Qigong Instructor Discussion Thread

[soaring crane]

Hey

 

I've wanted to do this for a while, have a thread where teachers can discuss the day-to-day of working with groups. I don't mean a place to start flame wars about lineages or debate the quality of competing systems or Sifus, but simply some discussion on themes that come up when teaching.

 

For example:

 

• working with mixed-level groups
• minimum requirements for your room
• benefits of indoor vs outdoor sessions
• reacting to emergencies (low BP wobblies)
• insurance
• individual correction (or not)
• progression of a class (warm-up exercises, instruction, free training, still meditation, etc... )
• duration of a class (45 minutes enough? 90 minutes too much?)
• maximum/minimum number of participants
• advertising (or not)
• many, many other topics ...

 

Of course I'd leave the the thread open to all Bums who want to contribute, questions, suggestions, wishes, anecdotes, but I would not allow the focus to wander away from the topic.

 

Anyone interested?

 

[Trunk]

Reflecting some on several teachers I've studied with:

1. They were very practice oriented: Just do the practices, experience whatever results for yourself.

 

... following from the above emphasis,

2. They didn't care much what the students believed; not a belief driven program.

3. They carefully avoided giving any advice to students re: what to do in their lives. "Your life is your own battle."

 

I very much appreciated this format, found it freeing and workable. And it disinvolved the teachers from potentially endless entanglements.

[Chang]

It is indeed a good idea. Starting and continuing a class is a great responsibility and covering your costs can at times seem a great impossibility,; especially in rip off Britain where hall hire charges are exorbitant.

 

There is also the sheer frustration of attempting to teach a worthwhile art to a high standard in a world where students expect instant results without effort or expense.

[soaring crane]

thanks for the good feedback. But now I'm wondering how many teachers are in fact active Tao Bums, haha.

 

Anyway, no time at present, but I'll return to this thread and write some stuff.

[doc benway]

 

• individual correction (or not)

My personal opinion - absolutely yes. My goal is to have my students reach the point where they are self sufficient and can self correct. Then they have something that is theirs and can be useful for the rest of their life. I don't like it as much when students simply follow along like in many yoga programs (and, unfortunately, some qigong programs). That's a good approach for economics (having dependent students) but not the way I think it should be approached.

 

 

 

• progression of a class (warm-up exercises, instruction, free training, still meditation, etc... )

My preference - warm ups, standing meditation, instruction, practice time, standing meditation, close. I don't do any more advanced or seated meditation in classes in general.

 

 

 

• duration of a class (45 minutes enough? 90 minutes too much?)

In general, 45 - 60 minutes is a good amount of time for me.

90 minutes is too much unless you are doing a lot of talking, which I avoid.

[soaring crane]

So, anyway, my current schedule looks like this, three very different situations:

 

• Monday afternoon/evenings, four groups back-to-back (with a 60-minute break in the middle) at a private clinic for psychosomatic ailments, about a 25 minute drive for me. The clinic is very nice, not exactly luxury, but small and able to provide patients with personal care. Patients generally stay three to six weeks, and don't usually return after being discharged. This means I don't see the same people for very long, and there are always new patients coming to the groups. The clinic organizes the groups according to abilities, two sessions for the less-abled (suppoed to be sitting sessions but if I feel the participants can stand for an hour, we do it standing) and two for the more fit.
  
  With these groups, I focus mainly on self-masage and really easy exercises that give quick results and don't need a lot of instruction to master. I hand out written scripts of everything I do, in short form, and have made a video of the self-massage routine for them.
  
  Qigong forms vary from a simple five-element sequence to teacup movements and Swimming Dragon. My chief wish for these groups is that they feel inspired to take over the lion's share of their road to wellness, so to speak. To get them out of the passive patient role and into the active role of a person who takes control of his own health and well-being.
  
  The resonance here is astounding, and that's the reason I keep this 'gig'. It's far an away the most rewarding qigong experience for me. The nurses regularly report that the patients often ask when "Herr William" will be returning. I'm generally quite worn-out when I get home Monday evenings, and sometimes sleep restlessly. I clear/clean myself after the classes, but this is a lot of clinical, chronic illness for me to be confronted with.
  
• Tuesday mornings are great (if sometimes a little sleepy, haha). This is my Grandma group. The core group is made up of about ten elderly women, average age somewhere between 65 and 70. I've been with them for going on six years now. The course is technically run through the "Volkshochschule" (Adult Education Organization) and officially registered through them. The good thing about offering classes through this kind of oganisation is that they do the advertising and find the rooms. They pay next to nothing (36 Euro for 90 minutes) but I keep this group going because I just love my Oma's and they love me. A group of four of them drive close to 40 minutes every Tuesday morning to attend classes. I'll write more about this group later.
  
• The only other regular class that I hold is Thursday evenings at a Taiji/Qigong association. I've been there about eight years. The President of the association asked me to take over the Qigong classes because she 'liked the way I move'. That's what she said, anway. Turned out that she had designs on me, but that's long history now and the class has evolved over the years into my advanced group. I'll write more about this one later, too.

 

I do a few other things, but those are my main classes and enough writing for now! :-)

[soaring crane]

Hey, thank you Steve! You wrote that while I was typing away ...

 

I'd like to know what you teach and what do you do for warm-up and closing.

[Chang]

 

• The President of the association asked me to take over the Qigong classes because she 'liked the way I move'. That's what she said, anway. Turned out that she had designs on me, but that's long history now and the class has evolved over the years into my advanced group. I'll write more about this one later, too.

 

This is one of the problems in being both a charming and a handsome man. Does it happen to you a lot?

[soaring crane]

This is one of the problems in being both a charming and a handsome man. Does it happen to you a lot?

 

haha well, more like an oblivious doofus in the sights of a she-wolf slash powerfrau princess accustomed to always getting what she wants. But, to answer your question more obliquely... I'm going to sleep on it.

 

But I suppose that's another valid topic for this discussion: avoiding (or encouraging?) strong emotions in your participants. It's a difficult issue. There is in fact one in my Grandma group who flirts pretty openly with me. I walk a fine line between refusing her and insulting her, and playing along.

 

Jeepers, I want to keep this thing on focus, Chang, why did you have to nail me to the wall with that one?

 

just kidding goodnight

[Trunk]

It is indeed a good idea. Starting and continuing a class is a great responsibility and covering your costs can at times seem a great impossibility,; especially in rip off Britain where hall hire charges are exorbitant.

Not uncommon for *extraordinary* teachers to only be able to gather not/barely enough students to cover costs.

 

I've seen a couple of Taoist teachers teach out of their homes. Sometimes just in the living room, sometimes the back yard is especially set up for it, once a studio added onto a small house, converted room.

 

I think that the meet-up model is interesting, where the organizer is minimally more powerful than the participants, more like a support group with a facilitator.

[BaguaKicksAss]

I have always trained outdoors, 0 costs .

[Harmonious Emptiness]

I would be very interested to hear what kinds of "strange occurrences" teachers have encountered, and how they treated them. For example, a student not knowing how do deal with energy or feelings experienced during the class.

Edited October 22, 2014 by Harmonious Emptiness

[doc benway]

Hey, thank you Steve! You wrote that while I was typing away ...

 

I'd like to know what you teach and what do you do for warm-up and closing.

 

 

I use a very gentle set of warm ups that include breathing, rocking motions, stretches, turning, side to side movements, neck rotation, bouncing, and sound. It covers the body physically and energetically and coordinates everything with the breathing.

For the more physical practices (martial arts and shiba luohan), I use a set of martial arts warm ups.

 

I teach taijiquan, some basic bagua and xingyi, and a few qigong forms including a variation of the baduajin, shiba luohan gong, taiji jian shen fa, swimming dragon, and occasionally the taiji ruler if someone wants to learn that.

 

For closing, standing meditation with qi chen dan tian, and sometimes other neigong.

After a more physical session, I use a simple qigong set called the 4 basic breathings, then standing.

[Spotless]

We typically do not talk during class - sessions are 1 hour.

 

Talking before or after class - preferably before.

 

Sometimes adjusting a person's posture during a movement - simply walk over and adjust though my eyes are closed most of the time when I teach.

 

Started a weekly newsletter to go over basics and topics students have brought up.

 

Established a 501c3 non-profit - we have a general fund and also a building fund for the eventual purchase of a building.

 

My focus is on Qi Gong as a path to enlightenment but most of the students have been for health benefits. This emerging focus is unfolding and will take root more in seminars, retreats and workshops.

Edited October 22, 2014 by Spotless

[soaring crane]

to address some of my own topics:

 

working with mixed-level groups

 

was an issue for me for quite a while, and was stressful. I was teaching Soaring Crane qigong which for the layperson has a few complicated movements. I used to cater too much to the beginners during the bulk of a session, and then go through the entire form at the end. But these days, I concentrate more on my experienced participants and let the newbies catch up over time. Turns out, they prefer it this way.

 

 

minimum requirements for your room

 

When I first started teaching, I idealistically thought that the qigong and the teacher could create a positive atmosphere anywhere. But these days, I refuse to hold classes in places like elementary schools where we have to shove desks to the walls and return them when we're finished. I need enough room for all my people to feel comfortable and be able to stretch out.

 

 

• benefits of indoor vs outdoor sessions

 

They're different worlds. Indoors, things are much quieter and the qi-experience can beome very intense. The air can get stale and people can get sleepy. I always have to remember to air the rooms out.

 

Outdoors is much better, and I always stress than qigong should be as connected to the natural world as possible. But from a teaching standpoint, there can be a lot of challenges outdoors e.g. noise (meaning I have to raise my voice), bugs, wind, changing weather, gawkers ... plus, standing on natural surfaces is less stable than a hardwood floor and some moves are more difficult for participants (but better training)

 

 

individual correction (or not)

 

I try not to touch people if possible, and especially not beginners. But I do get in there and correct individually if I feel it's a simple matter that can be cleared up quickly. I sometimes pair people off and have one practice while the other observes, then I go to the pairs help out.

 

 

 

• progression of a class (warm-up exercises, instruction, free training, still meditation, etc... )

 

I used to do very little warm up, and very gently, but I've lately gotten used to doing a more physical, gymnastic warm-up routine that regularly lasts about 15-20 minutes and includes swinging, circling, bouncing movements, plus self-massage. Nothing truly strenuous, it's still qigong, but more physical than a lot of teachers I know. I stress that these exercises are very healthy on their own (and also that they are qigong) and that people shouldn't wait a week for their next qigong lesson with me before doing them (daily practice is where it's at).

 

Then comes step-by-step instruction in the main form. With my advanced group, I go over individual movements from the form, concentrating on how to go through the motion. For example, maybe it just looks like the left leg is being raised in preparation for a step-out. But it starte with sinking the pelvis and guiding the weight too the rooted leg while sensing the other leg growing progressively lighter, etc ... This kind of thing is what I might have them do in pairs, for example.

 

Then we practice the form. I basically practice my qigong and let my internal script run, describing in words what I'm doing and experiencing. With more advanced people, I mention the highlights, the litlte things that have a big effect. In the clinic with the patients, of course, I have to describe every step and watch the group closely to see that the my description is getting through.

[Spotless]

I stress that warm up is not warm up in the typical western sense of sport - it is rooting the body and bringing in participation of heavenly cosmic energy and settling into the practice space.

I have found a marked difference in balance as just one example - without warmup standing on one foot is much more difficult for most than after warmup.

 

 

[doc benway]

{working with mixed level groups}

was an issue for me for quite a while, and was stressful. I was teaching Soaring Crane qigong which for the layperson has a few complicated movements. I used to cater too much to the beginners during the bulk of a session, and then go through the entire form at the end. But these days, I concentrate more on my experienced participants and let the newbies catch up over time. Turns out, they prefer it this way.

Funny how one or two beginners with a certain mindset can take up all of your time and attention and suck the life right out of you if you allow it. And they tend to be the folks that don't stick around very long. Your change in approach is very wise and I think that's a part of our own growth as teachers. It's challenging to see to it that everyone feels that they're getting what they need. And it's OK when we can't please everyone.

 

 

Outdoors is much better, and I always stress than qigong should be as connected to the natural world as possible. But from a teaching standpoint, there can be a lot of challenges outdoors e.g. noise (meaning I have to raise my voice), bugs, wind, changing weather, gawkers ... plus, standing on natural surfaces is less stable than a hardwood floor and some moves are more difficult for participants (but better training)

I share your enthusiasm for the outdoors and try to cultivate an attitude in myself and others that the "obstacles" of practicing outdoors are not at all obstacles but rather enhancements and opportunities for growth. Much of my focus is on opening and allowing things to be as they are and simply notice how we judge - good and bad, and how that is exactly what is getting in our way. The little challenges help me work on that.

[Ya Mu]

I would be very interested to hear what kinds of "strange occurrences" teachers have encountered, and how they treated them. For example, a student not knowing how do deal with energy or feelings experienced during the class.

HA! Haven't yet seen anyone address this.

I would say the majority of new students don't know how to deal with this, if the energetics are strong. Everyone has their own release patterns and we have to guide the student first in the knowledge that this is a typical happening and not just unique to them, and that these releases are the way that they themselves are achieving homeostasis. Then we utilize qi manipulation to help the student over the hump in balancing their energetics. Not going to go into what "strange occurrences" have occurred due to not wanting anyone think that is "supposed" to happen, although I think I did put one in my book.

 

OP:

I teach in a 3 day format so as to immerse the person in the energetics. I have found that doing it in this manner has immense advantages to a once a week for an hour format. A student can safely progress much faster as we can iron out, using energetics, the "humps" as a person raises their energy body vibration and as a person's channels and energy centers activate & open.

 

I do 8 Brocade Pieces as a warmup each day - I think this helps the person stretch and warm up muscles and initializes them into movements. I follow this by Isotonal Qigong as taught to me by my Taoist Medicine teacher. These further stretch and balance muscle groups.

Then we do energetics - Gift of the Tao I,II movements followed by a break. Then sitting Stillness-Movement neigong including the teacher energy projection. Then Gift of the Tao III movement. During the Gift of the Tao I and II I let a senior student teach while I move around and do corrections. I used to not be able to do this as I was the only one teaching but I think doing the corrections has immense value. When I get to Gift of the Tao IIII I have to teach and it is very difficult to teach the movements AND do corrections. We follow up with Standing, Tree, Walking and Lying down (Sleeping leading to Dreaming) forms of Stillness-Movement. And on the 3rd day we do wai qi liao fa and Taoist Medicine. I also do a week long training where I include the running form of Jing Dong Gong; basically we do all of the above many times.

 

I have taught in a once a week format but quickly found out the 3 day intensive is several orders of magnitude better for our form of neigong/qigong. I just moved and may offer a weekly class again but I think if anyone wants to really get into the system they will also attend the intensives.

 

Mixed level groups is the way I teach. I have found it to be very helpful in that the beginners can benefit from the senior students in several ways. One is that I say some wild things and the student just looks at me and is thinking something on the order of "Where in the heck did he come up with that?" So then the student asks one of the others who tell them that yes this really happens or is so. Much better coming from a peer than me in many cases. Also, the senior to intermediate student can help with the beginner's questions on a level of "I just did that and what you are describing is exactly what I went through".

And the reverse is also true. It helps the intermediate through senior student to grow and solidify the system through helping others.

 

Room requirements:

Unfortunately or fortunately as the case may be we require a large room as the Gift of the Tao movements are BIG. This has always presented unique challenges as it is difficult to find a room large enough at any kind of what I consider decent price. Usually these type of rooms are around 2K per event.

 

Number of participants:

Generally we have 15-25. I cut the number depending on room size.

[PLB]

I talk shop in my work. It helps one understand all the conditions one is operating within.

But it is not very seemly.

Perhaps it should happen down in that lower area known as the Pavillion.

[soaring crane]

I stress that warm up is not warm up in the typical western sense of sport - it is rooting the body and bringing in participation of heavenly cosmic energy and settling into the practice space. I have found a marked difference in balance as just one example - without warmup standing on one foot is much more difficult for most than after warmup.

 

Spotless -- I'd enjoy participating in a group like yours. Not teaching, but participating :-)

 

Of the teachers who've replied so far, no two are alike. I think that's interesting, and a little lovely. Martial arts, health, energy arts, enlightenment ... it's all there.

[soaring crane]

I talk shop in my work. It helps one understand all the conditions one is operating within.

But it is not very seemly.

Perhaps it should happen down in that lower area known as the Pavillion.

 

not sure how to understand that within the context of this thread ... ??

[soaring crane]

HA! Haven't yet seen anyone address this.

 

haha, yeah, well, not because anyone wants to avoid it but it's a huge topic (and the thread had only been posted a few hours).

 

 

I would be very interested to hear what kinds of "strange occurrences" teachers have encountered, and how they treated them. For example, a student not knowing how do deal with energy or feelings experienced during the class.

 

The strangest occurences happen to me personally. I read minds, passively, and converse with participants on an energetic level, I pick up their thoughts, and they sometimes sense it.

 

But you mean something else. I luckily haven't had to really deal with any flipped-out people in my groups, but heavy emotions do come up, especially with beginners. It has to do with regaining contact to the body, and to the regions where the various emotions are "stored" (it's more complicated than that). I have to do this through anecdote.

 

There was a woman who suddenly started having a panic attack, became afraid and jittery, wanted to run away. I asked her to please turn around and look out the window (which meant turning her back to the group) and stand still with her hands on her upper stomach. Then I just instructed her through a few deep belly breaths, guided her attention to her feet, to her roots, deep, deep, deep ... Then had her cover her eyes with her hands and just listen actively to the little bit of qigong instruction that I continued with in the background. She felt comfortable doing this, and relaxed, and forgot about the incident.

 

As soon as I finished, I had them all sit on the floor and go through a pretty robust foot massage. She was totally normal by the end and then she told us a pretty shocking story that had happened to her a good ten years prior, and that the emotions had come up during practice.

 

When normal qi "side effects" pop up -- shaking, yawning, hot or cold flashes, etc -- I basically say that this is normal and don't judge or analyse, and take a break if you feel it's necessary. I'm always careful to tell people that they should not be timid about taking a break when they feel they need it. In fact, I stress that concentrated observation of the instruction is a form of meditation in itself, and often the better choice compared with listening to instruction, watching the instructor and perform the movements all at the same time ... but I digress. Again.

[soaring crane]

Here's another topic I'm curious about: Dealing with latecomers.

 

How do you react to people who show up late for a class or session? Do you tell them beforehand what you expect?

 

Me: I tell people better late than not at all, and we're all adults with busy lives and I understand completely when the show up late, and even feel honored that they went to the effort. But I stress that they should definitley not come into a group late and start apologizing and saying hello. If they come late, they have to do their best to come in quietly, as invisible as possible, and wait till the first break to say hello.

 

This just happened last Thursday evening. One of my favorites is a physical therapist with her own practice, and I know that she's overworked, and always rushes to get to the lessons on time, and often comes in during the warm-up period. Last week, she came a full 20 minutes late and was effusively apologetic. But, I asked her why she was so late and she said she had had patients who needed extra time and she just couldn't get out of the practice soon enough. I went over and gave her a big hug and told her thank you! Really, she was all stressed out, has a busy life, but puts in the effort to come to my class. It's a genuine honor for me :-)

 

(I know one teacher who actually locks the door to her "temple of taiji" on the minute and nobody gets in -- or presumably out -- after that minute)

[Spotless]

Regarding the lateness topic I just laid it out in a newsletter.

I asked that if you must be late then do not worry about it at all just come in quietly and join in.

If you are always late and do not need to be, then please work on getting there early or on time and again do not worry but please also consider the others and the teacher - in many traditions the door is closed upon the beginning of practice.

 

I reviewed some of the reasons why warmup is an integral part of practice, particularly in a 1 hr session and the value of arriving early as well. In China it is often the tradition to arrive before the teacher and not to leave until the teacher leaves.

Edited October 23, 2014 by Spotless

[doc benway]

I like to make it clear in advance of expectations regarding lateness.

Best if it can be avoided. Better to show up late than not at all.

I ask students to be mindful and respectful of the class, warm themselves up as per the usual routine and join the class when ready.