This last Qigong Teacher Training was one of the most memorable teaching experiences I have ever had. We just about filled the place with eager, hungry and open minded students from all over the world. France, England, US, Norway, New Caledonia, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the list does not stop here. This is amazing how such an international student base could become a joint team so quickly. They were so helpful, friendly and open to each other, and this is what I am always amazed and happy to see in my groups.
Each day of the training was jam packed. It all started at 7:30am with an optional morning Qigong class for those students who felt they needed more practice. After that we had breakfast (most people had) to energize ourselves for a new day of intensive training. At 10am we delved deep into the theory of Qigong, Medical Qigong, muscle fascia and it’s applications to Qigong and much much more.
By 11am we started our Qigong practice when students were learning and practicing new forms, postures and movements every day for the first two weeks.
By the third week they were able to lead mini-classes and start teaching. They really felt they benefited from this part of the course as it pushed them to know all the details to a Qigong form. Everyone had the opportunity to teach just about every form they learned and get feedback from their group members on how well they did and what their areas of improvement are. It really helped students ingrain the movements and get different perspectives from each other.
This week was finished by doing video analysis that gave students a slow motion playback, step-by-step so they could see what they needed to improve upon in order to pass the test for certification to become a teacher. This was especially helpful for them as they were able to get my detailed comments regarding each form and posture they made.
Having a teacher correct your Zhan Zhuang Posture, for example, is a way to improve your overall posture, thus correcting postural imbalances that you may not have even been aware of. By getting corrected repeatedly and then making self adjustments over time you are reprogramming your nervous system to align your posture in a correct, more balanced manner that will improve your overall health and well being. Here you can see our student Rosa before and after a Zhan Zhuang postural correction. Her tendency to tilt her head could later in life cause pain and tightness in one side of the neck which can then pull down even into the jaw and shoulder. That is why it is always important to have a teacher that guides you on your journey of learning until you are practiced enough to do it on your own.
Here these students completed Level III of the Medical Qigong Teacher Training which qualifies them as an Assistant Teacher. What this means is they have earned the right to share this Qigong in their groups. They are not qualified to teach it professionally until they work at least another month (some longer) and then pass the tests. Once they do this they can achieve full certification to teach White Tiger Qigong’s 5 Element Qigong and 8 Trigram Qigong forms.
Qigong to Heal Injuries
I love before and after photos to prove just how effective White Tiger Qigong can be.
Robert Seelig had broken his shoulder prior to the Qigong teacher training. He had taken the cast off, but his range of motion was severely limited. I promised him by the end of the course his range of motion would greatly improve and it did just check out these before and after photos.
One of the most important components and benefits of White Tiger Qigong is learning how to deeply relax. Only after deep dynamic Qigong movements can one relax as deeply as this.
Rather than me going on and on about how good the training was I will let some of the students share their experiences.
Testimonials from Students that participated in this Medical Qigong Teacher Training
Before and after I have been teaching yoga for almost twenty years and during this time I have continued to question, develop my knowledge, and embody the practices to reveal the five pathways of yoga. The authentic teachers along the way that have shared their wisdom and knowledge have not been sought; rather they appeared and the connection was made.
We live in an age where the original teachings of Eastern internal practices has been diluted and distorted. I knew instinctively when I met Tevia that here was a teacher I knew had something precious to share. And he does. Tevia is one of those rare individuals who seek the original teachings with passion, embodies them and then passes these teachings to others.
