Female Chi Kung / Taoist masters

[Starjumper]

Hi, I have a new friend, a nice lady who has had an enlightenment experience. It is so nice to have a friend who has had such an experience. She has a ten year old daughter and a couple of months ago they discovered that the daughter has some good healing abilities. Lately I've been thinking of training a young person in my chi kung because I know that someone who starts as a child in this kind of system can develop miraculous powers; and then these two appeared in my life. I mentioned this idea and she is interested but she had a question that I hope people here can help answer. The question is about woman chi kung or Taoist masters, present or past. She is under the impression that chi kung masters were only men but I know there have been some female masters. One of the eight immortals was a woman, what was here name? Also I consider Eva Wong to be a master, but if you know of any others please post them here so I can look them up. If you have a link then that would make it easier to look them up =)

[rodgerj]

Edited March 22, 2010 by rodgerj

[Dainin]

Bruce Frantzis learned the Dragon & Tiger qigong form from a woman:

 

From movingtiger.com:

 

"What we do know comes from Bruce Frantzis, the teacher of our Moving Tiger teachers. He learned the system in Beijing, China from 1985 to 1987. His teacher was Zhang Jai Hua, a doctor of Chinese medicine.

 

Zhang told Frantzis that she learned the exercises from her uncle, who was a monk in the Shaolin Temple in China's Henan Province. The Shaolin Temple is where the Indian monk Bodhidharma founded Chan (Zen) Buddhism and where Shaolin Kung Fu was developed. Apparently only high-ranking monks were taught the exercises; the system was not taught to lesser monks or outsiders. The monks used the system to increase their energy for use in meditation and martial arts.

 

Zhang's uncle decided to teach her only because he feared that no one in the Temple would survive the wars of the Chinese Revolution. He told her that the system had been practiced within the Temple for close to 1500 years. The Temple was founded in 496 A.D."

 

 

Also, I think Thomas Cleary translated an old book about female Taoist masters. Sorry, I can't remember the title, but perhaps someone else here might.

[rookie]

I consider Eva Wong to be a master, but if you know of any others please post them here so I can look them up.

 

May I ask why you consider her to be a master?

Do you have any direct experience?

[Starjumper]

http://gordelpus.com/jenny/

 

Of course one of the most famous is Grandmaster Yang, Mei-Jun.

 

Thank you, I looked them up. Jenny Lamb looks HOT!

 

His teacher was Zhang Jai Hua, a doctor of Chinese medicine.

 

I looked her up but the only thing i found was from a site referring to Frantzis and it had no info.

 

--------------

 

I had a woman teacher who was one of my primary teachers. Master Gao Fu. She was a Chen tai chi master who taught me Chen and Hunyuan chi kung.

 

May I ask why you consider her to be a master?

Do you have any direct experience?

 

I don't know if Eva Wong is a chi kung master, but she is said to be a grand master of feng shui, which makes her a Taoist master in my view.

Edited January 10, 2009 by Starjumper7

[Starjumper]

Also, I think Thomas Cleary translated an old book about female Taoist masters. Sorry, I can't remember the title, but perhaps someone else here might.

 

You must be referring to the book Immortal Sisters, teachings of Taoist Women. I have that book it is difficult to understand since they use all the secret code words.

Edited January 10, 2009 by Starjumper7

[YMWong]

The question is about woman chi kung or Taoist masters, present or past. She is under the impression that chi kung masters were only men but I know there have been some female masters.

 

Hello SJ,

 

women and men have the same place and space in Daoism.

It is true that by and large men are more present - historically speaking - but that is simply due to the fact that in the old days in Chinese society women were supposed to be taking care of the household (kids etc.) and were therefore less prone to study or move around in society.

 

All schools are equally open to women and men, with the only exception of the Celestial Master in which the leader of the school is and has always been the first (possibly) male descendant of the Zhang family. But of course there are plenty of women in the sect, which however cannot take the leadership role.

 

YM

[三江源]

Zhendi Wu is a powerful, wonderful and deeply feminine taoist master who has a visible presence in the world. So many of them dont wish to have that, of course.

 

http://www.dao-hua-qigong.com/en/school.html

[Dainin]

I haven't had any personal contact with these two teachers, but their qualifications sound impressive to me:

 

 

Dr. Chang Yi Hsiang, Ph. D was the founder of a Taoism-based acupuncture school in Hawaii, which is now called World Medicine Institute. She wrote one of the earliest modern books about qigong (I think back in the 70s), under the name "Lily Sioux".

 

Dr. Effie Chow has also been teaching qigong for more than 30 years. She also puts on a number of conferences about qigong.

[YMWong]

Dr. Chang Yi Hsiang, Ph. D[/url] was the founder of a Taoism-based acupuncture school in Hawaii, which is now called World Medicine Institute. She wrote one of the earliest modern books about qigong (I think back in the 70s), under the name "Lily Sioux".

 

Lily Siou has been telling *fantastic* (creative immagination ...) stories for years and, after so many years, it seems that there are still gullible who believe her.

 

Let me therefore rehiterate that: (from her site)

 

In 1969 I was honored by the 63rd Heavenly Master Chang En Pu to become the 64th generation Taoist lineage holder of a 2000 year old tradition inherited from the Han dynasty.

 

The Zhang (Chang) family won't give any 'lineage holder' position to a lady as that won't conform to their own regulations that has been followed for 2000 years.

Moreover, Zhang Enpu LEFT China in 1949 (with the Nationalists) to Taiwan where he settled and remained until his death in 1969.

 

YM

[gendao]

I know of several great female energy healers/qigong masters. Often they learned from their father or other relative.

 

In fact, from what I understand, women tend to be better at running energy because they are more emotional/feeling...and aren't losing it all the time through sex.

 

Although men tend to have an easier time achieving emptiness in meditation, because we have less brain chatter. Also, we have more yang qi, which is better for healing/purging.

 

So, there's a few pros and cons for each side...

[Walker]

Lily Siou has been telling *fantastic* (creative immagination ...) stories for years and, after so many years, it seems that there are still gullible who believe her.

 

Let me therefore rehiterate that: (from her site)

The Zhang (Chang) family won't give any 'lineage holder' position to a lady as that won't conform to their own regulations that has been followed for 2000 years.

Moreover, Zhang Enpu LEFT China in 1949 (with the Nationalists) to Taiwan where he settled and remained until his death in 1969.

 

YM

 

Could you elaborate on this? I wish I could make my question more specific but I don't really know enough to do so.

[mwight]

I think women have vastly more potential in this area than men, but men have more drive and determination than women, so it balances out.

[Starjumper]

Thank you all for your answers, they have been very helpful. I have heard of Dr. Chow, and I think she lives or lived not too far from here.

[joeblast]

I've heard Wang LiPing is knowledgeable in this area as well (i.e. the practices seem to differ somehow depending on whether one has given birth..I dont know many details though.)

[Mal]

the practices seem to differ somehow depending on whether one has given birth..I dont know many details though

 

Immortal Sisters, teachings of Taoist Women notes some differences in practices for males and females.

Along with Chia's Cultivating Female Sexual Energy

and Wile's Art of the Bedchamber: The Chinese Sexual Yoga Classics Including Women's Solo Meditation Texts

all have practices specifically for women.