Living proof that qigong works!

[joeblast]

yes, tough to correct oneself...takes a pretty keen awareness to be able to tell, but in cultivating that far, you've probably already had somebody correcting you at some point

[doc benway]

Ok, I must start this story in 2008, I was diagnosed with a liver disease that I don't care to name and the last stage of cirrohsis. The doctors done two different biopsi, but told me my liver was already too bad to take interfuron/riboviran combo. So I decide to go back to what had helped me get through the toughest times of my life, MARTIAL ARTS.

 

My old sifu had moved back after seventeen years and I seen him on youtube, so I called and told him my situation. I remember telling him "I am at rock bottom, teacher." He said, "THAT IS WONDERFUL! There is only one way to go and that is UP." This gave me some hope.

 

He introduced me to circle walking. I started to feel a bit less lethargic and my anger issues began to subside. I kept getting hepatic panels ran on a monthly basis and my enzymes and billirubin levels began to drop. The doctor at the University of KY told me that my liver tests would NEVER be normal again. He said that I might be able to lower them, but would never read as a healthy liver.

 

To make a long story a bit less long, I stuck to my training. I learned the eight mother palms and my inside and outside changes. In Feb I met Zerostao and he introduced me to some bagua qigong. Until this I had only been doing ZZ standing as chi kung. Zerostao introduced me to the iron shirt form and the single and double palm changes among other things that I have covered in my training log.

 

I made sure to play my bagua every day and actually think I know what song means!

 

Well, fast forward to last Friday, I had another hepatic panel done.

 

 

My sister is a AARNP (nursing practitioner) and she simply couldn't believe what she seen. She at first thought that my labs had gotten mixed up. They were the labs of a man with a healthy liver!!!!!!!!!!!!! YES! I NOW HAVE THE PROOF IN BLACK AND WHITE!

 

I AM PROOF THAT CHI KUNG IS REAL AND IT WORKS! I never had any doubt, but others were skeptical in the family but being that kung fu has been a passion of mine since I was four they were used to the combat part, but had never heard of learning to fight to improve your health, as my dad puts it.

 

 

 

THIS POST GOES OUT TO THE EVERY TAO BUM THAT HAS HELPED ME. ...and to Zerostao for leading me to this wonderful place. I feel at home now.

 

I can do ANYTHING with proper guidance and this is only the beginning. Where as before I really wondered if I would live to see my daughter graduate high school.

 

I am not being arrogant, but I feel better than I have since I was in my early twenties and I just slapped a cap block with no warm up to see if my metal element was still in order. Yeah, it broke with ease and my friend said the slap looked nearly effortless.

 

 

There is no way to hide my excitement and express the joy in my heart with words.

 

I must thank my god, my sifu, Zerostao, Lao Xie, Ray Carbullido, Kent Howard, Kenneth Cohen and Dr. Yang Jwing Ming and Master Liang Shou Yu. Not mention Frank Allen. Each person listed above played a pivotal role in my transformation.

Nice post, I watched a fellow transform from nearly crippled by auto-immune disease to a vibrant, medal winning, taiji player.

Great stuff

[Gerard]

Nice post, I watched a fellow transform from nearly crippled by auto-immune disease to a vibrant, medal winning, taiji player.

Great stuff

 

 

Yes, wonderful to hear and see all of these complete transformation stories, akin to from caterpillar to butterfly, and it benefits the whole world as a large.

[Gerard]

Do you think it's possible to learn it from these online videos ?

 

More videos for you, so you can check on your progress:

 

 

That's how you should perform the mud walking step in the Liang style of BGZ.

 

 

Foundation exercises (jibengong) including hook (kou) and swing (bai) steps.

 

...................

 

And in this channel you can view Di Guoyong's Eight Mother Palms routine:

 

http://www.youtube.com/user/georje181#p/u/7/C3gUEPKz4_c

Edited October 9, 2011 by Gerard

[ChiDragon]

I wonder if I could benefit from qigong. And in what ways.

 

Currently I'm pretty healthy and enjoy life. I do continue to practice music and sometimes jogging to improve heart, feels great. When I jog, I feel the pain of fat burning very strongly in the kidney areas. Its because I'm low fat, plus I'm not used to being active. Oh, and I could always use mental improvements.

 

Currently I think I should just continue running so that my body addepts. Do you guys think I need qigong?

 

Yes, you do need to do sitting Chi Kung for internal healing of your kidney....

Edited October 9, 2011 by ChiDragon

[Seth Ananda]

Jaysahnztao, very very cool and great Inspiration. Thanks for the share and great Blessings on your path

 

Seth Ananda

[taodancing]

Ok, I must start this story in 2008, I was diagnosed with a liver disease that I don't care to name and the last stage of cirrohsis. The doctors done two different biopsi, but told me my liver was already too bad to take interfuron/riboviran combo. So I decide to go back to what had helped me get through the toughest times of my life, MARTIAL ARTS.

 

My old sifu had moved back after seventeen years and I seen him on youtube, so I called and told him my situation. I remember telling him "I am at rock bottom, teacher." He said, "THAT IS WONDERFUL! There is only one way to go and that is UP." This gave me some hope.

 

He introduced me to circle walking. I started to feel a bit less lethargic and my anger issues began to subside. I kept getting hepatic panels ran on a monthly basis and my enzymes and billirubin levels began to drop. The doctor at the University of KY told me that my liver tests would NEVER be normal again. He said that I might be able to lower them, but would never read as a healthy liver.

 

To make a long story a bit less long, I stuck to my training. I learned the eight mother palms and my inside and outside changes. In Feb I met Zerostao and he introduced me to some bagua qigong. Until this I had only been doing ZZ standing as chi kung. Zerostao introduced me to the iron shirt form and the single and double palm changes among other things that I have covered in my training log.

 

I made sure to play my bagua every day and actually think I know what song means!

 

Well, fast forward to last Friday, I had another hepatic panel done.

 

 

My sister is a AARNP (nursing practitioner) and she simply couldn't believe what she seen. She at first thought that my labs had gotten mixed up. They were the labs of a man with a healthy liver!!!!!!!!!!!!! YES! I NOW HAVE THE PROOF IN BLACK AND WHITE!

 

I AM PROOF THAT CHI KUNG IS REAL AND IT WORKS! I never had any doubt, but others were skeptical in the family but being that kung fu has been a passion of mine since I was four they were used to the combat part, but had never heard of learning to fight to improve your health, as my dad puts it.

 

 

 

THIS POST GOES OUT TO THE EVERY TAO BUM THAT HAS HELPED ME. ...and to Zerostao for leading me to this wonderful place. I feel at home now.

 

I can do ANYTHING with proper guidance and this is only the beginning. Where as before I really wondered if I would live to see my daughter graduate high school.

 

I am not being arrogant, but I feel better than I have since I was in my early twenties and I just slapped a cap block with no warm up to see if my metal element was still in order. Yeah, it broke with ease and my friend said the slap looked nearly effortless.

 

 

There is no way to hide my excitement and express the joy in my heart with words.

 

I must thank my god, my sifu, Zerostao, Lao Xie, Ray Carbullido, Kent Howard, Kenneth Cohen and Dr. Yang Jwing Ming and Master Liang Shou Yu. Not mention Frank Allen. Each person listed above played a pivotal role in my transformation.

 

Congrats to you full recovery. May I know who is your MARTIAL ARTS sifu ?

[spiraltao]

Thanks Seth! My Sifu is Scott Harris, his master is Grand Master Rick Pickens under GGM Hui Wing Lok Ng (John). If this helps. Grandmaster wrote a book on chinese ring dagger.

 

 

 

However much of my qigong came straight from Master Lam Kam Chuen's book Way of Power and Dragon Gate Sanctuary material that Zerostao taught me.

 

 

 

My sifu kinda gave me the kick in the ass I was needing.

 

 

 

 

The support here is palpable. I am a better person for have being a member here and it felt great to annouce my success. I have still been monitoring my hepatic panels. They have remained HEALTHY. I am so happy about this, I know that the sky is indeed the limit.

 

 

 

My mind is in hyperdrive at just about any point of the day with all the energy I seem to gather after a morning bagua play session. I suppose that is the only disadvantage to having energy in spades?

[spiraltao]

Thanks Seth! My Sifu is Scott Harris, his master is Grand Master Rick Pickens under GGM Hui Wing Lok Ng (John). If this helps. Grandmaster wrote a book on chinese ring dagger.

 

 

 

However much of my qigong came straight from Master Lam Kam Chuen's book Way of Power and Dragon Gate Sanctuary material that Zerostao taught me.

 

 

 

My sifu kinda gave me the kick in the ass I was needing.

 

 

 

 

The support here is palpable. I am a better person for have being a member here and it felt great to annouce my success. I have still been monitoring my hepatic panels. They have remained HEALTHY. I am so happy about this, I know that the sky is indeed the limit.

 

 

 

My mind is in hyperdrive at just about any point of the day with all the energy I seem to gather after a morning bagua play session. I suppose that is the only disadvantage to having energy in spades?

[baiqi]

Yes, baguazhang rocks, not just as a martial art, but also as a healing art. I would also add it rocks as a spiritual art. It is all of these, depending on what you put your effort into.

It is definitely my favorite martial art.

 

Very happy to hear you recovered from your sickness with it.

 

The oldest (known) guy living in China is a baguazhang man. His name is Lu Zijian, lives in Chongqing, and is a martial arts legend. He's 120 or something.

 

I mish to see more people turning in circles!

[spiraltao]

Thanks Baiqi

 

 

 

 

 

Baguazhang is mos def my favorite martial art too!

 

 

 

I am going to pose a brief but very profound question in regards to baguazhang or the learning thereof.

[taodancing]

Thanks Seth! My Sifu is Scott Harris, his master is Grand Master Rick Pickens under GGM Hui Wing Lok Ng (John). If this helps. Grandmaster wrote a book on chinese ring dagger.

 

 

 

However much of my qigong came straight from Master Lam Kam Chuen's book Way of Power and Dragon Gate Sanctuary material that Zerostao taught me.

 

 

 

My sifu kinda gave me the kick in the ass I was needing.

 

 

 

 

The support here is palpable. I am a better person for have being a member here and it felt great to annouce my success. I have still been monitoring my hepatic panels. They have remained HEALTHY. I am so happy about this, I know that the sky is indeed the limit.

 

 

 

My mind is in hyperdrive at just about any point of the day with all the energy I seem to gather after a morning bagua play session. I suppose that is the only disadvantage to having energy in spades?

 

Thank you for your info. I will google for their videos and seminar info. Any idea where they teach currently, if they are still teaching.

[spiraltao]

Thank you for your info. I will google for their videos and seminar info. Any idea where they teach currently, if they are still teaching.

 

 

Sifu Harris is open for seminars. Grandmaster Pickens might be as well, but I can't speak for him. If you don't mind message me some contact info and location and I will get ahold of Sifu and relay the message.

 

 

Dr. Ng doesn't teach anymore.

 

 

EMAIL @ [email protected] is me, Jaysahnztao.

Edited October 26, 2011 by jaysahnztao

[zerostao]

Jay,

 

just wanted to drop by and say, WOW

 

seems you are up and going good again?!! i never had any doubt. coz, i knew that you had been given all the tools/skills neccessary.

you have been very fortunate to had the access that you have to qigongs and Internal Martial ART.

and i know that you have sincerity in your heart , which leads to success.

so. you previously healed a liver that the medical community said would never be healed.

and now you have recovered from having a ford ranger run over you, and as it was lifted off of you ,it was dropped again onto you.

and when exactly did this occur ? and you are now up and circle walking and playing baguazhang again, right?

and you have now healed yourself from extreme internal organ damage and also severe physical trauma, right?

outstanding! well done!

the thing about the internal martial arts i can speak of, tai chi, bagua, xingyi are indeed martial arts and they are also indeed healing arts.

in fact one almost always gets the good health benefits before they have acheived the martial aspects of the art.

and once they have acheived the martial aspects , they have also acheived the healing art as well.

that is my take and experience on it anyways.

 

Jay you continue to inspire, maybe some thought you were being given some tough love by some of your neighbors, but i think it has turned into the best possible outcome for all of us.

i salute you.

[spiraltao]

Jay,

 

just wanted to drop by and say, WOW

 

seems you are up and going good again?!! i never had any doubt. coz, i knew that you had been given all the tools/skills neccessary. Thanks so much!

you have been very fortunate to had the access that you have to qigongs and Internal Martial ART.

and i know that you have sincerity in your heart , which leads to success. I am among the luckiest in the world!

so. you previously healed a liver that the medical community said would never be healed. YES! I am so proud of that fact!

and now you have recovered from having a ford ranger run over you, and as it was lifted off of you ,it was dropped again onto you.

and when exactly did this occur ?On May the 12, I think

Baguazhang again, right?I deleted part of that sentence, but yes I am back into my daily baguazhang routine!

and you have now healed yourself from extreme internal organ damage and also severe physical trauma, right?YES! I had a lacerated spleen, nine broken ribs and a bruised lung. I used reverse breathing while pinned under the truck. My chest literally couldn't expand, I still remember watching my abdomen contract and expand.

outstanding! well done!

the thing about the internal martial arts i can speak of, tai chi, bagua, xingyi are indeed martial arts and they are also indeed healing arts.YES! That is why I am now convinced, for some maybe the forms are enough? I want it ALL! LOL ...but I think mastering the single, double and smooth palm change would keep one healthy, or as far as that goes, just circle walking the animal postures, which I learned is called Ding Shi.

in fact one almost always gets the good health benefits before they have acheived the martial aspects of the art.Indeed! I must say, my martial bagua skills have never been put to the test, but I have confidence in my feet!

and once they have acheived the martial aspects , they have also acheived the healing art as well.

that is my take and experience on it anyways.I agree whole heartedly.

 

Jay you continue to inspire, maybe some thought you were being given some tough love by some of your neighbors, but i think it has turned into the best possible outcome for all of us.

i salute you. Even if it was tough love, it was love, it is love. We are all about love, eh? Zero, this means more than you would probably think to me! I highly respect you my friend. Here is to a long lasting friendship. I do think that which doesn't kill or cripple us will make us stronger. I also believe that if I had not been training the last two and a half years in baguazhang I DO NOT think I would have survived. My ankle was twisted nearly 180 degrees. Both legs were torqued in the opposite direction. I can remember thinking "SUNG" and the aforementioned reverse breathing.

 

If this isn't enough proof that qigong and/or baguazhang doesn't make one strong, I don't know what is. I really blew the universitie's expectations on my breathing out of the water. I was out in two days. My nurse said many stay for a week or two who sustain similar injuries.

 

God bless you all. God bless you, Zero for opening up this wonderful Tao to me. I think every day, "What a wonderful day in the Tao" and SMILE. NO ONE can take that from us.

 

 

 

[NeiChuan]

Good post, good luck. Brightens my day to hear stories like yours.

[GreytoWhite]

More living proof that qigong works. Here is my story.

 

 

I'm a recovering heart attack and stroke patient. At 22 I was in a phase 3 federal drug trial for agomelatine. One should never combine agomelatine with alcohol. I had a minor heart attack and it caused a "permanent" arrhythmia. About six months after that I started having horrible migraines that I came to find out later were TIAs. I finally had a full stroke about 4 years ago, the hospital released me approximately 8 hours after I was admitted because I didn't have insurance and I was able to speak again after everything they pumped into me. I was sent home with a recommendation to stay hydrated and stress free.

 

The whole left side of my body went to shit along with losing 4 spoken languages, and my previously eidetic memory. It didn't help that I got depressed and tried to drink myself to death for a year afterward. The main issues that effected my daily life were sciatica and neuropathic pain. I was diagnosed with degenerative disc disease and scoliosis and wasn't given much hope for either condition. After the stroke I blew out both my knees, my left hip and should both subluxate regularly, and both my hands used to lock up for a day or two at a time. Incontinence was a daily struggle because many times I couldn't crawl or hobble from my bed to the toilet quickly enough.

 

Anyway, a friend of mine lit a fire under my ass and started teaching me according to my needs about three years ago. He would show me something one week, ask me where I had been feeling pain or was most useless and give me a new exercise or change the focus of an already taught exercise. The corrections were minute and painstaking every time. Luckily we had a very relaxed training environment (his cigar factory) and could sit back and enjoy the finer things (a cigar older than myself, a bit of xtabentun or aged rum, and some telenovelas) after he'd kick my ass for as long as I could handle it. Believe me friends, fine tobacco can be medicinal when it is properly cured, fermented, aged and then blended and rolled by a true a master.

 

He started me off doing Chen (Chen Xiaowang lineage) style positive circle silk reeling whilst seated because I couldn't stand for more than about 3 minutes without a cane. After about three weeks my LDT came alive one night, ripped my abdominal muscles from the top of my rib cage and my lower back popped so hard I thought my box spring had collapsed. After that the cane was not as necessary except when my bad knees were really bothering me. About three months after that my abdominal muscles "clicked" back into my xyphoid process and that really helped with "wave motion" as I was only able to rotate my waist, couldn't really send anything up my spine.

 

After I was able to stand for more than a few minutes at a time unassisted he taught me certain zhan zhuang stances, mainly hunyuan variations. Typically I would hold a stance for 10-15 minutes at a time. My roommate would always be perplexed but he saw the results of my practice. I was told to ignore the silk reeling for a while and he taught me the Nine Temple and Eight Brocades qigong sets. Then the silk reeling was introduced again.

 

I was also practicing James MacRitchie's Eight Extraordinary Meridians program and the Spring Forest Level 1 from the videos. My friend would provide me with insights and recommendations based on my experiences. He would also tell me of what his Mayan grandfather taught him, he would translate the poetry and philosophy of his people and we would discuss. I found many similarities between the remaining fragments of Mayan practice and Taoism.

 

Once I regained some more strength he taught me Siu Nim Tau (Yip Man lineage). That really helped me regain flexibility and strength in my forearms, wrists, and hands. I didn't much like anything from wing chun, even when I was a kid I didn't like it. I don't really practice any wing chun at all any more now that my wrists are more functional.

 

I did pick up some Feldenkrais practice and found it to be incredibly beneficial to regaining awareness of certain areas of my body. The trigger point self-massage book from Davies helped me out a lot, especially when I combined it with the principles from Myers' Anatomy Trains. Diet played a huge role in helping me lose weight and feel less pain. I went gluten free, dairy free, and red meat free for about a year but I made the mistake of a self-directed nootropics regimen in conjunction with meditation and had some serious "qi deviation" issues. My third eye was activated way too soon and with my MDT as fucked up as it is I went "crazy" for a few months.

 

Went back to a more normal diet and dropped the nootropics and any sort of meditation that goes into my head. I've regained a good amount of weight but not to a point where I am unhealthy or uncomfortable. Now I mainly focus on stance transitions and loosening my thoracic spine. The degenerative disc disease isn't nearly as bad as it once was and the scoliosis is slowly getting better. I've regained much of my former strength and 2" of height. I went from 5'9" to 5'5". Now I'm at 5'7". Unfortunately I can't see my friend as often as I would like as he is now in Scottsdale and I don't drive. It's 2 hours each way on the bus. I've gone to a few closer local instructors, tried to explain what I need as far as instruction goes and was largely ignored, even by the instructors who offer TCM treatment. I can't waste my time with exercises I know I can't do anywhere close to properly yet.

 

It cracks me up how much the "internals" are said to be great for health but I think it was the instructors' proper teaching more than the arts themselves that really help the patient. One cannot perform surgery with a shotgun. Private message me if you want some recommendations on materials, I have LOTS of books and videos.

[taodancing]

More living proof that qigong works. Here is my story.

 

 

Amazing story, you have an amazing friend. Please do mention some books and videos that you found helpful to you. Thanks.

[GreytoWhite]

Forgive me, I'm hyperlexic so I can read faster than most. I think the biggest hurdle I had was going from a Western paradigm to Eastern. Thomas Myers' Anatomy Trains and Clair Davies' trigger point workbook helped me understand what role the fascia plays in the body and how some of it correlates to Chinese medicine.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Anatomy-Trains-Myofascial-Meridians-Therapists/dp/044310283X

 

http://www.amazon.com/Trigger-Point-Therapy-Workbook-Self-Treatment/dp/1572243759

 

Ken Gullette's DVDs were also really good reminders for how to practice. I now disagree with his opinion about there not being anything mystical about the exercises but for incredibly clear and well communicated instruction on video Ken is very good. The Internal Strength DVD contains Mike Patterson's "ground path" stuff which is great for developing root.

 

http://www.kungfu4u.com/internal-dvds.html

 

Rich Marantz has some wonderful videos on eHow that were great reminders and addenda to what my friend taught me.

 

http://www.ehow.com/videos-on_7702_tai-chi-stretching.html

 

http://www.ehow.com/videos-on_7710_tai-chi-concepts-principles.html

 

http://www.ehow.com/videos-on_7704_tai-chi-senior-citizens.html

 

The Polish Yiquan guys wrote a great eBook on zhan zhuang that cleared up a lot of things for me.

 

http://www.scribd.com/doc/44686995/Zhan-Zhuang-Qigong-You-can-feel-it

 

Jarek Szymanski has a great site with many interviews with martial arts masters on it as well as his own research. I found so many tidbits that made certain things click for me I highly recommend his site to anyone studying martial arts.

 

http://www.chinafrominside.com/

 

While B.K. Frantzis' material didn't really appeal to me at first I am coming to appreciate the Water tradition methods since my issues last year. Opening the Energy Gates of Your Body is a book I wish I had still but my friend's wife needed it more after her thyroid was removed. Another friend of mine studied with Kumar in the late '80s and the '90s and he had a lot of helpful information regarding the dissolving work and how to safely store qi in the dantian again after dissolving downward.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Opening-Energy-Gates-Your-Body/dp/1556431643

 

http://www.amazon.com/Relaxing-into-Your-Being-Meditation/dp/1556434073

 

http://www.amazon.com/The-Great-Stillness-Method-Meditation/dp/1556434081

 

Chunyi Lin's Spring Forest Qigong is great but not my cup of tea. I did learn a lot from his work though.

 

http://www.springforestqigong.com/index.php/getting-started

 

Daniel Ingram made a wonderful book about Vipassana that really opened my eyes about Buddhist meditation, it's also not my cup of tea and I don't practice it but again, I learned a lot from the book. I really like his Dharma Overground community, some very honest people, I just wish it were more active.

 

http://www.interactivebuddha.com/mctb.shtml

 

I still read and reread Jerry Alan Johnson's Chinese medicine text book. Wish I could afford the new ones but this gets me through for now.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Chinese-medical-Qigong-therapy-comprehensive/dp/1885246080

 

Also, this board is a wonderful resource. I would caution anyone starting on a path of study to always consider context of what is posted here. Many of the practitioners here are rather advanced and talk about things a beginner should not even be thinking of yet. Please build a solid foundation friends, qi deviation is a bitch to address sometimes.

[Mr Ordinary]

Dear Jay, I just discovered this thread and was wondering if your liver blood work is still healthy and how you're doing in general. I love hearing stories like yours!

[spiraltao]

Yes, Mr. Ordinary! My levels are still smooth and supa healthy! I take chlorophyll and probiotic on a daily basis. For liver "decongestion," I also find my liver get's "wrenched" out as a sponge during my circle turning. I don't even test for a certain virus anymore! Thanks to the powers of neigung and heaven and earth.

The energy will come, don't be rude like I was and expect too much too soon when recovering from the truck accident. I am now finally where I feel 100 percent again. It surely could not have been possible without all the positive vibrations of my loved ones and friend on here too! I am a firm believer in sending out positive energy.

I have began to dip my toes into tuina, now. I can't believe how close I am to starting a journey that my baguazhang was the catalyst for. I am planning on going into either herbology or physiology, as I have some classes already related to both under my belt and I aint' getting any younger, lol!

This is one great group we have here! Much love to you ALL!

[spiraltao]

oh yeah , i shared my story on FB via an essay to Mark Cohen and was lucky enough to be one of three winners! Get a free copy of his book, Inside Zhan Zhuang!

[soaring crane]

I've seen reference to your story/history in other threads but finally put the pieces together - wow, great stuff. Congratulations!!!

[blue eyed snake]

Hello spiraltao,

 

thanks for posting your story, I'm happy for you and it gives me much hope. The condition of my liver is not as bad as yours was but still....

 

Friends and family tell me I'm crazy for thinking medical qigong can be of any use to me. But I can feel it's working and your post gives me strength, to go on and do what I can feel that my body needs.

 

wish you a long and healthy life, BES

[spiraltao]

Thank you soaring crane and blue eyed snake! This is one of the best things I feel that I have ever done was sharing my story and guess what, Im still getting stronger.

As an aside, never let your heart close off or your spirit fall! It is our own choice you know? I have not mastered this yet, but the attitude sure helps and I never want to feel the way I did while I felt the sickness again, this is only part of what keeps me going.

Blessings and best wishes to all of you!