At Holden QiGong, we love hearing about students’ journeys with the practice we all love. We realize that each of our stories are unique and can offer others greater insight into all of the wonderful ways in which Qi Gong can enhance our lives. Not only does it bring a shared sense of community and connection to understand one another’s experience, but it also reinforces our own practice and inspires us with new possibilities.
This week we’re excited to share how Laura White uses Qi Gong for personal empowerment in every aspect of her life. Having only discovered the practice about six months ago, her transformative experience shows how much is possible in a short amount of time.
Like many, Laura’s initial interest in Qi Gong arose during a personal challenge. Last year she suffered an injury and was unable to do the usual physical activities that she was used to doing while working out. One of the things we love about Qi Gong is that it’s a practice that can meet you wherever you’re at in life. For Laura, she found it to be a wonderful way to cultivate her physical body when other activities were unavailable to her.
Her first experience with Lee was through the apps she found online. She simply Google’d “Qi Gong” and found Lee! She was immediately moved by his easy-to-follow teaching style and his clear verbal cues explaining the movements (more about this below). The programs she used to learn Qi Gong were: Introduction to Qi Gong, Qi Gong for Energy and Vitality, and Qi Gong for Anxiety. She also reads the Holden QiGong blog posts.
It didn’t take long for Laura to realize that Qi Gong could have an impact in many areas of her life. As an intuitive medium and life coach, Laura works with individuals to help them connect with loved ones who have passed away in order to help her clients facilitate healing. Her work takes her deep into her clients’ spiritual and emotional worlds as they seek to move through layers of consciousness that are both unfamiliar and, at times, intense. She realizes the importance of managing all of the energies that she comes in contact with on a daily basis.
In addition to helping with her injury, Laura started practicing Qi Gong to manage and grow her energy so she can show up as her fullest self for her clients. She typically starts off her mornings with a brief practice to energize her being with the vitality she needs to do her work well and create a safe space for her clients. Her morning practice is also an important time to ground her own energy so she stays centered and connected to herself amidst the experiences that may arise during her workday. She finds that practicing at the end of the day is a great way to let go of her clients’ energy and fortify her own internal balance and harmony. This is an extremely common application of Qi Gong for anyone whose work requires them to hold space and care for other individuals.
Qi Gong has also become an important part of Laura’s efforts to manage and cultivate her physical health. A few years ago she was diagnosed with Endometriosis. Due to its severity, she had no choice but to undergo surgery. By voluntarily changing her diet and living a healthier lifestyle she felt that it was pretty well managed until her back injury triggered it to flare up again. However, this time Laura had Qi Gong to turn to in order to manage the pain and channel vitality to the parts of her body that needed it the most. Not only did she notice the difference, but her doctor was amazed at the rapid progress she made with her symptoms. Her doctor even asked her what she was doing to address the issues. Laura’s simple response was: Qi Gong.
Although Qi Gong wasn’t a “miracle cure,” it has been a clear game-changer in helping her relate to her health and body in a more empowered way. Laura loves how Chinese Medicine explains the organs and energy system that determines who we are. She really identifies with the elemental energies of the organs, as well as their corresponding emotions and qualities.
Even though she hasn’t yet taken Lee’s Five Elements or Three Treasure immersions yet (she intends to), she is still constantly aware of these important forces moving within her body and mind. Through Qi Gong, she’s learned how to let go of constant thinking and move her energy down into her heart and body. She has also become aware of the importance of aligning her energetic body with her physical body. When she does this through Qi Gong, she experiences greater internal harmony, heightened intuition, and increased vitality.
Qi Gong has also been meaningful and inspiring for Laura in another important way. Laura was born prematurely at twenty-six weeks. As a result, she experienced Retinopathy of prematurity, which caused her to be blind.
When I got on the phone to speak with Laura, she was extremely warm and open about her full spectrum of Qi Gong experiences. When I asked if Qi Gong has helped change her awareness of the world around her, I received a fascinating response. Laura told me that she already feels very attuned to the world around her and that much of her awareness is dedicated to perceiving her surrounding environment. Her other senses, as well as her energetic awareness, is often focussed on what lies beyond her own body. Although being so externally focussed is valuable and necessary for Laura, she realized that she can tend to neglect her internal needs. Qi Gong helped her to feel how important it is to spend more time with her awareness turned inward. Instead of having her mind constantly oriented outward, Qi Gong provided an opportunity to really delve deeply into herself in a way she hadn’t previously experienced. When she practices, she’s able to relax her attention of the world and hold space for what is truly happening within her being.
Although this lesson is especially poignant for Laura, she realizes it’s something that can apply to anyone. Unlike most activities in which you’re required to engage with the world around you, Qi Gong helps you to fully drop into your body and allow your own experience to guide you. Laura points out that her hands might not be in the exact same position as Lee’s when he’s teaching, but she feels that she’s able to absorb the essence of his lessons while tapping into her own body’s wisdom to guide her practice. It’s like Lee is telling her the general direction of the path and then she gets to discover it for herself. After all, the Tao Te Ching tells us in its opening verse: “The Tao that is eternal cannot be told.” In a world in which there are so many “shoulds” about how you look, feel, or do activities, it’s a wonderful thing to be able to fully let go and truly trust your wisdom within.
Laura isn’t exactly sure what her next steps are but she’s certain that she’s going to keep growing with Qi Gong! She has begun to explore the healing sounds of Qi Gong as another facet of her practice, and has thoughts about coming out to California to take some of Lee’s immersions and possibly even becoming a Qi Gong teacher. For now, she’s happy to have a practice that can be a reliable resource for her work, physical health, and emotional balance. As she points out, it’s just amazing to know that your physical, mental and energetic body is in a great place, and Qi Gong has become a big part of helping her to consistently achieve that experience.
At Holden QiGong, we’re overjoyed to know that Laura is flourishing so vibrantly from everything that Qi Gong teaches us about life and ourselves, and we can’t wait to watch as her journey continues to unfold. Thanks for sharing, Laura!
To learn more about Laura’s work or to contact her directly, visit: www.lifewithinsight.com.
