Qi Dancing - Events and Classes

Classes

2011-12-28T08:32:00.000-08:00

Qigong with Trees! Tuesdays, 5:30-6:30 p.m., Green Lake Park

Step into your Joy and Vitality! This class is a unique practice combining the fundamental and powerful practices of Qigong 气功 with barefooting, staff dancing and stretching, stone-toning and tree weaving.

Trees, rivers, mountains, wildlife, and Nature are naturally Exuberant. Their strength is interwoven with all life and grounded in our Earth's massive Qi. And Qi - our vital energy - is in some languages also translated as JOY!

Remember, recover, and restore your natural strength and vitality - come train and be prepared to laugh and smile!

Join us for an invigorating and profound practice with the Big Trees at Green Lake!

When: Tuesdays 5:30-6:30 p.m.
Where: Green Lake Park (by the Bathhouse Theater on the NW side of the lake)
Tuition: $10/class
Please RSVP with Karen beforehand (206-713-5147 or by email; no one turned away for lack of funds)
If you have kids and would like to bring them, contact me beforehand.\
Note: NO CLASS on 1/24, 1/31, and 2/7/2012

Here's some additional resources to view and listen to:
My radio interview on Dr. Pat's Show on Qigong &Exuberance. It's the first 14 minutes of the show.
A youtube video of this Qigong with Trees - Earth Gym weekly class.
A youtube video of our 2nd Earth Gym Citywide Play Date.
A Dancing in our Earth Gym video - shows the inherent strength, exuberance and joy in our natural run and also demos qigong and Earth Gym training.
DANCING IN THE EARTH GYM from Mick Dodge on Vimeo.
Much of this practice is inspired by my wilderness and movement training with Mick, also known as the Barefoot Sensei. You can view a youtube clip of some sample movements from this practice. Here’s another link to a training I did with him in March 2008.

Among many things, this class will help you:
Step outside and play;
Access your natural body wisdom;
Restore your strength and vitality; and
Establish your healthy connection with the Earth.
Here’s an article on Walking Mountain. Enjoy!

ZY Qigong Level 1 - 中原气功

The next 8-week class series is January 11- February 29. It is on Wednesdays from 5:15-6:45 p.m. at Green Lake Community Center.

To register, you can call Green Lake at 206-684-0780. $89.

ZY Qigong is one of the world's most ancient and complete healing and self-development systems, a practice combining movement, breath, and the meditative mind to store and focus energy for personal transformation and healing. Distinguished both by its simplicity, and by its mature lineage, this practice draws on the accumulated energy and consciousness of generations of masters, with Grandmaster Mingtang Xu being the current lineage holder.

During this ZY Qigong Level 1 class, you will learn to: activate your energy center and system; absorb, generate, and move energy; increase your energy level and vitality, reach a deep relaxed state, balance and improve your immune and digestive systems, and feel more present in your daily life. And…have fun!!

Qi Dancing ½ - Day Workshops
This is a highly experiential, fun class. Grounded in the ancient wisdom and practice of Qigong, you will gain the tools and experience in cultivating, strengthening and expressing your Qi - your Vital Life Energy - through an integration of traditional qigong practices and dance. Format includes foundational qigong exercises – combining breath, movement and meditation - with a variety of music/dance vibrations. Exercises include traditional and experimental qigong/movement.

Events

2011-12-28T08:31:00.000-08:00

Our Dancing Village~ Family Dance Jam

2nd and 4th Sundays - 4-5:30 p.m.

Upcoming Dances: January 22, Februay 12, February 26

See a front page news article on our family dancers! Dance is changing our world!

What: This is a Family Dance JAM for kids of all ages – families, kids, moms, dads, aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins, sisters, brothers, friends – all people who love to play and dance and who desire to support and co-create healthy and happy families in our community! Whether you have kids or not, come dance!

We start with a fun ‘shaking’ warm-up and circle dances and then provide a space for freestyle dancing, hula hooping and ecstatic free-form movement along to kid-friendly adult music from around the world. We’ll end with a time of community sharing.

Created by the vision of having our Village to raise our healthy families, we start by coming together to dance, play and be our own Dancing Village. All are welcome. Come dance and play!

Where: OmCulture, 2210 Pacific St., Seattle, WA 98103; 206-529-0581; www.OmCulture.com

Price: $5 each (kids 2 and under are FREE)

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Qi Dancing with Women!

Next Dance ~Friday, March 2, 2012 8-10 p.m. at Standing Stone Healing and Arts Center (943 North 89th St., Seattle, WA 98103 – just off Aurora Ave./Hwy 99)

Wahoo! This is an ecstatically fun women's only DANCE! Come dance with your girlfriends, meet new friends, free your mind, and let your spirit soar and your body EXPRESS!

Partially facilitated and partially free-form, we'll enjoy a shaking qigong warm-up and then dance, dance, dance to a delicious array of bootie-shaking music.

Come join your Sisters! Move and be Moved and have a most Fabulous evening.

Cost: $5 special! – goes to support Women of Wisdom Foundation.

Dances are Monthly. Upcoming dances: March 2, April 6, May 18 (Note: no dance in Feb. Come to our 20th Annual Women of Wisdom Conference!!)

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Qigong & Wilderness Blog

2011-12-28T08:30:00.000-08:00

Backpacking Adventure at Marmot Pass with my twin sister Lynn!

What a fabulous adventure with my sister! Marmot Pass in the Buckhorn Wilderness is one of the many gems of the Olympic Mountains. Aptly named, the Pass has dozens of marmots whistling, tumbling over each other, bounding through the meadows, popping up (like toast!) from their many holes, and generally having a grand ball in their brief summer and few months of awakeness before slumbering another 8 months. And the mountain goats...! We saw 2 and 1 was huge! I love seeing them casually and non-chalantly climb such precarious, steep, rocky mountain cliffs, only to stand on what appears to be a tiny rock on a giant precipice and calmly peer over the entire world! :)

The mountains are magnificent and you'll see many astounding views and meadows -- much like abiding, exploring in the Swiss Alps! And I took lots of pics of our dog, Stella -- what a Sweetie! She is so at home in the wilderness. Upon reaching our first patch of snow, she excitedly bounded on top, rolled on her back and slide down! Lynn and I just laughed and laughed. And then she got up and did it again on her tummy! Ha!

Enjoy our adventure and may these images ignite your flame to go out and touch, soak in the treasures Mother Earth so generously offers in her Wild Places.

Much Love,

KarenJoy

HohRainforest Running Quest! YAY!

I returned last night (7/5/11) from a magical running quest in the heart of the Hoh Rainforest - one of the wettest places on Earth with over 210 inches of rain per year. Yet, we (my friend Summer Linnea and our beloved friend and guide, Mick Dodge, known as Barefoot Sensei) had 5 glorious days of sunshine, blue skies and ultimate summer Beauty in these Hoh forest lands. This was after 6 months of clouds and rain! While I LOVE my wilderness backpacking adventures and seeing and playing in as much wilderness majesty as my two feet will carry me to, this was my first running quest, and barefoot running at that. While I had sandals (though moccosins would be best) to put on at times, this was my first time to run and touch intimately into the forest with my own two barefeet. And what a surprise!! What I previously thought would be prickly, "impossible" barefoot running surfaces, in fact turned out to be delightful. The breathing forest floor is, in most places, soft, moist and almost spongy and touching into it with my natural spring gave me so much pleasure and JOY!

Also, as I stepped in and ran, my body naturally lifted my head and eyes to look out, not down. And to my amazement, when I did that, my feet landed softly and with ease. When I got concerned and looked down is often when ---"Ouch!" -- I'd step on something awkwardly or something prickly. :-)

And this forest, Master OG (for Old Growth as Barefoot Sensei calls it) is sacred. On the 2nd day of questing in these trees, towards the end of the day as Summer and I were making our way towards camp, we happened upon a little grassy clearing with clumps of radiant golden green ferns reaching joyfully up and out and waving ever so gracefully in the evening breeze. (These ferns were "golden" due to the evening sun rays showering through the trees onto them.) About 100 feet away from us was the remaining stump of an old growth spruce tree that had fallen in a storm long ago. The wood too was golden colored and smooth from years of so much rain-- the bark was long gone. And in the middle center of this stump was a natural carving. It looked much like a buddha or tree/forest spirit. Everything was silent as the sun shone down in this sacred meditative meadow. We wondered how the animals of the forest used this meadow.....and then carried on with our journey.

And then, just a bit further down the path, a cute, cute, so round and fluffly baby wren (? oh phooey, now I forget exactly what kind of bird it was!) flew down on the path right infront of my barefeet and peeped. :)! And then it peeped and hopped cheerfully in front of me. I was sooooo happy and overjoyed by it's greeting and it's CUTENESS! (Did I mention this bird was super cute?!) At one point I thought it best for me to keep going, so I attempted to walk past it while saying good bye....but no, it then flew in front of me again and continued peeping and hopping along :). By this time Summer was with me and also equally overjoyed. The little bird then flew onto a fern next to us (I have pics of this in my album) and peeped some more. Summer and I giggled and talked to the bird. And then...gosh, it started to look sleepy. It was closing it's eyes for a couple seconds, then opening them again....closing them, and then...oh dear! It started to wobbled and was falling backwards! Yikes! Summer and I both gasped at the same time, so intent we were with this little darling, and reached out our hands to catch it should it tumble. Alas, however, the little one opened it's eyes with a start just in time to reaffirm it's grasp on the delicate fern and it continued to bob around and peep. Oh sooo cute!!

The forest is full of places to play and explore. One day I ran and then as the forest and trees called, I stopped, climbed and hung from their roots, lay my belly on their branches, and buried my nose in to smell their beautiful earthy moss. I heard the river call, ran through a meadow and found a hidden beach to have my first COLD glacial water dip of the day! And another day I felt the trees urging me to run, run, run. "Focus on your run, Sister. This is a new way to touch into the magic of our lands. A new way to listen. A new way to touch in and receive some of our teachings," - is what I heard the forest say. Wow! I am so grateful to Master OG and my dear friend Barefoot Sensei to leading me to this sacred "training hall". I feel as a baby, just walking through a new gateway with so so so much more to explore, discover, listen, touch in to and receive.

May you enjoy these pics. I took most of my forest pics in one day of training and didn't take many on some of my other days. Summer and I also trained with the beach waters and beach running and I have a few pics from that as well.

Our Earth Gym is Glorious!! My desire is for more and more people of all ages to come out and play. Come experience and touch into our forests, mountains, rivers, lakes, and ocean treasures. The more people feel in their bones, body, flesh....which starts with their feet :)...their intimate connection with our Earth, then protecting, loving, caretaking of our lands, waters, wilderness and each other comes naturally.

This is one reason is why I teach Qigong with Trees ~ Explore Your Earth Gym,have Earth Gym play dates, and why I'm leading Qigong and Wilderness hikes and backpacking events. And it's so much fun! :)

And I love sharing. Thank you for reading and viewing the pics. I desire to share deeply what I'm receiving in our pristine wild lands.

Much love to you all.

LOVE,
KarenJoy

Karen Joy Fletcher, MPH
www.QiDancing.com
206-713-5147

Teachings from Grandmaster Xu

2011-12-28T08:28:00.000-08:00

Teachings from My Qigong Grandmaster Xu Mingtang: Power of Image, Red Balls and a Simple Life Science

I recently completed another 10 days of training with my qigong grandmaster, Mingtang Xu (许明堂 – Xu Mingtang in Chinese :) Last name is said first), who is the lineage holder and Grandmaster of ZY Qigong. (You can see pictures of our retreat at this link). While I met and studied with him in 2005 at Shaolin Monastery in China and then traveled with him in Europe that fall and have continued teaching and studying since, I feel I’m just starting to ‘get it,’ to understand and see and experience the tipity top of a gigantic iceberg (which is Mingtang and this whole lineage of this over 7,000 years steeped in Buddhism, Daoism and Shamanism)! And what Mingtang is offering and teaching is truly awesome! – I’m soooooooo excited to share with you some of what I’m receiving….(And receiving is a big word here. From my studies with one of my other teachers, Robert Tennyson Stevens, (founder of Conscious Language™ and Mastery Systems), I’ve remembered how receiving is a state of consciousness/a state of being; this state is essential for receiving the Great Blessings which are continually being offered to us.
Well this time I received so much and big part of that is because I was open to receive.)

Grandmaster Xu Mingtang began teaching ZY Qigong over 20 years ago, teaching mostly outside of China. The Chinese government and people weren’t open to receive what he had to teach so he went to Russia, Ukraine, Latvia, many eastern European countries, and later western Europe and the U.S. Just recently has Mingtang returned to China to set up his Kundawell Institute, which is an international qigong training, teaching, healing and research center. While teaching abroad he also continued to offer healings using Image Medicine, a technique developed through his own qigong practice and lineage of teachers as well as teachings from his grandmother, who was a powerful shaman (wuyi –巫医). An Image medicine diagnosis scans all our ‘anatomies’ – physical, energetic and spiritual or informational and the scanning is done with images. (I’ll explain more about Image medicine a bit later)… Well, when Grandmaster Xu returned to China and began teaching, he made a big discovery – that the Image Medicine he practices and has been teaching to others the past 20 years is actually a part of Traditional Chinese Medicine, yet a part that had been taken out of the texts, schools, teachings in the last 60 years. Most of TCM that is taught today is based on the theory and knowledge from Huang Di Neijing 黄帝内经, The Yellow Emperor’s Book of Internal Medicine. Yet there were also other famous schools of theory and teachers, one of whom is Bian Que and he taught the use of Image.

In the ancient texts, for example, pulse-taking was described in 2 ways. One is 脉感 ‘maigan’ (meaning ‘pulse feeling’) and the other is 脉象 ‘maixiang’ (meaning ‘pulse image’). ‘Maigan’ is the term that remains and ‘maixiang’ (pulse image) was taken out. Grandmaster Xu Mingtang explained that doctors who learned both methods, especially pulse image, were extremely effective in their diagnosis and treatment – so effective that the government became concerned of their power, as some people began viewing such doctors as ‘gods.’ Therefore, this method and Bian Que’s teachings were effectively ‘erased’ by removing all such texts and schools of theory from the teaching and universities of TCM.

Well recently, as Grandmaster Xu Mingtang has successfully healed many high level government officials and, as I had mentioned in my writings while with Dr. Zhao that the government is at the same time starting actively re-embrace the treasures of TCM and the still living masters, the Chinese government is now actively supporting and endorsing Image Medicine. As I mentioned in February when announcing Xu Mingtang’s visit to Seattle, the Chinese government recently concluded that Image Medicine is the top medicine. Here is a recent article on Mingtang and Image Medicine recently published in one of China's most-read magazines.

The Chinese National Science and Technology Association (STA) (which is equivalent to the National Institute on Health (NIH) in the States except it’s much bigger, covering many fields) has recently given large grants to the Traditional Chinese Medicine Association (TCMA) to use some of these funds to organize teaching and training forums with Kundawell Institute. The government is even inviting and paying for the country’s top scientists and doctors to attend. These doctors and professionals are thrilled!

Another exciting aspect of Image Medicine is that Grandmaster Xu can teach it! Yes he is a Grandmaster and has developed abilities many people would consider extraordinary or ‘god-like’, yet he teaches that all humans have the same potential – it’s just that much of people’s vital energy often is dispersed, drained, lost through stress, worry, lack of sleep, etc. Qigong practice (and other energetic practices) can: 1) restore our health; 2) gather, store and generate Qi – vital life energy; and 3) build and develop our energy and energy channels to awaken other senses/abilities that are a part of our potential as human beings.

Most people, myself included, first come to qigong to rebuild their health. Our bodies are extraordinarily resilient and wise and they know how to heal if we give them a chance. Qigong practice (and dance! :)) is one way to give our body this chance, and strengthen this ‘muscle’ of trusting our bodies and regaining vital, vibrant health.

A Simple Life Science…
Oh this brings me to a point I’m so excited and passionate about – that health, sustaining and maintaining our health can be simple! I love that from the beginning of his teaching, Mingtang has referred to ZY Qigong as a “simple life science” – the more I learn and experience, the more I understand the depth of this truth. What Mingtang teaches is simple; his healing techniques are simple; the qigong exercises in this lineage form are simple and easy to learn; and it is all also so very powerful. For example, we are all our best health keepers. All problems, that can eventually turn into a major serious health condition or crisis, first show symptoms – often times symptoms that most doctors won’t be able to detect, but that we can feel/sense in our own body. These are important to listen to. These signs/symptoms will come as either: 1) external signs (such as skin problems, change in tongue color, our behavior, movement, looking tired or fatigued, etc); or 2) internal feelings – such as a change in mood, energy, or emotions. Two main ways to give our bodies a chance for self healing if such a symptom arises is: 1) deep sleep (Mingtang is a big proponent of sleep, as are many other of my qigong teachers! Yay for sleep!! – it’s amazing how much better I feel and how much brighter the world feels when I’ve slept deeply and well!); and 2) dynamic movement – this can be dance (again YAY!), and/or self-healing qigong – movement that is spontaneous – not head-directed, but body-directed.

Also, people are increasingly paying more attention to the quality of food they eat and drink in our society – eating organic, low-processed foods, and lots of fresh veggies and fruits. Yet, sometimes, although on the outside what someone is eating ‘seems healthy,’ a person may still not feel well, or be chronically cold, weak, low-energy, etc. This can be a sign that, although the foods are whole and healthy, they may not be the right combination for one’s body type, the season of year, etc. For example, I find in my intention to eat healthy, sometimes I eat too many ‘yin’ or cold and cooling foods (which is most fruits and raw veggies) and have an imbalance of too much yin and not enough yang. This brings up another thing I LOVE about the Chinese diet and eating Chinese food (besides it tasting so delicious!) – is that most people have the common knowledge of how – energetically- to balance the foods they eat in a way that promotes health and well-being and ease of digestion. For example, lamb is a very warming, yang food. Eating too much or eating it by itself can easily ‘shang huo’ 上火increase internal fire, especially in the intestines. Yet, the Chinese often eat ‘bailuobo’ 白萝卜-daikon radish with lamb which is naturally cooling. This balances the food out and promotes balance in our bodies.

Another example is when I was studying abroad in Taiwan and living in the Chinese women’s dormitory. It was my birthday (which is in December so the weather was turning cooler) and one of my friends gave me a cake and ice cream (as it’s known that that’s what Americans do :)). Well, my roommates (who were often looking after me – similar to JunLing, Li Zhun, and Ayi when I was in Zhengzhou) had already noticed I had the sniffles and was fighting a cold. When they saw the ice cream, they immediately took it saying, “Kailun, ni bu neng chi. Tai liang! Ni yijing youyidian gan mao.” (凯伦，你不能吃。这个太凉。你已经有一点感冒.) “Karen, no – you can’t eat this – it’s too cold! You already have a bit of a cold.”

Another measure to see if what we’re eating/drinking is right for our bodies, is to (some may find this gross, but having studied much about TCM and seen many TCM doctors, I’m pretty comfortable talking about poop and pee!) check the size, smell and color of one’s bowel movements and urine. Any changes can signify it’s time to give our bodies a chance to do more self-healing, and to examine/make some shifts in our diet.
Image is another Big key to our health, our life, our success, happiness and thriving. On to image…

Image – the Basis and Foundation of Our Life and All Life
Image medicine is something I’ve heard Grandmaster Xu talk about numerous times, learned with him in his Image medicine seminars, observed in Mingtang’s healings with numerous patients when traveling with him in eastern and western Europe, and received from him myself while traveling with him, yet this year is the first time I feel I’m understanding/’getting it’. And, as I’ve mentioned, it’s so simple, and at the same time powerful. Remember that saying, “truth is simple; falsity ever complex”? Well, I believe this goes with healing modalities as well.

We see images through our eyes, for those of us who can see. Yet, the images in our mind’s eye control our health, our life, and how we develop in the future. They are powerful – just as, if not more powerful than our own genes and DNA.

If we have a ‘right’ image, our lives become easier, happier and increasingly in harmony. If a person always has a ‘bad’ image, the opposite is true. Mingtang sees these images. For example, all life forms have images – trees, frogs, dogs, butterflies, flowers, etc. (and in fact, images are our ‘universal’ language and how we can communicate with all life forms – Mingtang teaches this in more depth in level 4). A newly budding leaf, when it’s only a little spritely green bud, already has its image of its fully mature healthy-leaf self. Mingtang can see this with his 3^rd eye. He can also see a similar spritely green bud that has a distorted, or diseased mature leaf-self image. Catching this while still in image form, and not yet physical form is even easier to change – in this case, Grandmaster Xu, or an Image medicine practitioner would simply change the image to be that of a healthy mature leaf.

Grandmaster Xu Mingtang diagnoses through ‘maixiang’ or pulse image. He uses his 3^rd eye to see inside one’s body and scans. While western medicine focuses on the physical body, psychology focuses on the emotional/spiritual/informational body, and various energy modalities focus on the energetic body, image diagnosis scans all 3 anatomies. When scanning, the images Xu Mingtang receives points to which anatomy or anatomies have a ‘bad’ or distorted image. The most simple explanation of the basis of his treatment, is he changes a ‘wrong’ image into a ‘right’ image and therefore health is restored.

While it may sound too simple to be true, I have witnessed this countless times, seen the what seem to be miraculous results, and have received such treatments myself. Also, Grandmaster Xu Mingtang and his team at Kundawell are now documenting the results of his and other practitioners’ image medicine treatments. His results are drawing international attention, including from our top educational and research institutes in the States. This past March (2010), Dr. David Eisenberg, Director of the Harvard Medical School Osher Research Center, invited Grandmaster Xu Mingtang to come share some of his findings. Dr. Eisenberg may also visit Kundawell Institute in Beijing, China. In addition, the other week while we were all on retreat, the NIH contacted Xu Mingtang about his research…so the seeds have now been planted here…

What is health?
“So what is health?” asked Grandmaster Xu at our retreat 2 weeks ago. An image can tell us at once if something/someone is healthy or in disharmony. Also, he mentioned that we all recognize at once a healthy image versus a sick image. Our bodies/minds/spirits know health; it’s our most fundamental and natural blueprint. Yet how many images are there for disease or disharmony? Infinite! For example there are infinite images/varieties of conditions of an unhealthy heart, but one image for a healthy one – and we, even if we have never seen a live beating heart, would recognize the healthy image at once.

In a simple diagram, Mingtang drew this point:
Health (1 image) Disease (infinite images)
Treatment (go back to healthy image)
(opps! This image didn't copy out of my word doc very well -- it's supposed to be 2 arrows - the top arrow points to disease and the bottom arrow (describing treatment) point to health.)

If we can keep a ‘right’ healthy image in our mind/body/spirit (our informational, energetic and physical anatomies), we can keep good health. If there is a wrong image, we can change it! And if we perceive a wrong image in someone else, we can change it too (in our own experience, and if one is giving treatment to another, s/he can change it in the client as well).

The Power of Seeing Perfection
This brings up another point from my studies with Robert Stevens – the power of “seeing Perfection.” If I have a friend who is down on himself, or is depressed and sees his life as ‘hopeless’ – if I at all sympathize with him, I’m in a sense agreeing with and strengthening his ‘image’ of something being wrong or bad. Yet, if, on the other hand, I chose to see my friend’s ‘Victory’ in my mind’s eye – hold the image of him happy and loving his life, I am strengthening this positive and healthy image. The more I and people around him also strengthen this image, the stronger it gets. This is a practice of ‘seeing Perfection,’ and is a practice for me to do in my own world and with people around me in my life. If in an image medicine session, a practitioner can directly change the image in such a person to be a healthy one.
Xu Mingtang gave an example of working with a woman who had cancer. When she came to him, Xu Mingtang did his scan, and then asked her, “Why do you keep holding the image and thinking ‘I have a 4 cm long tumor! It’s 4 cm long. My tumor is 4 cm long’?” He could ‘hear’ her thoughts and see this strong image she kept feeding much of the time. This woman was surprised! How did he know she was thinking exactly that?! She realized she had been and was often fixated on this image of her ‘4 cm long tumor.’ In cases like this, Xu Mingtang changes the image – he wipes it out and returns a healthy image. This gives people’s bodies a chance to recover. And he’s found again and again, that without the image, the cancer stops growing and eventually disappears. But, he advises his patients NOT to get another test right away – those that do, still see a tumor and then voila! That ‘4 cm long tumor’ image is back! Patients that wait and then get retested find their tumors have decreased or disappeared which reinforces their ‘healthy image’.

In some cases, Grandmaster Xu Mingtang doesn’t even put in an image – instead he leaves emptiness and, he said, lets our bodies ‘reboot’ like we do with our computers! He’ll remove the ‘bad’ image, and let one’s body ‘reboot perfection’ (or it’s natural healthy blueprint) in its place.

Image influences all our anatomies (mind/spirit, physical body and our energetic body) and our success and ultimate happiness in life. For example, if I have a happy, fulfilled, curious and confident image in my spirit, this affects my energetic body and actually increases my energy, motivation and desire to create in my world. This increased energy also feeds and strengthens my physical body’s health which again supports my service in the world. Images can also direct the choices we make and what we do in our lives. Mingtang advises that if one has a strong desire to do something (meaning one has a strong image), to “just do it, do it!” :) Similarly, if one’s desire to do something is not strong, but one is doing it to please someone else, not to do it – because the image is weak and not supportive of one’s ultimate health and happiness.

A Bit on Informational Diseases
While our allopathic medicine has some effective methods to address physical disease, and many modalities exist to address energetic diseases/disharmony, not much exists to address informational disease. Often times if a problem is rooted in one’s informational anatomy, no medical xrays, MRIs, blood tests will show any signs of abnormality. Energy may be flowing well too. Image medicine is one system that can address such issues. For example, one woman came to Mingtang because of a chronic urination problem. Each night she had to get up numerous times to urinate, yet none of her medical tests showed any abnormalities. While this symptom is common among men with enlarged prostates, she is a woman and of course has no prostate. Well, Xu Mingtang scanned her with his 3^rd eye and saw no physical or energetic problem. It was informational. Her kidneys and bladder weren’t communicating and just required having their lines of communication connected. After doing that, she was all better; her problem was solved.

This is a large portion of image medicine and whole seminars just on our Informational system are now being taught in China and Russia.

A Bit on Qigong Practice
My first inspiration to write all this and share with you came when I made the (what seems rather obvious but took me until now) link between what Mingtang teaches on image medicine and our own qigong practice. In our meditations we often hold images –( ha! You see? There’s that word, yet I’m just now connecting the dots! :)) And the stronger the image is in our mind’s eye, the more they influence our spirit, energy and even change our physical body! Oh this is so cool! One of our most fundamental meditations in ZY Qigong, that we teach in Level 1 is Refine Qi. This cultivates our own and gathered Qi in our lower abdomen (or dan tian) – it changes ‘jing’ or hormone into ‘qi’. Well in our meditation we visualize having a red hot ball in our lower dantian. No one is born with this energy center in our body – but through practice, through the use of image, we actually create it! And we create a red hot ball that actually gets burning hot and causes physical, energetic, and informational transformation. So there you go – I’ve been practicing the basics of image medicine all this time and am just now getting it! :)

Thanks for those of you who have made it to the end of this update.
Much Warmth, Good Qi and Vibrant Health to you all.
Love,
KarenJoy

Services

2011-12-28T08:20:00.000-08:00

Private Qigong Instruction

Karen offers private sessions for qigong training. This can be done one-on-one or with a small group.

Karen will guide you to:

Establish your own practice.
Learn form-based styles.
Learn simple, effective tools to transform your health and overall well being.
Develop powerful sitting and standing meditation practices to gather and refine Qi.
Consistently experience and strengthen your exuberance, vitality, joy, and Love for your Life.

Karen also offers private and group sessions in a creative and FUN practice called, Qigong with Trees ~ Explore your Earth Gym. This is a unique practice combining the fundamental and powerful practices of Qigong 气功 with barefooting, staff dancing and stretching, stone-toning and tree weaving with ropes.

Contact her to arrange a session or series at karen.dancingqi[at]gmail.com or 206-713-5147.

Qigong Wellness Treatments

She is currently an apprentice of Dr. Zhao Fuxue, one of China's 85 top-level certified Chinese Medicine doctors specializing in Chinese medical massage, acupressure, tuina, and his lineage's "Dian Xue" technique. She offers treatments using qigong, acupressure and Dr. Zhao's dian xue technique and private qigong consultation for supporting wellbeing and vitality under Dr. Zhao's guidance.

Contact Karen for an appointment. 206-713-5147.

Past Events

2011-11-06T08:15:00.000-08:00

Beach Training! 1/2 Day Earth Gym Training at Discovery Park

Yahoo! Let's train at the BEACH!
Join me in a 1/2 day of training, Saturday May 14th at Discovery Park from 1 - 4 p.m.

We'll be engaged in our Earth Gym: natural running, beach running (this is the BEST!), stone toning, tree-weaving with ropes and more. Tap into and cultivate your natural strength and vitality! We'll also be drawing on fundamental and powerful qigong exercises throughout.

This is a 3-hour commitment rain or shine from 1-4 p.m. and it will be a BLAST!
Come prepared to train, feel your exuberance and have lots of FUN.

Investment is $25-$30. Register with me to confirm a spot.
Location: Discovery Park - meet at the So. Parking Lot

For an ongoing taste of this training, come join my Qigong with Trees ~ Explore Your Earth Gym weekly outdoor class at Green Lake Park on Tuesdays from 5:30-6:30 p.m. Please RSVP beforehand if you plan to attend.

* Here's the Facebook link: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=163067453751015

* Here's a youtube video of one of my Qigong with Trees classes:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-fsHmMaQwk&sns=fb

Explore Your Earth Gym ~ FREE Seattle Citywide Play Date

Saturday April 2nd, 10 a.m. - 12 noon at Green Lake Park, Bath House Theater

Explore your Earth Gym!! Similar to the concept of kids having play dates with friends, we're hosting the 2nd FREE citywide play date for people of ALL ages in Seattle. This event is to get people outside moving, playing, interacting with and exploring our natural Earth Gym (our parks, trees, stones, lakes, fields, sticks/staffs) - which is really everywhere. Too many people put off exercising because it's boring and/or is just a time to "zone-out" at the gym. Let's show another way to get in shape, have a whole lot of FUN and be outside in our natural environment!

We'll have:

*Earth Gym training --- staff dancing, natural running, stone-toning, tree-weaving with ropes, and tree climbing

*Parkour activities -- great techniques for running, jumping, moving through our natural and city terrain with ease and ninja-like flare!

*Crazy-fun outdoor games interspersed through our 2 hours together

*Outdoor boogie dance! Whee!

This event also ties in with our nation's larger public health movement, "Let's Move" to end obesity. The more people play, and especially outside, the happier, vital, strong and exuberant they'll be!

Please spread the word and feel free to cross post on other sites, blogs, etc! :) This will be so much FUN!! Play as if your life depends on it, ...because it DOES!

Claiming Your Voice as a Powerful Women
18th Annual Women of Wisdom Conference
Feb. 14, 1:30-4:30 p.m.
Karen Fletcher and Kris Steinnes

Experience being fully expressed through your voice, language and movement. Discover your purpose and embrace your strength within as you connect with the tools that are inherently yours. Through qigong movement, meditation, writing, speaking and conscious language exercises we will celebrate as powerful women to bring forth our gifts to the world!

See Women of Wisdom website: www.womenofwisdom.org

QIGONG RETREAT at Breitenbush Hot Springs, Oregon - October 8-11, 2009
ZY Qigong: The 7,000 Year Old Practice

Qi (vital energy) is the web connecting the body and mind, holding a record of all one’s physical, emotional and spiritual lessons. This map determines how we think, heal, live and die.

Claire Johnson, the main teacher for this retreat, is known for her presence in guiding students into their own innate power and their own extraordinary abilities, gaining mastery of their health, happiness and life. Students often say they have "experienced something (they have) never experienced before."

Karen Fletcher will offer morning qigong sessions, qidancing, and qigong with stones by the river.

Using simple, gradually evolving qigong movements, sounds, breathing and meditation, she brings people into a profound state of release, changing patterns in their physical, emotional, mental and spiritual being spontaneously that they thought were "impossible" and "miraculous". These tangible understandings empower students in healing themselves, and in healing others.

Students and practitioners of all levels receive what they need from the direct transmission of this ancient system.

Email us for information or questions. To register, call Breitenbush at 503-854-3320.

Tuition $300 ($360 after September 8) plus lodging (see Breitenbush's website for the workshop's description, lodging options and costs).

Conscious Language™ DVD Gathering - Friday April 24th 7-9 p.m.
The Words we speak create the house we live in...We are what we are conscious of being.

Language shapes our thought and thought shapes our reality. By changing one word in our application of language, we can potentially rearrange an entire 'chunk' of our reality -- this can be a profoundly emotional, fulfilling and enriching experience.

Come remember and celebrate the Power of our Words. I'll be introducing Conscious Language, sharing some from my own personal experience, study and training with Robert Tennyson Stevens, founder of Conscious Language and Mastery Systems, Corp., and how I incorporate Conscious Language and the principles of Mastery into my life -- my teaching, my Qigong practice, my dance and all I do and Am.

This night, we'll watch one of Robert's Conscious Language DVDs with some time for discussion at the end. In the DVD, Robert introduces Conscious Language and simple and effective tools to use immediately in front of a live studio audience -- He is fun, has great humor and is a powerful teacher/facilitator. You will also see him coach/facilitate people in the audience.

This is the 2nd of many more DVD nights to come. Contact me at karen.dancingqi@gmail.com to RSVP and for directions. Also, you can sign up on the Seattle Conscious Language Community Meetup group to receive notification of these and other Conscious Language events and classes.

For additional information on classes, public talks and individual coaching/study in Conscious Language and Outcome Facilitation, Sacred Body Language Translation, and Bio-Optic Holography, contact me by email or phone at 206-713-5147.

17th Annual Women of Wisdom Conference, February 12-16, 2009
Building Bridges for Global Community

This is an amazing conference with a wealth of internationally and locally known presenters such as Starhawk and Ubaka Hill.

I’ll be presenting on two days:

Teen Day for young women, 13-18 years of age; 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday 2/14 – I'm offering 2 sessions – one on Qigong and Movement and the other on Conscious Language. Other sessions include: singing and chanting, belly dancing, creating dream boards and creative writing. These teens will also be creating a performance from their day-long experiences to present in the evening.
Qigong Movement – Sunday, 2/15 from 5-6 p.m.

For full conference details on workshops, concerts, performances, classes, goddess market and more, see Women of Wisdom's website.
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Conscious Language & Sacred Body Language:

FREE Intros with Robert Tennyson Stevens

Wednesday, March 4, 7-10 p.m.

1336 Carleton St. (between Sacramento & San Pablo)

Berkeley, CA 94702

(Go to the yoga studio behind the house; enter the side gate at the driveway and walk back.)
Co-sponsored by Walking Mountain (www.WalkingMountain.org)
More event info and directions

Thursday, March 5th, 7-10 p.m.

Open Secret Bookstore
923 C Street, San Rafael, CA 94901
More event info and directions

Join Robert Tennyson Stevens to discover this powerful system for identifying and transforming your limiting beliefs and behaviors into strong foundations for success. You'll learn key elements of Conscious Language (speaking the language of our hearts, what we choose, and what is) and Sacred Body Language Translation (how our subconscious constantly speaks to us with every movement, gesture, symptom) and other tools to quickly and easily upgrade your life. Explore the profound possibility of how you create your reality with every word you think, speak, and feel...and how you can consciously create your fulfilled Life - with fun and ease! See www.masterysystems.com for more information.

This will be a highly experiential, profound and fun evening! All are welcome to attend.

Igniting Our Energetic Presence: Transforming into Our True Being

This retreat is a 5-Day Intensive of Expressive Arts, Dance and Qigong at Breitenbush Hot Springs. October 9-14, 2008. See here for details.

Conscious Play! An Introduction to Conscious Language™ and Embodied Movement

This will be a fun participatory talk at the Seattle Bioneers Conference on Saturday October 18th at 3 p.m. See their website for more information about Bioneers, an excellent annual international conference on environmental and social justice issues, and for a list and description of all the local speakers.