I had been drawn to becoming a Dragon’s Way Qigong® instructor years ago, but living on the West coast and having two very young children at the time made it impossible for me to attend the multiple in-person training sessions in the Catskills required to get certified. The timing simply was not right. Eventually the stars aligned, and let me tell you how grateful I am!
As part of the training, we each completed our own Dragon’s Way Qigong (DWQ) journey. I was very motivated to follow the program because four years prior I had serious health issues appear suddenly after getting a copper IUD. The IUD caused a huge immune reaction in my body and I went from total flexibility and joint health to sudden pain, swelling, and loss of mobility in several joints. My fingers hurt so much that I could not pull the covers over myself at night! It was scary to say the least and extremely painful.
I began by seeing a Rheumatologist and starting Western medications (which my body did not like) and I went back to New York City during the summer of 2018 and saw Master Lu for a treatment. I remember him telling me to cut my emotional expense, do “nothing” and quit the full-time volunteer role that I had taken on for my daughter’s school. To be honest, besides taking the herbs and getting Acupuncture from him (which only happened once a year because we live on different coasts) I was a lousy patient. I tried unsuccessfully to quit the volunteer role and therefore was also unable to cut my emotional and physical expense. There were two reasons I couldn’t quit to role: 1) I didn’t want to let down the head of school who I respected and 2) I didn’t want to leave my good friend in the lurch - she was my counterpart in the job and we worked closely together.
When I had finished my two-year stint in that role I finally stepped down and knew it was time for me to take care of myself. I had pushed my body too far and I could tell it was not going to heal if I didn’t heed Master Lu’s advice. I knew life would be dull if I didn’t have good health, so I set out with purpose.
At that point, I was practicing another system of Qigong that I had begun in 2005 when living in Santa Monica. Even though I really liked that Qigong system, I always knew I wanted to study with Master Lu. His acupuncture and his lineage were different. I put my other Qigong system aside and focused solely on Master Lu’s Wu Ming Qigong. It’s advisable to only practice one system at a time, don’t mix! After signing up for his Tao of Morning Qigong class (5am Pacific Time, folks) I knew I was in the right place. I practiced Morning Qigong and occasionally Dragon’s Way Qigong on my own with a video. Eventually I took the leap to become a certified DWQ instructor as the timing was finally right - my children were older and I could do a majority of the training on Zoom. I do now make frequent trips to the East coast for Qigong related weekends, and I always combine it with reconnecting with East coast friends and eating good food.
There are four components to the Dragon’s Way Qigong program: 1) 10 Qigong movements 2) Eating for Healing 3) Herbs which are optional and 4) lifestyle tips. The first week of the program I thought: “Oh my God, I’m going to starve.” The eating for healing is not a diet but it’s simply a lighter, fresher way of eating. Even though I don’t look like it, I eat a lot and sometimes I eat very heavy. When I lived in New York City, my daily go-to lunch was four-cheese pasta with a Coca-cola. Sometimes my body really needs heavier, denser foods so I freaked out a little bit with the idea of eating lighter. But then by the end of week one I had figured out what would work for me. I still ate a good amount of food but I ate until 80% full and I incorporated the suggested foods as much as possible. The suggested foods pack extra energetic support for your organs, which helps your body heal faster.
The 10 Qigong movements were so enjoyable for me and became second nature. I did them twice a day and had no problem holding the last posture for 20-30 minutes or more, because I already had a strong Qi foundation from my previous practice. That last posture is the key to accumulating more energy, which I desperately needed. I loved the herbs – and coincidentally those are the same herbs I took as a patient of Master Lu’s 20 years ago! So I already knew they worked for me and after so many years trying various herbs in acupuncture school and as an acupuncturist (I have tried literally every herbal formula on the market) I still prefer Master Lu’s formulas. They deliver the best results for me.
I noticed so many changes over the six weeks of DWQ and beyond. My joints felt better—they weren’t so swollen or stiff—and around week five or six I noticed my body could no longer tolerate the medication. So I stopped taking it and told my rheumatologist who acknowledged my joints seemed to be in “good shape” and promised to monitor me closely, which she did (for years!) My sleep improved (hallelujah) and I felt more peaceful and less stressed. I noticed myself reacting differently to situations. I did lose weight - which was not a goal of mine as I was already thin. However when I asked Master Lu, Elaine and Irma about it, they said not to worry. As Master Lu said “don’t worry, it’s easy to gain weight, difficult to lose. Just listen to your body.” In addition to all of these changes, I found myself wanting to simplify my schedule, my belongings and also my thoughts. I got rid of maybe 13 bags of “stuff” from my house and sent it to Goodwill to find a new home.
And I can tell you as I continue to practice, the results keep coming. I don’t need to color my hair yet (at almost age 48). I don’t do Botox or fillers. I have a regular menstrual cycle. I don’t have any perimenopause or menopause signs. I’m sure I will transition through menopause eventually, but it’s nowhere on the horizon yet. I have better stamina and my vision seems to be getting better each time I go to the eye doctor. I eat whatever I want (literally) and there is no midlife weight gain. There are still areas I would like to work on but overall I feel satisfied with what I have harvested and grateful to have found this system.
I see so many women my age or younger who are battling the visible and invisible demons of perimenopause and menopause. I feel blessed I don’t have those battles (though I do have screen time battles with my 11 year old). I want to share this with as many women as I can so they too can heal their bodies and be free from health issues during this natural transition of life.
The beauty of Dragon’s Way Qigong is that once you learn it, it’s yours for life. I have participants who come back and take the class again and again, receiving benefits each time. Some students take a break, forget about it entirely, and then maybe email me when something goes haywire in their life or their body.
I enjoy the playfulness that comes with feeling more youthful because of Dragon’s Way and continue to study the Five Elements and go deeper each day. There is always more to do and learn in life and having a healthy body allows me to accomplish my purpose in this life.
© Marie Yuann 2024
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