12 Days Fitness Challenge - Day 3

Catherine Basu in Texas is hosting a fitness challenge - here's the link to the Facebook group - please join us!!

Today I've been finishing some Christmas presents (for our family gathering this weekend) so my FINGERS have been busy knitting! And playing some tunes from my new harp book, a Christmas present from daughter Mary and family.

I returned to Qigong today, doing the longer 'Soaring Crane Qigong' form (~ 30 minutes) that I learned over a decade ago. A lovely feature of qigong is its focus on INTERNAL movement, while practicing the forms, one's mind is on vitality (qi or chi) & the movement.
Master Zhao, Jin-xiang began teaching his form in 1980, & it was brought to the US by professor Chen, Hui-xian. My teacher learned it from Prof. Chen when she was teaching at the Oriental Medicine College (OCOM) in Portland Oregon.

Master Zhao had pleurisy & tuberculosis, & was sent to a sanatorium in 1962, where he learned a seated form of Qigong, developed by the head of the sanatorium. His health improved enough for him to return home, where he continued to practice. Eventually, he began treating patients (having learned Traditional Chinese Medicine), & realized that could help them help themselves if he taught them Qigong. He began to develop his own form, which is very effective in eliminating disease.

One of my massage clients was taking Soaring Crane when she realized she had breast cancer (Professor Chen was recovering from breast cancer when she met & studied with Master Zhao). My client refused radiation or chemotherapy, though she did have the lumps removed. She began coming to me for Reiki (which goes hand in hand with qigong, energizing the the giver as well as the recipient) & massage. 15 years later, she is still cancer free, & comes monthly for sessions.