Where to find a genuine qigong master?

[Harmonious Emptiness]

I think that approaching health issues from a variety of directions is the surest way to get the right effects.

 

Diet does often have a huge influence on the ability to cope with mental issues to the degree that they basically disappear sometimes.

 

Psychotherapy uses similar methods to Eastern wisdom, so it is not really in conflict with the spiritual approach of clearing impurities and illusions about ourselves and the world. If you were to have enough time to be mentored by a master, they would surely talk with you quite a bit about the way you view the world and yourself to remove erroneous views.

 

Keep in mind that psychotherapists don't prescribe psych-meds so they will not conflict with your more self-determined approach.

 

For diet, I highly suggest, to insure your glands are getting the right mineral balances, to eat lots of cabbage and sunflower seeds, in fact a coleslaw with sunflower seeds and an Asian dressing is like candy it's so good and good for you.

 

So, yes a Qi Gong master can be a great expedient to get you miles ahead, but its best to work on the issue from a variety of angles to finish the job. This is also a very Taoist approach: physical, mental, energetic.. diet, qi gong, philosophy/psychology (Taoist philosophy is very scientifically psychological)

[johndoe2012]

So, yes a Qi Gong master can be a great expedient to get you miles ahead, but its best to work on the issue from a variety of angles to finish the job. This is also a very Taoist approach: physical, mental, energetic.. diet, qi gong, philosophy/psychology (Taoist philosophy is very scientifically psychological)

 

Agree with this.

 

No master, technique etc. can solve all your worries in a single swoop. The self is a bit more complex than that.

[Harmonious Emptiness]

btw, some very trained and effective Shamans you may be able to get in contact with via the WWW are Ken Cohen, and Lewis Mehl Madrona.

 

Ken Cohen is also a Qi Gong master. Reading "Honoring the Medicine" (possibly in libraries too) is recommended if you're not highly familiar with etiquettes and expectations in Native American traditions.

[Jetsun]

Psychotherapy can be good but a lot depends on the therapist, if you can find one who does their own inner work and spiritual practice then that is a good sign, my advice is to stay away from the analytical head based approach, psychoanalysis itself is just another form of dissociation from your feelings so I would stay clear of that. You don't necessarily have to understand mentally what is causing your blockages but you may have to feel the feelings within them.

 

There is progress in the body psychotherapy area these days which is similar to some Taoist practice in principle, as it is about brining awareness to those areas of your body which are cut off from your light. The therapist helps with grounding you in the moment and with support when facing difficulties. I have been doing a fair bit of this myself and the technique is that you ground your awareness and presence in a "safe" part of your body then you pendulate your awareness imbetween the safe area and the edge of the blockage and back, which means you can work slowly and safely in moving into your blockages in a balanced non threatening way. If you just try to dive into your blockages with Qigong or a master tries to blast them away then you are likely to provoke a defensive reaction from your body and contract which means you get nowhere.

 

I was basically told that because most of your blockages are created in relationship with other people then the only way to heal them is in relationship with other people, becoming a long term student of a qigong master might provide such a healing relationship but just having a few sessions with a healer I doubt can do much for serious psychological issues.

[johndoe2012]

[Audiohealing]

I started doing Spring Forest Qigong since I posted the thread and I'm happy to say that although I didn't feel anything at first, today I had some positive results. I have never felt this calm, happy and centered in weeks and I look very much forward to my sessions.

 

I am going to use master Lin's method for at least 4 months and I'll take it from there. For now, I'm liking it a lot and I can't help but love the guy. (nohomo)

 

As a sidenote, iboga is not your typical psychadelic. Not even close to anything you probably have in mind. Do a quick search on it. One person described it as 10 years of therapy condensed into one evening and a lot of people agree. It literally rewires your brain and if you have any drug addicitons, it gets rid of them almost instantly.

 

Thanks for all the help guys. I'm going to ask to cut this thread right here. I have everything I need now.

[Jetsun]

Iboga is meant to be great for addictions because it somehow makes you see your life from other peoples perspective, but in a more traditional setting it is meant to be used in rebirth rituals and for the person to be welcomed by the village back into society once you are reborn, which is an important part of the healing process in my opinion, which is something you miss out on out of the traditional setting.

[z00se]

Hi all,

 

I've been diagnosed for a severe mental illness 4 years ago. I have been meditating and doing various energy work for years now will little to no results. (1-2 hours a day) It's extremely frustrating and I'm beginning to give up. It's clear I have some energy blockages that are preventing me from progressing anywhere.

 

Does anyone know any real qigong masters in the US or Canada (I'm willing to travel however far it takes) that I could get healing or learn from? Surely it can't be a matter of chance to find a true master in one's lifetime? I have heard great things about Chunyi Lin. Does he still provide healing sessions?

 

Any help would be immensely appreciated.

 

From the sounds of it your well on your way to fixing your illness. Now you know what the problem is you just can't fix it. What you need to do is have a supportive lifestyle for where you want to go. Look into TCM and work out what foods you should be eating to fix you disharmonies and don't touch the ones that make you worse. Do exercise. Be slow with increasing the energy in your body. First balance so you are stable then increase energy slowly. Stretch. Depending on your illness requirements will be different. After you address your lifestyle your meditation becomes easier, supportive of your meditation and healing takes place 10x faster!

[Kempomaster]

Mental illness and depression can be very difficult disorders to deal with. Unfortunately in our society when we look at a diabetic we simply say that person needs insulin (depending on Type 1 or 2) and then they can better deal with their dis-ease. However, many people don't get depression and I mean really don't get it!

 

I have heard individuals try to talk to those that are depressed and make such absurd statements as "cheer up" things can be that bad. Thats like telling the diabetic to - come on now - produce more insulin - what are you thinking? From a Western Medical point of view depression occurs as a lack or lower than normal production or re-uptake of several key neurotransmitters - serotonin, norepinephrine, dopamine and possibly others. When these become depleted it becomes very difficult for an individual to view their life situation in much the same manner as an individual with "normal levels" of these chemicals. There is not always an underlying - this thing happened to them years ago and so until they deal with it they cant become whole factor" -- sometimes yes there can be an underlying factor and sometimes genetics play a role as depression can run in families. Perhaps a person was exposed to a toxic substance at one time that in turn caused a reduction in the aformentioned chemical transmitters. Or perhaps the person uses/used illegal substances and this has let to a depletion in the chemicals responsible for depression. In any case the root cause can be very complex.

 

 

So what about Qigong and Depression or other mental Illness. Now, I practice Stillness-Movement and The Gift of The Tao series with Michael Lomax. I have not suffered from depression, however, Michael's system is one that practices Neigong - very powerful internal energy system. I have witnessed so many individuals that practice this system become extremely calm following 15 minutes of the Gift of the Tao - even those that aren't sure if they are feeling something or not -- all - yes -- all say they feel better. Most end up smiling and in an extremely calm, serene state. So, does this system of Neigong - awaken and stimulate internal production of serotonin, norepinephrine, and/or dopamine(the feel good chemical), I believe the system does, however, the only way to measure this is in a subjective nature or by having individuals practice the system - and note effects on mood before and after practice. I can honestly say I haven't met anyone that practiced Gift of the tao (especially in a group setting) and afterwards said they didn't get anything out of the practice. I have witnessed hundreds and hundreds that have practiced Gift of the Tao and I like to study the before and after effects. Most have a look on their face as if the government told them not to worry about paying taxes this year.

 

What about treating Depression/and or Mental Illness with Qi and Distance healing. This can be somewhat challenging because there can be several factors involved ie. living circumstances, work, etc however a distance healing session can be extremely effective as Michael and myself use a "High Level" healing approach that comes directly from the "Stillness-Movement" Lineage. I found this method to be extremely effective for most ilness and dis-ease. But, keep in mind a person may need more than 1 treatment -- if you have had something bothering you for years -- it would be wonderful if one distance session could end your suffering and yes this sometimes happens but I would think it may take several treatments and a person would see steps of improvement. The power of the Qi is amazing..Quite often following a healing for example - a pain condition, the patient often wants to download a laundry list of problems that have plagued them, so was the pain a true muscloskeltal problem or a mental issue -- I would say both. It is quite common for a person with depression to also have moderate to severe muscle pains that can resolve when the dpression resolves. Sometimes with Qi projection we can do the healing in reverse. That is to say heal the pain -- then the subsequent psychological problems resolve.

 

So should you try Qigong -- absolutely. Should you try a Medical Qigong session or a distance session -- that is entirely up to you, I think it would be worth the time and effort to try learning and practicing Qigong and receive a healing session.

 

Thanks,

 

Kempomaster

[The Way Is Virtue]

There can be quite a wide degree of difference between different types of mental illness or mental conditions. Certainly people with more mild forms of depression can often get good results from an exercise program of any type, and practices like tai chi and movement qigong, especially when practiced in a group setting, can often be helpful for such a condition as well. However, there are many forms of mental illness, and just because more minor forms of depression can sometimes be helped with regular exercise or tai chi or qigong, it most certainly doesn't mean that all other forms of mental illness or mental/emotional issues can also be helped this way. I think it would be a mistake to not make clear distinctions between all the different types of mental conditions and levels of severity that exist. Most certainly they can not all can be addressed in the same way.

 

Most qigong teachers and masters don't claim to be able to heal mental illnesses (milder forms of depression may be an exception), and although some may claim to be able to heal mental illnesses, IMO one should be very cautious about such claims and do some research if possible to see if those claims can be backed up in any way, and to find out more about which specific forms of mental illness they are claiming to be able to help with, etc. In my experience there often can be quite a big difference between claims and recommendations by others and actual ability to deliver real results. Another thing to consider, a few qigong teachers and masters that I have spent some time with in the past actually appeared to me to have their own mental issues or an over-exagerated view of their abilities, although some of these teachers and masters had a number of students and patients. I won't name any names, but I have met a few like this. When it comes to things like qigong/neigong and spiritual cultivation practices there can be a kind of self-imposed myopia that overcomes some people, which seems to be related to their personal desires and what they would really like to believe, and such people can often be blind to what is actually going on right in front of them. Some go on like this for many years, and then one day they are left in a position where they just finally have to admit that many of the things they made themself believe were not actually in line with the reality of the situation. Sometimes it can be a very harsh let down for some people when they finally see through the movie screen of what they wanted to believe or were led to believe and see the situation as it really is. Don't get me wrong, there are those who do seem to have some remarkable abilities in qigong healing, but often times the reality can fall somewhat short of the hype, in my experience. Also, from what I have seen anyway, some teachers/masters can produce some interesting effects with qi, but the actual healing results can be somewhat less spectacular overall. Enthusiasm and open mindedness is good, but it should be tempered with a healthy dose of caution, IMO. People can disagree or agree with what I am saying here, but this has been my experience anyway.

Edited December 27, 2011 by The Way Is Virtue

[RiverSnake]

I started doing Spring Forest Qigong since I posted the thread and I'm happy to say that although I didn't feel anything at first, today I had some positive results. I have never felt this calm, happy and centered in weeks and I look very much forward to my sessions.

 

I am going to use master Lin's method for at least 4 months and I'll take it from there. For now, I'm liking it a lot and I can't help but love the guy. (nohomo)

 

 

Glad to see your getting benefits from the practice. The more you practice the more you get out of it.

 

-My 2 cents, Peace

Edited December 28, 2011 by OldGreen

[Dimon Blya]

Going to see a psychotherapist may not be that helpful as it is proclaimed. It's just a general knowledge so as not to get sued, by the liable parties. A psychotherapist is any other person. If you look at the tenets of a psychological organization they don't got values not to drink, yet they do have a moral code. Going to see a psychotherapist it is important to see a qualified one, knowing this, it is important to understand that the general population of psychotherapist are females. At the same time there are a lot of practicing professionals who don't appear healthy, either they look fat or carry bad posture. Think about it, in this profession they are required to sit the whole day at the office.

 

In my experience I have learned to rely on my practice. I see a psychotherapist, because it is required for my masters program (MFT). Yet, I can't say it helped that much, since what ever it brought up in my opening up to this person that I'm paying, all those issues still had to be resolved on my own in my private practice. However I would like to acknowledge that I might have a different practice than a lot of people talk about, yet I have found it the closest to the water method.

 

Michael Brown, declined to make money of his knowledge (www.thepresenceportal.com, click on audio then on-one-one for a breakdown of his emotional integration practice), yet he has a book theough Namaste publishing that served me and introduced me to his work The Presence Process. When I understood the procedure in this book, I was able to apply it to ZZ.

 

So yes, and no shit hahahahaha, mental health issues will be cured through meditation, IME, that's just progress, there's no way out, the only way is through them.

 

It's all about not so much feeling better, but getting better at feeling- M. Brown