

[1:01:42] three times a year, 100-day gongs,

[1:01:45] ongoing, literally years worth of

[1:01:48] possibility to deepen. And so we're

[1:01:51] beginning to get a sense of what this

[1:01:52] 100-day gong looks like, what this

[1:01:54] 100-day practice session of daily

[1:01:57] sessions, daily

[1:02:00] portals that allow you to be supported

[1:02:02] in your practice,

[1:02:03] and continuing to refine weekly, but

[1:02:06] likewise monthly. Every month the

[1:02:09] material gets deeper and deeper into the

[1:02:11] content. Mei Kam, maybe you could give

[1:02:14] us a sense of what that looks like as

[1:02:16] you deepen throughout this 100-day

[1:02:18] practice gong.

[1:02:20] So,

[1:02:21] you know, again, traditionally takes

[1:02:23] years.

[1:02:25] You know, the the old story is, you

[1:02:27] know, master teaches students one thing,

[1:02:30] one movement, then practice months even

[1:02:33] up to years before receiving another

[1:02:36] movement, another technique, another

[1:02:38] method. So, that's kind of

[1:02:40] is really powerful process. You're able

[1:02:42] to really embody it. On other hand,

[1:02:44] repetition make you feel, you know,

[1:02:47] really proficient, professional, so to

[1:02:49] speak. So, the way you learn is really

[1:02:52] consolidate, very effective, yeah. So,

[1:02:55] here in the modern time, we don't have

[1:02:56] that much time, so

[1:02:58] so we're coming up with more like a

[1:02:59] middle way, a modern version of the

[1:03:02] repetition of the practice. So, you

[1:03:04] learn enough in the beginning. Say first

[1:03:07] month, we learn the overall view, how to

[1:03:10] do this practice, what this practice,

[1:03:12] you know, you learn Yeah, you learn what

[1:03:15] to do, basically. What to do. Yeah. And

[1:03:19] so how to focus on, you know, the

[1:03:22] and the arm movement, the shoulder

[1:03:24] movement, and the spine movement, how to

[1:03:26] connecting with the hip, and the

[1:03:27] connecting the feet, connecting the

[1:03:29] entire energy flow. For example, the

[1:03:31] meditation we just did is uh organizing

[1:03:35] the chief field. You gradually start to

[1:03:38] discover, you know, the the subtle neon

[1:03:41] of energy in your body. So the three

[1:03:44] stages like the first stage is you're

[1:03:46] learning, you know, what to do.

[1:03:49] Yeah. And the second stage you're

[1:03:51] learning how to do it.

[1:03:53] How to do it.

[1:03:55] How to do it. That mean how to do it

[1:03:56] effectively. Yeah. The third stage is

[1:03:59] you

[1:04:01] integrating different aspect of

[1:04:04] technique.

[1:04:05] Yeah, how do you use your mind, how to

[1:04:06] coordinate with your body, how to

[1:04:08] coordinating with the sound, how to

[1:04:10] coordinating the energy system.

[1:04:12] And how to in relationship to your own

[1:04:15] challenges. Could it be health-wise,

[1:04:18] could it be emotional-wise, could it be,

[1:04:20] you know, mental, spiritual reason

[1:04:22] you're doing the practice. So you start

[1:04:24] to making a connection between the

[1:04:27] method itself is universal, but your

[1:04:29] personal, you know, like say unique

[1:04:32] quality. Your personal need. Personal,

[1:04:36] you know, wherever you might be. You

[1:04:37] start to make a link. Things start to

[1:04:39] make sense. You start to integrate what

[1:04:42] you're learning into your own system,

[1:04:44] your own you know, awareness, your own

[1:04:47] flow of energy, so to speak. So that's

[1:04:49] the one way of looking at the three

[1:04:51] months, map it out. Yeah. And of course

[1:04:54] there's a more detail. You know, each

[1:04:56] practice involved with different detail

[1:04:58] for moving different part of your body,

[1:05:00] different layer of energy. I think most

[1:05:03] important thing is for us is

[1:05:06] when you

[1:05:08] you know,

[1:05:09] repetition. And secondly is progressive.

[1:05:13] Progressive. From wherever you at,

[1:05:15] continue progress. And the third is

[1:05:17] systematic. That means you're aware of

[1:05:19] the whole system after while. You're

[1:05:21] able to integrate the whole system into

[1:05:25] your practice, into your life, into your

[1:05:27] true experience. Yeah, thanks for that.

[1:05:30] And I you know, personally uh you know,

[1:05:32] I wish I'd had this 5 years ago because

[1:05:35] this is a this is really using the

[1:05:37] state-of-the-art technology to support

[1:05:40] the the rapid learning of the ancient

[1:05:44] systems and the incorporation. So, you

[1:05:46] actually discover it for yourself.

[1:05:49] So, we really hope that uh that what

[1:05:51] we've done is piqued your curiosity

[1:05:55] and tried to uh to instill in you a a

[1:05:59] sense that this is possible for you now.

[1:06:03] You can take on this practice and learn

[1:06:06] it in a way that is uh unparalleled in

[1:06:09] uh in in what I've seen in 45 years of

[1:06:13] uh of spiritual practice in California.

[1:06:15] I've been across the spiritual buffet a

[1:06:18] number of times.

[1:06:19] And this is it. So, I hope that uh I

[1:06:22] hope that our time today has been rich

[1:06:26] and rewarding. Uh feel free to scroll

[1:06:28] down the page you're on. Take a look at

[1:06:31] the uh the information that's there.

[1:06:33] Uh the website is available.

[1:06:36] Uh one of the things that we want to

[1:06:37] offer you today

[1:06:39] uh

[1:06:40] is a free bonus for having joined us on

[1:06:42] this event.

[1:06:44] If you take the time to register for

[1:06:47] this upcoming course that starts January

[1:06:49] 31st for a 100-day gong,

[1:06:52] uh the bonus that we'd like to offer you

[1:06:55] is a uh is a teaching that will be

[1:06:57] downloaded to you and delivered to you

[1:07:00] via email and a download on basically on

[1:07:04] on the immune system and how you can

[1:07:08] enliven and awaken your immune system

[1:07:12] and reboot the the immune system for

[1:07:15] this winter month and and all of these

[1:07:18] these times with the storms that we're

[1:07:20] experiencing and how to remain vital in

[1:07:24] this period of time. So that would be a

[1:07:26] gift from us to you if if you're able to

[1:07:30] to register today. Take the time and

[1:07:33] discover it for yourself.

[1:07:35] So Ming Tang, any parting thoughts and

[1:07:38] to to all of our guests for today?

[1:07:42] So again, I want to thank you for

[1:07:45] joining us today and discover new

[1:07:49] possibility

[1:07:50] and hopefully also new energy, new

[1:07:53] experience and truly realizing your

[1:07:57] highest desire and not only for the new

[1:08:01] year but for your life in tomorrow full,

[1:08:03] you know, happiness and health and

[1:08:07] deeper fulfillment of life in general.

[1:08:10] So thank you again so much and I wish

[1:08:12] you

[1:08:14] a happiest new year with abundant

[1:08:16] energy, abundant energy for creation,

[1:08:19] for happiness and for health.

[1:08:24] Aloha. Aloha.

AuthorMingtong Gu

Chinese Qigong master and founder of the Chi Healing Institute who bridges ancient energy practices with modern wellness to guide global students toward healing and spiritual devel…

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Got Questions?

Frequently Asked Questions

What is qigong and how does it differ from other Eastern practices like yoga?

Qigong is a 5,000+ year-old Chinese practice based on the recognition that all life is made of and animated by Qi (life energy). Unlike yoga, which emphasizes physical alignment and breath, Qigong focuses directly on cultivating and moving energy through gentle movements, visualization, and meditation. Both are embodied practices, but Qigong's primary aim is energy cultivation and balance rather than physical conditioning or spiritual union.

Can qigong help with chronic pain or long-standing health conditions?

Qigong is not a substitute for medical treatment, but regular practice can support health by releasing energy blockages, reducing stress, and promoting balance in the body-mind system. Master Mingtong Gu grew up with scoliosis and asthma (considered incurable at the time) and credits Qigong practice with his own healing. Results vary by individual and require consistent, mindful practice—not just mechanical repetition of movements.

Do I need to be flexible or fit to practice qigong?

No. Qigong movements are gentle, adaptable, and accessible to people across all ages and fitness levels. The practice can be done sitting, standing, or lying down, making it available to anyone, whether recovering from illness, managing chronic pain, or new to movement practice. The focus is on feeling and moving energy, not on achieving athletic positions.

How long does it take to see results from qigong practice?

Many practitioners notice subtle shifts—better sleep, clearer thinking, improved mood—within weeks of consistent daily practice. More significant changes may take months or longer, depending on your starting point and consistency. It's important to note that consolidation of gains requires proper rest and integration; pushing too hard without adequate recovery can result in losing 50% of improvements by the next day.

What is the connection between qigong and New Year's resolutions?

Rather than relying on willpower alone, Qigong offers a meditation practice that aligns you energetically with your deeper intentions. Instead of thinking about goals, you visualize and feel them as already alive in your energy body across all dimensions. This shift from mental planning to embodied knowing allows inspired action to flow naturally from alignment with your heart's purpose.

Is qigong a religious practice or does it require specific beliefs?

Qigong is not tied to any religion and does not require faith—only openness to direct experience. The practice is based on observable principles: energy flows where attention goes, blockages can be released through gentle movement and awareness, and consistent cultivation produces measurable changes in health and wellbeing. You can verify results through your own practice.

Can qigong be combined with modern medicine or other wellness practices?

Yes. Qigong is intended as a complementary practice, not a replacement for medical care. Master Mingtong Gu's approach bridges Eastern wisdom and modern science. Before beginning qigong or any wellness program, consult with your healthcare provider, especially if you have existing health conditions. Many practitioners use Qigong alongside conventional treatment to support overall healing and balance.