QI GONG FOR THE WHOLE SELF
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QI GONG FOR THE WHOLE SELF
By Michelle Powell
When I started Whole Self Weight Loss back in 2015, I was 4 years into my own health journey. In 2011 I was a 43 year old mother of 5 at my heaviest weight ever, 213#, and was very unwell. I was exhausted, in a state of chronic neck, back and muscular pain. I also had a lot of mysterious symptoms which indicated possible Multiple Sclerosis. My doctor wanted to put me on Metformin for the pre-diabetes which had begun the year before. He also wanted me to take a statin for high cholesterol, which I had always had according to blood tests beginning at age 19. The tests and treatments for MS were above my budget with no medical insurance, so I decided I couldn’t and wouldn’t get tested, instead focusing on another attempt at dietary change and weight loss.
Over the years I had, like most people in my situation, attempted to cut calories and exercise more. It seemed that despite all my efforts and work I couldn’t lose much fat and, though stronger from the exercise, my body wasn’t changing much on the outside and my blood sugar and cholesterol were not improving. Finally, with the threat of medications I did not want to take due to fear of side effects, I did a lot of research on how to reverse diabetes and high cholesterol. I found that cutting sugar and carb/starch and eating only real, minimally processed, clean foods was a natural fix for both of those issues and happily began to feel so much better, even the MS symptoms were gone! In all I lost 88# and looked and felt younger and healthier than I ever had!
In the midst of healing my body through detox and dietary changes and more enjoyable physical activities, I also decided that as a person made of body, mind and spirit, I would attend to my spiritual and mental health as well. I began by using positive affirmations, self-love, setting attainable goals, holistic nutrition education and expansion of my spiritual life.
Eventually I met a woman who told me how much she was enjoying the free Qi Gong (pronounced chee gung) videos on youtube, and my curiosity was piqued. I looked up Qi Gong videos and started with Lee Holden’s 7 Minutes of Magic, eventually trying all of his other videos and trying other teachers as well. I loved it! I found that it was gentle, peaceful and invigorating at the same time! It made me feel better physically, mentally and spiritually. I liked that it didn’t require extremes of any kind; no floor positions or putting weight on my shoulders and arms because fibromyalgia was livable unless I over did things and caused a flair-up.
Over a year ago, I looked up classes that I could do Qi Gong with other people, and found there weren’t many that I could figure into my schedule. I did, however, find a Qi Gong Master in Sarasota that offered certification and filed that information away for about a year before I finally allowed myself to register for the 3 day weekend. I was thrilled to finally meet Dr. Aihan Kuhn and was so blessed by her common sense, “go with the flow” teaching style and really enjoyed her humor and grace. The other 8 students were lovely and we immediately became a Qi family. I received my Level 1 Qi Gong teaching certification and am grateful to be able to add it to my Whole Self Weight Loss tool box. I am excited to see how my clients, even those who are unable to do other exercise, will benefit from it. Please speak with me to find out how you can add Qi Gong for your Whole Self health.