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8 Ways I Will Change the World with Qigong

Published on August 30, 2016 by Sifu Anthony Korahais

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Steve Jobs was crazy.

“The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world,” he said, “are the ones who do.”

I’m no Steve Jobs, but I guess I’m crazy too.

I’m crazy enough to think that I can change the world with qigong.

Humanity needs help, and fast. Our current level of consciousness is making us (and the planet) sick.

I want to do my part to heal this sickness.

The world is a big place, and I’m not crazy enough to think that I can help all 7 billion people.

But if I work hard, I believe that I can help a million people.

It won’t be easy. It might take me 60 years to accomplish my goal. I might even die trying.

But I’m crazy, so I’m going to try anyway.

Here’s how I’ll do it:

1. I’ll start with myself

I might be crazy, but I’m not deluded.

My desire to change the world is not a messiah complex.

I’m not Jesus. I’m not Buddha. I know that.

But I also know a secret.

I know the big secret to change. I’ll share that secret with you right now:

“If you want to awaken all of humanity, then awaken all of yourself. If you want to eliminate the suffering in the world, then eliminate all that is dark and negative in yourself. Truly, the greatest gift you have to give is that of your own self-transformation.”

This quote is often attributed to Lao Tzu, but it is more accurately attributed to the Taoist master Wang Fo.

Either way, I think it contains a lot of wisdom. Don’t you agree?

My journey of self-transformation didn’t end when I became a teacher.

In fact, I founded Flowing Zen because I wanted to make my livelihood PART of my own self-transformation.

I am committed to this path. I’m committed to waking myself up, to dredging out all that is dark and negative in myself.

I am committed to giving the world — to giving YOU — the gift of my own self-transformation.

2. I’ll practice what I preach

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I practice qigong. Every day. No matter what.

If you’ve read my article about willpower, then you know that I’m not a freak of nature.

I worked hard to make qigong a daily habit. 

I’m in my 40s now. If I were a basketball player, then I would be past my prime.

But with qigong, there’s no such thing as passing your prime. You can continue to practice and grow for the rest of your life.

And that’s exactly what I plan to do.

I will continue to practice qigong every day for another 60 or 70 years.

3. I’ll train more teachers

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I can’t change the world by myself. I need help.

In May 2016, I graduated my first class of Certified Flowing Zen Qigong Instructors after putting them through a rigorous, 9-month training program.

I have strong opinions on the subject of teacher training, and I’ll write more about that soon. For now, suffice it to say that my “certs” are among the best-trained qigong instructors in the world.

Click here to see the list of Flowing Zen Certified Instructors.

And this is just the beginning. I hope to train many, many more instructors before I die.

As the popularity of qigong explodes in the West, we will need instructors — qualified ones.

What is a qualified instructor?

I would argue that someone who doesn’t understand what it means to be a student — someone who rushes straight to teacher training — will never understand what it means to be a teacher.

We need teachers who understand not just what it means to teach these arts, but also understand what it means to be a sincere student of these arts.

4. I’ll teach online

The internet is the future. I see that clearly now.

Thanks to the power of the internet, the world is now my classroom. I can reach people in so many ways — with my blog, with my online courses, with podcasts, with Facebook, etc.

I don’t imagine online learning will ever replace in-person learning. It won’t, and it shouldn’t.

But online learning is a beautiful compliment to in-person learning.

And you know what?

In-person learning is also a beautiful compliment to online learning!

5. I’ll travel

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Now that my studio is closed, I’m no longer tied down to a single location.

That gives me more freedom to take my teaching on the road.

For example, I’ll now be teaching twice per year in Costa Rica instead of just once.

This is wonderful because I believe strongly in the healing power of qigong retreats, even if it’s just a weekend retreat.

In fact, I believe that a mindfulness retreat might just save your life.

And that’s why I’ll be teaching more and more of them.

6. I’ll write my heart out

After I closed my brick-and-mortar studio, a student asked me if I was also done writing.

No, I’m not done writing. If anything, I’m just getting started.

The Western world desperately needs to be educated about qigong.

I recognized this need years ago, and that’s why I started blogging.

Today, I’ve got over 130 free articles on my blog. That’s the equivalent of 3 full books!

Actually, I have plans to write a traditional book. Several books, actually.

In the meantime, I will continue to blog. Every week, you’ll get a new blog post from me, without fail.

And if you enjoy my writing, if you find it helpful — then please share it on your favorite social media platform. Word of mouth is how my writing will reach the people who need it!

7. I’ll collaborate

If you practice or teach a powerful healing art, and if you’re as passionate as I am, then I want to collaborate with you.

I want to work with you, not against you.

Yes — even if you teach qigong or tai chi.

The amount of in-fighting among teachers and practitioners of qigong is something that greatly concerns me.

I will not contribute to this in-fighting. I will not let our differences divide us.

Instead, I will work WITH you toward our shared goal of healing our sick world.

8. I’ll stay transparent

I believe that transparency is a critical part of effective leadership in the 21st century.

Many of the older qigong traditions are incompatible with transparency.

Those traditions often use hierarchical, top-down leadership structures that serve to mask abuse, sexism, racism, and homophobia within the organization.

I believe that people have grown tired of those traditions. I know I have.

Leaders in the 21st century will not demand respect; they will command it by being completely transparent.

What do I mean when I say that I will be transparent?

  • It means that I will never idealize the status of the teacher or the Sifu.
  • It means that I’m human, and I’m not afraid to show it.
  • It means that I stand against abuse, racism, sexism, and homophobia.
  • It means I’m always open to constructive criticism.
  • It means that I’m committed to listening to my students.
  • It means that my organization fosters discussion in all directions.
  • It means that I am accountable.
  • It means that my movement is about YOU, not about me.

Conclusion

So there you have it. These are the 8 ways that I’ll change the world with qigong.

What do you think?

Did I miss anything?

I’m committed to helping a million people with qigong, so if there’s something that I’m missing, then I want to hear it!

The comments section below every blog post is a great place to start a dialogue with me. I’d love to hear your thoughts! 

Best regards,
Sifu Anthony

I’m Anthony Korahais, and I used qigong (pronounced "chee gung") to heal from clinical depression, low back pain, anxiety, and chronic fatigue. Today, I'm the director of Flowing Zen, an international organization with students in 48 counties. I've been teaching qigong since 2005, I've served on the board for the National Qigong Association, and I’ve helped thousands of people to use qigong for their own stubborn health challenges. If you're ready to get started with qigong, there's no better way than my best selling book, which comes with free videos and meditations. The sooner you read my book, the sooner you can start healing! Click here to see my book on Amazon.

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Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: mission, qigong, teaching, transmission

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Stan Cohen says

    August 30, 2016 at 5:37 pm

    We have a lot of common goals… I have 1 person certified in my Chi for Caring program so far. You have great energy. Glad I found you. If you care to, check out facebook.com/chiforliving 🙂

    Reply
    • Sifu Anthony Korahais says

      August 31, 2016 at 8:37 am

      Thank you, Stan! I will check it out.

      Reply
    • Iris Kitagawa-Rainey says

      November 6, 2022 at 11:47 am

      I have been teaching qi gong for about 11 years and find it has changed my life. I have also been teaching a blind young man fur 5 -1/2 years and seeing his life changed is truly amazing. I feel the same about helping people to feel the connection and make the mind and body function as one in the purest way possible and I believe this is possible for I have found that within myself. Feeling the qi running through my body is a utopian state I never knew existed – I want to give it to all who practice with me. I have seen people healing through this practice. But…… one has to want to enter and alter their lives – it cannot be forced.

      Reply
  2. David W. says

    August 30, 2016 at 10:28 pm

    we must become a “light in the darkness”

    Reply
    • Sifu Anthony Korahais says

      August 31, 2016 at 8:36 am

      Bingo!

      Reply
  3. Rachel says

    August 31, 2016 at 6:28 am

    Yes you are a crazy cat but I think that’s why so many of us love what you do! 😀

    Reply
  4. Rachel says

    August 31, 2016 at 8:13 am

    By the way, is there scope for doing the teacher training remotely, perhaps with 1 visit over to the States? I’m not in a position yet to do any teacher training but it might be something I want to do in the future. I live in Scotland and I honestly wouldn’t want to train with anyone else, unless it was someone else trained by you in the Flowing Zen style.

    Reply
    • Sifu Anthony Korahais says

      August 31, 2016 at 8:36 am

      Hi Rachel. I’m working on solutions for that. One thing I’m seriously considering is a “Group Leader” certification, which would need dramatically less training. You’d still need to do a long weekend in person with me, but that’s much easier than trying to squeeze in 100 or 200 hours.

      There’s also the possibility of offering it in on your side of the pond, if there’s enough interest and there are enough qualified applicants.

      Reply
      • Rachel says

        September 13, 2016 at 4:41 am

        Group leader sounds really interesting, I don’t know when I’d be in a position to do this but I’d be very interested to hear about this in the future if it’s something you decide to do.

        Reply
  5. Tom Judge says

    August 31, 2016 at 10:04 am

    Sifu, Your commitment is very attainable, perhaps you should think bigger. You may want to consider moving your base location every two or three years. I note how many of your trainees are in Gainesville. Juanita and I have lived in over 20 different homes,10 states and 2 countries. We find we are most creative and productive in the first year, then begin to get in a rut. At 83 we are moving into our21st home and loving it. Qigong has given us the energy to do this.
    Tom J

    Reply
    • Sifu Anthony Korahais says

      August 31, 2016 at 11:21 am

      Before my wife and I bought our little ranch here in Alachua, I had moved 25 times in 25 years (including college).

      I’m done moving for a while! I enjoy traveling, but I like having a home base!

      As for thinking bigger — if I get close to 1 million sooner than planned, I’ll just add a zero to the number. 🙂

      Reply
  6. Jennifer says

    August 31, 2016 at 10:35 am

    As you plan your travels to take your training on the road, please consider beautiful British Columbia or the Rockie mountains! Both gorgeous areas for a retreat (and close enough to my home that I could attend a live event, which I very much want to do!) Thanks and best of luck with your goal

    Reply
    • Sifu Anthony Korahais says

      August 31, 2016 at 11:20 am

      Sure. I love the Rockies!

      Reply
  7. Jennifer says

    August 31, 2016 at 10:37 am

    Argh, that should be Rocky Mountains! (started to type Rockies, changed course, and ended up with a typo) And I was thinking of the Rockies in Alberta — Lake Louise, Jasper, Canmore…

    Reply
  8. Tamara says

    August 31, 2016 at 3:40 pm

    Hi Anthony, your bullet list about transparency made me wonder if there was a course evaluation form from the teacher training certification that I missed? If you plan to continue training instructors it would be good to get constructive feedback from those who’ve taken the training already. Best wishes, Tamara

    Reply
    • Sifu Anthony Korahais says

      August 31, 2016 at 3:43 pm

      No, I don’t want any feedback.

      Just kidding! That’s a good idea. I already got a bit of feedback on the exams (lots of people wrote me notes, including you I believe), but maybe something online would work?

      Do you think it needs to be anonymous?

      Reply
  9. Mira Mishkin says

    August 31, 2016 at 4:20 pm

    I think it’s realistic and happening. You have already changed the world with Qigong, Sifu.Now the ripples are just waiting to cross again, and again. Keep it up- the longer yuo do it,, the bigger the impact!

    Reply
  10. Vera says

    September 7, 2016 at 10:38 pm

    Love the way you do what you do!
    But I am far, in Toronto, and the on line is best I can do for now. It is excellent prodding forward. And keep my prayers to one day come study with you 🙂

    Reply
    • Sifu Anthony Korahais says

      September 8, 2016 at 11:26 am

      Thank you, Vera. I hope you can make it to Costa Rica one day! I also hope to teach in Toronto again.

      In the meantime, I have a certified instructor, Monica, in the Toronto area. It might be good to connect with her!

      http://flowingzen.com/certified-flowing-zen-instructors/

      Reply
  11. Abraham Vega says

    May 24, 2017 at 7:08 pm

    Hello dear Anthony I´m happy we are more people doing the same 8 things and also with QiGong, we specifically do with ZhiNeng QiGong in Mexico and Latin America. We also teach in the jail with beautiful results. Our web page is http://www.vidazn.org
    So I tell you this, then you can know you are not alone and then this change will become stronger and stronger.

    Congratulations and Hun Yuan Ling Tong

    Reply
  12. Jill Hileman says

    July 25, 2018 at 2:35 pm

    A genuine question, do you truly “eliminate all that is dark and negative” within or do you integrate and understand the darkness alongside the light? This may sound like a small point, and yet the idea sets up a potential shaming circle. I don’t know of a regular human being capable of such magic! I know I’m not in any case.

    I focus on changing my inner world through more acceptance and compassion for the dark and negative around and in me. I release what I can and accept what is as much as I’m capable in the moment. If I’m missing an element, please educate me.

    Reply
    • Sifu Anthony Korahais says

      July 26, 2018 at 9:01 am

      I think this is probably semantics. Your description rings true. We release, let go, accept, and transform. But this is also a purifying process, a process of “elimination”, right?

      Reply

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