Qigong Instructor Discussion Thread

[soaring crane]

Here's another topic: Are you associated with a school or are you independent?

 

I'm a member of the Deutsche Qigong Gesellschaft (German Qigong Association), did my teacher training through them, but it was only a phase of my experience and resulted in a certificate. I've been to other schools but I don't associate with them, don't represent them or wear the sweatshirt or anything like that.

[BaguaKicksAss]

Late? How about the folks who miss classes entirely, often? *grumble* had 3 cancel today for tarot class *grumble*.

[soaring crane]

Late? How about the folks who miss classes entirely, often? *grumble* had 3 cancel today for tarot class *grumble*.

 

you should have seen it coming!

[Chang]

It has been known for me to arrive at the class I am teaching only to find that I am all on my onesome. I look upon it as an opportunity for practice.

[soaring crane]

It has been known for me to arrive at the class I am teaching only to find that I am all on my onesome. I look upon it as an opportunity for practice.

 

Happened to me once. Took about twenty minutes before it clicked with me that I was at the wrong place. Wrong city, wrong Taiji center, right time. We have a word in German for those moments, it's, "Tscha".

[doc benway]

Here's another topic: Are you associated with a school or are you independent?

 

I'm a member of the Deutsche Qigong Gesellschaft (German Qigong Association), did my teacher training through them, but it was only a phase of my experience and resulted in a certificate. I've been to other schools but I don't associate with them, don't represent them or wear the sweatshirt or anything like that.

 

I taught at a school for a long time.

I'm currently independent although I maintain a good relationship with my previous school - I teach for fun now, it's not my primary occupation.

I don't have much interest or need for associating with qigong or martial arts professional organizations at this time.

And, unfortunately, my prior experience with such organizations in the US has been less than inspiring.

Good for credentials, not much else.

[doc benway]

Wrong city, wrong Taiji center, right time.

 

Germans are always on time, even when they are in the wrong place, no?

[soaring crane]

Germans are always on time, even when they are in the wrong place, no?

 

well, when you drive 115+ mph on the highway, it's easier to make up for lost time if you're running late :-)

 

It's also easier to miss an exit, haha

[CloudHands]

Hi teachers I can share one or two things I appreciate as a student, I like :

 

• the teacher let me to search, to dig in my practice which implies not to interfere too much.

 

• to know that he'll bring an advice when needed (which doesn't mean when I want it* ) or a new component/direction to integrate in my practice at the moment I'm steady enough. One advice at the right timing, will redefined a student practice.

 

• to face a benevolent person, with obvious knowledge that is not (at all) trying to impress me, so that I know I can trust him.

 

 

* One day I had a very hard week, I was tired, I choose to leave the course early. He came to me to tell a story that happened to him once : His daughter was a newborn and he slept little he choose to go to a park to have some quiet time to practice. He felt asleep while practicing the form and woke up standing against a tree.

-> meaning for me, sure you tired but you can practice a lot more before you fall asleep doing so and later that practicing tired is another kind of exercise.

I was very tired that evening so at the moment I didn't took it very well lol but later I understood the message : you can push yourself a lil more. Nonetheless be careful with students limits ! ahah

[doc benway]

Hi teachers I can share one or two things I appreciate as a student, I like :

 

• the teacher let me to search, to dig in my practice which implies not to interfere too much.

 

• to know that he'll bring an advice when needed (which doesn't mean when I want it* ) or a new component/direction to integrate in my practice at the moment I'm steady enough. One advice at the right timing, will redefined a student practice.

 

• to face a benevolent person, with obvious knowledge that is not (at all) trying to impress me, so that I know I can trust him.

 

 

* One day I had a very hard week, I was tired, I choose to leave the course early. He came to me to tell a story that happened to him once : His daughter was a newborn and he slept little he choose to go to a park to have some quiet time to practice. He felt asleep while practicing the form and woke up standing against a tree.

-> meaning for me, sure you tired but you can practice a lot more before you fall asleep doing so and later that practicing tired is another kind of exercise.

I was very tired that evening so at the moment I didn't took it very well lol but later I understood the message : you can push yourself a lil more. Nonetheless be careful with students limits ! ahah

 

Dear Cloud Hands -

I really appreciate you sharing that. I think it's really helpful for instructors to be open to feedback and for students to be open enough to share what they (think they) need. A good instructor will understand and give the student what is needed whether the student recognizes it at the time or not. On the other hand, the instructor isn't perfect and needs to be able to adapt when called for. In this case, all of your insights resonate with me deeply, both as a teacher and student. Fortunately for me, your words describe my own teacher quite well - especially the first part.

Good luck in your practice - if you stick with those ideals and have the interest, you will make a good teacher yourself.

[soaring crane]

 

Hi teachers I can share one or two things I appreciate as a student, I like :

 

• the teacher let me to search, to dig in my practice which implies not to interfere too much.

 

That's a pleasure to read.

 

I'm very, perhaps sometimes too, humble and willing to let my participants (I don't like the word "student") feel into the qigong we do on their own, and to then let me know what they experience. I'm very interested in their perspectives and always have in mind that I'm working with adults who have busy lives and who have come to these arts late in life. So, they each react a little differently while walking along the path.

 

I don't teach martial arts and so don't emphasize perfect form in every aspect of every motion; I'm not qualified to do that (that's the kind of instruction I look for when I'm a participant in a workshop) but I do go very deeply into the core movements (rooting one leg while the other becomes lighter, for example, and doing this from the middle, turning from the hips/pelvis ... ) and look for that in my people. That's the kind of things I'll 'correct' and really stress during a session. And once they get that down, the whole "flapping the arms in the air" i.e. the cool stufff, takes on a different energy and opens itself a little differently in each person.

 

It would be incorrect and disrespectful, and a sign of insecurity and failing on my part, to force people into my mold or to lie to them and tell them that my way is the only way.

[CloudHands]

I don't need an extra-online-teacher but that's good to read from you guys. It keeps me in the bath and sometimes offer me an alternate version. I appreciate that too.

Edited November 12, 2014 by CloudHands

[Wayfarer]

Good OP. I teach monthly sometimes twice a month as part of my Taoist group so not quite the same but has taught me much:

 

We split the cost of the hall which is £15 for three hours and we practise Qigong for around an hour. I do different types of Qigong depending on the time of year; so in Autumn/Winter I focus on stretching and massaging Qigong and Spring/Summer more dynamic movements. There are lots of questions such as "What does this move do?" so you have to know that but I also suggest that people listen internally to the "song of the body" - very hippy - and to think of the feel of energy moving along the arms and body and that it dictates the movement and expression in the hands.

 

Generally, I don't go with a plan. I illustrate 30 mins of moves and then repeat them all again. So I have in my mind the start move which usually arises out of what people have been saying beforehand, then each move leads to another like a chain so I don't miss a move while repeating - this helps people remember the moves. Each month we return I try to include some previous moves so they become familiar; then I watch how they are being performed and instead of picking out a person's bad habits I'll say "make sure your knees aren't being drawn out of line by doing this..." etc but to the whole group - so gradually I see the quality of movement improving as a whole.

 

Qigong is the Big Draw; people love it. We practise inside and outside, we walk to nearby woods and practise there. I always try to end on meditative moves as we then go inside to meditate. If people were leaving straight after practise I would do invigorating moves. Mix in some Dao Yin, Zhan Zhuang, Kai Men etc and there is plenty to do!

 

Mixed levels isn't a problem as even experienced people sometimes need to return to basics somewhere or other. Insurance is easy to get. I have to remember to warn people before certain moves for instance shoulder injuries, back pain, blood pressure (especially Five Animal Games or where there is holding of breath). I don't advertise however our group has a page on my website which is mainly as a reminder for current members of the dates and to show their friends what they do.

 

Also, it is useful for people to see how some of the moves derive from martial elements; it appears to give a better grounding.

 

Overall, it helps to bring quiet into peoples lives, to make them more gentle and open; all good Taoist traits!

Edited November 13, 2014 by Wayfarer