As more and more Baby-boomers search for alternative methods to manage pain and chronic stress and live healthier life-styles—Tai Chi, Yoga, and Qigong are growing in popularity as never before. In my experience, Qigong is far and away the easiest to learn and its health benefits are realized much faster. Unlike Yoga and Tai Chi, many Qigong exercises are so simple they can be taught in a single lesson.

According to my teacher—Master Hou-Hee Chan, Traditional Chinese Medicine teaches us that the true Medicine is already inside you.

"That is why the word ‘Medicine’ begins with ‘Me.’ Sometimes in life we can get sick or injured and then we may need help from another to get well. That is ‘Alternative Medicine.’ Whenever we need help from another that is ‘Alternative.’ The word ‘Alternative’ begins with ‘A’ and ‘A’ always stands for another. But Qigong is ‘Integrative Medicine.’ The word ‘Integrative’ begins with ‘I.’ ‘Integrative Medicine’ always means ‘I’ have to do it! True ‘Integrative Medicine’ is when ‘I’ and ‘Me’ have to work together in order to get the Qi. ...Qigong is traditional—at least 5000 years old! Western Medicine is barely 200 years old! I would say Western Medicine should be ‘alternative.’ It is not always good for you. It has so many harmful side-effects... "

Western Medicine has very few answers for those suffering from chronic pain and stress-related disease. In our culture, pain is routinely neglected, marginalized and medicated. Surgery is often the first non-drug intervention offered those seeking relief. Chronic pain is the number one cause of adult disability in the US with an estimated cost to society of over 100 billion dollars per year. Pain is a nation-wide epidemic affecting the lives of millions of Americans. Therapies that treat neuromuscular pain represent a commercial growth industry of more than 5 billion dollars a year. In other words,

Neuromuscular pain is big business!

The fact is: Western Medicine is woefully inadequate when it comes to treating chronic pain and illness of any kind. Allopathic Western medicine is the very best in the world at treating trauma and acute illnesses. As recipients of allopathic medicine we may be tested, poked, prodded, medicated and injected, but where we actually hurt — in our muscles, joints, tendons and soft-tissues — is left untouched, uncared for and neglected.

This is where I come in. I manually treat people in pain. In my alternative pain clinic I see people in pain everyday — young people, old people, middle-aged people — all suffering from chronic disabling physical, mental, and emotional pain. When pain-breakthrough is finally achieved, most of my patients ask me the same question: “Are there any exercises I can do at home to help keep the pain from coming back?” Each time I am asked this, I hear myself giving the exact same answer:

Now it is time for you to learn Qigong.

Qigong is traditional Self-healing. You will find this material is widely available. There are many experts writing on the subject of Qigong-Healing. A casual search of the Internet will immediately connect you with thousands of websites offering books, tapes, DVDs, clothing, equipment, inspiration, advice and assistance for would-be ‘Qigongists.’ All serious students should gather as much information as they can from as many resources as possible to achieve a comprehensive overview.

Self-healing is our natural life-long process — The Journey of a Thousand Miles — is not a destination. There is no there to get to! You are already here!Self-healing is a courageous act of Self-Discovery that leads inevitably towards Self-acceptance, Self-Forgiveness, Self-Awareness and Self-Realization.

The real ancient Chinese secret is: Relax! The starting line is also the finish line! Begin to practice a little each day.

As my teacher says,

“If you do your Gong you will get the Qi.”

It is that simple! That is the promise of Qi (‘Life-Energy’) and the gift of Gong (‘Daily-Practice.’)

Master Hou-Hee Chan says the greatest book ever written about Qigong is the "Tao te Ching", but he also says since most translators are actually uneducated in Qigong Tradition they fail to correctly translate what is right under their noses...

"You have heard that 'The Journey Of A Thousand Miles Begins With Your First Step'. But that is NOT what it says... The Tao reallys says: 'The Journey Of A Thousand Miles Begins With The Earth Beneath Your Feet!' That is very different!"
--Hou-Hee Chan

It is really so very simple! Common sense even suggests it. But it is also so close and so obvious we easily overlook it...

--Pahka Dave