The other day, I mentioned to my fiancé that I needed to write something for my website but wasn’t sure what topic to dive into. He suggested that if he were looking for Qigong teacher training or mentorship, he’d want to know why he should choose me over another teacher or program.

My healing journey and awakening to my true self started about 14 years ago. But my journey has been different. I wasn’t overcoming severe physical abuse or devastating trauma from my childhood or teen years. My wounds were more subtle, rooted in mental and emotional pain.

Discovering Qigong was a turning point for me. It helped me reconnect with my body, mind, and spirit. At first, it simply helped me feel more grounded and emotionally balanced, which was such a relief.

A question I often receive from people interested in my Qigong Teacher Training programs is: will I be accredited to teach Qigong classes once I complete the training?

The answer is yes. But, did you know that there isn’t a requirement in Australia (or in many other places) for Qigong teachers to be accredited or certified? So, like I did back in 2014, you could learn some Qigong off the internet and then go out and teach it to others.

I do not recommend that!

The Three Treasures in the tradition of Qigong relate to our most precious resources within… our Jing, our Qi and our Shen.

It is said that when Jing and Qi are strong and abundant, Shen will be joyful, balanced, and inspired. However, if Jing and Qi are depleted, Shen will suffer, leading to states of depression, anxiety, mania, or spiritual disconnection.

Shen Gong is an ancient Chinese Daoist practice that focuses on cultivating the spirit and energy within oneself, in a way that can be hugely healing and personally transformative.

Shen Gong practices combine Qigong forms and movements with breathwork, meditation and reflective, contemplative study.

Together, this creates a deeply connective mind-body practice.

Over the years as a Qigong Teacher trainer, I've guided hundreds of students on their journey to becoming proficient Qigong instructors. Through mentoring emerging teachers, I've noticed some common pitfalls and mistakes to avoid in the early days of teaching Qigong.

This brings me to some things NOT to do when starting on the teaching path.

In a nutshell, becoming a Qigong Teacher involves mastering the form, internalizing its intricacies, delving into foundational theory, grasping the associated vocabulary and language, honing the ability to perceive and guide energy, and cultivating presence and awareness.

But why would one aspire to teach Qigong in the first place?

One of the most common challenges encountered by people starting out on their Qigong journey is the reluctance to embrace a slower pace. Many new students experience a difficulty of attaining a sense of presence during the practice, there's a struggle to fully engage with the movements and connect with the sensations within their physical, mental, and emotional realms.

After a month of a summer sabbatical and an amazing adventure exploring southern India, I've got to be honest – getting back into the groove of everyday life was initially a bit of a challenge. Are you feeling it too?

How do you respond when someone speaks to you with aggression and spite? What is the correct response? What is the kind response? How can we stay emotionally regulated at times like this? How can we not take it personally?

It’s pretty challenging, right.

There's a few fundamental things that keep people from living the life they really want, they’re the same few things keep people from learning and practicing Qigong.

In a nutshell they're priority, habit and doing hard things…

Recently, I experienced a powerful reminder of the need for a modern approach to practicing Qigong. It was during a live online program where I led my students through a revitalizing 30-minute Qigong practice to kickstart their day. However, the unexpected occurred.

Have you ever been to a wellness class where they teach you to breathe into your belly, making it expand like a balloon? Well, that's not really the right way to breathe for good health. It's just another misleading trend from pop culture.

While there’s many different reasons that people seek out Qigong, I’ve found these typically fall into two broad categories; health & wellbeing and spiritualism.

While Qi (energy) Healing is becoming more widely known and accepted within mainstream culture, but it’s still considered woo-woo or snake-oily to many. In this musing I dive into understanding Qi Healing, the hot potato of Medical Qigong, and more.

People often want to know how Qigong works. Students ask me questions around the ‘why’ of particular forms (movements) in Qigong, what they relate to and what their function is.