(Today's special guest post comes from Gerry Krieg, who attended The Power of Qi workshop that Carol Look and I put on in Jersey City three weeks ago. Here's what he wrote on his blog about the event...)
The Power of Qi - Breath-giving!
I attended a 3 day workshop in Jersey City last week entitled The Power of Qi. It was an incredibly powerful blend of two energy healing modalities, EFT and Qigong, springing from entirely different traditions. EFT has its origins in the western psychological world where it was developed a few decades ago to treat anxiety disorders. It uses a method of tapping on certain acupuncture points on the body (its Eastern component) while addressing (usually) verbally an emotional or physical problem of the individual being treated. Qigong stems from ancient Buddhist Chinese traditions that integrate physical and meditative practices.
I developed a health problem (in simple terms, neuromuscular weakness, though nothing was ever diagnosed, thank goodness) a good dozen or so years ago which led me eventually to discover what many call Energy Medicine. I’ll write more about that journey some other time, but my path back to the light was mainly illuminated by the these two practices, punctuated with some Marx Bothers and Seinfeld and similar masters of laughter qi (what more fun way to move energy?). So when I heard that they were being combined in a workshop (and by two instructors I closely follow and deeply admire) I knew I’d been tapped.
The entire event was exceptionally well conceived and run by EFT Master practitioner Carol Look and Martial arts Master Symeon Rodger (see below for more on both. It was structured so that a one and a half hour presentation and practice of Qigong by Symeon was followed (after a break) by an hour and a half instruction and healing session with Carol. The synergy between the two modalities was both obvious and subtle. As I tapped along with others’ issues, I could feel the energetic lift even as many of their issues revealed insights into my own situation. The mindfulness component of the Qigong (Symeon emphasized the integration of breath, movement and mental attention as critical to achieving a state of inner peace) seemed to ground the sometimes volatile emotional energy produced by the EFT workshops. So much incredible energy was produced at the workshops and having an energy modality that effectively directs and grounds that energy made the cumulative effect of the emotional work done that much more powerful. What a brilliant concept! What brilliant execution!
Carol Look is an amazing talent – sharp, intuitive, sensitive but firm (with an almost jazz-like sense of improvisation) as she hones in on an emotional issue that a person is struggling with. So many times, she would guide an individual past a physical or surface complaint to a deeper level of engagement with their emotional state. From there she was usually able to hit the target of what the core of an issue was. Given the format and time constraints further work would usually need to be done by that person, but at least the ‘real’ issue had been revealed. Her obvious compassion leavened with a quick New York wit, necessary professional distancing and a conductor’s timing allowed her to treat many simultaneously and well.
Symeon Rodger brought a personable, witty style to imparting the wisdom of the (s)ages from the Eastern traditions. His obvious grace of movement and supple body strength were testament to the power that the disciplined practice of these techniques (really, way of being) can provide. As he led us through several different styles of Qigong (from the fluid movements of the Muscle-Tendon Qigong to the meditative Energy Circulation – or Microcosmic Orbit – Qigong) his tremendous skill at performing the physical movements was matched by an enviable mental focus and clarity that is an obvious result of decades of such practice.
These master teachers provided the framework for healing, but the participants provided the rich content that allowed them, especially Carol, to mold this particular conference in a unique fashion. So many bravely went onstage to expose intimate details of their personal stories to a roomful of several dozen strangers. Of course an atmosphere of trust was established by Carol and Symeon, but the courage of the individuals who did participate was inspiring to the others in the room and contributed to a cycle of escalating trust and intimacy that allowed some who may have been hesitant to come forward. That cycle of healing was of course echoed and enhanced by the framework of the conference itself which alternated the clearing EFT work with the grounding Qigong work. Many of those who did participate had enormous shifts of energy, breakthroughs in insight to their issues that gave them plenty to work with after the conference was over. And of course those in the room who were not on stage benefited as well by tapping along and lending emotional support to the courageous individuals on stage.
I believe Carol said she runs a workshop on allowing ourselves to shine. I believe that is part of what we were all doing there, doing healing work to lead us to a place where we can shine our brightest light on the world. There is much work that needs to be done to heal this world and it needs us all at our best. To cite part of the famous Marianne Williamson quote, “We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? Your playing small does not serve the world.”
What a weekend of healing light!
by Gerry Krieg (visit Gerry's blog, Green Energy Healing, at http://greenenergyhealing.wordpress.com/)
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Please note that my next live event, Ageless Beauty, Timeless Health, will take place in Toronto, Canada on the weekend of June 4-5, where I'll be combining forces with nutrition/wellness guru Michael Morningstar from Texas. Michael is a long-time friend, a superb presenter and he is, in fact, the first person I consult when I have questions about nutrition and detoxification.
So keep an eye out for emails on that event - the early bird special offers a big discount but expires quite soon.
~ Dr. Symeon Rodger
