Aloha BrainBody,

Someone asked me this on a side email a while back, so I went in and downloaded the free video, newsletters, and perused their Forum. As Chunyi Lin would say, there are a lot of ways to peel a potato. It seemed like a helpful tai-chi form-derived system.

There are many good forms out there and Chunyi says to check them out and their teacher, and if one resonates with you - learn it and stay with it for a long time. There are a lot of teachers and "masters" of qigong out there. Chunyi recommends finding one who's done the work - not just a qigong scholar. There are thousands of forms out there - find the simplest that is the most effective. Anyone can repeat what their teacher or book has shown

In the Shibashi forum regarding Learning Strategies and Spring Forest Qigong that I've quoted below. I think I'll address some of the respondent's remarks here.

Profit. Yes, Learning Strategies is a for-profit company that Master Lin is using to get his message out to the world. He came to us for his home study course because of our experience in accelerated learning and training expertise. It costs money to do things right, and and charging for this is an exchange of energy. People who want to learn the core philosophy and exercises to help themselves heal can also do so from an inexpensive "Born A Healer" book. There are also classes, and retreats available, so there are many ways to learn the work, just as there are many ways to get from California to New York. You can walk for free. Bicycle, drive a inexpensive car, drive a Lexus, be driven by a limo, a bus, take a coach flight, a flight in first class, a private lier, or a concord jet. You can get there with each mode of transportation and each have their costs, benefits, and cons. Looking at what is included and provided with the home study course, I personally wouldn't call it "outrageously priced."

Interestingly enough, there will be some that call in, wanting lets say his "Healing Our World" meditation CD for free arguing that charging to heal the world isn't right. Chunyi would probably say "Yes - everyone should be able to, and can, help heal the world. Remember Spring Forest Qigong is information healing. It is message healing. So say a prayer for the world - There you go. That is all I'm doing on the CD." Of course this person wants Chunyi to take the time to go into a studio so he can be saying it and guiding him during the mediation. He wants the professionally editing so it's clear and easy to understand. He wants time taken to add wonderfully crafted music to help bring him into the meditative state. And wants it available so he can call in or request it from his computer and shipped to him on the other side of the world. Well then he wants more than "a walk"/a healing prayer for the world.

Advertising
The well known people sited on the site are there because they know Spring Forest qigong works and their name/likeness may help those people not familiar with qigong take that step to try it. Not only does Master Lin have very well-known people attending his retreats and classes, some of the qigong scholars and doctor who have spent time with him like Ken Cohen and Michael Zeng, M.D.President of International Institute of Chinese Medicine, Santa Fe, New Mexico, and a Commissioner of the National Certification Commission for Acupuncturists and Oriental Medicine, are listed there too as "a specialists in the field."

Bringing Something New
Chunyi continues to tweak his classes and techniques and teachings as he himself develops and grows. In a couple years, what we know as "Level One" may be different than what is taught today. From his meditations, healing work with clients, students interaction and mentoring, all continues the development cycle of how to help one heal themselves and help others heal more easily and effectively. He doesn't just repeat information, or go find out what he can learn from this master or that - he's doing the work and growing with it, just as his students do when they just "do the work." You'll find classic qigong exercises in Level One because he's found them the most effective, You'll find an exercise of his from a meditations he's found most effective as well as a version of the Small Universe (microcosmic orbit), that he's found to be more effective for healing than others he's studies and worked with. You'll learn how you can work on others right away in Level One, as well as a Taoist breathing technique to heal you heal faster. When you get into Levels Two, Three and Four, you'll find more of what has been developed out of his personal study, mediation, and healing experience as well as supportive core information and techniques developed from various schools and systems for decades. He builds on these from his experience, rather than someone else's who says this is why.

Like he says though - there are a lot of ways to cook a potatoes, or get from California to New York. I'd recommend sitting down and putting it out to the universe and your other than conscious mind whether getting the Spring Forest Course is best at this point in your training and personal health and wellbeing in your meditation or before you go to sleep and see what shows up. Personally, it’s what I’ve found effective and use on a daily basis at home (I have a 3 1/2 year-old), my wife got rid of 4-years of Chronic debilitating pain in 30 minutes with one of the exercises (yup, this was after doctors had handed her a thick report saying she’d be on permanent disability for the rest of her life), and we do it at Learning Strategies daily from 11:30-12:00 noon.

Much Love,


Shawn



Quote:


PostPosted: Sun Sep 10, 2006 9:38 pm
Post subject: Spring Forest Qigong

Why are there so many variants of Qigong? Shouldn't the original one be good enough to bring health to whoever practices it? I saw a web site advertising yet another form of Qigong ("Spring Forest Qigong" actually):

http://www.learningstrategies.com/Qigong/Home.asp

Has anyone experienced with this variant? How does it differ in its application and benefits compared to tai chi qigong shibashi? Surely the latter can help you heal yourself too?! Is one "faster" than another? Are there any kinds of "dangerous" Qigongs out there (I sometimes feel like my chi is dancing around my dantien, swirling by itself -- or maybe it's just my imagination. It feels weird. I practice alone for now but am considering finding a qualified teacher).

As sifu Cheung mentioned, there are some "outrageously priced" Qigong courses out there, and this is one of them. But I have to admit that the credentials listed on the site -- including no less than bestselling author Deepak Chopra -- make this product tempting.


PostPosted:
Thu Sep 14, 2006 10:06 pm
Post subject: Spring Forest Qigong

Don't get me wrong, but I hope you're standing right for this.

There are as many reasons for as many forms, styles, brands, etc. as there are reasons for brands of cars, denominations of a particular religious group, etc.

Many are the result of someone (or group) trying to eliminate an attribute that is viewed (by them) as a deficiency. They change the original a little and that becomes the new "original" for someone else. Over the decades and centuries, some of the changes are abandoned; some are kept and become a new "style". Within most styles there are minor variations caused by the same thing from instructor to instsructor. Each one tries seriously to do the best they can, but wind up with a minor variation. Most such things are harmless. Some may, in fact, be improvements. In a thousand years or so, you'll know which.

Many are the result of someone (or group) trying to market their product or offering. Being a capitalist myself, I quite understand the concept. I just don't care to do that myself, regarding this particular type of product. I did go to the link in your posting and saw nothing that made it unique, or better. The use of a famous person with an immediately recognizable name, but not necessarity a specialist in the field, is typical marketing.

Many are the result of someone (or group) really inventing something that is new and truly better in certain ways than any previous offering (a la, Tai Chi Qigong Shibashi). Time tests such items and, now and then, demand lets them survive a year, then a decade, then a century, and on. I personally believe that "shibashi" will survive many more decades, perhaps a century, and a millineum.

Well, as usual, ask me what time it is, and I'll tell you how to make a clock; you may or may not find out what time it is.