Meridian theory is at the heart of qigong, acupuncture, and other forms of Chinese Medicine. It is the common thread between all Chinese healing arts. This ancient theory is robust, sophisticated, and deep.

But are the meridians even real? If so, where are they?

Naturally, I get questions like this all the time. I’ve already written two articles about the meridians, which you can read below. These articles will answer many of the questions that you might have.

• Qigong Students: Here’s How to Make Sense of the Meridians
• Acupuncture Meridians: What Qigong Students Need to Know

In today’s video blog, I give my thoughts about the meridians and whether or not they are real.

In the video, I mention the discovery of a “new organ” in 2018. Here are just a few of the articles published on that topic:

• National Geographic: New Human ‘Organ’ Was Hiding in Plain Sight
• Scientific American: Meet Your Interstitium, a Newfound “Organ”

I also mention the fascia, which is a topic of great interest to me. Modern research on the fascia is hugely important for qigong practitioners. In particular, the parallels between the fascia and the Chinese concept of the Triple Burner (sanjiao, 三膲) should be of interest to every qigong practitioner, as well as every acupuncture physician.

If you’re new to the idea of the fascia then this quote will be of interest:

“Our biomechanical regulatory system is highly complex and under-studied — though new research is filling in the gap. Understanding fascia is essential to the dance between stability and movement — crucial in high performance, central in recovery from injury and disability, and ever-present in our daily life from our embryological beginnings to the last breath we take.” [Taken from the Anatomy Trains website.)

Watch the video blog here:

From the heart,
Sifu Anthony

The post Are the Qigong Meridians Even Real? appeared first on Flowing Zen.

“Look, the qi doesn’t have to be so mysterious,” I said.

I was catching up with an old friend over coffee. He was having trouble understanding the core ingredient of my work — the qi.

“Anyone can learn to feel it,” I continued.

“Even me?” he said, laughing.

“Hey, if I can do it, anyone can,” I said.

“That’s true. I remember back when you were quite the skeptic about this stuff!”

It was good to hear someone acknowledge this fact, someone who has watched me change over the years.

These days, people often assume I was never skeptical about the qi, that I believed in it from the beginning.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

My Introduction to Qi

My introduction to the ancient concept of qi (or life energy) happened in 1994.

I had the opportunity to study with a high-ranking Japanese karate master named Teuro Chinen.

Sensei Chinen taught us a traditional kata (a series of karate moves) called Sanchin Kata.

I picked up the moves and the breathing easily. But he kept talking about using something called the ki.

I had no clue what he was talking about.

I later learned that ki is the Japanese word for qi. In fact, the concept of qi was imported to Japan (or rather Okinawa) from ancient China.

Here’s an old (and terrible) image of me practicing Sanchin Kata, c. 1995.

I now understand that Sanchin Kata is actually a form of qi cultivation (or qigong). But back then I didn’t really understand it.

And nothing annoys me more than not understanding something.

My Scientific Study

Ever since learning from Sensei Chinen, I’ve been curious about the whole qi thing.

He sparked something in me, and I grew determined to understand the concept.

So I began an investigation.

And not just any investigation, but a scientific one.

Some people think that science and arts like qigong and tai chi are mutually exclusive.

Is that true?

What does it mean mean to be scientific?

Webster’s defines the scientific method as follows:

 ….the systematic pursuit of knowledge involving the recognition and formulation of a problem, the collection of data through observation and experiment, and the formulation and testing of hypotheses.

In other words, to be scientific means that you study the world through experimentation and observation.

That’s exactly what I’ve been doing for the last 22 years.

My Qi Hypothesis

My friend in the coffee shop remembered my original hypothesis.

My original hypothesis from 22 years ago can be summed up as follows:

“I think qi is probably bullshit.”

I’m not joking. That’s what got me started on this journey.

I was a skeptic, and I was out to bust the myth of qi.

Fast forward 22 years, and I’ve dedicated my life to teaching what I once thought was bullshit.

Karma is interesting, isn’t it?

My Data-Driven Conclusion

If we use Webster’s definition of the scientific method from above, then I started with this:

Problem: I don’t understand the phenomenon of qi.

Hypothesis: I think qi is probably bullshit.

This is where most people stop.

In the 21^st century, we are used to having other people (i.e. researchers and scientists) prove things for us.

The concept of running an experiment for and on yourself is downright foreign.

Somehow, at the tender age of 22, I knew that I would need to run my own experiment if I was going to get to the bottom of this qi thing.

Running the Experiment

After doing some research, I decided that the best way to run an experiment was to practice the art of qigong.

I started reading books. Then I started looking for teachers. And I eventually found myself wandering around S.E. Asia.

Needless to say, I’ve collected quite a bit of data in 22 years.

Continuing with Webster’s definition above, we arrive at the following:

Data:

1. 10,000+ hours of personal qigong practice.
2. 1500+ hours of acupuncture training (which also uses the qi).
3. 5000+ hours of teaching.

After collecting a ton of data, I came to the following conclusion.

Conclusion: My hypothesis was incorrect. The qi is not bullshit.

Why Scientists Can’t Measure the Qi (Yet)

Let’s go back to the coffee shop conversation.

“Why can’t scientists measure the qi?” my friend asked.

He wasn’t being rude. I consider this a fair question from both friends and students.

“I’ve thought about this a lot,” I said. “Before I answer, I need to ask you a question. Are you aware that science doesn’t yet fully understand the human sensory system?

“I read your article on the subject. Does that count?”

The article he was referring to was this one: The Big Secret to Sensing Your Qi.

You can read that article later, but here’s the most important part:

It turns out humans might have as many as 20 senses. Whether we have 8 senses or 20 depends on which scientist you ask.

The only thing agreed upon by the research is that there are definitely more than 5 senses.

Understanding this information is critical.

Once you accept this information, then you must also accept that your way of viewing the world might need to change.

In other words, once you realize that humans have more than 5 senses, you can suddenly view the concept of qi with new eyes.

(Ha! See what I did there?)

A High-Tech Device for Measuring Qi?

We’ve established that science still doesn’t fully understand the human sensory system. Heck, scientists don’t even know how many senses we have!

With that in mind, here’s the answer to my friend’s question about why science can’t measure the qi:

“What if the only device currently capable of measuring a complex, multi-faceted phenomenon like qi is a human being?”

In other words, what if researchers can’t find the qi because they are looking for it with the wrong equipment?

The Missing Ingredient

The equipment I’m referring to, of course, is the human sensory system.

But it’s more than that. You need more than just your senses.

Or rather, you need more than just your 5 senses.

There is a key ingredient that is often overlooked by skeptics.

I’m referring to what is called The Zen Mind.

The Zen Mind is simply a different state of consciousness than our everyday, normal consciousness.

(You can experience a taste of the Zen Mind with the free audio found in this blog post here.)

When you are in a meditative state, when you are in The Zen Mind, then you perceive things differently.

The lesson here is that you need meditative skill in order to truly run the qi experiment on yourself.

You need to be in The Zen Mind to feel the qi.

Why I Can’t Take Skeptics Seriously

The first question I ask hardcore qi skeptics is this: “How many hours have you meditated?”

A big problem with skepticism is that it is purely intellectual.

Skepticism happens in the frontal cortex of the brain.

But meditation involves other parts of the brain.

In other words, you can’t be skeptical and also be meditating.

It’s like trying to write poetry from the analytical part of the brain. It’s possible, but the result is some very bad poetry.

A skeptic who refuses to explore outside ofthe frontal cortex will never understand meditation.

And someone who doesn’t understand meditation will never understand qi.

Discovering the Qi

Recently, I’ve been writing about the 12 Dimensions of Qi Mastery.

I have plans to write in depth about all 12 dimensions (which are just ways of cultivating the qi).

What you may not yet realize is that this entire article is actually about the 1st Dimension — Discovering the Qi.

Discovering the Qi is a lifelong journey.

But beginners don’t need 20 years, or even 1 year to feel the qi.

They just need proper instruction, and proper practice.

Some people might look at the 12 Dimensions and wonder if it’s really possible to direct the qi to various parts of the body.

It’s possible — but not if you skip the 1st Dimension.

And that’s what many skeptics do, unfortunately.

If you use the right equipment, if you use some of the hidden human senses, and if you use them in a deep meditative state — then you can feel the qi.

I’ve taught thousands of students to do this.

Many of them had been practicing qigong or tai chi for years prior to learning from me.

After learning from me for a few hours, they were able to feel the qi better than ever.

Why?

Because I taught them how to discover the qi.

Summing Up

I can sum up this article in 4 sentences:

1. The human body may be the only thing capable of measuring the qi.
2. To measure the qi with the human body, you need meditative skill.
3. To gain meditative skill, you need proper instruction and proper practice.
4. Go practice.

What about you? Can you feel the qi? What do you feel? Let me know in the comments below. 

From the heart,
Sifu Anthony

The post The Skeptic’s Guide to Feeling the Qi appeared first on Flowing Zen.

I do a lot of googling.

Every week, I receive emails asking me if qigong can help with a particular rare disorder.

I’ve never heard of most of them.

For example, just this week I got emails asking about following disorders:

• acoustic neurinoma
• dermatillomania
• benign prostatic hyperplasia
• endometrial intraepithelial neoplasia

That was this week. Next week, it will be 4-5 different ones.

Look, I’m no dummy. I’ve got a couple thousand hours of training in both Eastern and Western medicine. And for nearly a decade I’ve worked in a health clinic alongside acupuncture physicians, chiropractors, and therapists.

But there are so many rare disorders out there.

So I use google. I enjoy learning, and I like to expand my knowledge.

But the truth is that I don’t need to. The truth is that qigong can help you, no matter what disorder you have.

Cure vs. Help

Let me explain.

Qigong is not a panacea. It’s not a cure-all, and it shouldn’t be viewed as such. It is, however, a help-all.

There’s a huge difference between “helping” and “curing”.

Unfortunately, “helping” isn’t as sexy. It doesn’t sell as well as snake oil.

I don’t use the word “cure” because a) it’s illegal, and b) it’s untrue.

I prefer to give you the uncomfortable truth rather than a reassuring lie.

Luckily, with qigong the truth is still pretty damn amazing.

The Hard Truth About Healing

Healing is messy. That’s a hard truth.

It’s tempting to avoid this truth. It’s tempting to chase after neat and simple solutions. We all want that magic pill.

Been there. Done that.

And yet, I have witnessed miraculous cases of healing. Truly jaw-dropping cases, by any standard of measurement, Eastern or Western.

All of these cases had one thing in common: they all involved messiness.

It’s never as simple as “if ____ then just do ____.”

It’s always a messy journey.

The image below is often used in business circles, but it applies equally well for healing.

The Quest for the Holy Grail of Healing

Many people with rare disorders often go on a healing quest, like the quest for the Holy Grail.

Patients usually arrived at my brick-and-mortar studio somewhere in the middle of all the messiness. They were lost. They saw all the doctors, went to all the clinics, tried all the snake oil.

And more often than not, I was able to help them.

Here’s one big reason why I’m able to help so many people: I embrace the messiness.

Embracing the Messiness

I work hard to guide my students through the messiness of the healing journey. For example, I often talk about the things that are blocking my students from healing.

I embrace the messiness. That’s why I don’t give overly simplistic answers to people asking about rare conditions.

I know that some qigong teachers prefer to give magic bullet answers like, “Yes, qigong can cure anything!!!”

Unfortunately, it’s not true. I’ve seen dozens of people pursue that path with qigong teachers, only to be disappointed in the end.

And the worst part is that they got great results with qigong! It’s just that they were expecting a cure rather than great results.

The Dangers of Perfectionism

Expecting qigong to cure everything and anything is setting your expectations too high. You’re doomed to fail.

This is perfectionism at its worst. With perfectionism, we set unrealistic standards that we can never reach. This creates internal conflict in the heart and mind.

It’s better to shoot for excellence than to shoot for perfection. You can achieve excellence. It’s possible.

The same is true with qigong. We can set high standards for healing without falling into the trap of perfectionism.

How MUCH Can Qigong Help?

Rather than look for a cure, look for things that help.

And qigong definitely helps. A lot.

In fact, many people describe qigong as the missing piece of their healing puzzle.

Once you understand why this is true, then you’ll be in a better position to understand exactly how much you can expect qigong to help with your particular disorder.

If all you want to know is whether or not qigong will help, then the answer is yes. It will help. If you practice, it will definitely help.

But if you want to know how much it will help, then let’s dig a little deeper.

Can Qigong Help Regrow an Amputated Limb?

Years ago, a woman in her 20s asked me a tough question.

As a child, she had lost her leg to a rare disorder. She walked with a prosthetic and was otherwise active and healthy.

After class, she came to me and asked if qigong could help her to regrow her missing leg.

I like to give people hope. It’s one of the most rewarding parts of my job — watching a person’s eyes light up as they start to feel hopeful again.

But not false hope.

“No, I’m afraid not,” I told her.

I’ve taught many amputees over the years, and not one has regrown a limb, or even part of a limb. More importantly, I don’t know of a single case in the medical literature of someone regrowing a limb. The human body doesn’t seem capable of doing this.

Does that mean that this young woman shouldn’t practice qigong?

Hell no. She should definitely practice!

There are so many ways that qigong can help her. For example, amputees have told me that qigong is incredibly effective at treating phantom limb pain. (Phantom limb pain is common among amputees and is more severe than you might imagine.)

In other words, we should be happy that qigong is so awesome at treating phantom pain rather than being upset that qigong can’t regrow a limb.

Can Qigong Reverse Cancer?

I need to tread carefully here. In the U.S., only oncologists can treat cancer. Even acupuncturists, who are primary care physicians, cannot legally treat cancer. They can only offer cancer support.

I don’t want the medical Gestapo coming after me, so let me be clear that I’m talking about theory here, not actually treatment.

In theory, cancer can be reversed. This is not woo woo. It’s science. There are many documented cases in the medical literature of spontaneous remissions of various cancers.

Does this mean that qigong will reverse cancer?

No. That’s not my point at all.

I want you to compare cancer to the amputated limb. With one, there is a possibility of reversal, however remote. With the other, there is no possibility.

Can Your Disorder Be Reversed?

There’s a simple way to figure out if, in theory, a particular disorder can be reversed. Forget about qigong. We’re just trying to get a clearer picture of your disorder.

Ask yourself this question: Is the human body capable of healing your particular issue?

Do your research. Find out if there are documented cases of spontaneous remission with your disorder. For example, there are no documented cases that I know of showing that a limb can be regrown in adulthood.

There are, however, cases that show that cancer can spontaneously go into remission. And MS. And fibromyalgia. And diabetes. And so on.

Once we have this general spectrum of possibility, we’re in a better position to actually get down to business.

How Much Will Qigong Help?

If there are cases — any cases, ever, in any language — of people reversing your disorder, then you can assume that qigong will be a major part of helping you to reach for that goal.

This is because qigong empowers your natural self-healing system. If your natural, self-healing system is capable of healing your disorder, then you definitely want qigong in your toolbox. There’s just nothing better than qigong for this.

But how much will qigong help?

That depends on a lot of factors.

How much do you practice? What is the quality of your practice? What style of qigong do you practice? Do you have a healthy lifestyle? How is your diet? How’s your sleep hygiene?

For example, the human body is definitely capable of reversing Type II Diabetes, and there are many documented cases of this.

If you want to reverse your diabetes, then I think qigong is an awesome tool. But don’t kid yourself.

To reverse diabetes, you’re going to need to make big changes to your diet. You can’t continue eating Snicker’s bars and expect qigong to just fix your insulin.

Practice Anyway

What if there are no cases of spontaneous remission for your disorder?

I say practice anyway.

Think about the woman I mentioned above. Just because qigong can’t regrow her limb doesn’t mean she shouldn’t practice!

Imagine a TV commercial for qigong similar to the pharmaceutical commercials. But instead of the nasty side effects that they always mention, imagine this:

Side effects may include higher energy levels, better immune resistance, improved digestion, and elevated mood.

If You Want Things Simple

Healing is messy. If you prefer things neat and tidy, then I can do that for you. Here’s a simple flowchart for you:

From the heart,
Sifu Anthony

The post Can Qigong Help With [Insert Rare Disorder Here]? appeared first on Flowing Zen.

I’ve experienced back pain so severe that it almost got me arrested.

I was in my apartment in NYC, I was deeply frustrated by my pain and lack of mobility, and I let out a loud, primal scream.

As crazy as things were in NYC in the 1990s, screaming was still frowned upon, especially with the windows open.

Luckily, New Yorkers tend to mind their own business. My neighbors didn’t call the cops, and I avoided doing any jail time.

I’m joking a little. But not about the pain. I’ll never joke about my experience with back pain.

I am no stranger to suffering. As a depressive, I’ve experienced mental-emotional pain the likes of which most people simply cannot imagine.

At one point, I welcomed the raw physicality of back pain. It was a relief to have something so physical, so tangible, as compared to depression and anxiety.

That was before the pain got bad. Once it got bad, I got desperate.

What you need to understand about back pain is that, when it’s bad, there is no escape — not when you’re sleeping, not when you’re sitting, and not when you’re standing.

You are in constant pain, except for a few hours of restless sleep every night.

With pain like that, you are desperate. Absolutely desperate. You are vulnerable. You will try anything.

Big Pharma to the Rescue

Never fear! Big Pharma is here!

From acetaminophen (e.g. Tylenol) to ibuprofen (e.g. Advil) to opiods (e.g. OxyContin), Big Pharma has a pill for your pain.

Don’t get me wrong. Pain killers can be a godsend. They are a terrific stopgap for pain management.

But that’s all they are — a stopgap. Pain killers are not a solution to pain.

If it were that simple, if Big Pharma really had an elegant, permanent solution to pain, and if there weren’t other solutions that are safer, more effective, and more affordable — then that would be that, and I wouldn’t be writing this article.

But here I am, writing my heart out.

The Limitations of Big Pharma

People like to think that Western medicine has all the answers. It’s a comforting thought. Unfortunately, it’s not true.

The truth is that Western medicine has some of the answers, but not all of them. If your MD doesn’t agree to this statement, then it’s probably time to find one who is more honest.

Pain management is an area where their answers are still incomplete.

Big Pharma doesn’t want you to know that. Imagine a pill that healed chronic pain for good. Do you think Big Pharma would be interested?

The truth is that a complete answer to pain management would lose them billions in revenue.

Am I a crazy conspiracy theorist? No. I’m not. I’ve simply learned to follow the money, and you probably should too.

As it stands, pain meds are an ongoing stream of income for Big Pharma. Patients end up being on pain meds for years. Over 100 million Americans suffer from chronic pain. You do the math.

Big Pharma wields tremendous influence over doctors, researchers, and lawmakers. They are, in a very real sense, a cartel, and they will do whatever it takes to protect their interests.

(If I mysteriously disappear after publishing this article, then someone please get Benedict Cumberbatch to Sherlock my death!)

The Danger of Opioids

Opioids like oxycodone are one of the main methods Western medicine has for treating pain. There are definitely times when it is a blessing to have access to painkillers like this. After a knee replacement, for example.

The problem is that opioids are overprescribed. No, actually that’s not the root problem.

The root problem is that opioids are basically heroin. Otherwise, it wouldn’t matter if they were overprescribed.

What if I told you that there was something killing more Americans than gun homicides and car crashes? Would you pay closer attention?

Then pay attention, because opioids are killing us.

Deaths by overdose from prescription drugs like oxycodone are also worse than those from heroin and cocaine combined. 

Read that sentence again. We’re talking about a drug that is not only legal, but prescribed by medical doctors. And THAT drug is killing people.

If we include the deaths that come from people who eventually overdose from heroin because they can no longer get their hands on prescription opioids, then the numbers are even more terrifying.

Opioids are killing more Americans than guns, cars, and illegal drugs? How the hell did this happen?

How We Got Here

In the past, opioids were mainly used to treat the awful pain associated with terminal cancer. In those cases, opiods were a miracle.

Opioids have also been safely used for years for short-term conditions, like post-surgical recovery.

But starting in the 1990s, opioids began to be used for things like low-back pain, sciatica, and other musculoskeletal problems.

As a result, we’ve been experiencing an epidemic of drug overdose deaths in the US since 2000. The use of these drugs has grown 10x over the last 20 years.

And that’s a problem. A serious problem.

It would be an even bigger problem if we didn’t have any other choice.

But we do.

Are there Better Solutions?

What if I told you there were solutions to pain that not only worked, but were safe, affordable, and had zero side effects.

No, it’s better than that. What if, instead of side effects, there were benefits!

Imagine a pill that managed pain as well as opioids, was 100% safe, had zero side effects, was extremely affordable, and also made your smarter.

You’d take that pill. I know I would.

In fact, I already do.

That pill is meditation. It seems that meditation — moving meditation, mindfulness meditation, transcendental meditation — are great for pain. And of course, meditation also has lots of benefits as well.

“Prove it!” you say?

I’m assuming that the so-called “anecdotal” evidence of me having proved this on hundreds of students with chronic pain cannot be submitted as evidence. That’s okay. I won’t take it personally.

How many studies would it take before you were convinced?

Well here are 10 studies showing the pain-reducing benefits of meditation and tai chi:

1. Demystifying meditation: Brain imaging illustrates how meditation reduces pain.
   Meditation produces powerful pain-relieving effects in the brain, according to new research published in the April 6 edition of the Journal of Neuroscience.
2. Meditation can reduce chronic neck pain, study shows.
   Meditation might be an effective treatment for reducing chronic neck pain, according to research reported in The Journal of Pain.
   
3. Meditation eases pain, anxiety and fatigue during breast cancer biopsy.
   Meditation eases anxiety, fatigue and pain for women undergoing breast cancer biopsies, according to researchers at the Duke Cancer Institute.
4. Mindfulness meditation trumps placebo in pain reduction. 
   Scientists at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center have found new evidence that mindfulness meditation reduces pain more effectively than placebo.
5. Mindfulness meditation provides opioid-free pain relief, study finds
   Everyone knows that stubbing your toe hurts. What makes it stop hurting is the body’s main pain-blocking process — the natural production of opioids.
6. Mindful meditation may be the answer to relieving chronic back pain, study suggests.
   “These findings suggest that MBSR may be an effective treatment option for patients with chronic low back pain”
7. Mindfulness Pain Relief Distinct from Placebo Effect.
   A new study demonstrates that the practice of mindfulness may ease pain in a way that is mechanistically distinct from the placebo effect.
8. This Is Why Meditation Makes You Feel Better
   After just four days of meditation training, people reported feeling 21% less pain.
9. Tai Chi found to be as effective as physical therapy for knee osteoarthritis
   Both Tai Chi and physical therapy positively impact pain, function and other symptoms of knee osteoarthritis — making Tai Chi a viable treatment alternative for people suffering with the degenerative disease
10. Tai Chi relieves arthritis pain, improves reach, balance, well-being, study suggests. 
    In the largest study to date of the Arthritis Foundation’s Tai Chi program, participants showed improvement in pain, fatigue, stiffness and sense of well-being.

Why Research is Slow

When I first started teaching qigong and tai chi, there weren’t very many studies. The benefits were all word-of-mouth.

Now, there are tons of studies. The list above is just a sampling. We could go on and on.

The real question is: with such promising early research, why isn’t MORE research being done?

Follow the money.

Research is mainly paid for by Big Pharma. Why on earth would they research solutions that not only can’t be patented, but would ultimately threaten their profit motive.

They wouldn’t. And they won’t.

The Pain Management Revolution

Because this is such a big issue, and because the research is so slow, there is a grass-roots movement to help people deal with pain.

I’m definitely not the only person doing this, which is good because it’s a huge problem! But I’ve been in the trenches helping people with chronic pain for ten years.

I’m honored to have been invited to speak at a tele-summit on pain management. This was a free online event with 20 experts. I was representing qigong and tai chi.

You can watch the interview for free here:

In the next article, I’ll talk about how our entire thinking about chronic pain is flawed, and why it will never product long-term results for those who are suffering.  

From the heart,
Sifu Anthony

The post What Big Pharma Doesn’t Want You to Know About Pain appeared first on Flowing Zen.

What can we heal with the self-healing art of qigong? And what can’t we heal?

These are super-important questions, especially since we are in the midst of a health care crisis in the U.S.  If you’re reading this article, then you probably have a specific problem, and you want to know if there are any options other than drugs or surgery.

This article will tell you how to figure out whether or not your specific problem can be addressed with qigong.

Before I go on, let me categorically state that I am not suggesting that qigong can “cure” anything.  To do so would be illegal. As I state very clearly on my terms of use page, all material provided on this website is offered for informational or educational purposes only, and is not intended as a substitute for the advice of your physician, psychotherapist, or other healthcare professional.

Yada yada.

Now, let’s get down to business.

Can Cancer Be Reversed?

(Note: Let’s be clear that I am not giving medical advice, and that I am not in any way suggesting that your cancer will be cured or reversed by qigong. In the U.S. it is illegal for anyone other than oncologists to treat cancer. This is a theoretical discussion, not medical advice.)

Let’s begin with an important question — one that could potentially change your life. I’ll focus on one particular illness at first, and then branch out to others later.  So please bear with me if the first example does not apply to you.

Ready for the question?  Here it is:

In theory, can cancer be reversed without chemotherapy, radiation, surgery, or any medicine whatsoever? 

Make sure to answer this question before you continue.

Okay, got your answer?

Hopefully, you answered “yes”. If you answered “maybe” or “no”, then I’ve got news for you. And it’s wonderful news.

The medical literature is full of cases where cancer reversed itself without any external intervention. In other words, there is a ton of scientific evidence that the the human body can heal itself of all kinds of cancer — without drugs, chemo, radiation, or surgery.

I’m talking about the well-known phenomenon called “spontaneous remission”.   And it happens all the time. For example, this study found that 22% of all breast cancer cases underwent spontaneous regression. Wowzers! That’s a lot of spontaneous regression!

If you were suffering from breast cancer, you would absolutely want to be one of the lucky ladies to undergo spontaneous regression. Why? Because it involves no surgery, no nasty side effects, and it is typically far more effective than the orthodox treatments. Oh, and it will also save you a few hundred thousands dollars.

The Spontaneous Remission Project

So how can you pour yourself a nice cup of spontaneous remission?

Well, you can’t, at least not according to Western medicine.

You see, doctors and researchers are too busy fighting the “war” on cancer to pay attention to something like spontaneous remission. Who cares that it is arguably the most important medical discovery in the last 100 years. We’ve got a war to fight!

That’s why you don’t hear about these cases too often. But you should, because these cases prove — beyond a shadow of a doubt — that it’s at least POSSIBLE to reverse cancer, even at advanced stages.

Perhaps Western medicine doesn’t yet understand the mechanism by which this is possible, but the evidence is clear that it is possible.

If you’re skeptical, great!  I love skeptics!  Just make sure that you’re a healthy skeptic!

If you’re a healthy skeptic, then you will certainly be interested to know that in 1993, some researchers decided that spontaneous remission was something that should be studied rather than ignored.

Together, they compiled the largest database of medically reported cases of spontaneous remission in the world, with more than 3,500 references from more than 800 journals. Go ahead and take a long look at the Spontaneous Remission Bibliography Project online.

In the database, they define spontaneous remission as:

“the disappearance, complete or incomplete, of a disease or cancer without medical treatment or treatment that is considered inadequate to produce the resulting disappearance of disease symptoms or tumor.”

Coming back to my earlier question, we now have good answer — that the human body is capable, at least in theory, of reversing of many forms of cancer. Terrific!

What Can’t Be Healed?

Before we talk more about what can be healed, let’s talk about the opposite.  Let’s talk about something that the human body, and thus Qigong & Tai Chi, cannot heal.

A beautiful young woman once approached me after a workshop and asked, quite innocently, if qigong could regrow an amputated limb.  This woman had a rare condition as a child that required amputation.

My heart went out to her.  It was one of those moments where you just want to lie and say that everything is going to be okay.

But I told her the truth.

“I’m sorry, but to the best of my knowledge, that’s not possible.”

As far as I know, there are no recorded cases of entire human limbs being regrown. So it’s safe to say that this kind of thing is outside the window of possibility. You can comb the medical literature and never find a single case of this ever happening. Not even one.

Will qigong to get rid of the phantom pains associated with amputation? Yes. I’ve seen it happen, and in fact it happened with the young woman I mentioned.

But I’ve never seen or even heard about anyone regrowing a limb. It’s just not something that the human body is designed to do.

The Self-Healing Map

These two examples (cancer, and a severed limb) give us a working theory for the range that is possible with qigong. I call this the Self-Healing Map.

The evidence suggests that cancer is on the Self-Healing Map.

This doesn’t mean that every case of cancer can be reversed, but it absolutely does mean that SOME cases of cancer can be reversed. In other words, it’s possible to reverse cancer.

On the other hand, regrowing a limb is not on the map. It’s simply not within the range of healing for the human body.

Other Health Problems

What other health problems are on the map? Well, the first thing you should do is look through the Spontaneous Remission Bibliography Project.  (I recommend that you start with the index.)

If your problem is on the list, then you can reasonably theorize that it’s possible to heal yourself.

Does that mean you’ll definitely heal? No. There are many other factors involved. But isn’t it wonderful to know that it’s possible to heal?

What about things that are not on the list?

Remember that spontaneous remission, by its nature, is not easy to record. Do you think that there are more than 3500 cases of spontaneous remission in modern history? You bet there are, and you can also bet that most of them were never recorded.

For example, I have a student who reversed Crohn’s disease. Her doctors have confirmed that there are no signs of Crohn’s present, and she’s completely off her medication. But I can’t find that disease on the list.

If you suffer from Crohn’s and you want more evidence, then you should comb the internet for other cases of people who healed themselves of the disorder, even if it wasn’t with qigong.

I’m betting that there are cases of people doing it with many different forms of self-healing. Do 10-15 hours of research, and find out if the human body has ever healed your particular issue.

If your condition is something that heals itself all the time, like low-back pain, arthritis, or migraines — then it’s definitely worth trying qigong.

But keep in mind that not all qigong is appropriate for medical problems like this.  Read my article on The 5 Categories of Qigong for more information about what types of qigong are appropriate.

Also, let’s not miss the crucial lesson behind the specific examples of the Spontaneous Remission Project — i.e. that the body is capable of all sorts of amazing healing!

What Can We Heal?

Let’s come back to our original question:  What can we heal?  By now, you should have a better idea of how to theoretically answer this question. To simplify, here’s what I tell my new students:

“If you want to know what qigong can theoretically heal, then simply ask yourself what a superbly-functioning human body is capable of healing. And there’s your answer.”

Just make sure that you do some research before concluding that something can’t be healed. For example, many people don’t know that the body is capable of reversing cancer. Obviously, they haven’t done enough research. Don’t make the same mistake as them.

What If You Don’t Heal?

So far, I’ve talked mainly about theory. But as we know, theory and practice don’t always agree.

Just because qigong can theoretically heal something doesn’t mean it will.

When it comes to healing, there are a lot of factors, like the quality of your practice, your deeply-held beliefs, and even the climate where you live.

This is a huge topic, and it will be covered in a future article.  If you’ve got something that is blocking you from healing, then my follow-up article will help you to get to the bottom of the problem.

From the heart,
Sifu Anthony

The post What We Can (and Can’t) Heal with Qigong appeared first on Flowing Zen.

I’ve heard it countless times.  I’ve even heard it from my own students — during class!

“I don’t believe in energy!”

As soon as I use the word “energy” in the context of qigong, tai chi, or acupuncture, certain people get uncomfortable.  And it never fails to makes me chuckle.

I like to have fun with these people. For example:

Them:  I don’t believe in energy!

Me:  What?!? You don’t believe in electricity?

Them: No, I meant that I don’t believe there’s some invisible energy flowing through the body.

Me: Oh.  So you don’t believe in the impulses that flow along nerves?

Them: No, of course I believe in nerves!  I just don’t believe in the Chinese philosophy that says that everything is made of Qi.

Me:  Oh.  So you don’t believe in electrons, protons, or neutrons? It’s fun, right?  I could go on all day with this stuff!  How about this one:

Them: I don’t believe in energy!

Me: So let me get this straight:  You believe in a tiny device that can call to and from virtually anywhere in the world, take high-resolution photos and post them directly to the Internet, connect with the speakers in your car, and guide you to the airport — all without wires — but you don’t believe in energy?

My point, of course, is that it’s very difficult to intelligently say something like, “I don’t believe in energy!” in the 21st century.  Perhaps 300 years ago, before electricity and before Quantum Physics, you could have made a statement like that and defended it.  But not today.

Not when you have an iPhone in your pocket.

I Was Skeptical Too

When I chuckle at people who say that they don’t believe in energy, I’m also laughing at myself.  Once upon a time, I didn’t believe in “energy” either.  Twenty years ago, I was pretty strongly against the idea of Qi (or Ki as it was called in the Karate world).  I had read about it in books, but for some reason, the concept was completely outside my window of possibility.  I simply couldn’t allow myself to believe that an invisible energy was flowing inside (and outside) of the human body.

Just the idea of it made me uncomfortable!

So I did what most humans do when they are presented with an unfamiliar idea that makes them uncomfortable: I mocked it.

I decided that people who believed in Qi were just silly.  There was no evidence of Qi, and these people were unscientific!  (Not that I searched for any evidence, but you get my drift.)

This happens all the time.  For example, I recently stumbled upon an Internet discussion about yours truly on a Tai Chi forum.  Certain people were arguing that I’m not a real Tai Chi teacher because I talk about “new age hocus pocus” like Qi and opening vital points. In other words “real” Tai Chi teachers don’t believe in Qi.

Huh?

Am I New Agey?

I can’t really blame the people who were criticizing me.  After all, I was just like them once.  So I can certainly empathize.

Nevertheless, let’s be clear that this stuff is not new agey.  It’s ancient agey! Everything that I say about Qi is based on the  theories of Chinese medicine, which are thousands of years old. Feel free to dismiss it as nonsense, but understand that in doing so, you have to also dismiss the driving theory behind Chinese medicine (i.e. Qi).

For those who are skeptical about energy, I recommend that you read the following book: The Field:  The Quest for the Secret Force of the Universe. It’s written by an investigative journalist, and it’s a real mind-opener.  In fact, I dare you to read that book from start to finish without having your mind blown wide open.

Skepticism, Dogma, and Karma

Like I said, I always have a good laugh when I look back at my own skepticism.  I especially think it’s funny how I drew dogmatic lines in the sand. “I won’t go past this line!” I told myself.  Of course, that line was based more on emotion than on evidence.  But I pretended that I was being all scientific.

Eventually, I had no choice but to cross my own line. I remember wrestling with the concept of Qi while reading a book about Quantum Physics.  Although I was much more comfortable viewing myself as a solid object made of solid matter, science kept insisting otherwise.  It insisted that I was made up of empty space more than anything else.  It also insisted that matter and energy weren’t mutually exclusive.

E=MC² and all that jazz.   Whether I liked it or not, I had to admit that I was (and still am!) a vibrating mass of energy.

“What Einstein discovered and what that famous equation E=MC² means is that mass and energy are basically two forms of the same thing.  Energy is liberated matter, and matter is energy waiting to happen.” – Pam Grout

Eventually, science forced me to give up my dogma.  (Or was it just my karma?)

I remained skeptical, but I turned into a healthy skeptic — i.e. someone whose mind is open to possibilities.  Before that, I was not skeptical; I was dogmatic.  I was not open to possibilities.  I had made foregone conclusions based on emotions, rather than evidence.

If you think that science is completely free from dogma, then I encourage you to read an excellent book, written by a scientist named Rupert Sheldrake.  It’s called Set Science Free:  10 Paths to New Discovery.  It’s all about the dogma that is plaguing the scientific community.  It’s another mind-blowing book.  I highly recommend it.

The Earth is Flat!

So what is this Qi-energy stuff?  Well, according to Chinese medicine, it’s a lot of things.  For example, the energy that moves food through your digestive system (peristalsis) is Qi.  So is the energy that creates insulin.  So is the energy that creates new cells in your body.

If the nerve that controls your liver is impinged, then the impulses along that nerve will not be as strong as they should be.  In Chinese medicine, we would call this a blockage of Qi.

But the term Qi also refers to an energy that can be projected outside of the body. Does that sound crazy?

Ack!  Humans can’t project energy from their body?  You’re making me uncomfortable! Stop it or I will mock you!

Actually, we project energy outside the visible boundaries of our body all the time.  The electromagnetic energy from your heart, for example, radiates outward several feet. Several feet! Experiments conducted at the Institute of HeartMath have found evidence that the heart’s electromagnetic field can even transmit information between people.  Not only that, but they found that one person’s brain waves can actually synchronize to another person’s heart.

Sounds like a form of energy transmission to me!

Does Western science completely understand Qi yet?  No.  Not yet.  But it will.  There are already some decent studies that beg for further investigation.  Give it time.  In another 50 or 100 years, I predict that Western science will have a much clearer picture of the concept of Qi.

Of course, even then, some people will choose not to believe.  But don’t forget that some people still choose to believe that the earth is flat.  That’s their prerogative, but please don’t call them scientific.

Do You Believe In Energy?

What about you?  Do you believe in Qi, or energy?  Or do you think it’s all a bunch of hocus pocus? 

From the heart,
Sifu Anthony

The post I Don’t Believe in Energy! appeared first on Flowing Zen.